View of Sunrise on a lovely day (note: not the pre-ride)
As seen from previous posts, this 8K600K route was rerouted several times to finally get a perfect storm of climbing around the scenic and amazing Mount Rainier National Park. Within a couple weeks of the pre-ride, we had to change the course due to a major wildfire on Hwy 12 east of White Pass. Even though the wildfire was all put out by all the rain, we couldn’t change it back to the original route since there was still wildfire danger and closures within a couple days before our pre-ride. I also established three 200K permanents to ride it in 3 days, so we could focus on each section of the route. Thanks to RUSA for approving these 3 permanents in short notice! Rick Blacker and I prerode a portion of the first section to Sunrise. We decided to be safe and not continue riding down off top of Sunrise due to cold and rainy conditions last weekend. We also pre-rode the 214k permanent from Cliffdell to Eatonville and got a lot of information along that section of the route, since there is a lot of stores with limited hours in the small towns. We also pre-drove the last section to also obtain important store hours and road conditions up to Bear Meadows.
View of Sunrise during the pre-ride.
This 8K600K is important to prepare for the elements and requires some preplanning on where you will get food on this route. The cue sheet on the RWGPS has been updated to reflect all the store hours in each town or control towns. The first section of the course has 4 major climbs, that includes Cayuse Pass (4000 ft in 24 miles), Sunrise (3,000 ft in 13 miles) , and Chinook Pass twice (3700 ft in 26 miles 1st time from Greenwater and 3300 ft in 25 miles 2nd time from Cliffdell), totaling 15,000 ft of elevation gain in the first 157 miles, with a huge descent into Packwood at the halfway mark. Each of these climbs have a steeper section near the top (8-10 miles with grades of 10% or greater), so its important to take advantage and increase the speed on the lower section of each climb. Each major pass climb also has long descents following them and this is where you can make up a lot of time. Its important to be efficient at controls and while riding in order to keep ahead of the 15kph average speed (guideline cutoff – all noted on the RWGPS cue sheet). There are no intermediate cutoffs on this ride, but its important stay ahead for more sleep at the overnight and more time to relax on the second half in order to finish within the required 40 hours time limit. This ride will be EPP and will include instructions on the Brevet Card, essentially sending your Strava, RWGPS or GPX file to me after the finish.
There are no services after you start at Packwood, so plan on carrying extra food here for the first 2 big climbs. There is a water fountain and restrooms just past the National Park entrance. I plan to be there at Sunrise control for support since the Sunrise Lodge does not open until 11:00 AM. Greenwater has several places to stock up including the Wapiti Woolies amazing huckleberry shakes and sandwiches or the Mt Rainier general store, just down Hwy 410. After making the U-turn in Greenwater climbing up Hwy 410 along the White River, there is the Silver Springs visitor center with food and water, near the base of the steep part of the 1st Chinook Pass climb. Whistlin Jack’s in Cliffdell has a store that closes at 7:00 PM and they stop serving food at the bar at 8:30 PM, so a good incentive to make it here before then since these closing times are right about at the guideline cutoff time. There is water at Pleasant Valley Campground about 16 miles up from Cliffdell up the 2nd Chinook Pass climb. Additional note: Lodgepole campground is closed for the season. Plan on no services for food from Cliffdell to Packwood (54 miles).
At Packwood, we will have a room at the Cowlitz River Lodge overnight control. Please check in at the control first if you are staying at a different place in Packwood. We will have sandwiches and soup. The imaginary cutoff at Packwood is at 0:48, so if you plan on leaving later than this please let me know at the overnight and then text me when you depart Packwood, so we know you are back on course.
The 2nd half of the ride has 2 major climbs, the first is the Skate Creek Road climb (1600 ft in 12 miles), immediately after Packwood. The 2nd major climb is the Bear Meadows climb (3100 ft in 15 miles), with a total elevation gain in 2nd half of about 11,000 ft. So there is a lot of rolling hills (100-300 ft) on the 2nd half and there is a long descent from the top of Skate Creek summit to Eatonville. There is some gravel sections for about 6 miles on the Skate Creek climb so be cautious as this will likely be in the dark. After you summit Skate Creek, it is paved all the way to Ashford. Just watch out of fallen trees or branches along the shoulder!
Store hours are very limited in Ashford, Elbe and Eatonville and should plan that they will be closed if you arrive through these towns between midnight and 6:00 AM, so plan on stocking up food at Packwood to go about 100k. There is a control just past the small community of LaGrande, at the bottom of the hill at Pack Forest along Hwy 7. Then after getting through Eatonville, there is a 50K out and back to the Puyallup River (at Brooks Rd/Orville Rd junction). This section has a few hills along Lake Kapowsin and back up into Eatonville. Kapowsin also has a store that opens at 6:00 AM.
After returning to Eatonville, you will take the Alder cutoff road back toward Alder Reservoir. At Elbe the route climbs up and over to Morton where there there is a control at Spiffys or the Shell store. Then reminder, the route goes on Davis Creek Road to get off of Hwy 12 for a while. Upon descending into Randle, there is great view of Mt Adams! At Randle, plan on stocking up for the final 65 miles that includes the climb up Bear Meadows. There is water in the Iron Creek campground at some noted campsites on the cue sheet, but might be hard to find at this late stage of the ride, but just made note just in case. NF25 has a lot of cracks in the asphalt, so be extremely cautious when climbing and descending along this forest road.
The NF99 road pitches up steeper for 5 miles but once you get to the summit at Bear Meadows, hopefully you get the view of Mt St Helens. There is a plaque there at the Mt St Helens viewpoint, so take in a few seconds to learn about the Gary Rosenquist famous photographs of the 1980 eruption!
The route then takes a U-turn back down NF99 to NF25, so hopefully you get back down before dark, cautiously descending with the bad cracks in the asphalt.
The route does not return to Randle, and takes the back roads (Woods Way, Cispus Rd and mostly on Cline Rd) along the south side of the Cowlitz River. Then finishes on US12 in the final 6 miles. Another update from the pre-ride is we changed the finish line at the Blue Spruce Saloon, which is open until 10:00 PM on Sunday.
I think you will enjoy this 8K600K (in whatever type fun you see fit) with all splendid “views” of Mount Rainier National Park and Mt St Helens, Hopefully weather forecast will hold but always bring extra clothing just in case. And make sure you remember all your reflective gear and lights! If you have a Spot tracker or other tracking device please send us your website link, so we can track you. I have a Spot for anyone need one.
Good luck!
Thanks to Marcy Moran for driving our drop bag to our hotels and other essential support along the way Thanks to Mark Thomas for all the help in creating this route. Thanks to Rick Blacker for helping with this pre-ride!
We headed out at 6 am Saturday, encouraged by the dry roads and lack of rain, unlike what the forecast had predicted. As soon as you leave the hotel and are riding east on NE 70th Street, stay in the right-hand lane as you approach Redmond Way/WA-202. Aim for the big gravel pile on the other side of the road. Go straight across and jog slightly left to cross the sidewalk and ride through some gravel to get over to 180th Ave NE and turn left. The gravel has some potholes, but otherwise is completely rideable. The ride then goes north on familiar roads to Snohomish and Marysville.
About the time we got a bit north of Marysville, the weather got real and we pulled off to don our matchy matchy Gore Shake-Dry jackets. The climb up to Lake Ki got us warm and we were careful not to miss the turn just beyond the top of the hill. Keep a close eye out for this one as it’s easy to miss and you don’t need any bonus hills on this route!
We were so wet and cold by the time we got to Stanwood, that we decided to make an early stop at the QFC where we were very disappointed to find out that the deli does not have any hot food or soup until 11 am on Saturdays. However, the SBUX inside the store does and there are plenty of other stops in Stanwood if you need to fuel up or get warm and dry.
The skies cleared up a bit after Stanwood, and we made the loop around the hilly northern half of Camano Island. We got to the INFO control at Utsalady Point Vista Park and finding the answer made us smile. This is not a ride-by control and you will have to get up close to the sign in order to find the answer. The next INFO control at Elger Bay Grocery was well stocked, especially with the restaurant inside serving hot food. We were still well nourished from our stop in Stanwood so we got our control card filled in and headed north and back to Stanwood.
The ride north to Conway and La Conner was pretty straightforward, except of course for the wind, which seems to be ever-present. May the gods and goddesses be kind and grant you a tailwind! We stopped at the Whitney Shell INFO control, crossed Highway 20, and were approaching Bay View. We were surprised to see a big “BRIDGE CLOSED 2.6 MILES AHEAD” sign that required us to take a right turn onto Josh Wilson Road over to Farm to Market Road and then north into Edison. There’s a bit of a hill going up Josh Wilson Road and even though there’s not much of a shoulder on Farm to Market Road, the traffic seemed reasonable, even on a holiday weekend. Follow the detour signs and you’ll be fine.
There are plenty of food choices going through Edison and Bow so fuel up if you feel like you need it to get up and over the Chuckanut Drive climbs. While there are plenty of uphills through here, they all come with downhills and some nice views. Once you’re in Fairhaven, make sure you catch the INFO control right at the turn onto Old Fairhaven Parkway! There are some places to stop along this road for food, but we opted to go north a couple blocks off route for the Haggen Foods market at the corner of 12th Street and Larrabee Avenue. There are plenty of other food choices in that part of town as well. Don’t fill up too much though as the route now climbs steeply, sometimes at 12.5% grade, stair stepping its way up about 600 feet in 3.5 miles. The route then follows beautiful roads along Lake Whatcom, where you’ll find a small shopping center with a market/deli and pizza place in Sudden Valley around 238K. We didn’t stop there, but a Google search claims that the pizza place is open until 9 PM and the market/deli, until 10 PM.
Rather than going all the way past Lake Whatcom out to Highway 9, the newer version of this route now turns south onto Cain Lake Road and down through Alger to Burlington, a much nicer route IMHO. There are plenty of food choices in Burlington, but if you need something beforehand, the Glenhaven Country Store is open until 10 PM at about 245K. As you cross the Skagit River around 277K, there may be heavy traffic. Use caution to get into the right-most left-hand turn lane in order to turn left onto Pacific Place shortly after descending from the bridge.
From the Burlington/Mount Vernon area, the route is pretty straightforward through the valley over to the “Conway hill climb.” However, take caution around 290K when turning left from E Stackpole Road onto Cedardale Road. There is a large hedge there that obscures the fast-moving traffic coming from the left. The 76 gas station at Cedardale Road and Highway 534 just before the climb is open 24 hours. Once you climb the hill, get yourself over to the Centennial Trail and make your way south to Snohomish where there are plenty of food choices. After the Broadway climb, the route takes familiar roads to Woodinville where you’ll find a 24-hour Arco station at 156th Ave NE and NE Woodinville Duvall Road if you need food or drink to get you back to the finish. Head down the hill and then hop on the Sammamish River Trail back to the overnight at Redmond Inn.
As you leave the overnight control, take the same route you did on Day 1 to get across Redmond Way and through the short stretch of gravel over to 180th Ave NE. You’ll have a formidable early-morning climb up and over the Union-Novelty Hill which just seems to keep giving! The first control today is Sandy’s Espresso. Fuel up on some caffeine to recover from that nasty hill. The route then heads south on the crushed gravel Snoqualmie Valley trail for some nice forest bathing on the way to North Bend. The 1,000 ft climb up Middle Fork is about a 15.5 mile climb (one way) to the end of pavement, so plan on stocking up on water and food at North Bend. Be really careful at the bridge when crossing over to the gravel to get to the control, as there are some deep potholes on either side that have been known to take out at least one rider in the not too distant past. There is absolutely no cell coverage in this area!
After returning to North Bend and then Snoqualmie, the route climbs up to and past Snoqualmie Falls and heads over to Fall City. As you’re approaching the very confusing traffic circle at Highways 203 and 202, make sure you stay in the left hand turn lane and take the 2nd exit out of the circle onto Highway 202. The first exit takes you onto Highway 203 which is not the way you want to go.
You may want to fuel up at the Fall City gas station where the control is as the next bit of riding takes you up quite a few more hills all the way up to the Issaquah Highlands. Use the sidewalk on the right side up the Highlands – it’s a much more pleasant experience than riding the road uphill. Once at the top, stay to the right and watch for the trail signs. Once you descend a way down the trail, you’ll have to take a right-hand turn to go back uphill a bit and cross back under Highlands Drive NE where you’ll now be on the east side of the road. Use caution at the intersection of Highlands Drive NE and the I-90 exit ramp and get on the road to head downhill on E Sunset Way into Issaquah.
The next bit of riding is pretty straightforward, although IMHO, much better than it has been in years past. I did quite a bit of work coming up with a better route and I hope you like it. Instead of riding all the way south along the very busy Issaquah-Hobart Road to Black Diamond, you now get off that nasty road at Cedar Grove Road SE. The one thing to be aware of along Issaquah-Hobart is the very narrow bridge just past the May Valley Road turn at around 529K. It’s an old bridge and there is no shoulder there. Make sure you look over your left shoulder and let the traffic know that you’re moving out onto the road to get across the bridge.
Cedar Grove Road is a nice respite from all the traffic and not too bad of a climb given everything else you’ve been through. Hang a left just after the summit onto Lake Francis Road and enjoy the cruise over to the Cedar River Trail. Be careful where you take a left onto 223rd Place SE just before getting to the trail. There is some nasty pavement and potholes through there.
At this point, the route back to Redmond is identical to the 2024 Spring 400K. Ride the Cedar River Trail into Renton, ride through Renton over to Gene Coulon Park and then onto the East Rail trail up to Lake Washington Boulevard SE. Head east up the I-90 bike trail and take it all the way to the barricade where it does a 180 degree turn up to SE 36th. Follow that over to the last big climb of the day up 154th Ave SE. Hang a left on SE Newport Way and roll down the hill all the way into Issaquah. Hang a sharp left off of 2nd Ave SE onto the Rainier Trail at 525K. It’s hard to spot so watch for the pedestrian warning signs as a clue for where to turn. Grab that last con-Troll, follow the maze of the Rainier Trail through Issaquah and soft pedal your way back to Redmond on the trail along the peaceful eastern shores of Lake Sammamish. Congratulations, you’re awesome!
The Seattle International Randonneurs headed to the eastern Washington city of Wenatchee to host brevet week of 2023. My name is Kiel Safstrom, or some in the club like to call me, Hand Grenade. Surprisingly, there was no self-implosion completing all four of these bombastically designed routes by Don “Shiggy” Person. Let’s pull the pin and recount the routes for those aspiring to ride amongst the tumbleweeds.
Saturday May 20th – Lake Wenatchee 200K
15 registered riders gathered before the 6 am. start at the Hilton Garden Inn, the main base of this entire week’s operations. We roll out on the hour north on the Apple Capitol Trail and very soon we are headed west on Easy St. in the Wenatchee hillsides. We jump onto Highway 2 around Monitor for about 4 miles of shoulder riding before we make a right on Dryden St. We ride next to the Ollala Canyon which offers great views of the Wenatchee River. The river was the highest some riders have ever seen, engulfing trees and shorelines normally seen. We pass over the river, skirt under the BNSF Railway through Peshastin and up Chumstick Hwy. Our direction heads northwest to our further point on an out and back to the Napeequa River on the White River Rd.
We turn back, wave and ring our bells at other members proceeding to the turnaround point. The 14.5 miles has us cycling parallel to the Wenatchee Lake, it’s cool near the water and a relief from the high heat the day has brought. Within the State Park, I found a spigot for water prior to the camp store. The store offered sound bits of ‘Free Bird’. The clerk mentioned her spin coach would have them sprint during the four and a quarter minute solo of the song, she loathed it. An iced espresso with coconut milk and Milano’s were enjoyed. Mint Ice cream and a Root beer for the tandem duo, Greg and Rose was their treat of choice for the heat.
Onward to Leavenworth, the Bavarian tourist trap, which I made a costly stop for a schnitzel at the Sausage Garten compared to individuals who had stopped at Starbucks. There were 15 different condiment bottles to squeeze onto the brat, sauerkraut, jalapeños and grilled onions. I can’t forget the misting fans that offered small relief from the heat. A smart rando knows, how to maximize efficiency off the bike. I bit it and doubled my normal allowed time off the bike. Back on, we loop south of the town out toward Icicle Rd. The Temple, Edward Peak, Cannon Mountain makes up some of those mountains in the distance. For good measure on liquids, I stop at the 76 where some other randos are using to resupply.
Out of Leavenworth we return from which we came and eventually are back HYW 2 turning right on Deadman Hill Rd, which turns into Pine Flats Loop. The Wenatchee Valley roads south of HWY 2 are extremely quiet and by then the heat was at its’ highest of the day. We were met with a short sun shower that cooled us off only moderately.
We roll through Cashmere, Monitor and re-cross the Wenatchee River to rejoin with the Apple Capital Trail.
Post the 200K finish, I enjoyed dinner with randouneering legends Vinny and Yonnel, building camaraderie as we filled our stomachs for the 300K the next day.
Sunday May 21 – Ancient Ice Age Floods 300K
12 registered riders took to the road, this time heading south and over the Columbia River per the Old Wenatchee bridge. We cut through East Wenatchee and past Pangborn Memorial Airport before a pleasant descent on Batterman Rd. to join with HYW 28. We ride the highway shoulder for 4 miles, on this Sunday morning it is not heavily populated with vehicles. We make a left turn on Sunrise Ln. and sneak over to the Palisades Rd. taking our adventure northeast through a valley with mountainous hills on both sides. We encountered some cross winds in this section as I watched tumbleweeds get blown up mountain cliff sides.
This section is paved for 15.5 miles until the first gravel section of the day begins. It’s an easy section until the 3 Devils Grade which has a max of 9.8% with some heavily pitted sections. With a planted seat the punchy section is swiftly taken care of. You’ll know you’re done with the climbing and halfway through the gravel when you cross a Cattle Guard, more dangerous than any railroad crossing I’ve needed to make thus far in my cycling tenure. We make a left on B SE Rd after the Mayer Farms which turns into Coulee Meadows Rd and eventually onto HWY 2, where we make a right turn.
It’s 20.5 miles until the Dry Falls Visitor Center, once there a water bottle refill station, bathrooms, the scenic Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park and Stacy’s Top Chef Concessions services are here. Highly recommend a scoop of ice cream or Blue Star espresso from the food truck. I don’t stay longer than a yo-yo mindbender trick can be performed and head out towards Coluee City for the out and back along the Banks Lake.
Along 155, Coluee Blvd., I see Yonnel and Clayton returning from the northern stretch about 22 kilometers ahead of me. The turnaround point is called the Million Dollar North Public Access to the left and on the right is the Lower Lewis Creek Waterfall. Looking back don’t be deflated to have to climb back from that descent, it’s only 6.2% and less then 200 ft.
On the return to Coluee City, around the same section I saw the leaders, I pass the tandem of Greg and Rose, behind them is Mitch and John all looking strong. At the Coulee City Campground, I make a left and dip into the Banks Lake Brew & Bistro for blueberry pastry and Sunrise breakfast sandwich. They were pleasant and accommodating there.
Back on to HWY2 before turning right on 17. It is about 6 miles until a left-hand turn is made on 6 Rd NE / St. Edwards West Rd., the second gravel section. Which, had I been listening more intently at the start, was completely optional! The 9 miles of gravel north seemed to roll on for eternity but was extremely grateful for the intermittent cloud coverage being provided as this was a 30-mile stretch with 1,470 ft. of climbing to Mansfield against a growing headwind.
As I was about to turn left onto 172, I see this BMW turn down the gravel road and chuckle given there isn’t anything in the direction I just came from that would interest anyone. The driver was Mark a randonueer using the extra days for rest for the upcoming 600K. He offered some beverages but politely denied as I wasn’t expecting for anyone out here. I scoot on into Mansfield just in time to be in ear shot of a gun salute for a former service member. Mansfield Mercantile is only open until 5 pm. on Sundays and the Golden Grain next door offers restrooms. All stocked up, I press on through the next 34-mile section where we all battled 25 mph headwinds into Waterville. There were momentary reliefs when we would turn left to head south for a few miles. Never had I been at such an angle while attempting to ride straight.
The Waterville Family Foods provided the last services needed before inching my way, stilling furiously punching through the wind, to the top of the Orando grade on Sunset HWY. It seriously felt like I was on the slowest lift hill of a rollercoaster before the 6-mile descent. Crosswinds during this section were the most dangerous as speed maxed out at 40 mph. there was a small bridge section that was exposed and felt the winds blows from all directions. Back at 740 ft. the 18-mile slugged on. Tree branches were blown down along the back roads of NW Cascade Ave. and dust storms littered the air. The last fight with the wind was across the Richard Odabashian Bridge as road debris was blown up and pelted into our faces. With our heads positioned down we pierced through and finished the soul cleansing route.
Tuesday May 23 – Electric City 600K
16 registered riders huddled around Rose, the SIR RBA, as she gave the pre-ride speech reminding riders to be safe and to ensure communication if having to DNF on the ride. These statements are a must at such lengthy course attempts, best thought through plans are usually discarded as fatigue or discomfort sets in. We roll out a few moments around 6 am. and head north on the Apple Capitol trail across the Columbia River.
Following HWY 2, what goes down must always go up and thus we begin the roughly 6.5-mile ascent up Orando grade. From 785 ft. climbing 1,995 ft. reaching Waterville and rolling through the plains of Lamonie and north of Mansfield. Seeing forever in each direction atop of the plateau, if The Who’s, ‘I Can See For Miles’ isn’t playing in your head yet. The twangy guitar was the chorus was ringing in mine along the 70 miles to Grand Coulee.
A quick hydration stop at the Chevron on the corner was required before proceeding down to the gravity dam producing hydroelectric for four different power houses and irrigation water to Banks Lake.
In another 17 miles, I make a second stop at the Nespelem Trading Post for more liquids as it’s going to be a 45-mile stretch without services along the Columbia River Rd. If you are to stop here, there is a restroom in the far back left corner of the store past the produce and frozen food section. On this Tuesday, there was one cashier working and the line was 6 deep. I quickly ate all my food in line and paid to limit any waste of time.
These next sections of roads are the most scenic of the entire route, riding parallel to the Columbia River until we follow the road to continue heading north west up to Omak Lake, the 3,244 acre lake will be in view on your right as the road provides steady rolling elevation. Soon after Beer Can Beach Rd. your descent will take you into Omak which if you were seeking services, you’ll be out of luck as the dismal looking Omak Market on Jackson is closed.
Proceeding to Okanagon, aka as O-town, if you can’t pronounce it. A 76 on the right of 2nd Ave and Oak St. provided rehydration and a bag of TGIF Potato Skin chips. There is no Subway currently in the store do not be deceived as I was. Some used the IGA Market three blocks on the right off 2nd Ave.
I refilled again about 25 miles down HWY 97 at the Chevorn, McDonalds, similarly designed like the one out in Granite Falls. Major déjà vu vibes in there. After filling up it was time to proceed yet another 25 miles to Chelan Lake.
The Alt 97 climb after having a double century in the legs was humbling. With the sun setting over the lake, the quick descent into town as rewarding. The Port for the Lady of the Lake had an open and extremely clean restroom right on the dock. With dusk and night setting in, lights on from here on out.
With 36 miles remaining until we returned into Wenatchee, the only grade encountered was the climb out of Chelan. Be sure to have your lights on for the Knapp’s Hill Tunnel! On Alt 97 south of Entiat, our visiting Oregon randonueers, Todd and Stuart (John) caught on and we battled 18 mph headwinds before taking a short rest to tackle the remaining 200K.
Having got in around 10:55 pm., I slept until 4:15 am. and was back riding before 5 am., as I rode out a rider was just coming in from the trail. I needed to stop for a moment as my Garmin was having difficulties acquiring satellites. Later found out that changing the GPS mode from GLONASS to GALILEO should resolve that issue immediately without a computer restart, which I needed to perform twice.
Once resolved, I rode south of Wenatchee for a second time, after the climbing near the Rock Island grade, I noticed a highlighter looking individual and arrived just in time, to hold Mark’s bike as he pumped air into his tubeless that had snagged a stable. He had rolled out about 20 minutes earlier then I had and as he mentioned, I had perfect timing.
Traffic was immensely noticeable this Wednesday morning. We stuck to the highway shoulder until the right turn off Rd 10 NW, near the Quincy Valley Rest Stop, we take these back roads on through to Quincy and planned for a stop at Starbucks in Ephrata. We made our way onto Martin Rd. for the 13-mile stretch through the orchards and spun along until four dogs gave chase and attacked. Mark was caught up in a crash, he suffered no injuries but the shifters on the bike had suffered insurmountable damage. He stayed behind to sort out the claim.
I rode on and stopped at the Starbucks as originally planned. The staff was overly nice as I was not in any mood for pleasantries having a few hours of sleep and had been road ridden 300 miles in the last 26 hours. The next 44 mile stretch from Ephrata to Waterville about 2,640 ft. of gain. proved to be the hardest part of this ride. With fatigue taking hold, distant storm clouds and rain showers ensured I didn’t lollygag too much and pressed on along HWY 2 heading west.
I stopped at the Waterville Family Grocery where I was greeted by Jan who was riding some unpleasant gravel in the area. After a pose for a photo and downing the remaining Gatorade. I proceeded up to and down Sunset HWY for the second time and third time being on the road that week. With no headwinds to battle this time around, it seemed I had caught the road all to myself midday on this Wednesday utilizing the full lane through the windy descent.
In no time was I off HWY 2, through Cascade Ave and still on the east side of the Columbia River for the 4.5 miles of trail before crossing on the Old Wenatchee bridge and sprinting to the Hilton, ecstatic to be finished with the 600K.
Friday May 27 – 400K Eastern Washington Loop
On the last event of the week, only 6 riders including myself were present and hungry for the road. Our morning ride out to Quincy via HWY 28 was wet as a storm cloud paraded the first 35 miles. It did make for a refreshingly cool climb up HWY 28 for the second time that week.
The early morning sun was not far behind the clouds and began drying out as I made my way through George and onto Frenchmen Hills Rd. to begin the 73 mile stretch out east to Ralston. On this road, some dogs gave chase longer than usual and out of caution I sent a message to have the RBA warn others.
Pothole General Store was the first stop of the day to rehydrate, carb up just to get stuck behind a gentlemen proceeding to buy what must be the last pack of Marlboro Silvers the store has. May it be the last ride of the week but the inquisitive looks from the local clientele was strong on this day amongst the eastern Washington loop.
Out of the store and back on the road, the road takes us next to the Potholes Reservoir on the left. On the right is Corral Lake. Warden is a potato town; one can tell by the orphaned potatoes scattered on the street. In town, at the Astro Express Mart, I ran into two WXA rider filling up. Jose from Ellensburg was looking strong, and I bide them both a safe journey to Idaho!
20 miles down the road my next services stop was in Lind, desolate little thing. Along the way, I see three horseback riders on my right. The route proceeds with climbs, on the Lind-Warden Rd. on the left at the street of Hoffman is a field that had 6 dust devils before coming into Lind. The tattooed gal running, Jim’s Market was kind to fill the water bottles, whip up a lotus energy drink from my random dice roll and wish me good luck finishing the series.
With a snapshot of the bike near the mural, I’m a sucker for a historic mural, I pedal on through the countryside. Along the way to Ralston, three deer run parallel to the road with me for over a minute. One crosses the road first, the second peels off and the third keeps running for another 20 seconds before crossing in front of me.
I turn north, and proceed the 9 miles to Ritzville for a stop at the Circle K. I waste no time here as I feel as the main attraction for the mass’s eyes. We cut through historic Ritzville and out onto the long straight of Rosenoff Rd. for the 40 miles of headwinds, rolling climbs and chasing a storm cloud off to our right. Even through the route is perceived to be descending over time, this stretch of road felt to be the hardest part of the ride.
I by past the right turn on Rd L NE, to retrieve services at the One Stop Mart. The drink fountains do not have water here, luckily the lady behind the counter fills them up in the kitchen and then back on course through Moses Lake.
We are nearing the end and I’m beginning to sense the accomplishment as I ride on HWY 17 to 282. The afternoon glow makes Ephrata very rustic, and I dip into the 76 for the last stop of the day after the last 23 miles of headwinds.
With 50 miles remaining and it mostly a descent, the only thing that had me worried was having to cycle back on Martin Rd/ Rd 12 NW through those orchard fields that we encountered the dog chase two days before. Sure enough, as I approached those pesks were sitting in the road. Luckily, the dark gray aggressive one was nowhere in sight, and I scooted through unscathed.
By now dusk was here and I was on HWY 28 for what felt like a blitz of 28 miles, yet a minor slog through the 10-mile Rock Island and Eastern Wenatchee stretch. One last time, totaling four crosses of the Old Wenatchee bridge and the sprint up Worhten St. to the Hilton. When I arrive at 10:22 pm. it marks a result of 953.67 miles covered with 42,820 ft. of elevation climbed, having spent 60:41:17 in moving time on the bike. I considered this a resounding success.
Happiness comes double / After a little pain / If you want the rainbow / You must have the rain.
This is most certainly one of those kinds of rides. There are loads of beautiful sections featuring some lovely roads, and there is a small element of what I would call the ugly. But sometimes you have to keep plodding through the bad (Longview bridge, Longview anything really, Highway 30, Monte–Elma Road) to enjoy the awesome (Spencer Road, Apiary Road, Drew Prairie Road, Smith–Anderson Road, OR 202, Blue Slough Road, and on and on). And the awesome outnumbers the awful by a good margin, so, AWESOME is the overwhelming verdict.
Many thanks to Josh Morse, Dewey R. Blacker, Susan Otcenas, Eddie Bishop, and Saint Barbara for all of their efforts this weekend. Especially Saint Barbara.
Short report:
We had GREAT weather. Sorry if we soaked up all the good weather.
Three Water Bottle ride, if it’s hot.
STOCK UP: Grand Mound or Centralia, no services until Morton.
HAZARD: One lane Bridge on the road to Morton.
STOCK UP: Morton / Mossyrock / Saikum / Mayfield.
HAZARD: Take care as you navigate through West Kelso / Longview
HAZARD: Take care on Longview bridge.
HAZARD: Take care on the left turn across Hwy 30 traffic to Apiary Road. [Update: Route now goes up Old Rainier Road to avoid Hwy 30 and this hazardous left.]
STOCK UP: Vernonia. Nothing open until Astoria.
HAZARD: Cattle Guards, upon turning into Jewell Refuge.
Bundle up for the descent to Astoria
HAZARD: Recommend Taillights on Astoria Bridge.
Terrain gets a bit easier after North Cove.
FREE BUDDHISM CLASSES in Westport!
Save some match sticks for the hills in Olympia / Tumwater.
HAVE A WONDERFUL RIDE!
Long report:
We started off with a nice flat, fast warm-up to Grand Mound, and, a little south of Tumwater, we were treated to a Bald Eagle and her eaglets landing on the road to feast on roadkill—only to fly away at the sight of four marauding bicycles flying down the road. I hope riders on ride-day are as lucky as us! Keep an eye out for them when you pass Freightliner Northwest. At Grand Mound, you should stock up on supplies because there is nothing until you hit Morton; we found the Starbucks to be fast. The shoulder comes and goes after Grand Mound, so be prepared to move into traffic, and keep a watchful eye.
It only looks flat outside of Centralia (Photo: Susan)
Past Centralia, the climbing starts in earnest. It may not seem like much to those of you who finished the Ephrata 400, but it certainly isn’t nothing, either. And Centralia–Alpha road is there to remind you of that. The road was foggy and, though traffic was light, we switched our taillights on. The temperatures climbed as we hit the 508 turn to Morton, so we stopped to take off some layers. There is one little one-lane bridge, so please take care there. At Morton, Josh and Ricky hit the market, while Susan and I hit the convenience store for a quick 10-minute stop. Both locations have been informed of your arrival on ride day.
The author with Mt Rainier behind (Photo: Susan Otcenas)
The road out of Morton starts climbing, but it is of the gentle, endless variety and the shoulder is in excellent condition. There are services in Mossyrock, Mayfield, and Saikum (at the store), so take advantage and stock up / top up supplies. Spencer Road is a gem, and we were blessed with beautiful views of Mount Rainier (behind), and St Helens (to the left).
Mt Rainier from Spencer Road (Photo: Narayan)
Westside Highway had a nice tailwind, but lots of traffic. We stopped at the store in Castle Rock to top up on fluids and get some ice cream. At Longview, you hit one of the “rain” sections with city riding on a busy street that hopefully can be cut out of the actual ride. [Update: The route through Longview has been changed, but there are a few miles on a busy street that can’t be avoided.] And then, there is the Longview bridge (insert profanity here). The shoulder is dirty, filled with glass and lots of logging debris, and there is no line that you can take on that shoulder that will avoid the crap. Traffic will likely be high so please take care here. I climbed slowly and descended slower as the cars and trucks make a beeline for relaxation. Turning right on Highway 30 takes you on a long climb. I stopped at least two times to “admire the scenery” and Susan was so patient, waiting for me and encouraging me up the climb. [Update: Route now follows Hwy 30 East into Rainier, Oregon, avoiding this climb.]
The gang regrouped atop the summit to make a left turn onto Apiary Road. This left turn can be tricky as you have to cross two lanes of traffic, and sightlines are limited for cars coming around the bend. [Update: Route avoids this turn by going into Rainier, Oregon, and up Old Rainier Road. It’s a much more pleasant climb with less traffic.] We paused for a few minutes under a tree where I had one of my numerous “woe is me” moments, but only because I wasn’t aware of the rejuvenating stretch ahead that would remove all the unpleasantness of the last few miles from my brain. Apiary Road was lovely, low in traffic, and had a nice rhythm after the first little steep pitch. There is a false summit, but the climb to there, and the climb to the actual top are very gentle. If you toodle along in your lowest gear you will eventually get there.
We plummeted down to Vernonia and had a nice ice cream and Gatorade break. Riders may want to stock up here as there are NO services for the next 100K [editor’s note: seriously, there’s nothing]. After a 25-minute break, we left Vernonia and the “hurry up and relax” group threw a Starbucks bottle at us. Luckily their aim was as good as their driving. We stopped a bit after Birkenfeld to dork up for the night because temperatures were so warm that wearing a vest was not appealing. We saw very few cars on this gentle climb. We stopped at the Jewell Wildlife Refuge to use the bathrooms and add layers; watch out for the cattle guards immediately after you make the left turn into the refuge, particularly if it’s raining. I survived the guards, but suffered the disconcerting sight of Ricky doing bridges on the concrete sidewalk.
We left together and stayed together. The temperatures kept going lower and lower. A State Trooper kindly asked how many of us were on the road and sounded relieved when we said just the four of us! So look out for police presence on this climb. I didn’t carry long finger gloves (to save weight), and I didn’t want to waste the time putting on my leg warmers. So, I pretty much froze on the descent. The store in Olney was shut up tight. And the lights of Astoria were beautiful in the night. We made it to Astoria a little past midnight, which meant we rode in the dark only for 3 hours. Riders should actually have more daylight than we had, so this promises to be a low night-riding brevet.
Saint Barbara helped us get situated, had ordered food and drinks, and catered to our every need as we rested and prepared for bed. A warm shower, lots of pizza, some beer, and a nice FOUR-hour nap (sorry, Susan) all helped me wake up well rested. This is the most sleep I have ever had on a 600K. I hope everyone can get at least some shut eye during the brevet.
Crossing the Astoria–Meigler Bridge (Photo: Susan)
Back in Washington (Photo: Susan)
We had a nice breakfast of yogurt, coffee, and fruit (no warm food for us, but the hotel will do its best to have an early warm breakfast on the Sunday of the brevet), and set off with about 10 minutes to spare. The road was foggy—please switch on your taillights, even if you set off in the daylight. Any bit of visibility on the Astoria Bridge helps. The bridge is long, but the shoulder is adequate, the birds are plentiful, and traffic at that hour (5:45 a.m.) should be minimal. Maybe five cars passed us. The road to Naselle has lovely water views and the golden-hour-light of dawn coloured the trees a beautiful shade. The road gets climby after the right turn on to 101, and I was at my slowest here, but conversation with Susan and frequent breaks for this and that helped me recover a bit.
Susan and Narayan heading to Raymond.
The day warmed up considerably at Raymond, where we stopped for drinks and a bathroom break. Josh and Ricky opted for a sit-down meal (on Mother’s Day), and bled time as a result. I had another prolonged low and Susan pulled me down the road for miles to the North Cove Grill in Tokeland. There she bought me ice cream and a Starbucks Doubleshot, useful arrows to have in your quiver on a hot day, or if you have had minimal sleep. The road flattens out after North Cove Grill, and the riding gets even more pleasant thanks to a beautiful turn onto quiet Smith-Anderson road which puts you past a whole lot of cranberry farms.
Tumbledown house in the cranberry fields just south of Westport (Photo: Susan)
We found Heather Road unmarked. It is the first right turn after the road becomes Lindgren Road, eventually dumping you to an unmarked turn onto Highway 105. The control arrives shortly after (the Shell / Subway stop).
Here I was taught the finer points of Buddhism by a rather enthusiastic local riding a mountain bike, who may or may not have had all his marbles together, much to the amusement of my riding buddies. He mentioned something about the three colours in the talisman he was wearing, something about the paths, and the monk in Aberdeen… but I am afraid I am a poor student.
We left with about nine hours to do the last 72 miles or so and set a good pace as the terrain relented and winds became favourable again. We took the trail to Cosmopolis and then Blue Slough Road, which is now open after the landslides of the past years. We took an extended break in Montesano, the heat bothering us, and then a few more breaks as we made our way to McCleary. The pavement on Monte–Elma is as bad as ever!
There were some routing issues for us in terms of missing signs that will be fixed up on the final cue sheet, and we found our turn onto Highway 8. [Update: Street names have been updated on RWGPS and cue sheet to match the real world.] The shoulder on Highway 8 was better than we remembered from February and we worked our way through Mud Bay. I thought that was the last climb—ha! In true SIR fashion, there are some hills before the finish. But I have applied (read: whined) to the powers that be that better routing may be found to the finish. [Update: We couldn’t get rid of all the hills at the end, but we did adjust the route to the finish to avoid some of the busier roads on which the preriders suffered. Please think of them while enjoying a quiet ride along Decatur Street SW.]
The Whole Fam Damily at La Quinta
Eddie Bishop showed up at the finish with pizza, beer, and G&Ts to welcome us in, and so did Mrs Morse, Ian, and Sierra. It was an awesome end to a wonderful ride.
