tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85676596423567754252024-03-19T13:17:07.781-07:00Kevin?Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06958067496717988694noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-12274987851164824872015-04-20T21:39:00.000-07:002015-04-23T09:29:40.037-07:00RUSA Permanent #2679 -- Dudley Dursley Populaire<ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Distance: 137K</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Elevation: 2736 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6978417">Route</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1il8KkyNrah0_a5M2nkWnU5kq6vAtGWq92dOWNv1B1lQ/edit?usp=sharing">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Registration</a></li>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Sometimes, a route is too perfectly simply out NOT to go out and ride it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">This permanent, for instance, has exactly one navigation cue between the start and the first control at mile 33, and that cue is "go straight". So, you get a nice two or three hours of riding on Highway 14 -- and as is often the case with mid-size highways, the road gets nicer and nicer the further away from Yakima you ride. It's mostly gradual climbing to about mile 24, then downhill until your control at the Silver Dollar Cafe on the northern end of Highway 214.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">241's climb is not nearly as gradual; it's still far from horrible, but does throw just under a thousand feet of elevation at you in about four miles. The south side of the highway's high point is more gradual; you get about eight miles of descent before a right turn onto Independence Rd, towards Zillah.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">The next (and last) mid-ride control of the day comes in that small town, just short of 100K into the ride. A little gas station convenience store on the corner of 1st and Cheyne has a bunch of delicious greasy fast food options, or of course small stuff like Gatorade and potato chips if you're in more hurry.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Cheyne connects you to Yakima Valley Highway, another pleasant low traffic stretch since most car traffic uses the parallel freeway. You rejoin 14 at mile 80 -- right at Bale Breaker microbrewery, wink wink -- then have another five miles to get back to the start point.</span></span></div>
Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-49918797050148866242015-04-20T21:13:00.000-07:002015-04-20T21:13:32.920-07:00RUSA Permanent #2667 -- Neville Longbottom Populaire<ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Distance: 158K</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Elevation: 3508 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7117400">Route</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_TTNnokUNGJ893etTSEBFynBYKQ5QDgwJXNlQU9B-BQ/edit?usp=sharing">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Registration</a></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrP8LA5Y8tojsFlv2FU263JuMtY8iQycqMMoYyuHPSoB_t11SUTBoTk6V_KDbzXp-1Y-uOQXA9hSpiwMGH9Zu0l0LSy0-f4PVkxgRwMpnwp9KBh6QHIjbI1WQVF0Fx2cYiP2x21j1sgA/s1600/11133831_10100256161552417_2326887041197207595_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrP8LA5Y8tojsFlv2FU263JuMtY8iQycqMMoYyuHPSoB_t11SUTBoTk6V_KDbzXp-1Y-uOQXA9hSpiwMGH9Zu0l0LSy0-f4PVkxgRwMpnwp9KBh6QHIjbI1WQVF0Fx2cYiP2x21j1sgA/s1600/11133831_10100256161552417_2326887041197207595_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rimrock Lake is gorgeous!<br />
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This is an almost-exactly-100-mile ride that takes you on a loop of it, which means riding a lot of Highway 12 towards White Pass in the Cascades. The peak elevation by the lake is just under 3400 feet, making this a three-season ride in most years.<br />
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Highway 12 isn't the most quiet or best maintained stretch of road in the Pacific NW, but it's also far from the worst -- lots of nice views, moderate traffic, and generally adequate shoulder space. It's also graded very nicely on your way up towards the lake, with all of your climbing coming at a gradual 2% grade or so.<br />
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Your turn-off for Rimrock Lake comes at mile 36, giving you a full sixteen miles of glorious off-highway biking. It's all smoothly paved, and you'll see some campers, fishers, and boaters in the area on most days. There's an info control at mile 40, then another when you re-join Highway 12.<br />
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When you head back down the highway, be aware of one thing -- there's an unlit tunnel at mile 59, so pack a tail light even when you're guaranteed to finish well before sunset. There's no "bike warning" system, either, as you might find in other places (Highway 101 near Cannon Beach comes to mind); so, make yourself seen, ride straight and safely, and you'll be totally fine.<br />
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Aside from start/finish, the route has only a pair of info controls -- but there's several options for food/water stops along the route as needed.</div>
Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-60043397026635437362015-04-20T20:44:00.002-07:002015-04-20T20:44:41.616-07:00RUSA Permanent #2684 -- Gilderoy Lockhart Populaire<ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Distance: 108K</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Elevation: 3551 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7104908">Route</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/115iMcQ6l1x6ALKUjJnA8LJS8pj-2VuuFvSahVSrdGXw/edit?usp=sharing">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Registration</a></li>
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You want hills? Have some hills.</div>
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Well... at least "hills", by Yakima standards, organized into a relatively easy-to-navigate route -- it's certainly no <a href="http://www.rondepdx.com/">De Ronde</a>. I could add another thousand or so feet with zigs and zags here and there, but reading cue sheets is never the best part of bike riding.</div>
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Starting once again on West Nob Hill, your ride starts going straight west out Summitview, then onto Cowiche Mill Rd to the first info control at mile 13. It's a somewhat major road closer to Yakima, but always has a nice shoulder and gets quieter and prettier as you leave town.</div>
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From there, dart back down to the little town of Naches, and grab some mini-mart fare if you're in need. The way out of town brings by far the worst climb of the day -- starting in the middle of mile 22, you'll run into a couple of switchbacks up the hillside at about 8-10% grade. Nasty stuff, but less than a mile in total length.</div>
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After a little descent with beautiful high desert views, you resume climbing at a much more mild pace, heading up North Wenas Rd (the same stretch of road used for the <a href="http://stopbelieving.blogspot.com/2015/03/permanent-2678-george-weasley-populaire.html">more fun way</a> to Ellensburg). Instead of attacking some gravel and crossing the boundary into Kittitas County, though, you just take a U-turn after an info control and enjoy nearly 20 miles of gradual descent towards Selah.</div>
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You'll finish up on some back roads to the west of Selah, which add a few final small climbs before taking you back south of the Naches River over Powerhouse Rd. From there, it's all city roads and a little MUP to wrap up your adventure.</div>
Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-80677236737595552722015-03-29T21:40:00.002-07:002015-03-29T21:40:56.481-07:00Permanent #2678 -- George Weasley Populaire<ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Distance: 129K</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Elevation: 1300 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4979962">Route</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-FwB40mXHUr--5isvgxa3dglJkbL1n3ZI5k4wKvOA_Q/edit?usp=sharing">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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This is a fun one! Well, Fun for me, at least. YMMV.<br />
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Like #2600, this is a trip to Ellensburg and back. Unlike that route, though, this one takes a much more <i>interesting </i>way to head north.<br />
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You go the same way through Selah, but head northeast onto Wenas Road instead of going along the Yakima River's canyon. This climbs gradually for about eighteen miles, with consistently nice views of desert ridges and one lake that will seem rather inviting on a hot summer day.<br />
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At mile 26, there's an info control to make sure you're actually doing this silly ride, then the magic happens: the pavement ends, gravel begins, and the road starts going way the hell upwards.<br />
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Or, specifically: it goes up about 900 feet in 3.7 miles. Hardly the highest amount in the world; it's a little tougher in sheer elevation than Cornell Rd in NW Portland from 25th to Skyline. A lot tougher in practice, though, since it's mostly exposed desert roads covered in dirt and loose gravel.<br />
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With that said, as the photo indicates, I was able to pass through without too much trouble on 23mm tires back in the early fall. After you summit at about 3100ft, there's a little bit of gravel descending that's mostly straight-ish and not too hairy; then, thankfully, the rest of the downhill back into Ellensburg is on pavement.<br />
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Get some fast food (I recommend the cheapo chicken sandwiches at Carl's Jr), then it's back to Yakima via WA-821. It's flat-ish compared to what you did earlier in the day, all on good pavement, and will offer a little cool air coming off the Yakima River in even the hottest weather.<br />
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There are two long stretches between services on this ride, so be careful and pack plenty of water especially in summer: from mile ~20 (a RV park with small market) to Ellensburg at mile 45, then from there to Selah at mile ~75.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-83000440070320347182015-03-28T21:19:00.003-07:002015-03-28T21:21:27.758-07:00Permanent #2675 -- Dobby (A Free Elf) Populaire<ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Distance: 103K</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Elevation: 1300 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/7104808">Route</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sw4wLwpO_SQX5rJDS5pau4XTtGUXX28UzNT3hkHZYVk/edit?usp=sharing">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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A couple of weeks ago, I rode out from my house in Yakima to meet the great folks from <a href="http://drrando.blogspot.com/">Desert River Randonneurs</a> in the middle of their customary <a href="http://drrando.blogspot.com/2015/01/drr-spring-200-km-acp-brevet-february.html">"Flat Yak" 200K</a> -- a great recurring ride that starts and ends in Richland. I plotted my route to join up with theirs, successfully met a trio of riders near Toppenish, then headed home and went to work on a Yakima-based permanent based on what I rode that day.<br />
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This is the end result, of course; Tri-Cities-based riders will perhaps be happy to know that it only overlaps with "Flat Yak" for about five miles of the course, so you can come to Yakima and experience a nice amount of new, pleasant riding.<br />
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You start, fittingly, at the Safeway near my house in West Yakima. Nob Hill Boulevard becomes WA-21, then you go onto back roads south of Moxee to Konnowac Pass Rd. Don't let the name frighten you, though, the climbing only amounts to about 350 feet.<br />
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At the end of that, you begin 15 miles on the fairly quiet Yakima Valley Highway to the mid-ride control at Granger. From there, WA-223 connects to Track Rd, and guess what -- you parallel some railroad tracks, making a nearly as-the-crow-flies beeline towards the next stop in Wapato.<br />
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Cross a bridge over the Yakima River and take an underpass under I-82 and you'll reconnect to the north end of the Yakima Valley Highway. That follows both the river and the highway for a few miles before becoming Thorp Road heading back slightly east, rejoining the same roads you use for the first seven miles of the day.<br />
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It's a flat and fast route. No truly breathtaking views but a lot of pleasant country roads, with generally low traffic aside from the first and last five miles of the day in Yakima.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-58801026456867017592015-03-28T20:51:00.000-07:002015-03-28T21:20:47.954-07:00Permanent #2600 -- Fred Weasley Populaire<ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Distance: 122K</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Elevation: 2600 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6706402">Route</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nEVqNP8pCL3t90CS2pJpULEptccyHtfrTpPMA7dFqAI/edit#gid=0">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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If you have time to do one day of biking in or around Yakima, this might be your best bet -- WA-821 a.k.a. Canyon Road offers some of the best riding and scenery in the area.<br />
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It's a simple out-and-back, through Selah to the turnaround in Ellensburg. The 821 follows the Yakima River for most of its 25-mile duration and is generally flat, with one hill near the southern end of the route that climbs up about 350 feet.<br />
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The canyon has several parks/campsites/rec areas, though as far as I know there's no drinking water available at any of them. In the summer, it'll be quite hot, and you'll quickly go through two bottles' worth of water -- a lesson I learned the hard way the first time I traveled this stretch in near triple-degree heat. So, leave Ellensburg with an extra little bottle of water in the summer, and you'll be totally fine.<br />
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While it's not at all drinkable, the Yakima River does provide some great cooling spots. Most of the parks along the river have boat launches, so you can bike right down to the river and dip your toes... ankles... knees... well, as much cooling as you'd want.<br />
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The worst traffic is from around the truck stop/fast food options for your turnaround in Ellensburg. The canyon itself is generally great for riding -- hardly silent or remote, but with plenty of shoulder space and a light mix of commercial traffic, local travelers, and all sorts of recreational visitors (fishers, birdwatchers, boaters, campers, and more!)Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-3547288440287904802015-01-14T17:25:00.001-08:002015-01-14T17:26:52.783-08:00Permanent #2579 -- Minerva McGonagall Populaire<ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Distance: 100K</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Elevation: 2600 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/6708691">Route</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdGI2STJWMENqcS1kdzdfMVppT2Z4R3c&usp=drive_web#gid=0">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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Several months later, a new permanent in Yakima!<br />
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This is exactly a 100K, starting and ending on Nob Hill Blvd in the west part of town (near my home, obviously). Goes further west to the boundary of the Ahtanum State Forest, on a gradual climb up to 3,000 feet elevation.<br />
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I rode the route (or at least the general area) a couple times shortly after moving here in the fall, then checked it out again last week during a surprising warm spell. The weather now is back down to mid 30s at best, so the road conditions are certainly iffy -- but the roads aren't permanently closed in winter or anything, so it's technically a route that's open year-round... so long as you can find a period of nice weather.<br />
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This 100K certainly has the potential to be a fast one. There's maybe four or five intersections with a stoplight or sign and, while you do go up from a starting 1100ft to nearly 3200ft elevation, the climbs are all super gradual. Back in August, for reference, I did the full course (way before submitting it as a permanent, so no card or credit) in 3:33 elapsed time... about 50 minutes faster than any other 100K I've ever done.<br />
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I can't promise you the same results, of course, but it's a fun and easy one that's waiting for you next time you're in central Washington!Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-80466547185386586102013-05-05T10:10:00.004-07:002013-05-06T12:11:18.520-07:00Rapture ride!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After missing the inaugural <a href="http://velodirt.com/">VeloDirt</a> Rapture Ride in 2011 because of a sprained ankle and the 2012 version for some completely lame and unremarkable excuse, there was no way I'd be left out of the ride when it came back around for this year.<br />
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So, I met up with Jennifer for a carpool at 8 and, only a few minor wrong turns later, we were pulling our bikes off the rack and assembling everything we'd need at the start point, the Flying M Ranch a few miles west of Yamhill. There was a decent group of riders -- three dozen, maybe -- with probably 75% cyclocross bikes (or similar), plus a handful of hardtail, FS, or rigid mountain bikes.<br />
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Out of the gate, I found myself on the tail end of the "lead" pack, a handful of fat and fist dudes wearing kits from teams they actually belonged to, on fancy and fast-looking modern bikes.<br />
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Then, of course, the first hill came, and I got passed and passed and passed and passed. Didn't fall off the back by any means, just firmly settled into somewhere around the 70th percentile of riders. I also stubbornly tried to get up in my 39T middle ring and avoid the smallest ring of my triple, which meant at one particularly bad ramp my cadence halted to a near-stop, and I barely unclipped in time before having to walk my goddam bike at mile four.<br />
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The terrain for this first stretch -- which gained 2400 feet in about nine miles -- was some of the worst on the ride, with a bunch of golf-ball sized rocks in place of more traditional "gravel". Here and there you could find a worn-down truck path to follow and ride more smoothly, but those had a bad habit of starting and ending abruptly, leaving you to swerve across deep chunky sections in order to find the next more rideable portion.<br />
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The road rolled up and down a little bit for a while, and I got to the top of a big descent at mile 14 after a little less than two hours. Yep. Still, the hardest part of the ride was done; the next dozen miles were almost all downhill towards Trask County Park, then the "summit" of the return trip over the coast range was over a thousand feet lower than what I'd just done.<br />
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For the first mile or so of descent, I rolled down cautiously and conservatively, as the road surface stayed fairly poor (though much better than some portions of the climb). After lifting my Trek up and over a second gate, though, things took a turn for the better -- the road turned into softer and smoother dirt, and I let myself pick up more speed as I started to lean into turns, pass the more conservative (i.e., smart) riders, and bunny hop (I know, it's not really a bunny hop if you just lift up on clipless pedals) some potholes and other debris.<br />
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Then -- unsurprisingly -- that whole coming-in-hot thing bit me in the ass. At a 130-degree turn at mile 20, I low-sided and went down fairly hard on my left side.<br />
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Instead of bitching about that too much, though, here's a handful of optimistic ways to view that crash:<br />
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-Gravel and dirt is much softer than asphalt<br />
-It was an "inside" corner so I wasn't at risk of sliding off the side of the road<br />
-I didn't actually slide at all, basically stuck in one spot<br />
-Nobody was following too close and I wasn't run over<br />
-Other riders WERE close enough to quickly attend to me, one kind guy hosed out my wounds with his Camelbak<br />
-I generally avoided breaking valuable bike parts by taking most of the impact with my body<br />
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I wound up with a nice scrape on my knee, some smaller scratches on my arm, and -- most painfully -- a gash right where the pinky meets my palm. After making sure I could walk and the bike could roll, I waived on the few people who had stopped behind me, then gingerly re-mounted and rolled super-cautiously down the last couple of winding turns before reaching Trask County Park and cleaning off my wounds (with the only tap water available anywhere on-course!).<br />
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I first fashioned some first aid with chamois cream/kleenex/armwarmer (instead of bacitracin/sterile pad/gauze); but a few minutes after that, an AWESOME rider whose name I forgot rolled up with an actual first aid kit and I got myself properly wrapped up and felt a big mental boost for the last 38ish miles back to the ranch.<br />
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The tap water at Trask is super sulfuric (i.e., rotten eggs); I figured I'd just make some tripe-strength Gatorade from powder mix to mask it. And, it mostly worked (if I took care not to breathe in while drinking it), if it was sickeningly sweet and almost syrupy. Oh, and a bit of the powder blew into the cut on my hand... citric acid and (trace amounts of) salt, not a good feeling.<br />
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I was briefly tempted to bag the rest of the ride and instead go see my grandma in Oceanside, but I realized that I'd have no way to tell Jennifer that I was abandoning her carpool; and, for that matter, her house was only about ten miles closer than the endpoint back at Yamhill.<br />
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So, it was back onto gravel, and back into a climb. I had met <a href="http://bicyclekitty.blogspot.com/">Maria</a> shortly before my crash; we relaxed together for a bit at the campground, then wound up riding together for nearly the rest of the way home.<br />
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Like I had expected, going up along the Trask River was much nicer than our initial climb out of the ranch. It had turned into a legitimately warm day, but we enjoyed fairly thick tree cover and abundant shade.<br />
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My minor crash wounds quickly moved to the back of my mind; instead, though, I started to get just plain tired. Maria and I rolled up the hills at a less than brisk pace, and I made liberal use of my 30/32 low gear. At mile 46, we came upon the Barney Reservoir; Maria had a story or two about getting giardia from drinking dirty water, so I held back from scooping handfuls of the lake straight into my mouth; I did, however, thoroughly douse myself to at least cool off. A short bit later, though, we came across two of the organizers from <a href="http://www.21stbikes.com/">21st Ave Bicycles</a> using a chemical water treatment on a little roadside stream. We each had about ~6 ounces of water left at that point, so they were kind enough to mix up a potable bottle for each of us to help bring us home.<br />
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There was a little bit of climbing left; by mile 50 or so, we'd gained probably 6500 feet of elevation, which basically marked the end of the day's hard work. I was weary enough (and still slightly bleeding) to take the last descent back down to valley level at a fairly cautious clip.<br />
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The ride's last "bail out" option was at mile ~57 -- a direct turn towards the ranch would end my day in five miles, or the "official" route had an extension for another 700 miles with some nasty little hills. I didn't hesitate, immediately deciding to take the easy way in.<br />
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Rolled into the start/finish area just before six: 7:39 total elapsed time, and about 6:30 riding time, good for a moving average of just under ten miles per hour.<br />
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I pulled off my socks and shoes and bibs, made a bee-line for the Base Camp kegs, and stuffed myself with chips and salsa, and bullshitted with my fellow riders for a while 'til the 21st guys got the grill up and running.<br />
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I think I went though five or six beers, a good half-dozen tacos, and another 30-40 ounces of water in two-ish hours I spent at the endpoint before we drove back... and somehow I was still hungry and thirsty by the time we reached Hwy 26.<br />
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I'll definitely be using North Fork and Turner Creek roads again -- as a highway-free route to get into Tillamook. Toll Rd & Murphy Camp might have to wait for next year's Rapture event. Oh, and then there's my nascent idea to find a similar logging route between Timber & Foss... it's gonna be a fun summer, at least if I can keep the rubber side pointed down.<br />
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(photos to be added later)Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-54250117425016487792013-04-14T10:21:00.003-07:002013-04-14T10:21:54.079-07:00Went down to the valley and it was, like, you know? Totally.Seized the opportunity of a totally free Saturday with a not-terrible weather forecast to go ride a new 300K with <a href="http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/">David</a>, down through Aumsville and Jefferson and Scio and such as.<br />
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<a href="http://app.strava.com/activities/48699963">Ta-da</a>, on Strava, with four phone photos.<br />
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The pace/result was somewhere in between the last two 200's I did with David (a 13-hour slog through Scappoose/St Helens hills, and a 9-hour attack of Ripplebrook). With a handful of lazy convenience store snack stops and a shifting fairly stiff wind that only occasionally pushed at our backs, I wrapped up the ride in 15:54. Got back into inner SE in time to head over to Sparky's for a huge greasy slice of two dollar pizza (or, you know, four slices for eight bucks), but couldn't quite bring myself to ride past Boise St and just flop onto couch then bed.<br />
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Other than providing a faceful of wind for several hours, most of the outbound leg was great -- Boones Ferry and Howell Prairie, then Liberty and Lake and Ankeny Hill. Coming back was much more familiar territory, dating back to my one-way rides to Salem or Corvallis or Eugene from the last few years, but the Canby-Boring connection was excellent, especially a steep descent down Henrici in the last remnants of daylight.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-69015309796342811012013-03-26T12:51:00.003-07:002013-03-26T12:51:48.365-07:00Gravel ground-up<a href="http://weblog.pell.portland.or.us/~orc/">David Parsons</a> and myself went out on Saturday for an inaugural running of my new 205K <a href="http://stopbelieving.blogspot.com/2013/03/permanent-1894-irma-pince.html">Irma Pince</a> permanent and, well, it was indeed a bike ride.<br />
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A handful of thoughts:<br />
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<ul>
<li>There's no (legal) way to connect the far end of Pumpkin Ridge to anything. Burgdorfer, on Google and other maps, is a gated driveway. Murphy Rd works, I think, to go back to Greener/Dairy Creek, or of course there's Smoke Ranch heading east.</li>
<li>I misread my own directions and took the first left after the Smoke Ranch gate, onto what turned out to be Wilderness Rd. You can take a right turn shortly after that to get onto Tupper Ranch and, in theory, over to some of the Pisgah/Bacona roads, but the way we went just became a dead-end. Fun riding for a couple of miles, at least.</li>
<li>The extension into Scappoose is definitely needed, you'll want full water bottles for the climb ahead...</li>
<li>Speaking of which, Mountain View Rd is ridiculous. A couple of 10-14% grade ramps to net you almost 1,000 feet of climbing in under three miles. Ouch.</li>
<li>And after that hard work has you hating life, the "reward" descent on Pisgah-Home is about as bad. Gravel, potholes, more double-digit grades, and tight turns. Yikes.</li>
<li>Everything from this point forward, though, is great -- three miles on Scap-Vern (or the dirt trail which parallels it), then an awesome romp around Yankton. More climbing, but all at a gradual grade, lots of actually enjoyable descents, little or no traffic (on a Saturday afternoon).</li>
<li>The Yankton general store is about a block off-course, and I'd probably recommend it to most riders rather than going from Scappoose to Deer Island without any available water. It was a mild day with some slow riding, but both David and myself were completely out of fluids by the time we reached Hwy 30.</li>
<li>The last 45 miles are mercifully flat. I'd actually never ridden in to Portland from that far out on Hwy 30, so... a token amount of new roads. Plus, a nice backside Scappoose loop for extra mileage to make it a legitimate 200K.</li>
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We took a whopping 12 hours and 59 minutes to finish -- by pace, easily my slowest ride ever that didn't involve stopping to sleep somewhere. I guess that's some motivation to get out and try again, aiming for a better time. Maybe.</div>
Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-3872439312782214462013-03-19T19:58:00.000-07:002013-03-19T19:58:20.297-07:00Seattle A-Go-GoTwo weekends ago, I undertook my first semi-sizable (relatively speaking) bike adventure -- a 200-mile ride from my house to the U district in Seattle, then a 130-mile trip with Seattle Rando the next day.<br />
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Despite facing 17 hours of headwinds (or 14 hours of headwinds and 3 hours of snack stops), Friday was a blast. I can see why you'd be meh on the route, but there's enough nice parts to make it a fun trip nonetheless... at least when you're doing it months away from the giant shitstorm which is the actual organized STP ride.<br />
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After not enough hours of sleep and a 3am rush to the restroom to purge a QFC panini (never again!), I rode to the startpoint with Susan and Asta, met ~50 new friends (and a few semi-familiar old friends), then took off.<br />
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After an early fiasco with a wrong turn and a loose rack bolt, Susan and myself were dead-last by a mile or two, not even two hours into the ride. Whoops. So, we rode on as a pair for a while; not too long later, we started to pick up some SIR company, and, even better, the sun broke through the clouds.<br />
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My knowledge of Seattle geography can generously be described as "bad" -- thankfully towards the end, we had a nice small riding group led by a couple of locals (and Susan's GPS) to get us safely to the finish point.<br />
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And, that point had free chili and beer!<br />
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The Saturday evening was a rather dull one -- after threatening to make plans and socialize with some local friends, I wound up asleep before 9pm. Oops.<br />
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We had a nice breakfast on Sunday morning, checked out a huge Seattle bike expo on our way out of town (totally lusting after a hot pink Rudy Projects helmet now), then drove back down I-5.<br />
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Anyway, it was early enough in the year that the 300K/200K combination was more than enough work to leave me sufficiently exhausted -- it'll be a little while before I'll try doing a 400/200 combination with one of my alternate Portland-Seattle permanent options.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-88220768581352331762013-03-19T17:30:00.001-07:002013-03-19T17:32:20.419-07:00Permanent #1894 -- Irma Pince<br />
<ul>
<li>Distance: 205K</li>
<li>Elevation: 9,265 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1351904/">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdEJNbDBKc2tmRXI5Ykxmb1NvUXlnS3c#gid=0">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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Surprisingly, my 19th registered RUSA permanent is my first which comes close to be a "true" 200K that both starts and ends in Portland.<br />
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Also surprisingly, none of the previous eighteen routes took advantage of perhaps my single-favorite stretch of road in the greater Portland area -- Pumpkin Ridge to Smoke Ranch, as seen <a href="http://stopbelieving.blogspot.com/2012/02/billion-miles-from-nowhere.html">here</a> from a ride report a while ago.<br />
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As you can see, the best parts of the ride are unpaved; on this route, about 20 total miles on either gravel or dirt. You can certainly navigate everything on a road bike with narrow tires, but you'll have a better time with some wider rubber between your legs.<br />
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It's also a damn hilly route, with a handful of climbs competing for the title of "best part of the ride". Going up a furlong (which I learned was an eighth-mile at bar trivia yesterday) of loose gravel at 12% on Pumpkin Ridge might be a good pick, or there's a similar stretch on the paved Mountain View Road which is particularly painful since it comes just two miles after a quick control stop in Scappoose.<br />
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After Canaan Rd spits you out on Highway 30 at the Deer Island mini-market, your last 45 miles of the day will all be dead-flat. A loop around the east backside of Scappoose gives you some lovely quiet miles instead of the usual bustle of 30 (and is needed to put the route over 200K), but then it's back on the highway and returning to SE Portland.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-24939608552012953362013-03-19T17:03:00.002-07:002013-03-19T17:03:41.634-07:00Permanent #1893 -- Stan Shunpike<br />
<ul>
<li>Distance: 133K</li>
<li>Elevation: 6,050 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2161230">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdGQyVHBfM0tZWm9rUmhENGx5SGg3cnc#gid=0">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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Sometimes a 100K is too short of a ride, but a 200K is too long. Oh no!<br />
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Thanks to years of hard science research, I've unearthed a solution -- an in-between distance!<br />
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This one is 133K, or 82 miles. About 35 of them are on the Springwater Corridor, so if you do this ride on a sunny weekend afternoon, expect a variety of dogs, bikes, and walkers as company.<br />
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The real heart of it, though, comes from two hilly loops east of Estacada and south of Sandy. The first takes you out on Wildcat Mountain Rd -- a lovely road which continues into the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness south of Mt Hood -- on mostly sustained medium-low grades until a final little 10% kicker gets you to the info control at 452nd Ave.<br />
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From there, you get to rip down the Kitzmiller Rd descent into Eagle Fern Park. Southeast of there you make a loop of George / Clausen Rd, with a 1300-foot climb in about seven miles.<br />
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Once you leave Boring, the route is minimally serviced -- Eagle Fern Park <i>should</i> have running water, although I've been bitten too many times by unreliable parks dept. maintenance.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-47795275619887006932013-03-18T16:35:00.000-07:002013-03-19T16:46:26.757-07:00Permanent #1877 -- Viktor Krum<div>
<ul>
<li>Distance: 405K</li>
<li>Elevation: 15,835 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1157463/">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdDBVS3JRaWp6S3ZwV3I2VEZtTzBmOUE#gid=0">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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On the opposite spectrum of hilliness from my PDX-Bremerton route, this one starts and ends in roughly the same area, but goes up and over Mt St Helens rather than the flat Washington coastline.</div>
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Wind River Rd and NF-25 provide the most gorgeous (and challenging) portions of the ride, cutting through Gifford Pinchot forest as you ride between Carson and Randle. These roads aren't maintained for winter riding -- which, depending on the year, might delay its opening all the way until June or even July.</div>
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When they are open, though, it's gorgeous... and hard. I'll spare details from the elevation profile and just say there's a big volcano there, and you ride up and over it.</div>
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The latter half of the ride is a bit more relaxed, but you still have some pleasant roads (and a bit of climbing) after Randle, going up towards Orting. The last forty or so miles uses the Interurban Trail then a variation of the official STP route to wrap up the ride in the University District.</div>
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This, of course, is also available to be used in the opposite direction (and again, no cue sheet for that way yet). There's two or three campgrounds with drinking water available as you ride through Gifford Pinchot, and a not-entirely-reliable grocery store near Swift Reservoir. For the northernmost parts -- the ones you'll likely face in the middle of the night if you started in PDX -- I'm not sure of many 24-hour food options, so pack plenty of snacks and probably a third water bottle.</div>
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I'm toying with making a Cyclos Montagnards-esque unofficial medal for Oregon or Seattle randonneurs who complete both #1876 and #1877 in a span of a couple of days, with a brevet or permanent in the middle -- maybe call it the lazy man's 1000+K. Check back later.</div>
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Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-28859735450459554992013-03-18T16:34:00.000-07:002013-03-19T16:48:23.535-07:00Permanent #1876 -- Kingsley Shacklebolt<ul>
<li>Distance: 410K</li>
<li>Elevation: 12,179 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1581546">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdFFoaWx2RlREblNPOHNXNmZ4WFNtdnc#gid=0">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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Ever thought to yourself, "Hey, I want to go to Seattle for a weekend, but I'm tired of riding the traditional STP route and don't want to pay for Amtrak fare?" Well, here's one for you!</div>
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This basically pieces together two of the brevets I did last year -- ORR's Olney Gothic Logger 300 and the last hundred or so miles of SIR's spring 400K.</div>
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You start in Portland and end in Bremerton. Assuming you want to get across the water to Seattle itself, you'll need to plan the ride so you can finish and hop on the ferry, which runs roughly once an hour between 6am and 11pm. Of course, this route can also be used in reverse, though I haven't yet written out a cue sheet for that way.</div>
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If you go north, you'll get the ride's only two semi-tough climbs out of the way in the first third of the ride. Highway 30 to Scappoose is, of course, totally flat, before heading over a lumpy Scappoose-Vernonia Highway that goes up to about 1,400 feet. There's also a great dirt path/trail/road which parallels this that I'd highly recommend as an alternative routing with the exact same distance.</div>
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From there, it's pretty familiar Oregon Randonneur territory -- out OR-47 then continue on OR-202, past the Birkenfeld store and towards Astoria. You do get back up to 1,200 feet or so when you go over the coast range, but it's a pretty relaxed climb, and on a backroads area with very little traffic.</div>
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After descending all the way down to just 70 feet and rolling through lovely Olney, OR, you continue into Astoria, where the rather terrible Astoria-Megler bridge awaits. It's long, nearly shoulderless, and usually windy. It's also well-signed for bicycles. Ride it, wait for it to be over, then enjoy continuing the rest of your ride on solid and wide roads.</div>
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Head north on WA-4, then meet back up with 101, which you'll take for a full fifty miles before turning inland at Montesano. Unfortunately you don't get many actual ocean coast miles, but it's still a nice semi-remote highway.</div>
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From Montesano, you roughly follow alongside -- but thankfully not on -- WA-12, on backroads through towns like Brady, Satsop, Elma, and McCleary. At mile 209 in Kamilche, you rejoin 101 (which is much busier here) briefly, heading for Shelton then WA-3 which takes you most of the way to the ferry.</div>
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After the Oregon Coast range, you never go back up over 500 feet of elevation. As is one of the perks of one-way rides, you can plan your trip and hope to get about 200 miles of tailwind riding (usually out of the south in winter/early spring, out of the north for summer/early fall).</div>
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Do keep in mind service options and availability for late-night riding -- there's a convenient 24-hour Safeway in Shelton at mile 216, but otherwise you might face long stretches without food available.</div>
Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-91529847681601057162013-03-18T16:31:00.000-07:002013-03-19T16:41:24.032-07:00Permanent #1707 -- Gellert Grindenwald<div>
<ul>
<li>Distance: 224K</li>
<li>Elevation: 7,705 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1671163/">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdFdHTER0YnNLNDk1aS0xTkloZGhDdVE#gid=0">Cue sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
If a bird flew due west from Sellwood, it'd hit Netarts in right around sixty miles. Taking Highway 6 along the Wilson River makes it about eighty. Going the super-long caret-shaped (i.e, the symbol above the "6" on your keyboard) for this scenic route makes it just under a hundred and forty.</div>
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To get towards Birkenfeld, you have two options, and I chose to use Highway 30 and Scappoose-Vernonia Road rather than misc roads through the west hills and North Plains. This way is a good bit shorter, slightly flatter, and offers you a chance to ride on the Crown-Zellerbach dirt road which parallels the S-V. The high point there is around 1300 feet, so check snow levels and road conditions if you want to ride in wintertime.</div>
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After a well-traveled stretch of 47 & 202, Birkenfeld falls almost exactly at the 100km point. The little general store there recently stopped selling liquor, so you can't grab a mid-ride pull of Bulleit, but they make great hot sandwiches and have the usual market fare (chips, soda, candy).</div>
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A bit later, you get to ride the entire 9-mile duration of Highway 103, and there's another market available once you come out on 26. You do spend about three downhill miles on the rather busy and narrow-shouldered 26, but it's certainly survivable.<br />
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From there, it's maybe five miles from 26 to Henry Rierson (at mile 97), and then the gravel fun begins. The conclusion is obviously the same as #1706 -- Foss to Miami-Foley to 101 to Tillamook to Netarts. Fun stuff!</div>
Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-22093432305767740542013-03-18T16:25:00.002-07:002013-03-19T16:27:18.062-07:00Permanent #1650 -- Cuthbert Binns<ul>
<li>Distance: 110K</li>
<li>Elevation: 1,200 feet (according to RideWithGPS)</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1529033">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdFpxRDFzcTd2UlljbVNnbzhSUWcxaXc#gid=0">Cue sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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On the opposite end of the terrain spectrum from Horace Slughorn 100K, there's this ride. 68 miles, and the highest point of elevation is the 9th Ave pedestrian crossing over Powell Blvd. Thank you, Sauvie Island!<br />
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It's a rather ridiculously simple route -- out Highway 30, onto Sauvie, over to an info control out-and-back on the island, then another info control out-and-back, then back onto 30 and home.<br />
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Any semi-fast rider could easily find themselves up against the minimum time limit (3h40m); or, you could take a two-hour picnic on Sauvie and still finish in time without feeling rushed at all. Me, I'll probably use this as a training route of sorts, a nice way to get more comfortable keeping up an 18mph pace for several consecutive hours.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-82031941932394286662013-03-18T16:22:00.001-07:002013-03-19T16:38:57.417-07:00Permanent #1648 -- Aberforth Dumbledore<ul>
<li>Distance: 110K</li>
<li>Elevation: 4,609 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1463417">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdHhUZVlrQkhFWkppR3pvTDZyVjV2d2c#gid=0">Cue sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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Another inland one of sorts (you can't exactly make a route that goes west from Netarts... unless RUSA allows the use of pedal-boats), this time checking out the towns of Pacific City, Hebo, and Beaver in that order.<br />
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Starts south via the awesome Netarts Bay road before heading over Cape Lookout and into Pacific City where you'll have plenty of nice food options. The "focus" of the ride is a 20-mile stretch on 131 and then 22 -- a pair of great, shady, scenic, and low-traffic highways. After rejoining the 101 in Hebo, take it back towards Sandlake then over Cape Lookout again for the ride's conclusion.<br />
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Two passes over Lookout makes this one a little more challenging, but nothing terrible at all. Pleasantly, each direction of climbing has a very different feel as you're riding, so it's by no means dull and you can decide for yourself which direction you prefer. The 130-to-22 stretch goes gradually up to about 550 feet, almost all of which is gained on very mild grades. The only downside is that there's about 10 miles of unpleasant northbound 101 riding between Hebo and Sandlake, but even that is not so bad if you go at the right time/day/season.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-51970627246050835362013-03-18T16:08:00.000-07:002013-03-19T16:34:40.524-07:00Permanent #1586 -- Cornelius Fudge<div>
<ul>
<li>Distance: 130K</li>
<li>Elevation: 5,418 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1190631">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdDZIZk5YZnpCdWdTT25OeEduZFcyLUE#gid=0">Cue sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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If the previous Flitwick route takes a meandering path towards the coast, this one is about as direct as possible. Same startpoint at Holgate, but you'll tackle the west hills on Cornell/Thompson rather than through the zoo, then quickly turn off Skyline to take some boring but reliable suburban roads (Laidlaw, West Union) towards North Plains. After a control stop there, it's straight west again on some backroads that dump you onto Gales Creek Road before it meets up with Highway 6.</div>
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You'll take Highway 6 for basically its entirety. Because it's the most convenient coast route out of Portland, it's well-traveled by bike campers and tourers, and it has a decent (not amazing) shoulder. Traffic is moderate (not amazing), including some commercial trucks and vacationing RVs. It does get drastically worse on three warm-weather holidays -- Labor Day, 4th of July, Memorial Day -- so I wouldn't recommend taking it by bike on any of those weekends. Otherwise, should be fine.</div>
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This one ends in Tillamook rather than Netarts, and I forget why I decided that. The highest pass on Highway 6 comes just nine miles or so after you join it, then you can cruise at a good pace for the rest of the way into Tillamook. If you can time it right so traffic is low, the road is absolutely gorgeous, and definitely worth traveling at least once.</div>
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Both permanents are reversible, but I haven't yet written up cue sheets for anyone who wants to use them going in the opposite direction. There is a bus service from Portland to Tillamook -- leaves Tillamook at 8:10 a.m. and 12:25 pm, or leaves Portland (from the train station) at 10:35 a.m. or 3:15 p.m.</div>
Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-18723555554304669042013-03-18T16:02:00.000-07:002013-03-19T16:34:03.380-07:00Permanent #1550 -- Cedric Diggory<ul>
<li>Distance: 108km</li>
<li>Elevation: 1,749 ft according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1089608">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdFpIZ2JEUEtjYnJFcm9DSzV0SjJjNkE#gid=0">Cue sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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A scrumptious taste of a handful of Portland-area bike paths and low-traffic roads. Runs past the University of Portland with your first control at Kelley Point Park, then comes back east on the Marine Drive bike path to cross over the I-5 bridge. Has a lovely 12-mile stretch past Vancouver Lake, with a u-turn at the south end of the Ridgefield wildlife refuge. Back into Portland on the I-5 again, rejoins the Marine Drive path to go over to the I-205 path, then takes that all the way to Woodstock then back to my neighborhood near Holgate.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-84908223887109592272013-03-03T10:52:00.000-08:002013-03-19T16:41:50.764-07:00Permanent #1875 -- The Bloody Baron<b><span style="font-size: large;">#1875 -- The Bloody Baron</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li>Distance: 172K</li>
<li>Elevation: 8,261 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2136321">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdEdzMm9Cb1JTQjFRYjNNbDRSS1VZYUE#gid=0">Cue Sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
This one is, at least in parts, positively Rapha-esque. After a straightforward route from SE Portland to Camas, you head north and, though you'll never really be more than 20 miles from the suburbs, you'll feel like you're in the middle of nowhere.<br />
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You use L-1000 and Dole Valley Rd to carve a winding path up towards Amboy, in the foothills of Larch Mountain (no, not THAT Larch Mountain, nor the other Larch which you see signs for off OR-6). This route tops out at just under 2,000 feet of elevation, and my favorite, though usually inaccurate, route mapping site guesses there's over 6,000 feet of climbing in the middle fifty miles of this route.<br />
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There really isn't much civilization between Camas and Yacolt (the small town just south of the turnaround in Amboy), and with some rather rough gravel roads you should plan accordingly with clothing, food, and tools. I think the only quasi-commercial building you'll pass over a 20-ish mile stretch is a jail, and that's not exactly where you want to pull up to beg to use their phone if you have a mechanical failure.<br />
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There's about 15 miles of gravel in each direction -- heading north, they're mostly (but not entirely) downhill (with some rather steep grades in spots); on the return trip, you get, well, the opposite. Different riders will find one or the other to be preferable. I'd recommend riding it with at least 30mm tires, and will be using 40+mm myself, though if you're comfortable and familiar with gravel on a road bike it's doable on anything.<br />
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So -- if you've grown tired of Dixie Mountain and Otto Miller, head up over the I-205 bridge and check this one out.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-89007714769690199692013-03-03T09:02:00.003-08:002013-03-03T09:02:56.369-08:00FootworkA small handful of excuses as to why this has laid dormant since November:<br />
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1. I'm not really a "blogger" type of person, and multiple attempts at it have all ended up with unceremonious lapses in activity and/or completely fading into <strike>Bolivian</strike> inactivity.<br />
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2. This is a bike-blog, and my bike activity has slowed down a ton over winter... though there were still a handful of awesome rides (a second-annual Ripplebrook trip with David through a few inches of snow, finally a first-ever use of my 239K route <a href="http://stopbelieving.blogspot.com/2012/08/our-friendly-neighbors-to-north.html">going the long way</a> to Longview and back. Hard to write a bike blog about 30 Rock, beer, burritos, and A Song of Ice And Fire.<br />
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3. Lately, when I have been physically active, about half the time it's been in running (gasp!). Sarah wanted to get back into it and dove into the deep end by signing up for the 15K Shamrock Run which is now just two weeks away, and I figured, hey why not. We quickly realized that -- just like for long bike rides -- we couldn't actually run TOGETHER, since my pace was about two minutes per mile faster, but we're still training partners building up the same mileage, starting with basically nothing...<br />
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Well, not quite nothing. There's that whole pesky collegiate track/XC background of mine. I figured most/all of the relevant muscle memory and fitness would have long since disappeared since I quit that almost five years ago, but running has come back with relative ease -- after a few short runs to reacquaint myself with it, I settled back into 8:15/miles, when I was expecting to be closer to ten.<br />
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Anyway, it feels good, but doesn't really produce the same tales of travel and adventure as a 60/120/450-mile bike trip. Maybe I'll actually have more to say later in the year -- after this month's 15K, the next logical goal is a half-marathon, and the most appealing options are a pair of trail-based ones, in either <a href="http://www.silverfallsmarathon.com/">Silver Falls</a> or <a href="http://www.trailfactorrunning.com/">Forest Park</a>.<br />
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For now, though, it's eight-ish miles at a time, starting and ending in Brooklyn.<br />
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(oh yeah, I got a Garmin!)Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-59860474555770102502012-11-06T20:22:00.000-08:002013-03-19T16:23:57.637-07:00Permanent #1706 -- Ludo BagmanAfter our success -- in some sick sense of the word -- on the 712K two weeks ago, I was resolved to use Foss Road a hell of a lot more, and that led to two new permanent submissions. First, a simple out-and-back ride from Netarts; second, a Portland-to-Netarts commute that goes through Birkenfeld and is my third such one-way perm between those two points, along with a Nestucca River trip and the most direct Highway 6 route.<br />
<ul>
<li>Distance: 157K</li>
<li>Elevation: 5,763 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1773089">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdDZJUTgtMFhPRVJJNHNQcDA0c2cyeVE#gid=0">Cue sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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Foss... it'll definitely keep you on your toes.</div>
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On the 700K, we hit this right at sunrise, at mile ~330 on two hours of sleep, and it was like manna from heaven. No drifting off to sleep when you're darting (and, once or twice bunnyhopping) basketball-sized potholes and chunks of dying pavement. Lots of darting up and down 30 or 50 or 100 feet at a time, one nigh unrideable wall that seemed like a 20% grade, then a more mellow stretch to get to Henry Rierson campground, which'll be the turnaround for this 157K.</div>
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The campsite has drinkable water and some pit toilets, though I can't 100% guarantee that either will be in service year-round. There's another campground much earlier on Foss -- mile 34 on my cue sheet -- which claims to have drinking water, but I've been burnt before by relying on never-updated county and state park websites, so... I'll assume it's not there 'til I can roll by and inspect in-person.</div>
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To get to the awesometastic gravel stretch, it's a really simple route -- Netarts into Tillamook, north on 101, then inland for Miami-Foley Road. Pavement ends right after the recently reopened bridge over the Nehalem River (though the washed-away railroad in the same spot has not been repaired), seven miles after you turn off Miami-Foley.</div>
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Bring plenty of snacks and water, some wide-ish tires (David rode this on Nomad 28s and was quite happy), and you'll love it.</div>
Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-40999755018910583972012-10-23T13:38:00.001-07:002012-10-23T13:39:33.022-07:00Thoughts from a ride<b>5pm Friday / Bybee Blvd / mile 0</b><br />
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Overpacked, anxious, resolved to get the hell out of town and not come back for an unreasonable amount of time. We head south on 17th then River Rd at a moderate pace, into a headwind and light rain.<br />
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<b>6pm / Linn Ave / mile 10</b><br />
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There's two bike-friendly eastside routes to get from Oregon City to Canby, and we wind up on the one that has the high school homecoming parade. Teens perched in the backseats of convertibles pelt us with small objects and I wonder why nobody is preventing this boorish behavior, then I realize it's candy. I pick up a box of Dots off the asphalt and eat it, and we continue our climb on the shoulder against the oncoming parade traffic.<br />
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<b>7pm / Territorial Rd / mile 19</b><br />
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Torrential rains, thankfully the kind that never last more than a few minutes at a time in Oregon. Those few minutes are enough to completely soak my socks, and I harrumph because there's 250 miles until a washer & dryer and I only packed two spare pair. David later remarks that our speed dropped 2mph during this downpour and never really recovered.<br />
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<b>8pm / Butteville Rd / mile 33</b><br />
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Flat tire.<br />
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<b>9:30pm / River Rd / mile 50</b><br />
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First prolonged stop at the Keizer Safeway. Crappy premade deli sandwich and Mountain Dew. Cell phone is dead, so I call Sarah from David's. We have another five miles of boring riding south through Salem ahead, then a long overnight with no supplies or services available. Not raining too hard now, so I make a sock swap.<br />
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<b>11pm / Independence Bridge / mile 65</b><br />
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Cross the Willamette going west, knowing we won't see it again for another 375 miles.<br />
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<b>1am Saturday / Kings Valley Hwy (OR-223) / mile 85</b><br />
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Duck into the Ritner Creek Covered Bridge for a little sit-down rest and snack, but no snoozing. We're seeing about one car per hour. Small wrong turn on our way out of Independence, but no major damage done or mileage added. This is a pretty boring road during the day, but it makes for great, reliable night riding. Mostly flat, mostly straight, just keeps going. Almost unfortunately, we turn off for a more... <i>interesting</i> stretch of road.<br />
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<b>2am / Hoskins Rd / mile 95</b><br />
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First gravel of the weekend. Up and up for a while, then down (tends to be the usual behavior of hills). I blast ahead of David on the descents, emboldened by sleep deprivation and wide tires. As far as gravel goes, this is pretty cushy -- finely ground, relatively few potholes, some steep grades but no hairpin or off-camber turns. Certainly a candidate for re-use on future rides. Some starlight overhead means we'll get a few more hours of mostly dry riding.<br />
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<b>3am / Logsden Rd / mile 110</b><br />
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A shorter stretch of gravel marks the quarter-way point of the ride. No rain, just cold. After the high point on this road, it'll be almost entirely downhill until we reach the coast. We're a few hours too early to warm up or stock up at the Logsden grocery.<br />
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<b>5am / Siletz Hwy (OR-229) / mile 125</b><br />
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Little country diner keeps trucker/logger breakfast hours, which works perfect for us. I get a heaping plate of biscuits and gravy, with an appropriately generous amount of cheapass sausage. Odd glares from the locals, but service is excellent. Since midnight, we'd seen four vehicles and six deer/elk. Traffic picks up a little bit between here and 101, mostly boat-hauling trucks hitting the river/bay at dawn.<br />
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<b>7am / Hwy 101 / mile 149</b><br />
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Almost, but not quite, at the ocean. Siletz Bay is good enough. A little bit of blue sky remains over the water, but dark gray clouds guide the roads ahead of us. Just a mile on the already-busy highway before taking an inland detour.<br />
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<b>8am / Schooner Creek Rd / mile 159</b><br />
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Surprise! Gravel! Guess that's what I get for routing onto a new road simply because it shows up as yellow (i.e., relatively prominent and well-traveled) in Google Maps. Rather rudimentary -- a lane-and-a-half wide, loose and sloppy surface. Starting to rain again. It could be quite a gorgeous road, just a few feet away from a small creek, in different circumstances.<br />
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<b>9am / Salmon River Hwy (OR-18) / mile 166</b><br />
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Still cold and damp, so we jump at a chance for warm diner breakfast #2. I get marionberry pie, which comes with unexpected ice cream. Cold, delicious, full of calories? Two out of three isn't bad, so I eat it voraciously. Lots of fishing in the river, and the shoulder on the 18 was quite a bit better than I expected from the various times I'd driven it to Lincoln City previously. About a hundred miles from our overnight stop, I go for pair of socks #3. There's some Trivial Pursuit "RPM" (music edition) cards on the table, and I get a Jethro Tull question correct.<br />
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<b>11am / Hwy 101 / mile 176</b><br />
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I go over Slab Creek Road for the second time in my life, and the first time in daylight hours. It's gorgeous, mildly graded, and fully paved. We're warmed up in a few spots by direct sunlight and see a pair of roadies coming the other direction. We hit Hwy 101 and get a decent tailwind for the nine or so miles into Pacific City, bumping up our measly speed from ten to around fourteen mph.<br />
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<b>12pm / Brooten Rd / mile 187</b><br />
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Refueling at the Pacific City Shell Station. This would be a decent place to say "fuck it" -- could skip the whole Willamina thing and just continue north to Oceanside, relax for the afternoon and evening, then pay $10 to put ourselves and our bikes on a bus from Tillamook to PDX on Sunday. But... we press onward. Three bike tourers are also in the Shell parking lot, we make a little small talk, then take a U-turn to get back to 101 and then head inland towards Grand Ronde.<br />
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<b>2pm / Hebo Rd (OR-22) / mile 205</b><br />
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A stiffer climb on this stretch than I remember from the 2011 brevet, and David puts a few hundred meters between the two of us before stopping at the elevation marker at the pass.<br />
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<b>3pm / Willamina Creek Rd / mile 220</b><br />
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Living up to its name, Ray's Food Place in Willamina is indeed a location or position which sells tasty vittles. I get some heat lamp mac-n-cheese, a chicken strip, Dots, and some Gatorade. Decent haul for six bucks. The town advertises itself as "Timbertown USA". Almost exactly halfway through our ride, with the worst climbing of the weekend directly ahead.<br />
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<b>4pm / Gilbert Creek Rd / mile 226</b><br />
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Forget that part about "of the weekend" -- mile-for-mile, I'd say this is the toughest climbing I've done in my bike riding lifetime. Old logging roads that got thrown down haphazardly with no thought for grading. Fuck. Lots of short 15% pitches, then you level out... only to gain a few hundred more feet at 8% or so. Fuck.<br />
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<b>5pm / Bible Creek Rd / mile 230</b><br />
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The reward for the worst climb of my life is a spell of freezing rain just in time for what could have been an awesome descent. I clutch the brakes with whatever stretch is left in my hands, pull my cap visor as low as possible to keep myself from flying completely blind, and hope for the best 'til we meet up with Nestucca River Road. Thankfully, "the best" turns out to be a bitterly cold and miserable stretch of riding that was at least free from crashes. I wait at the bottom for a minute or two for David, then ride off shivering in the direction of Beaver.<br />
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<b>7pm / Blaine Rd / mile 252</b><br />
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Good ol' Shell Station. A local kid cruises up on his Huffy and I share some Dots with him (yeah yeah, something about strangers with candy). Just twenty-five miles from Oceanside. Soaked, and nothing I can really do about it.<br />
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<b>8pm / Cape Lookout Rd / mile 264</b><br />
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Last climb of Saturday finished. Unfortunately, the northside descent is particularly shitty and potholey. Damp, dark, and uneven pavement, so I grind through a little bit more of my already-exhausted brake pads. Another success, though, as we're down at water level without incident.<br />
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<b>9pm / Crab Ave / mile 272</b><br />
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Hail and sideways rain bring an abrupt end to the few hours of mostly mild weather we enjoyed between Nestucca River and Cape Lookout. Just two miles til hot food, showers, and laundry, though. David has cell service, so I call ahead to let everyone know we're still alive and will be at the front door shortly.<br />
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<b>10pm / Portland Ave / mile 275</b><br />
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Grandma's house! Everything wet goes in the laundry, we shower and get some spare sweats then eat voraciously. Well, I inhale a 6"x6" piece of lasagna, David more carefully seeks out vegan-friendly food. Sarah calls, I let her know I'm alive in some sense of the word. We hit the downstairs bunk beds, set an egg timer for two-ish hours, then get nowhere near enough sleep.<br />
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<b>1am Sunday / Portland Ave / mile 275</b><br />
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Up and into wonderfully dry bike gear, then upstairs to an awaiting pile of snack goodies. Thanks, mom! I fix up a wondrous bottle of goodness -- apple juice, orange juice, pomegranate juice, a pinch of salt, and the contents of an off-brand knockoff of 5 Hour Energy. Our Sunday begins with a climb up Cape Meares (then another iffy descent similar to Cape Lookout), and it's surprisingly and pleasantly dry.<br />
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<b>3am / 3rd St / mile 285</b><br />
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The 24-hour Safeway is a lie -- thank god we left Oceanside well-packed. Still dry for now.<br />
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<b>4am / Hwy 101 / mile 293</b><br />
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We're caught in the worst hailstorm I've ever seen. When we turn onto Miami-Foley, it changes to just be another stretch of impossibly heavy rain. Miserable. No convenient place to stop, other than making a U-turn back to Oceanside, so we stubbornly ride onwards.<br />
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<b>5am / Miami-Foley Rd / mile 305</b><br />
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David says he's starting to feel hypothermic, so we walk our bikes for a couple miles (less efficient mode of travel = better blood flow, and the trick works surprisingly well). Our eyes hunt for anything sheltered that isn't a house's front porch, but this area does not believe in little roadside school bus shelters. Alas. Eventually, there's an open farm/garage not long before the turnoff for Foss, and we spend an hour in there feeding and warming before crawling out.<br />
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<b>8am / Foss Rd / mile 320</b><br />
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And, damn it, it's all worth it. Foss is easily the highlight of the ride -- after a couple of groggy paved miles, we cross the recently-repaired bridge over the Nehalem River and began fifteen(ish) miles of wavy, rolling, glorious riverside gravel. There's potholes and chunks of dying pavement, and I giddily feel like I'm playing a randonneur version of <a href="http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/473755">SkiFree</a> during short, zippy descents. There's one nasty little uphill that we have to walk, but only for a few hundred feet.<br />
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<b>10am / Sunset Hwy (US-26) / mile 336</b><br />
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The Baker's General store requires a little more work to reach than I had expected -- about 200 feet of elevation in half a mile -- but the highway is still quiet enough on a Sunday morning that it's tolerable. David again drops me (a recurring theme on the last 150 miles of the ride) but waits up at the store, then we ride off to Birkenfeld together.<br />
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<b>12pm / Nehalem Hwy (OR-202) / mile 356</b><br />
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We ride the nine mile entirety of OR-103, the last bit of "new" roads before finishing our weekend on about a hundred familiar miles. At Birkenfeld I grab a Mr. Pibb, down half of it and pour the other half into a water bottle, then we leave again. The trek into Vernonia passes without event -- I put my head down, find a rhythm, and pedal mindlessly at ~12mph for two hours.<br />
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<b>3pm / Timber Rd / mile 382</b><br />
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Flat tire for David, and I sprawl out in a golf club parking lot as he does the repair. Starting to feel like we're home, though there's still six hours of riding left.<br />
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<b>5pm / Wilson River Hwy (OR-6) / mile 403</b><br />
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Fried food extravaganza at yet another Shell Station -- chicken sandwich with generous mayo, some sort of Hot Pocket-esque creation, plus more Dr Pepper and a bag of Chex Mix. Fuel for the weary rockets which will take me home. Clapshaw Hill is rather brutal to go up, but the east side of it going towards Kansas City is my favorite little bit of farm riding in that area, so it's worth it.<br />
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<b>8pm / Thompson Rd / mile 433</b><br />
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Worked up this last hill in my big (46) ring, because... I could. Barely. Then back down to Cornell, with its two tunnels providing a nicely cinematic ending to a rather intense weekend. Home, shower, scratch pasta and caramelized onions with feta, then a lot of sleep.<br />
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442 miles in 52:11.Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567659642356775425.post-34478879308192026932012-10-15T15:10:00.001-07:002013-03-19T16:46:59.826-07:00Permanent #1691 -- Grawp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8185/8077426540_63c1cba884_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8185/8077426540_63c1cba884_o.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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Beautiful, isn't it?<br />
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This is my twelfth registered permanent, a multiday whopper designed to take advantage of two things: first, a RUSA rule which relaxes the time limit for rides >700K; and second, my grandmother's big lovely house in Oceanside that would serve perfectly as a mid-ride overnight rest stop.<br />
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Thus, time to introduce: GRAWP.<br />
<ul>
<li>Distance: 712K</li>
<li>Elevation: 25,832 feet according to RideWithGPS</li>
<li><a href="http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1734040">Route</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArwJtSEX402hdDZmN1NvMzk0SW16S0loVmI5MzVQYXc#gid=0">Cue sheet</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gZIXv0-1SAxPE4uXp-hKVKFHYxrLWoejWk1D6grjPac/edit">Registration</a></li>
</ul>
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It's enormous and awesome -- the name selection was pretty easy.</div>
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This is the end product of basically throwing a bunch of my favorite roads onto a map and finding a way to get them to stick together.</div>
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The initial southwest-bound crawl out of Portland is pretty straightforward -- taking well-traveled roads through Oregon City and Canby, then joining up with the official Willamette Valley scenic bike route and crossing over the Independence Bridge.</div>
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I aped the Independence-Kings Valley connection from Joshua's 600, then used the gravel Hoskins Rd to get over to Logsden which I last traveled on 2011's coast 600K. The seventy or so following miles are almost the same as what was used for Susan's ride, just reversed and extended out to Bear Creek Rd rather than a longish stretch of Hwy 101 towards Pacific City.</div>
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In Pacific City, you make a U-turn to go back and take Little Nestucca River Rd and Hebo Rd up to Willamina (this stretch lifted from the Three Capes 300K). Whereas that ride ducks back towards Forest Grove, mine sends you straight north out of Willamina for the toughest climb of the ride, towards Bible Creek Rd and a connection with Nestucca River Rd.</div>
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Going north over Cape Lookout is only about a 600-foot climb, nothing too outrageous, but watch for poorly maintained pavement. After passing through Netarts and Oceanside, my same comment applies for Cape Meares.</div>
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Stock up on food at the <strike>24-hour</strike> (edit: closes at 1am) Tillamook Safeway, since you'll have a rather remote stretch on Miami-Foley Rd then the newly reopened Foss Rd (now with intact bridge!). Foss is about eighteen miles of rough gravel -- just what everyone wants to see at mile 320!</div>
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There's a restaurant and market on the short stretch of Highway 26 you need to use to connect to Hwy 103, which will likely be much-needed after the gravel stretch. Or, you can make that stop a relatively quick one and instead get a longer sit-down meal at the always-popular Birkenfeld store, about twenty miles later.</div>
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Unfortunately, the route just wasn't quite long enough if I used the Banks-Vernonia Trail, so instead you take a longer way back via Timber Rd. The final stretch is straightforward and well-used -- Clapshaw Hill, West Union, Laidlaw, Thompson, and Cornell.</div>
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Then, voilĂ , 712K done!</div>
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David and I will be riding this starting 5pm on Friday (yes, that's October 20). Overnight lows in the 40s, 30% chance of rain in most places along the route. Should be... interesting, if nothing else.</div>
Kevin Brightbillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14409486287301714018noreply@blogger.com2