Early Sunday morning (VERY early - about 4:30am in fact) 8 of the Puyallup Cyclopaths converged at the Tacoma Narrows Park n' Ride to begin the drive to Port Angeles for the "Ride the Hurricane" bicycle ride (put on by the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce). This ride was billed as a "Strava Free" ride so we were all looking forward to a casual, social kind of a ride (Ha!). As we made our way to the Olympic Penninsula I struggled to keep my eyes open as we watched the changing colors of the sunrise over Puget Sound. When we arrived at the Penninsula College parking lot there were already several cyclists getting their bikes ready for the ride. As usual, our first order of business before getting our equipment ready was emptying our bladders. What! Only one port a potty!! Oh well, better get in the line quickly. After that we headed over to the registration desk to pick up our packets. Chris Fox met us at the parking lot which brought the total number of Cyclopaths to 9: Mike Hassur, Chris Fox, John Winter, Leon Matz, Mike Smith, Dan Haller, Mark Delrosario, Les Becker, and Rod Hart. As we started out we made a left turn after about a quarter mile and the steady uphill climb began. Out in front and gradually leaving the peleton behind were Rod and Leon (as expected). So much for a "Strava Free" ride!! In usual Cyclopath fashion we all put our heads down and quickly got into our climbing rhythm. The temperatures were already pretty warm for 7:30 or so in the morning but we were fortunate that the first part of the course was well shaded. The aid stations were spaced at every 4 or 5 miles and were well stocked with water, goo, bananas, and cookies. All the volunteers were very supportive and friendly which helped tremendously as we climbed above tree line and into warmer temperatures. The course was beautiful and the snow capped mountains, visible in all directions, inspired us all to dig deep as we made our way over the last ridge - Ah! The visitor center at last!! All the ice cold chocolate milk you could drink! And lots of other stuff too. We all took in the breathtaking scenery for awhile and posed for out group shot before starting down the mountain. Of course we couldn't think of quitting after just 18 miles of steep climbing so we decided to head back up for one more go after we descended about 5 miles. I think we all began to question our decision after the group began to push the pace upward once again. After reaching the top we did a 180 and headed down for the final descent to Port Angeles. The road was super smooth and made for a nice quick ride back to the cars. Though we topped out at 40 mph plus, none of us received the promised speeding citation for exceeding the 35 mph speed limit. Ah well, maybe next time. When we arrived back at the parking lot we snarfed down complimentary Costco hot dogs and other goodies. After loading up the bikes we all bid our farewells and headed back home to the families. Mike couldn't resist the temptation of the 'Golden Arches' and we pulled in for one last treat. I had a large 'Chocolate Chip Frappe' which really hit the spot.
We all agreed it was a great event and definitely worth repeating in the future!!
John Winter
See all the photos by clicking here.
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