| Comments: | Just another supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day in the mountains...
Getting up at oh dark thirty is not so fun but today it was for a good reason so I lumped it and rose promptly at 3:45 when the alarm went off. My friend John P picked me up and we headed down Enumclaw.
As we drove down and got closer to the start it was getting misty and eventually we had to use the windshield wipers. Rats! I hate having to wear tons of clothing just to stick them in my pockets before the half way point. Oh well, that's what pockets are for, right? Plus I was super confident it was going to get nice so not really that much cause for whining...
At the start we met John O and Marty O and rolled out. Within 2-3 miles we had caught all the Excel boys and then another group or two and in short order our paceline was about 40 strong! And the speed was UP there. We rarely dipped below 25 mph and there were extended sections of 28-29. I found out after the ride that I was not the only one who began to wonder if we had started out too fast and were going to pay for our exuberance later on... :)
On one gently rise the pace got dialed up really high. Then the Excel group decided to stop for a nature break so suddenly there were just 15 of us. That was okay, I felt safer this way. And we got to slow down. whew.
About one hour in we flew past an aid vehicle helping what looked like a guy with a broken color bone. Not a fun way to end your Thursday morning. Later, as we crossed the two sets of tracks on the course (where someone always falls down) there was a woman on the ground being helped up by her group. Thank goodness she seemed fine and was not in any obvious discomfort.
Food stop number one was scones, drinks and coffee. On a him I gulped a little coffee (burning my tongue in the process) and crammed two scones in my face. I rolled out still spitting crumbs (they were DRY) and actually winged the last bite into the bushes. It was getting hard to breath with all this flour in my mouth...
My gym spinning instructor was doing this ride and so every time we passed a group I was scanning the riders to see if he was one of them. About 40 or miles in there he was! WE exchanged greetings, took each other's picture and he latched on for the last few miles until the second food stop.
The four of us rolled out of the second food stop and hit one of my favorite sections of the ride – the approach to the park entrance. The closer you get the bigger the trees are, the cleaner the air smells and quieter the sounds are. Just about the exact moment when you pass under the wood arch at the entrance, the air just smells different. It's all old growth, no car exhaust and just so damn GOOD.
Marty dropped back a bit as we started climbing and John, John and I chatted up a storm. We kept bringing up the view – and it was spectacular for sure. The mountain was so white, from all the late season snow, and the blue light from the cracks in the glaciers was quite impressive.
This climb went by FAST. I'm not sure if we were going fast or not but I felt like I was turning a larger gear than normal. Before I knew it there was the top. We carried on to the Box Canyon food stop and then regrouped.
Ah... Box Canyon. The canyon itself is f'n incredible. The walls are over 50' tall and the water is churning and boiling and looks super intimidating. And the food! Every year they serve chocolate croissants at this food stop and every year I have a lot. 1.5 this time round. We did not have to wait long for Marty and shortly we were back on the road.
Shortly after climbing up Backbone Ridge comes my favorite corner. After you pass Reflection Lakes and Louise Lake there is a tight left-hand switchback and as you approach it you can see so much of the valley and the descent below and you can see if any traffic is approaching. All this makes the visual feast huge and you can haul ass around the corner. I indulged in the former and did the later. Oh yeah.
Turn, tuck, pedal, tuck, turn, turn, pedal, pedal and then you are at the base of Cayuse Pass. Who's your daddy.
On a bad day or when the heat is intense this climb can make you cry uncle. But today it was not too hot, I felt super and it was awesome. Marty slowed as we approached the climb and John elected to ratchet it back a bit as we started the climb so John and I rode together. Starting out I was in the 42x23 and kept waiting for the need to shift. It never came. After a bit I looked down and we were doing a consistent 10-10/5 mph which is one mph faster than I usually go on this climb when doing this ride. Nice.
I was standing pretty frequently to save my back and when I did I was shifting to the 42x19. Every time I sat down I was expecting to need to grab the 25 but no – Martin was on a good day.
John and I crested together and it was a blast. I only pulled over at the Cayuse water stop long enough to soak my cap, put it back on and then caught up to John. Martin catch up to someone on a climb? I know... From here it was a swift descent to the deli stop. I enjoyed the view of the mountain as often and as long was I deemed safe while zooming along at 40 mph.
The deli stop is just one of the things that makes this ride my favorite ride in WA. I get sick of sweet stuff SO fast and unless I'm going balls out always prefer real food. This stop has it. Made to order sandwiches, ice cold drinks, plenty of fresh fruit, ample toilets, lots of plain water (and Gator Aid if you want it) and folding chairs to sit in! Did I mention he potato chips? Right on.
John P is an experienced rider in so many ways and as we were getting set to exit he spotted the perfect group to hook up with. It contained one of the engines from earlier in the day, was not too big and so we departed together. After a couple of mild pulls to help all the food settle in our stomachs we were off to the races again.
Sure you are descending a gradual slope at first and sure you want to get home but there is a potent headwind here almost every year and this year was no different. We were pulling for about one minute and then it was back to the rear. Some of the people in our group were not super strong but it was okay. There was one kid that races for Blue Rooster that really wanted to nail it each time he got to the front. Usually it was okay but once I pulled off, he gassed it and some guy in the line left a giant gap and told me to, "Go ahead and jump in if you want..." Ouch. I almost did not make it and felt a twinge of cramp at the same time.
Overall we blitzed this section. Once again we were seeing speeds of 27-30 mph for short stretches and the slowest we went for any period of time was probably 24 mph.
On the approach to Mud Mountain you climb this gentle drag which usually kills me when I'm feeling poor. I was in front and must have wanted to get it over with because at the top I had split the group some and Marty was gone. :(
After descending Mud Mountain we throttled it WAY back and just spun it in talking and celebrating a fantastic day. Everyone in the group (20 riders?) was pretty ecstatic. At the finish they had ice cream. And more potato chips. And sparkling water with no sugar. I was in heaven.
On the way home John P and I stopped for a beer and more food. I could do this week in and week out... |