rear hub. This revelation
was a real bummer. After working on the bike in the weeds next to Highway 12 we
realized there would be no roadside repair. Not only would Mario need to abandon
the
Six
and a half - The
number of minutes that Les was pulling at the front of the paceline while he
waited and waited and waited for a break in traffic. His
body language was
clearly saying, "I'm ready to end my turn" while the passing traffic
pattern was having none of it. He maintained a good pace during his long pull.
250 - The number of calories in the Rice
Krispies Treat purchased at Whistlin Jack's. I'll never buy another one of
those. Just too sticky. But I needed those calories more than I knew. My eating
schedule was one 200 to 250 calorie item every hour on the hour. This schedule
had worked well for me previously.
Fourish - The number of miles below Chinook
Pass where I officially cracked. The group had already fragmented and I was
working hard to stay on Les' rear wheel. I felt my battery draining. I warned
Les I was running on fumes. The surprise was how my crumbling took place. The mask
that hides the despair caused by miles of suffering was gone. My ride continued
but my emotions, now worn raw, were visible to the world. I clicked down to
bottom gear. I was unable to explain my condition yet I was still able to turn
the pedals. Les suspected I was at the border of Bonk City. He chose to slow to
my pace. He tried to cheer me up with conversation. And he made sure I didn't
get run over.
19 - Miles of mostly descending that took
us from the top of Chinook Pass back to the start point of the ride. I thought
I was home free.
18 - The number of years since bonk
number one. Bonk number two had started to show itself on the East side of
Chinook Pass. Full impact occurred in the last two miles of the ride. Once at
the van I parked my bike and immediately ate something. My mood started to
improve within minutes.
10
or 15 - The number of
minutes Les tells me it took to order and purchase the worlds best Vanilla
Latte at Wapiti Woolies. I fell asleep while waiting in the passenger seat.
Three - Quantity of nominations for MVC.
Mike is almost always up for Most Valuable Cyclopath. He's the guy that makes
all this fun possible. Mark, of course, gets a nomination for sacrificing his
day to help get Mario home. But from my perspective, Les takes the trophy for
tolerating my suffering and making sure I kept the shiny side up.
From
Whistling Jacks to the Chinook Pass Summit
(by Jim Wilcher)
** Note: no photos at Whistling Jacks or thereafter (we were all too tired to pull our cameras out) **
We met up at Whistling Jacks, for
our last load of food and water before the final push. I was curious to see
what everyone was using for fuel. Mike pulled a baggie from his fanny pack and
began mixing Perpetuem in is water bottles. Les had a package of Donettes in
his water bottle cage. John opted for Pop Tarts, PowerAid and a soda pop and
Dwaine was mixing a highball of Peanut Butter Cheese Cracker Sandwiches with
Rice Crispy Treats! Nick had some kind of cracker in his mouth at every
stop but I couldn't determine his brand preference. For me, it was a bar and
some Endurolyte Caps. Les asked me what those capsules had in them. I hinted
that they might contain cannabis but I didn't really know.
When we remounted the bikes, the
remaining group (now 7 of us) would no longer be together again. Was it the
choice of fuel that made the difference in how we performed in the last segment?
I had lost James wheel earlier and now as I looked up and down the road, not a
Cyclopath was to be seen. It was getting hot as hell and I remembered Les
announcing earlier that his Garmin was reading 90 degrees. No wonder
Chinook Pass felt like purgatory, it was hot and humid and went on forever. The
ride it seemed was starting to unfold as a drama. Mario's hub failure, then the
mysterious flat on John's front tire while it was parked (could it have been a
chipmunk trying to warn us). We split into pockets of isolation, left to
survive the mountains and elements on our own. A slight rain began to fall and
it was gloriously good. But when it subsided, the sauna like conditions retuned
and I wondered what it would be like if those capsules really were laced with
Mary Jane.
Then I saw a small moving dot ahead its
James, the man in black. I figured I could catch up with him as long as he
doesn't know I'm coming. Crank, crank, cranking up the wide-open drainage of
Chinook Pass until his breathing was audible. That's when I announced in an
ultra casual voice, "Hi James". He just about flinched off his bike.
I didn't intend that response but it was kinda funny. For me, the steeper parts
of the climb felt better and I could feel a little cooler air. I begged for
more of that wonderful cool alpine air. Near the top the cool air finally came,
a breeze was blowing over the snowfields and washing over our parched bodies.
Relieved, James and I stopped at the summit and absorbed the experience for
several minutes before descending to the cars.
James
Makes His Maiden Triple-By-Pass Voyage
(by James Kressler)
Epic team pace line...grabbing
wheels...taking my turn at pulling. Refusing to fall off the back.
And then...Les cracked the whip! I went extra deep to hang onto his
wheel. We became what I called in my head "the gang of four".
By the time we reached Whistling Jack's I was toast and I remember
thanking Les for "slowing down" a few times so I could continue being
part of the four.
I knew that I needed to head up
Chinook early so I left Jack's as soon as I could. I hugged Jim's wheel
for a long time and then...he was gone. Huh? For mile after mile I
wondered what had happened..."what did I say"...did he go back to
check on Mike"..."should I go back"..."how can Les be so
bleeping strong"..."shut up legs"..."why is it so
hot"..."why didn't I lose more weight"..."did I really drop
Jim"...while I was looping thoughts around and around and around in my
head I was battling the SUN. Oh my God...the SUN. We don't get to
battle the sun very often in Western Wa so when it comes out...WATCH OUT.
I was also battling the knowledge that my MPH was steadily dropping from
"so so" to "are you riding or walking" to "baby
crawl". As this was my first time riding from Naches to Chinook I was
getting desperate to reach the infamous "tack" bridge. Did reaching
that landmark help me get going again? Not really. About 3 miles
from the top I was awoken from one of my mental mantras by JIM. Wow!
Out of seemingly nowhere...Jim! Be advised that he is a one sneaky
dude! I tried to hug his wheel...couldn't do it. Next best
alternative...keep him in site...success.
Typically I put my size to good work
on downhills. The Saturday downhill from Chinook to my car was more of a
blessed relief than fun.
Final thoughts...The Cyclopaths Rock!
I am very grateful that I've been able to hang with you guys. Riding
my bike makes me feel alive and riding fast within your group is wonderful.
Nick’s
suffering: Doing the Triple Bypass to
prevent a Triple Bypass.
(by Nick Iverson)
July 5th, the Puyallup Cyclopaths once
again set out on another adventure.
Personally on this ride, I expected to get dumped on the climb up White
Pass. In order to prevent a delay
 |
| White Pass break... |
at the
top, I just headed out and waited for the bright yellow and orange jerseys to
come roaring up the hill to wait for me at the top. Much to my surprise, only Mario and Mark
caught up and passed. Mark was
hammering, and said his heart rate was 180 for the climb. I kept mine at 150. Soon the group headed down the hill, and
everybody passed me as if I were stopped.
Within a half mile I was solo. I
wanted to be Han Solo, but I had nerves of aluminum. I watched longingly as the pace line gradually
disappeared down the hill. Having a
couple of near misses on descents this year has made high speeds scary. Eventually I reached the first stop, having
ridden the entire descent alone, (snif), but at a leisurely pace that allowed
me to gaze over the beauty of Rimrock Lake.
Bumbling along at about 18mph, I yearned for the pace line had likely
gone 37mph through this area. At our
“rest stop,” mechanical problems: flats
and wheel problems.
 |
Repairing John's blow out at Trout Lodge
(thank goodness for Les' "boot")... |
Onward. It was great to be riding
in a pace line headed toward WA 410 at a nice pace of about 37mph. I spent as little time pulling as possible,
knowing that I would be Han Solo heading up Chinook Pass. Jim Wilcher and Iron Mike Hassur helped me
keep a reasonable pace as I dropped off the back of the “kids” in the pace line
ahead. Finally Jim started whistling,
and I knew we were soon to see Jack’s.
After a short stop, I told Jim and Mike to just go ahead, and that Solo
would eventually get to the top. I may
not be fast, but I’m old. After passing
the “Chinook Pass 11 miles” sign, I was feeling okay, and was able to get up to
10mph at times, and there were a few spots where I could get a boost from some
flat areas or even slight downhills, and RIDE ON MY AEROBARS! Eventually the climb gets steeper, buy my
cadence was steady. At about 4-5 miles
from the top, there was a cyclist up the road easily visible with a bright
orange and yellow jersey. OMG it was
IRON MIKE. Changing into my doctor mode,
I talked to Mike, offered him some Gatorade, and when I was certain that he was
bonked, was okay, and had help on the way, I headed back up the hill. I don’t quite understand the suffering that
we do on these long climbs, but I just stayed in my own rhythm, and in my
lowest gear, and the miles gently passed by.
The views were awesome. Then 2 pickup
trucks driven by Bubbas, followed by a Winnebago driven by their Dad, Bubba,
each pulling a trailer with some off road vehicles were in a contest to see how
close they could come to me without killing me.
I saw the same three !#$%^&*+!!! heading east on my way up 410 the
previous Wednesday as I was riding up to Sunrise! To their chagrin, I lived.
Soon I crossed under the wooden Chinook Pass sign, and was courageous
(or dumb) enough to zip down to the top of Cayuse where I waited to make sure
that Mike had indeed gotten a ride. Mike
had a smile, as he had recovered enough to get back on his bike and make it to
the top of Chinook before getting a ride home.
I headed down Cayuse, and about half way was able to just let it
fly. At the starting point was my lone
Volvo waiting to take the last euphoric Cyclopath home. What a joy to be able to ride with all the
caring group, and special thanks to Jim and Mike for helping to drag me to
Whistling Jack’s. I think that part of
Mike’s Bonk was his usual gift of his energy to help another cyclist.
John
Recounts His the Epic Triple-By-Pass Experience
(by John Winter)
When we arrived at Cayuse Pass for the “Reverse Triple
Bypass” (aka Double Bypass) we all felt a bit chilled as we waited for everyone
to show up. With the image of our ill-fated Skate Creek ride still clear in
our minds we decided to avoid the descent to Ohanapecosh and drive down and
start our ride at the intersection of highway 12 and 123 near Packwood (good
choice). As Mike and I drove past the pond by the Ohanapecosh entrance we
saw a big bull elk with a huge set of antlers (An awesome sight to see).
As we continued driving Mike was kicking himself for not getting a picture –
guess we’ll have to record the memory in our brains (Ha!).
After we parked the cars we all got into our usual
pre-ride preparation routine. Les was kind
enough to hand out to each
rider a rubber tire ‘boot’ that he had cut out from an old tire. I was to
find out later that he couldn’t have given me a better gift. We started
up the climb towards White Pass at a reasonable pace and had lots of good
conversation. The temperature was perfect for climbing and the view of
Mt. Rainier was spectacular. Once we got to White Pass we all stopped at
the convenience store for a quick nutrition break.
As we started downhill towards Naches the temperature had
warmed up to a comfortable temperature for descending. So far so good
with regards to the weather. We broke up into two groups – Mark, Jim, James,
Duane, and Les at the front while Mike, John, Mario and Nick brought up the
rear.
We regrouped at Trout Lodge for another nutrition break
and a chance to refill the water bottles. As a few of us were waiting
outside by the bikes we suddenly heard a loud ‘Pop’
followed by a ‘whoosh of
air’. Darn. Sounds like someone has a flat tire now. I’ll go
and take a look. Sure enough, it was my front tire that blew. After
changing the tube and re-inflating the tire Les and I did a quick inspection
and noticed the tube bulging out of a small hole on the sidewall. Must
have hit a rock somewhere on the descent. Perfect opportunity for using
the boot that Les had given me at the beginning of the ride. After
slipping it in and inflating once again I was good to go. Thanks again
Les!!
As we left the lodge to begin the next leg of the ride we
noticed that Mario and Mark were not riding along with us. We all doubled
back to see what the trouble was and as it turned out Mario had a mechanical
issue. After giving it a good college try for about half an hour it was
discovered that Mario’s rear hub had a couple of cracks in it. We all
agreed that Mario’s ride was over for the day. Very disappointing!!
Of all the Cyclopath rides I’ve been on there have been VERY few where we
haven’t all finished together. Mark decided he would ride back over White
Pass and come back to rescue Mario. A true selfless Cyclopath gesture on
his part. Hope you guys made it back OK.
On to our next goal – Whistlin’ Jack’s. We
organized ourselves into a paceline and maintained a brisk pace along highway
410 towards Chinook. Lots of July 4th weekend traffic and as a
result some pulls ended up longer than expected for some of us. Everyone
made a strong contribution to keeping up the pace. When we arrived at
Whistlin’ Jack’s it was the usual busy scene. We all snarfed down lots of
calories (Pop Tarts, Rice Crispy Treats, and peanut butter crackers –
Yum!). I topped off my water bottles with quart of strawberry lemonade
flavored Powerade and added about half a can of Squirt. Not a bad tasting
formula. Before we left Mike told me he was starting to flag a bit so he
handed me the car keys in case I finished before him. If it didn’t go
well he asked me to come back and pick him up.
 |
| Jim heading up toward Chinook Pass... |
Off to the final leg of the ride…..
I was feeling pretty good (must
have been all the great food I’d been eating) so I put my head down and got
into a good climbing rhythm. The weather was rather warm and humid but
some scattered cloud cover kept it from getting blistering hot. At one
point I even felt a few sprinkles coming down. Unfortunately it lasted
only a minute. I was very tired and very relieved when I reached the top
of the Pass. While contemplating the ride on my descent I couldn’t decide
which was more brutal – the ascent from Naches to Chinook or Ohanapecosh to
Cayuse. Both definitely in the ‘Epic’ category. I made a speedy
descent down to the car and quickly loaded up the bike, happy to be done.
As I drove back up toward Cayuse I flashed my headlights as I saw Duane and
Les, Jim and James, and then Nick and Mike. Not in his usual form at the
front of the pack, Mike was disappointed not to finish the entire route but
happy to finish the climb up Chinook. Just having a bad day ….we’ve all
been there.
The Mark and Mario Perspective
( by Mark Delrosario)
I met Mario back in 2011 during the Skagit Spring Classic,
which was my second organized ride during my inaugural year as a cyclist. Sure enough it rained on that early May ride
and being the more experienced cyclist Mario helped me thru the wet, cold, a
railroad crossing fall and the headwind.
Since he lives on Whidbey Island in the north and I live in Fife in the
south Puget Sound, we are lucky to ride together once or twice during summers. We have corresponded thru email and watched
our cycling progress on Strava. In my
opinion he is a strong and competitive cyclist.
This year I convinced him to throw his name into the Ride
Around Mt. Rainier in One Day (Ramrod) lottery.
We were both selected. I
completed Ramrod (150 miles and 10k in climbing) in 2012, my rookie year with
the Cyclopaths and my second year as a cyclist.
Without the training and rides with the group I might not have been able
to complete the feat. Our group rides
during the season are a perfect build up towards such a goal.
Mario joined us for this June's aborted Skate Creek Loop
ride. However, mother nature had
different plans and would not cooperate with us to complete the ride due to the
cold mist/rain and fog on the climb up and down Paradise Inn on Mt.
Rainier. Mario experienced a long
mountain climb for the first time, was the only one of us to attempt to give
chase to Conor and was more than capable of completing the full ride had we not
cut it short due to the weather conditions.
Our Triple By Pass ride is a 115 mile ride over and down
three mountain passes crossing from the west side of Washington to the east
side and back. Mario made the journey to
join us once again. My intention for the
ride was to treat it as a training ride since I barely had any miles during the
two week lead up. Knowing Mario he would
probably chase whomever was the fastest rider up the road.
The ride itself started with Dr. Nick starting off earlier
than the rest of us. The group rolled
out single file. Having only ridden the
descent of the west side of White Pass I did not know what to expect so I kept
a steady cadence up the grade. Mario
quickly joined me and the group disappeared from my rear view mirror. Knowing the quality of riders I expected that
they would come charging by at any time.
Mario began to egg me on and saying I wasn't showing any sign of
suffering. He couldn't be farthest from
the truth. Thanks for the encouragement
though. My heart rate was out the roof
as I looked down to my Garmin reading a constant 180 beats per minute,, My max!
I learned early on in my cycling experience that it is best to ride at
your own pace or risk blowing up on a ride.
Easy to do if the riders are strong on mountain terrain.
Strava data confirmed my average heart rate for the 7.5 mile
segment was 180 bpm. I would hate to
look at what the average was for the full 14 mile climb because I might really
have a heart attack. Mario could have
taken off at any time and he even stopped a few times to take pictures of the
scenery. Several miles from the summit
we spotted Dr. Nick. Mario seems to
think I picked up the pace but in reality I was counting down the miles to the
top since seeing the 12 miles to White Pass sign. I was grateful to be near the top. Mario was dancing up in an Alberto Contador
climbing style. It was such a relief to
feel the road flatten out after cresting and a welcome sight to see the gas
station for a much needed break. Dr.
Nick arrived within the minute and the group a few minutes later. Think they were conserving their energy which
in retrospect I should have done too.
Dr. Nick got the party going again. This time we passed him quickly on the
descent of the east side of White Pass.
Against better judgment I tried to hammer the downhill to enjoy the
fruits of my labor from the ascent. I
could see a scrambling of riders occurring behind me and eventually a chase
began. Before I knew it James, Jim and
Duane were upon me and a pace line formed.
I found the descent too short for my liking. I started to pay the price for my earlier
efforts and foolishness with the onset of leg cramps. As we rode along the Rimrock lake I felt like
I had bricks instead of feet. I only
hope that I did my share of the work when it was my turn to pull. We did not have a monster, i.e. Rob, to pull
us like he did the previous year. I was
quite impressed with Jim. He took on the
role of captain of the road warning us of the tunnel ahead and checking if we
were ok.
We arrived at, Trout Lodge, the second scheduled rest stop
about 35 miles into the ride. The rest
of the group was less than a minute behind.
Only another 80 miles to go. After
snacking and fixing John's flat we were off again single file. This time I thought I'd sit in the back to
conserve energy for this middle section of the ride. Some campers hooted and hollered at us and
next thing I know there was an ugly sound from Mario's bike. He pulled off and I did too. The rest of the group slipped away from view
but they realized we were missing and turned around. The mechanical turned out to be worse than a
dropped chain. The rear hub had cracked
in several spots where the hub holds the spokes and the wheel was out of true
and the rear derailleur hanger bent as a result. Mario recalls a part of the road on the
descent where he hit a rough spot. The
plan was formulated that Mario and I would double back to the cars and the
group would part ways to continue on to finish the ride.
Mario and I started back at a reduced pace but again his wheel
became an issue. I forged ahead and
Mario would make it as far as he can by the time I returned with the car. Being isolated and riding solo on an ascent
of a pass I found it difficult to maintain a steady pace. The east side of the state has a dry heat
climate and that didn't help the situation.
The Garmin read 80-90 degrees. It
felt like I was crawling up the mountain in purgatory. After you feel like you can't suffer no more
survival mode kicks in. I stopped on the
side of the road to dip my bandana and jersey in some running water to cool off
even though the relief would be temporary.
At the top of White Pass the temperature was 15 degrees less and I was
able to stop for food. An overcooked gas
station burrito never tasted so good. It
was enough to hold off the hunger pains.
The descent was uneventful using gravity to my advantage. Heading back with the car I came across Mario
after he crested White Pass. Mario made
it very far and rode well considering his mechanical. He mentioned he suffered thru the heat too
and stopped for a pricey burger. It
appears his solo ascent of White Pass was faster than mine.
Is Mario 0 for 2 in Cyclopath rides? I'd like to think the opposite. The Skate Creek Loop ride was aborted because
of the weather conditions but we did summit the Mt. Rainier climb and did
additional miles after we returned to Ashford.
On Triple By Pass, we might not have completed the full 115 mile
loop. Despite the mechanical we
accomplished the equivalent amount of climbing.
The training leading up to Ramrod could have been better. No matter, I imagine we will find a way to
make it an epic ride to remember.
To see all of the photos from this ride, click on the following link:
https://plus.google.com/photos/103821724300588557330/albums/6033720426386888417/6033793765428593874?banner=pwa&pid=6033793765428593874&oid=103821724300588557330
