2016_07_02 Puyallup Cyclopaths: White Pass, Backbone Ridge (east side), Paradise, Backbone Ridge (west side), Cayuse Pass, and Chinook Pass

Author:  Adam Abrams

This was my third ride with the group and my first trip into the mountains. To say I was excited was would be an understatement; I literally couldn’t sleep the night before and when my alarm woke me up at 4:00 am I almost ran out of the house. 

The trip up white pass was really nice. I spent most of the time catching up with Aaron, Les and Dwaine. The conversations took me right up the mountain and before I knew it we were at the top. When we reached the top and I saw the sign reading “Entering Yakima County”, it struck me that I had just climbed my fist mountain pass. I was really excited by this but I had to play it cool because I was surrounded by such accomplished cyclists. 

Our group ascending White Pass...

Photo next to the White Pass Ski Lodge...

Les and Adam...

While I was feeling great about climbing my first mountain pass, I knew the descent was coming up next. As a newer rider I face every descent with a mix of excitement and fear. The latter of which was only intensified when Mike reminded us of the need to be careful.  I started the descent near the back in the group watching the others and gathering my confidence. I quickly became comfortable and moved to a spot behind Aaron and Dwaine; those guys can absolutely fly. That descent was really fun!

On our way back to the vehicles to restock after climbing White Pass...

The trip to Paradise started much the same as the trip up White Pass. I spent most of the first climb getting to know Mario. However things changed as we crested Backbone Ridge. Once again I found myself on a descent behind Aaron and Dwaine but this time I tried to hold on. That was really fun but once we got to the bottom Arron didn’t slow down. I found myself breathing hard and just trying to hold the wheel that was in front of me.  

Eventually Aaron relented and I found myself out front as we started up Steven’s Canyon. I got into a zone on that climb and quickly found myself alone in the front. That climb is absolutely beautiful.  At several points on the way up I wanted to stop to take a look. As we reached the beginning of the switchbacks, Les, Aaron, and Dwaine caught me. I’ve noticed they have a way of sneaking up on me when I’ve been out front for a while. Then I was reminded how strong these guys are when Dwaine took off at the turn on the switch back. Les looked at me and said "go catch him" and thought to myself yeah right.  At the top of the switch back we reached Reflection Lake and I was ready for a break.

While resting and refueling at Reflection Lake I made the decision that I wasn’t going to have enough time to complete the third climb of the day. So when the group started the final climb to Paradise I took a spot at the front with Mario. I was happy to let him lead us through some unexpected construction zones that had left the roads covered with gravel. But when we got to the intersection with Longmire road and I knew we had just a mile to Paradise I decided to give it one last push for the day. 

     

As I approached Paradise I noticed some strange looks from people getting out of their cars. I’m not sure if these looks were due to my Lycra clad appearance or in recognition of the fact that I had just ridden up the same mountain that they had driven. Either way they only added to my sense of accomplishment for having just completed the climb.  

Our stay at Paradise was nice and despite the clouds the parking lots were full and there were lots of people enjoying their day on the mountain. I’m always surprised by the number of international travelers that make the trip to Paradise. It’s a good reminder of how lucky we are to have such an amazing park just hours from our homes. While at Paradise the group took a few minutes to fill our water bottles, refuel, and take a few pictures before heading back down the mountain. 

The descent from Paradise was amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. Once again Dwaine and Arron were out front and I tucked in behind Mike and we flew down the mountain. It was pretty cool to watch those guys descend. I’ve learned a lot by watching the way they pick their lines through the corners and open it up on the straight aways. I even saw a few bunny hops over drainage grates while going down Stevens Canyon at 30 + MPH. 

The final up and down over Backbone Ridge flew by as I was still energized by the descent from Paradise. We got to our vehicles and I headed home as Mike, Les, Dwaine and Mario prepared to climb Cayuse Pass. While I wished I had more time to finish the ride I was pleased with what I had already accomplished. This was my first ride in the mountains and  I can see what keeps the group coming back.

2016_06_26 Lanny Moore's Coeur d'Alene Ironman 70.3 (i.e. "half-Ironman")

Author:  Lanny Moore

Well, I’m only half crazy.  Last Sunday, 26 Jun, I participated in my first triathlon which happened to be the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene (CdA).  After hearing from a cousin about this event back in August, that she was going to do the run portion for a relay team, and having a few friends who have competed in half and full Ironman events, I decided it was time to commit in participating in one.  Especially one that was located in my old stomping grounds as I was born and raised in Spokane and used to hang in Coeur d’Alene during the summers.  So as soon as I could, I joined the Y as I needed to learn how to swim again.  As a kid I grew up a half block from a pool and participated on the summer swim team as well as taking all eight levels of swim lessons they offered.  However, I haven’t been in the water since 1990 when I left Guam, where playing in the ocean was almost an everyday occurrence.

Going into this event my mantra was “Survive the Swim. Enjoy the Ride. Conquer the Run.” The weather on Friday in CdA for sign in was stormy.  Saturday morning for my practice swim the temps were in the low 50’s with the wind blowing in from the south (in our face as we stood on the beach) creating some nice chops on the water.  During my practice swim, those chops hit me in the face and water went up my nose and down my mouth.  I didn’t panic and was able to spit everything out.  I chuckled as I said to myself, “Great! Drown the day before the event”.

Sunday was absolutely perfect. Clear. No wind and sunny. The temps were forecasted to reach the mid 80’s which they did. As I stood on the beach waiting to start the air temp was colder (56) than the water temp (60). The swim start was a rolling start and I was in the back in the estimate 45-minute swim time group. The cannon sounded at 6:10am and the pros were off!  When they reached the beach about twenty minutes later my group hadn’t even started yet…lol  

Finally, it was time to go and any nerves that I may have had prior to the race were suddenly gone. I started out slowly trying to find a good object to spot from, gain control of my breathing (the cool water takes some getting used to) and to keep an eye on any swimmers ahead of me.  Like the guy to my left who was backstroking (?) and crossed a few yards in front of me and proceeded to run into another swimmer.  I found a large yacht that stationed beyond the course in between the buoys and the rescue paddlers.  I slowly made my way to the first turn, made my turn and spotted off the sun as that’s all you could see.  Made the second turn, looked up and saw the athlete’s village, sighted off that and headed to the finish. My swim time was 48:56. I’ll take it.  All those early hour swim sessions paid off as I survived the swim and now it was time to go enjoy my ride.

My transition to the bike was a little longer than I wanted but that was due to breaking some serious cycling etiquette by donning my compression socks so all I would have to do were to change into my running shoes during the next transition.  Besides, I knew I wasn’t going to win by age group or anything. With shoes and helmet on I grabbed my bike and hustled to the mount line and mounted my bike and took off.

The course took us east/southeast through downtown and adjacent neighborhoods where the locals were out in force. With my adrenalin pumping it was hard not to go all out to soon.  I had to reel myself in some and find a nice steady tempo.  The course was hilly but nothing that hard. The toughest hill was comparable to the hill going out to Carbonado.  A nice steady climb where you could sit back and ride with a good tempo. Since I was one of the last in the water and probably close to being the last out I was passing people left and right.  Also, not to brag, but since I was wearing my Cyclopaths jersey I’m proud to say that not one person passed me going uphill.  I did all the passing. In fact, anyone who passed me on a tri-bike going downhill or on a flat I caught them on a hill and put distance between us.  I went from an overall rank after the swim of 1971 to 1709 after the bike. If anyone passed me, it was at the last aid station where I had to stop.  You see, before the race, I did what every good triathlete does, or so I’ve heard, I waded waist deep in the water and relieved myself prior to the start.  So I’m good, right? Wrong. After starting on the bike I felt the urge to go thanks to the effect of the cold water. I played it off telling myself I can wait until the next transition.  Well keeping myself hydrated along the way made matters worse and I wasn’t going to go on my bike.  Five minutes later I was on my bike perusing the people who passed me.  I finished the bike portion in 3:20:07.  Even though I enjoyed the ride, I was a little disappointed in my time as I was shooting for closer to 3.  

My transition into the run was seamless and I headed out to the run course feeling great and looking for a solid run performance like the week before in the Seattle Rock n Roll Half where I set a personal best of 2:02:00.

Wrong! Two miles into the run the balls of my feet started to hurt and tingle.  I stopped a few times to loosen my laces but it never went away. I just tried my best to push through the discomfort.  The run course was two laps that took us through a park out to a residential area, where again, the locals were out in force showing their support, and out to the road that was the first part of the bike course. However, for the run we were on an adjacent MUP.  At around the six-mile point on the MUP we looped back the same way we came.  Then the temps started to take its toll on me and other runners. It wasn’t blistering hot, but the mid 80-s aren’t cool and there wasn’t much shade.  When we made our way to the park there was a fork in the road with a sign that read, “2nd Lap/Finish.  I told the volunteer, “That’s’ cold.  I guess I’ll see ya soon”. On the second lap that is where I started to break down.  Not being able to get fully comfortable on the run due to the balls of my feet nagging at me and the temps, I started to do more walk/running than running.  Also, I really wasn’t hungry or thirsty and grew tired of drinking and popping gels. As I made my way back to the park, I was a block away when I pulled myself together and started running so I could finish strong.  It helped that there were many along the way cheering you on, especially when you left the park, went up block, which was a small hill, then turn the corner for a small downhill finish on the main drag, where people were lined up two to three deep on each side cheering you on.  Like any good cyclist, before I turned the corner, I zipped up my jersey and headed towards the finish with a time of 7:10:58.  I was hoping for better than that but I’m pleased that I finished. My overall rank was 1733 out of 2449.

Toughest event I’ve ever participated in and I would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, I plan on going back next year to improve my time. Who knows? Perhaps someday I’ll give a full Ironman a tri.  Until then, I’m only half crazy.

2016_06_25 Cayuse Pass, Chinook Pass (both sides - sort of), and Sunrise Visitor Center Climb (twice): Les, Dwaine, Nick, Scott, Rob, Aaron, and Mike

Author:  Michael Hassur

Well, for a last minute ride; this one turned out pretty nicely.  Originally, the plan was to do our traditional “Skate Creek Loop Ride”; but weather forced us to postpone it for a week, and road construction between Longmire and Paradise on Mt. Rainier caused us to decide to cancel it and substitute the ride that we ended up doing.

The new plan was to meet at the turnoff to Sunrise from Hwy 410.  There was decent parking at this junction, and it was the starting point for each of the three legs of the proposed ride:

1.       Leg #1:  Up the north side of Cayuse Pass à up the west side of Chinook Pass à 3 miles down the east side of Chinook Pass à turn around and retrace our path back over Chinook and Cayuse Passes and back to the vehicles where we could restock food and liquids and shed clothing (if needed).

2.       Leg #2:  Enter Mt. Rainier National Park through the Sunrise Ranger Station à ride the 4-5 miles of fairly gentle climbing to the base of the 10 mile climb to the Sunrise Visitor Center à climb to the Sunrise Visitor Center à retrace our path back to the vehicles.

3.       Leg #3:  Was supposed to be a ride up to the Crystal Mountain Ski Area and back to the vehicles, but we changed plans.  Due to the fact that no cars were allowed on the 10 mile climb to the Sunrise Visitor Center (only cyclists and a few hikers) until July 1st, we decided to repeat that climb after descending.

Normally, Leon Matz and I would be driving up together to the starting point of the ride; but Leon was in Costa Rica with his daughter which meant that I was driving alone.  I arrived early (around 6:20 AM) which was a good thing; because Aaron Gerry pulled in soon after I did saying that he wasn’t really certain where our meeting point was supposed to be.  By 7:10 AM, all of our group (Rob Critchfield, Les Becker, Dwaine Trummert, Nick Iverson, Scott Wagar, Aaron, and myself) were on our bikes and ready to take off.  As we proceeded up the north side of Cayuse Pass the roads were wet – not from rain, but due to the fact that we were riding up through the clouds.  Because of the clouds, we missed out on some of the beautiful views of Mt. Rainier on this portion of the ride.  The ride up to Cayuse Pass was uneventful if somewhat unspectacular.  That would be the last time that we would use the word unspectacular on this ride.

Our starting point...

Ready to go...

After regrouping at the top of Cayuse Pass, we proceeded up the west side of Chinook Pass.  During this portion of the ride, we rose above the clouds and started to enjoy some of the amazing views in this section of road. 

Actually this is Nick ascending the WEST side of Chinook Pass...

After arriving at the summit of Chinook Pass, we – once again – regrouped before descending the east side of the Pass for three miles.  At that point, we turned around and headed back up to the summit of Chinook Pass.  At the summit; we regrouped, took photos, and headed down to Cayuse Pass and, then, on down to our vehicles.

After shedding some clothing (it was warming up some), refilling water bottles, and restocking food; we decided that we would alter our route.  Instead of heading up to the Sunrise Visitor Center once and, then, proceeding on back to the vehicles and on to the Crystal Mountain Ski Area; we would simply head up to the Sunrise Visitor Center, descend back down, and head up again.  This would take advantage of the fact that there were no cars allowed on the 10 mile ascent to Sunrise.  We stocked up on liquids and food accordingly and took off.

We made our way to the Mt. Rainier (Sunrise) Ranger Station.  Between my National Parks Senior Pass, Nick’s National Parks Senior Pass, and Les’s Mt. Rainier National Park Pass; we were able to get everyone in without any financial repercussions.  From there, it was a 4-5 miles of gentle climbing until we reached the gate for the 10 mile climb to the Sunrise Visitor Center.  Of course, the gate was closed to keep cars off this section of road until July 1st – hallelujah!!  The ride up was blissful – only one or two cars (government workers heading up to get the Sunrise Visitor Center facilities prepared for the onslaught of people who would head up the road after July 1^st.  Dwaine was feeling “frisky” toward the top.  We did the last couple of miles pretty aggressively (thanks, Dwaine), with me following Dwaine (as usual) to the top.

We used the bathrooms, ate, drank and headed down.  This 10 mile descent is FUN!!  As we headed down, I noticed that Les was not with us.  It turned out that he had dropped something and returned to pick it up.  I waited for him at one of the upper hairpin turns.  He arrived shortly, and we took off.  I followed Les for the next 6 miles or so.  It is an experience that makes me giddy.  You are always going fast (and with no cars to contend with, it was even a little faster), and you are just sitting there watching this cyclist in front of you “swooping” through turn after turn.  I’m getting a smile on my face just writing about it!!  When we got to the bottom; we met the other guys, turned around, and headed up again.

The second time up was a little less “robust” than the first.  We just rode at a steady pace and “visited our way to the top”.  It was great.  After a short break at the top, we took off again on the descent.  This time, our group pretty much stayed together to the bottom.  Dwaine was leading (which is a somewhat frightening experience), and I had the privilege of being right behind him.  Just like the first time down this descent, I was in heaven.  It was so much fun to watch him weave his way down the mountain.

After the descent from Sunrise; we rode the (mostly downhill) 4-5 miles back to our vehicles, packed up our gear, and headed home.

This ride ended up being about 75 miles long with about 8800 feet of climbing.  At this point in my life, it’s not about the distance or the number of feet of climbing per se (though those things are important to me).  Mostly, it’s about the “experience and the memories”.  The experience of doing difficult things in memorable places with a group of people whom I like and admire has the potential to create a wonderful memory for me.  This ride certainly did that.

To see all of the photos associated with this ride, click on the following link:  2016_06_25  Cayuse Pass, Chinook Pass (both sides - sortof), and Sunrise Visitor Center Climb (twice): Les, Dwaine, Nick, Scott, Rob, Aaron, and Mike

2016_06_04 University Place, Olympia, Tenino and Back - 100 miles (almost) with Dwaine, Les, Rex, and Kurt

Author:  Mike Hassur

After our “Westside Road on Mt. Rainier Ride” was cancelled last week due to road closure, Dwaine Trummert suggested an alternate ride for Saturday, June 4th.  Dwaine outlined where the ride would take us and said that he thought that it would be a 75-85 mile ride.  Most of the ride info was foreign to me (and we were vacationing in Whistler), so I just said “I’ll be there” and signed off. 

I showed up at Les Becker’s house at around 6:00 AM on Saturday morning thinking it would probably be just Les, Dwaine, and me and that I would just follow them since I had no idea where we were heading.  I set about taking my bike out of the van and getting my gear together.  Soon, Les was opening his garage door and coming over to greet me; and Dwaine was walking over from his house to say “good morning”.  Shortly thereafter, Kurt Maute and Rex Batson showed up. 

Our group of five got rolling around 6:45 AM.  We cruised along Grandview Drive (just above Chambers Bay Golf Course where the 2015 US Open was held), made our way down and through the coastal community of Steilacoom, climbed out of Steilacoom,

 and made our way past the Fort Lewis firing range.  It always freaks me out a little if the soldiers are actively firing their weapons as we ride by.  Intellectually, I know that they are firing at targets; but…  Les, Rex, and Kurt were really moving through this section.  Dwaine and I were riding pretty briskly as we visited – we looked up and discovered that we were 100 yards or more behind.  Dwaine took off to catch them, and I followed.  We were gradually catching them, but I was worried that we were wasting a lot of energy when we still had 70 to 80 miles left in the ride.  I eased up and let Dwaine continue his pursuit alone.  Eventually, everyone slowed down, and I was able to catch up with the group without burning too many matches.

We cruised through DuPont and began our descent into the Nisqually Valley.  This descent is long and gentle.  It is a good opportunity to relax, take a drink from the water bottle, and eat something.  

Our path through the Nisqually Valley proved to be a mystery to me.  Dwaine led us on roads with which I was unfamiliar.  We cruised along and visited; and, before I knew it, we were passing through the southern fringes of Olympia (which was a surprise because somehow we missed Olympia almost entirely).  There we connected with the Western Chehalis Trail (a rails-to-trails creation) which we followed south from Olympia.

Once again, my description of our route will be a little vague.  All I know is that we eventually left the trail and rode on country roads until we arrived a the small town of Tenino where we refilled our water bottles. 

From Tenino we headed back north toward Olympia.  It was in this section that Kurt started to have significant pain in his right foot.  He’d had this “hot foot” pain before on long rides, and our suspicion was that it was due to the fit of his cycling shoes.  Rex had some time constraints, but he wasn’t sure how to get back to Les’ house in University Place.  We decided to send Les with Rex, and Dwaine and I would accompany Kurt back.

I always carry a supply of ibuprofen on rides.  Kurt, Dwaine , and I stopped so that I could access my ibuprofen and give some to Kurt.  The three of us then made our way back to Olympia retracing most of the route we had used earlier in the ride.  Eventually, we came to a country store.  We stopped, got a plastic bag, filled it with ice, and “iced” Kurt’s ailing foot.  Before long, Kurt was significantly more comfortable.  We hopped back on our bikes and resumed our return trip through the Nisqually Valley and up through Dupont, past Fort Lewis (the firing range was “popping”), through Steilacoom, and up the final climb to University Place and Les’ house. 

That should say "Negotiating one of the last traffic circles before arriving at Les' house"...

Dwaine had underestimated the mileage of the ride a bit, and we ended up riding 97 miles.  All of us agreed that it was a wonderful and beautiful adventure, and we appreciated Dwaine’s willingness to share it with us.

Our next official ride is “The Skate Creek Loop Ride” in two weeks (June 18^th).  Here is hoping that our recent hot weather is gone by then.

Can’t wait!!

Click on the following link to see all photos associated with this ride: https://goo.gl/photos/VEdvsY6P2RUSqVYN9

2016_05_28 Alder Lake Loop and The Climb Ride

Author:  Mike Hassur

Every year, these “early season” rides fool me.  These are not the more attention grabbing rides that come later in the summer.  They are not very long (~70 miles), they are not very demanding (<5000’ of climbing), they are not up on some mountain pass (or passes), and we do them every year so they are not new or creative – and yet – almost invariably, after the ride, I feel exhilarated and think “man, I really enjoyed that”!!!  Yesterday’s “Alder Lake Loop and The Climb Ride” was a good example.

When I got up at 4:50 AM, the first thing that I did was check to see if our deck was wet – it was!!  Bummer!!  I had known that there was a 40% chance of rain, and I was hoping for a little luck.  I told myself that there was still 90 minutes before our scheduled start time of 6:30 AM which was plenty of time for the roads to dry out if the rain stopped.  I took a quick shower, threw on my cycling gear, drank my chocolate milk, took Winston (our chocolate lab) out for a pee and poop (him not me), and was heading out of our driveway by 5:30 AM.

I monitored my van’s windshield on the way to Orting.  There had been a few, small drops of rain scattered on the windshield as I left our driveway; but I was relieved to see that more drops didn’t accumulate on the drive to Orting.  I didn’t even have to use my wipers.  The roads were still wet; but, at this rate, they would dry before long.  Because of the questionable weather, I was wondering how many guys would show up for the ride.  I shouldn’t have worried.

I arrived at Orting at about 5:50 AM.  Not long thereafter, other folks started arriving.  By 6:30 AM, we had about twelve riders (Les, Dwaine, Kurt, Adam, Chuck (his first ride with our group), Leon, Lanny, Aaron, Erik, Martin, Scott W., and me).  When we headed out of Orting, the roads were still wet; but it wasn’t raining.  As usual, everyone had paired up and were talking as we rode.  We turned onto Orville Road with Kurt and me leading the group.  We were travelling at about 16 mph.  Not long after we left the lead of the slightly disorganized paceline, the speed gradually started to pick up.  By the time we were passing Camp 1 Road (The Climb), we were going 20-21 mph (and the roads had pretty much dried out). 

On the section from Lake Kapowsin to Lake Ohop; Martin and I were visiting, cruising along at a nice pace, and not really paying attention to our surroundings.  Finally, we realized that the rest of the group was out of sight.  Geez, they must have done most of that section at over 20 mph.

Dwaine, Aaron, Chuck, Adam, Les, Lanny, Martin, Erik, Scott, and Kurt...

We regrouped at the Lake Ohop boat launch.  From there, we passed through the Ohop Valley (a beautiful area if you haven’t seen it) and on to highway 7 which took us on a gradual climb up to the Alder Lake Dam.  There, we regrouped at a scenic viewpoint overlooking the dam.

From there, we made our way back to Eatonville via the Alder Lake Cutoff Road.  By this time, the pacelines were getting more organized, and the trip to Eatonville went by quickly.  There seemed to be more traffic on the road than usual which was probably attributable to the fact that this was Memorial Day Weekend.

After Eatonville, we retraced our path past Lake Ohop and back to Lake Kapowsin.  At Lake Kapowsin, most of our group opted to head up The Climb to add approximately 10 miles and 1000’ of climbing to our trip.  A few of the guys had to get home and skipped this portion of the ride.  The Climb, as usual, was beautiful and quiet (I think we encountered one car).  We took our time riding up, so it was pretty easy, and the ride down is always fun.

After The Climb, it was pacelines all the way back to Orting.  Aaron and Adam got way out ahead of the rest of us, and I didn’t think that we would see them until we finished.  That was before Chuck got to the front of our paceline.  He took a really long and fast pull (almost the entire last half of the trip back to Orting) which had us pulling into Orting alongside of Aaron and Adam.  That was really fun.

I thought about this ride for most of the rest of the day – how much fun it had been to see and visit with the guys, to ride with them up climbs and in fast pacelines, and to see the weather surprise us with a dry roads and pleasantly cool temperatures.  It was awesome (IMHO)!!

Can’t wait for our next ride.

2016_05_07 Ride to The Carbon River Entrance to Mt. Rainier and Back

Author:  Mike Hassur

This ride to The Carbon River Entrance to Mt. Rainier and back is usually our first ride of the year (this year, it was our second official ride as we had a new ride on the Kitsap Peninsula two weeks ago).  By design, this ride is meant to be sort of bland.  It is not particularly long, it is not as scenic as some of our rides later in the summer, and it is not nearly as challenging as some of our other rides.  The goals of these early season rides are to enjoy seeing guys whom we haven’t seen over the winter, to help us regain some fitness, to have fun, and to have the riders feel pretty good about themselves at the end of the ride.  We don’t want people “bonking” and being discouraged.  Even though this ride is not particularly spectacular, it seems like most of the participants have a blast doing it each year.

This year the plan was to meet in Orting and to be leaving by 7:00 AM.  I left home on my bike around 6:25 AM.  The ride to Orting was uneventful (the most exciting thing being honked at by Martin as he passed me on his way to Orting).  Usually, there are quite a few riders on this ride.  When I arrived in Orting, there were only a few guys there:  Craig Hill, Adam Abrams (a friend of Craig’s who joined us), Les Becker, Leon Matz, Martin Katzberg, and Kurt Maute.  Soon after my arrival, Nick Iverson and Lanny Moore showed up. Lanny said that there had been an auto accident that blocked his normal route to Orting.  He had seen John Winter stopped in traffic as well.  By 7:20 AM, we were ready to head out.  John Winter arrived just as we were starting to leave Orting.  He said to go ahead and that he would catch up with us. 

The weather forecast was perfect – mid-50’s when we left Orting with a high predicted to be in the 70’s and 0% chance of rain.  We headed out along the Carbon River on the trail to South Prairie.  About half way to South Prairie, I turned around to go back and check on John Winter.  It turned out that he was just a few minutes behind the group.  John and I rode together and found the group waiting for us in Wilkeson.  After a short break for food, drink, and bathroom in Wilkeson; we had an uneventful climb up to Carbonado.  I like this climb, because it is not too steep.  It is fairly easy to maintain a reasonable pace going up the hill without feeling like you are about to “blow up” (the same cannot be said for the Tubbs Road Hill that we climbed near South Prairie).

We passed Carbonado and were heading toward the Fairfax Bridge when we saw fellow Cyclopaths Erik Barrett and Aaron Gerry heading in the other direction.  Since they had to work later that morning, they had started considerably earlier than our group and were on their way back to Orting.  After a brief stop and visit, we were on our way again.  We headed over the Fairfax Bridge, climbed a short distance, and took the left fork at the “Y” that leads to the Carbon River Entrance (left) or Mowich Lake (right).  

Fairfax Bridge

From there, it was 7-8 miles of rolling terrain to The Carbon River Entrance to Mt. Rainier.  We saw another Cyclopath, Mark Delrosario, in this section. Mark had left before us and was heading back along with quite a few other cyclists who had headed out earlier than us.  Also, it was in this section that our pace really picked up [ I blame Craig and Adam :) ], and the group with whom I was riding was whittled down to Les, Craig, Adam, and me (there may have been another guy or two with us, but I was a little low on oxygen and wasn’t processing very well by the time we arrived at our destination).  It was really fun, but I was privately hoping that it wouldn't make the return trip miserable - thankfully, it didn't.

Soon after our arrival, the rest or our group rolled in.  Once again; it was a short break for food, drink, and bathroom before we headed back. 

Mike, Nick, Leon, John, Craig, Martin, Les, and Adam (Kurt and Lanny not pictured) at The Carbon River Entrance to Mt. Rainier...

Heading back across the Fairfax Bridge...

There are a number of long, gradual downhills on the way back to the Fairfax Bridge.  It was fun flying along these sections and making our way up the gentle climbs that are also found in this part of the route.  Once past the Fairfax Bridge, it was pretty much downhill all the way to Wilkeson.  From Wilkeson; we passed through Burnett and South Prairie on our way back to Orting.

For the riders who started in Orting, the ride was about 51 miles long.  For those of us who started in Puyallup, it was around 70 miles long, and for Leon – who put in extra mileage before and after the ride – it was 130 miles long!!  The main thing was that everyone had smiles on their faces at the conclusion of the ride which was the main goal.

Our next ride is in two weeks:  The Alder Lake Loop (with an optional trip up The Climb).

Can’t wait!!

2016_04_23 Puyallup Cyclopath Kitsap Ride

Pretty good for the first ride of the season – 70 miles and approximately 4200’ of climbing.  Les Becker, Rob Critchfield, and Dwaine Trummert created and led a ride on the Kitsap Peninsula that was both beautiful and challenging.  We had a nice sized group (Les Becker, Dwaine Trummert, Martin Katzberg, Rob Critchfield, Scott Wagar, Mark Delrosario, Aaron Gerry, Erik Barrett, Kurt Maute, Leon Matz, and me (Mike Hassur). 

Manchester (if you look closely, you can see the Seattle Skyline in the background)...

The objective was to meet at the Park and Ride just east of the Narrows Bridge, ride across the bridge to the Kitsap Peninsula and to do a 60 mile or so ride on the peninsula.  The chance of rain was 50% - a concern.  Fortunately, we only got rained on a little.  We headed out about 7:30 and passed through Gig Harbor, Olalla, Manchester, and Port Orchard.  We, then worked our way back to where we started.

We started out by crossing the westbound Narrows Bridge.   I love those bridges.  They are big and beautiful.

Tacoma Narrows Bridges

Gig Harbor

After the bridges, we passed through Gig Harbor.  We climbed out of Gig Harbor, rode for awhile, and – before we knew it – we were descending to the Olalla Bridge and general store.  Just past the Olalla General Store we turned right and went up the hill on Dana Drive.  This hill is brutal with grades up to 21% (though, fortunately, those don’t last long).  After the hill on Dana Road, it was mostly rolling hills until we reached the Southworth Ferry Landing.  Along the way, we encountered one really steep downhill.  We pedaled over the crest, got in aero positions, and sped down the hill.  Most of us reached 50 mph – without pedaling!! 

Past the Southworth Ferry Landing, we rode along the beach until we reached the cute community of Manchester.  We stopped there for a bathroom break, food, and liquids.  Manchester is one of my favorites.  It is right on the water and has a nice (but distant) view of the Seattle Skyline.

View of Seattle from Manchester...

Next up was the ride from Manchester to Port Orchard where we enjoyed a nice long ride along the shoreline. 

View of Bremerton Naval Ship Yard from Port Orchard...

After Port Orchard, we made our way back to and across the Narrows Bridge to where we had started.  On the way back, we managed to get separated.  In the end, everyone made it back safe and sound.

This was a pretty challenging ride for our first ride of the year.  It was great to see and visit with everyone. 

Looking forward to our next ride to the Carbon River Entrance of Mt. Rainier. Can’t wait!!!