Early Autumn Rides

Two September weekends and two rides to remember. Last weekend, rode across I-90 and then out to Issaquah, using much of the same route that I rode on Livestrong last June. After a great and quiet ride through farmland on May Valley Road, I crossed a newly-constructed bridge and then turned north on Issaquah-Hobart into Issaquah, where Suburbia begins. Found the Starbucks at one of the universe of Strip Malls, refueled, then over Newport Hills, around Factoria and down to Coal Creek Parkway. Is there any easier way to find the I-90 trail from the Eastside south of the freeway? Maybe, but I've yet to find it. Entire route was about 60 miles on an 80 degree day, and well worth repeating.

The second ride should be labeled the Salmon Ride. While not riding the Cascade Spawning Cycle, there sure was enough overlap, as I rode much of the course in reverse. Coming up the Duwamish Trail, I watched one get landed in a boat adrift on the Duwamish. I watched two pulled in at the Duwamish Fishing Pier. Stopping at the Cascade Bike Club's spot at Myrtle Edwards Park, I ate a Ballard Brothers Blackened Salmon Burger, and then headed out the Locks to watch salmon heading up the fish ladder on their way home. Another 45 mile ride, and also worthy of a repeat.

RSVP Tune Up

Booked about 375 miles in the past month, and did a 40-mile RSVP tune-up on Seafair Sunday, around Boeing Field and back up via the Ballard Bridge and the BGT. Bleriot is riding quite nicely after a new cassette, chain and once over from Elliot Bay Bicycles. Plan is to back off the training, catch up on rest, and be ready in two weeks.

On the way back north, through Myrtle Edwards Park, I stopped at the fishing pier for fresh water, the view, and a chat with this guy who was trying his luck. "How's fishing?" I asked. Response, with a shake of the head, "Real good, for the fish!" Still, it was relatively cool, but no wind to stir up the water or blow away the haze in the distance.

It's been hot, record-breaking hot. The sort of heat wave and thick air that reminds me of So Cal smog, grey woolen blanket, humid oppression, you know, Raymond Chandler stuff. For all, it's been difficult to sleep, to stay focused, to keep on top of classes and to motivate students, much less keep up with the flow of all the other projects on the plate. Three weeks until the end of summer quarter, and I can't wait.

STP - 2009

No, I'm not riding the STP this year, for the 2nd year in a row. Instead, I volunteered for Cascade Bike Club, handing out packets, bib numbers and those funny paper jackets at REI on Friday and then at the starting line, starting at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday. Got to see most of the 10,000 riders cross the line to head down to Portland for 204 miles. They picked a good weekend for the event, with 80+ degree weather and a tailwind.

Great people to work with, and riders were a fun, excited and interesting lot, most adrenaline-pumped and ready-to-go, a few intimidated, and a couple a little surly after not getting the right size paper jacket. Can't please everyone.

The SeaTimes had a writer on the ride, and he posted here. One noteworthy post includes a description of the revenues and profits from the event.

Sunday afternoon, view from Myrtle Edwards Park. One of the behemoth cruise ships headed north to Alaska.

The weather turned back to what passes for normal around here on Sunday, with the old-fashioned Great Northwest marine air-conditioning kicking in Saturday night, with Sunday filled with a southwest wind, rain, thunderstorms for those 2 day riders. I circumnavigated Boeing field, about 30 miles, and beat the downpour home by about a half hour. In retrospect, had I ridden STP, I would have been one of the poor souls who rolled into Holladay Plaza soaked to the bone.

What I Saw Riding in the January Drizzle

What? The parking lot is empty? Why is there no NFL playoff game this Sunday?

So, the only guy on the team, besides Ichiro, who hustles, can steal a base, can bunt, and actually plays like he enjoys the game, is going to Kansas City. Is January 11 too early to ask, 'Wait until next year?"

It's in the PI! But probably not for long.

We've lived here for 29 years and have been to the Locks hundreds of times. I've never seen them open up the floodgates to let the runoff into the Sound. Too much water!

59 miles YTD. Now that the quarter has started, maybe I'll get organized enough to start bike commuting regularly.

Fog and the Peace Park

Days are short, the weather is disagreable, and schedules are nuts, so once a week on the bike is about all I can do this fall. This morning was a foggy, damp yet warm. Rode along the Seattle Marathon route for a bit, then through Myrtle Edwards Park, Locks and back. 25 miles or so.

Crossed over the University Bridge, and stopped at the Seattle Peace Park, covered with paper cranes, perhaps in response to the awful news from Mumbai this week, reported via tweets and flickr posts from those on the scene. Social media goes mainstream, scoops the standard news sources, with all the problems of perspective and analysis that go with eyewitness accounts.

PM Ride - Headwinds in Both Directions

Afternoon ride with into a blustery autumn south wind, in the direction I was going a head wind. With vacation, numerous walks down the hill to the Dog Park, the legs and knees are barking with some wear and tear, but the clouds and the New Ride beckoned...



Reached downtown, played in traffic on Stewart for a bit, dodging the rush hour buses, avoiding the obvious risks that those with more of a death wish chose to take, and made it to Myrtle Edwards to notice that the weather front was passing, and the wind was changing.



Late August brings the fishermen to the pier. Catch of the day included Elliott Bay Rockfish and salmon.


Locally, the wind had shifted, now out of the north, so I had grunted against another headwind through the Interbay Gap and out to Ballard. At the Locks, had a brief conversation with the skipper of the Coastal Sea. They were headed to Alaska, eventually to Dutch Harbor, maybe the Pribilofs. The skipper said that summer in Alaska was wonderful, but I wondered how much of that would be left. Wished him and his crew a safe journey, and pedaled home.

780 + miles on the new ride!

First Ride of 2008

Took the first ride of 2008, which was the same ride as the last one of 2007.   Started at 3044 miles, ended at 3076, or 32 miles of sunny, perfect visibility weather here in mid-January! Took the counter-clockwise loop around Magnolia, down Myrtle Edwards Park, through Downtown and returned via Leschi.

'Here's the view from the trail through the Grain Elevator toward the Olympic Mountains.
And, from the I-90 overlook eastward toward the Cascades.   Look at all that snow!
One final picture, eastward from the Montlake Bridge.