Blown away in Death Valley

It was quite the contrast. Exactly one week ago I cycled 85 miles in the rain and wind, with snow on both sides of the road, past the forests, beaches, and vistas of Puget Sound and nearby lakes. It was a great ride. Today I cycled 150 miles through Death Valley. This was just as spectacular, and an unforgettable ride. I don’t think the grandeur and vastness of Death Valley can be captured in words or pictures. The rocks and soil are naked of most vegetation. The walls surrounding the valley are amazing colors and shapes. It is land in its rawest form. This was supposed to be the springtime in Death Valley, and I had coaxed Catherine into coming with me by promising stunning flowers. But this was an off year for rainfall. We didn’t see much other than bleak cactuses, shrubs, and grasses. Fortunately she too was taken by the beauty of Death Valley. But we agreed to come again when the flowers are really there!

There were 300 riders registered for this event, which was the maximum allowed by the Park Service. About half were registered for the 100 mile version, and half for the 200 mile version. I figured 12 hours on a bike in Death Valley would be plenty for me, so I split the difference and did 150. That was a good call. The ride out from Furnace Creek to Shoshone is 150 miles round trip, for a total elevation gain of about 9,500 feet. My GPS ran out of battery at 132 miles. I almost ran out of battery myself at about the same point. But my problem was mostly dehydration. I was feeling good at 100 miles, and had been almost over-hydrating. But the headwinds got really nasty for the last 50 miles as we headed back north up the valley. It was relentless - easily gusting to 30 right into our faces. Plus I let up a bit on the water intake from 100 to 130. That was a mistake. I took my time at the next stop and drank up a couple sodas and lots of water. I felt better, and headed out with my new friend Jens. He had also decided to pack it in at 150. But he helped a lot on our last 20 miles by letting me draft for a while till I felt better. Then I had a nasty leg cramp at about mile 145 which practically knocked me over. It was probably another consequence of the dehydration. Jens stayed with me until my leg relaxed, and then we pedaled the last few miles in dusk back to Furnace Creek. Cath was waiting and it was very nice to see her there – although I guess I wasn’t looking my best! We joined up that evening with Jens and a few of his friends for a great dinner at the Furnace Creek Inn.



The next morning I woke up early and headed out to a nice little scenic road called Artists Drive - very aptly named. The road goes up about 1,000 feet along the lower edge of some stunning cliffs and formations. The road surface was poor the first few miles, then it was smooth asphalt. Click on the link below and play the route in Google Earth (let me know if you don't know how to do this). Not quite the same as being there, but it is pretty interesting (well, wait till after the straightaway - then it gets interesting).

Sticky Snow at Cabin Creek

With all the fresh snow up at the pass over the weekend, Cath and I agreed it would be a good idea to try out the trails at Cabin Creek today. It was Cath's first time there (at least since a long ago trip with Bruce & Gro), and certainly the first time skate skiing at this neat place. The hills of the Viking course are respectable. Both of us felt that we are getting a lot more comfortable with the hills than we were at the beginning of the season.

The snow was surprisingly sticky. It didn't hurt going up the hills, but it really slowed the flat and the downhill runs. It would sort of catch you as you were going along. The poles would stick too. I don't know just what the conditions were that caused this. It was about 32 and there was a lot of new snow. The poles seemed to stick the most on "the road" (that's what they call the main access to the trails) where the snow was the most packed.

We both agreed that Cabin Creek is a very good place to go, maybe better than the trails at the top of Hyak. Other than the sticky snow, the conditions were fine. Not too much view because of low clouds, but no precipitation either. A worthwhile trip.

Conway north: Cold, wet, windy, and ideal

Yet another great Randonneur ride! This time it was a small group, around a dozen people. The poor turnout was understandable, because it was raining, around 40, snow along the sides of the road, gusting to 25 knots or more, and the route was a long 85 miles. But as is always the case, all you have to do is dress warmly and keep moving. The rain was sporadic, and can even be fun if you're not cold. So we kept breaks to a minimum and it went very well. The only really dicey aspects of the ride were some sudden gusts from the side. And on way south through the Skagit Valley the headwinds made the going tough at some places. But even there the bad spots only lasted a few miles before the road would turn, or you'd get into the lee of a hill.

The route was excellent and I plan to do it - or parts of it - again. The one thing I would definitely change is the last few miles where Beal Rd. hits the T-intersection of Fir & Moore. Instead of going right on Fir (which is what we did), it is better to go left on Moore and go to Skagit City Rd (or maybe Dry Slough Rd.). That is what one of the subgroups did, and they said it was much better. Our route on Fir had a bit too much traffic, and coupled with the south winds took the fun out of that stretch.

But overall I had a great time. We saw lots of eagles and herons along the way. Towards the end we passed a huge flock of snow geese. It was mostly a beautiful ride. Even the stretches that paralleled I5 were fine. There was very little traffic on Chuckanut so that was great too. The views from that road are better enjoyed from a bike than a car. And the cue sheet was flawless. My GPS came out almost exactly the same at every turn.

Spring Skiing in February

For about the 10th year, we celebrated the President's Day weekend with the same three wonderful families. There are fewer kids along than when we started, but the tradition stays the same -- Lots of good food, beverages, conversation, cross-country skiing, and hot tubbing. This year we had me, Catherine, Ruth, Fritz, Heidi, Michael, Bart, Esme, Luke, Sam, Ben, Bruce, Gro, and Marina.

Although there was plenty of snow, the temperatures were much warmer this year than ever before. Even so, early morning skiing was great. The temperatures were near freezing and the groomers did an excellent job. The fish hatchery trails were very fast. But by late morning the skiing conditions got a bit soft, and slushy by afternoon. On Sunday afternoon, Bruce, Gro, and I tackled Ski Hill. It was so slushy, and the snow was so dirty, that we got out of there after less than an hour. We headed over to the fish hatchery, met up with some of the rest of group, and salvaged the outing on the flatter and more open trails.

This morning I had a great time with Luke, Sam, and Ben who were enthusiastic beginning students of skate skiing. I'm just a beginner myself, but I had been to a ski workshop last December. So I was able to pass along a few pointers. They picked it up quickly. Within an hour or two, they were cruising right along. In fact, they did so well they could skate up some of the gentle slopes with no poles! Not bad at all. I hope they keep it up, and send me a card when they win their first competition! Here's the route we did - more than 8 miles - pretty good! So good we wrapped it up with celebratory Italian sodas and hot chocolate at the trailhead.

Issaquah - North Bend: A winter ride on a spring morning

Had yet another terrific ride with the Randonneurs today. None of my gang was available this weekend, but not a problem. I rode to the Issaquah park & ride, and met up with Will on Lake Washington Blvd. He was wearing a Randonneur shirt so I confirmed he was on his way to Issaquah and we rode the rest of the way together. It is a surprising nice ride once you get a couple miles east of 405.

This was a great route. A few of us connected up with Mitch who really knows his way around the area - in fact we passed his house at one point. He led us on a couple roads off the planned route so that we could avoid some of the heavier traffic. The weather was just about perfect. The mountains were out, and the temperatures were around 50. Lots of hills and good exercise.

Vashon and Flat Tires

Randy, Gary and I met at the dog at 7. We had to catch the 8:25 ferry to Vashon for the Randonneur ride. Ten minutes later Randy got a flat. We weren't sure about making the ferry, so Randy gallantly waved us on. As it turned out, Gary and I got there a couple minutes after 8, and Randy arrived later with several minutes to spare.

The Vashon ride was terrific. It was a bit dicey getting on Burma road, because of the sand and grunge on the steep hills, plus the occasional car coming the other direction. But overall Vashon is a great place to ride. We had a good workout with all the hills. The weather was perfect. Not too chilly, semi-clear skies, and the mountains out in both directions. Your quintessential, beautiful Puget Sound day. I got a back tire flat somewhere on the east side of Maury, and my spare tube had a broken valve. I wound up wasting my CO2 cartridge not realizing that my problem was the bad valve. After a good while another rider brought my size tube. From now on I carry two spares! Then I had pump problems, probably as much from exasperation as anything. Finally got back on the road, but then took a wrong turn with some other guys. Miraculously I made the same ferry as the main group. Randy and I (Gary had to go back early) had a relaxing lunch at the Luna Cafe near the west Seattle bridge. Good place to go on a ride like this.

The next morning I discovered another flat, this time the front. Ordered new tires the next day, along with a new carbon pump!

Cle Elum Sojourn

It was Ruth's first weekend in Ellensburg. She hadn't made any friends yet, and she and I came up with the idea of xc skiing up at Snoqualmie over the weekend. I figured that since I was going to be in Auburn on early Saturday afternoon, we ought to meet up at the pass later that day. Then we could spend Saturday night in Cle Elum and ski the next morning.

The plan sort of worked. The rain and time conspired against us on Saturday. Ruth had to return her rental stuff at 4, which was about the time I arrived. So I had a half-hearted, late day ski by myself in the much less than perfect snow on Iron Horse. Not bad, not great way to spend an hour. Then we drove to Cle Elum and stayed at the Stewart Inn, which was fine. Had a surprisingly good dinner at the Starlight.

We headed to Cabin Creek in the morning. I was not all that enthused about the prospect of skiing up there, because I figured the snow would be similar to what I had to deal with on the Iron Horse trail the day before. But I was pleasantly surprised on several counts. First, it is a quick drive from Cle Elum. Second, the trails were groomed perfectly, and the snow was good. Third, the trails were nice. They reminded me of the "easy" trails at Sun Mountain, which is a pretty high standard. And fourth, Ruth is a good skate skier for only having out been a couple times. She and I skied together some, and sometimes she'd take the shortcut and we'd meet up a little later. I had a very nice morning and would love to go back there. Spending a weekend based out of Cle Elum and skiing up at Cabin Creek isn't bad at all. Ruth and I wrapped up our weekend with lunch up at the Hyak xc ski lodge - totally forgettable. Better to brown bag it in the car! Unfortunately no GPS info for the Cabin Creek skiing - the unit was not charged.