Today the God of weather smiled upon me and allowed a fantastic February day for the second installment of my Century a Month in 2009 bid, aka CAM09. I decided to try a 200k this time to make sure I'm ready for the first SIR 200k brevet coming up in March. I mean, how much harder than a century can a 200k be, right? About 1/4 harder, it turns out.
Temp at the start was about 38 degrees and the sky was cloudy. The sun broke through just before noon and the second half of the ride was under sunny skies with the temp in the mid 40s. Perfect.
My route took me through the standard list of backwater, white trash, hick towns in King and Snohomish counties. I passed through Woodinville, Snohomish, Arlington, Granite Falls, Sultan, Monroe, Duvall, Woodinville again, and then back to my own backwater, white trash, hick town neighborhood of Ravenna.
Here are some highlights:
Fales Rd between Woodinville and Snohomish. Obviously I need more practice taking pictures while riding since the focus sucks.
The trusty steed in downtown Snohomish looking down at the Snohomish river, which incidentally seems to flood every year, and still people insist on living on it's shores. Kind of like those folks who choose to live in trailer parks in the midwest even though they know it's just a matter of time before a tornado gets them.
Ah, the fabulous Centennial trail. A little boring, but a great way to get in twenty easy miles.
A barn between Arlington and Granite Falls that didn't fare well in the big snow storm last December. Incidentally, there is still snow along side the road in the shady spots in this neck of the woods, presumably left over from December's big dump.
Old Pipeline Rd between Granite Falls and Sultan. This is my new favorite cycling road. I saw about four cars in ten miles on this road, but plenty of big rollers, some with 10% grades.
Once again, the velo striking a pose in front of the Sultan Red Apple Market. Stopped in here for a couple of those Starbucks super sweet espresso in a can drinks. Those drinks may quite possibly be the perfect cycling fuel. Caffeine + Sugar = Vroom!
Also note the hillybilly saddle bag. It's a repurposed military surplus bag that is actually quite useful on these long rides. It easily holds my rain coat, a few Clif Bars, my wallet, phone, spare tube, and tools.
The home stretch! The bumpy Burke G trail near Lake City.
A bit more than the 200k I'd planned but with such a beautiful day, why not?
Ride Stats:
Distance = 133.7 miles (215 kilometers)
Riding Time = 8h 10m
Elapsed Time = 9h 20m
Total Climbing = 5,602'
Ibuprophen Consumed = 400 mgs (50% decrease compared to Jan century!)
