Let's Do It Again

I woke up in Mazama and thought that the people in the room above were sure stomping around early in the morning. Then I realized I was in a one story building and that was thunder; big thunder.

The original plan for the day was for me to get back on the bike and see how far I could go up the hill. The first 12 miles only went up 1200'. The last five gained 2000'. I expected to have problems once it got steep.

At breakfast they announced it looked like thunderstorms were going to roll through all morning on the east side and it looked much better on the other side. They were organizing sags and we should let them know if we wanted a ride to the top.

Steve and I talked. After the previous day's issues, the best course for me was to catch a ride to the top. I didn't need to be out in the open; in the middle of a rain squall; cold, wet and miserable; looking for the truck. (I am certain I didn't use those semi-colons properly.)

About a third of the riders sagged. I went up in the second wave of cars. The plan was for me to wait for Steve at lunch, at the Diablo Lake Overlook. The first time you have to get in the car on a ride is really hard. The second time, it's not very hard at all.

When I got out at Washington Pass, it was lightly raining with a little snow mixed in. I decided to take photos at Rainy Pass.






After I took the pictures, I checked my tires, like I always do before a big descent, and found my back tire was soft. I had picked up a piece of glass on the climb to Rainy Pass. I fixed the tire, one more photo, then started down.



I was about 5 miles into the 18 mile descent, when I came across one of our riders stopped by the side. He had flatted, blown out his first tube and was out of air cartridges. I stopped and helped him with the flat.

I finished the big descent then did the small climb to the overlook. Steve was about half an hour behind me after my two stops. I took a picture and we headed down.



We still had the three small descents that were climbs the day before. After the first two, we had to cross a grated bridge. Of course, I got off and walked across.



These are the falls at Gorge Lake. The bridge was grated, so when I looked straight down it was like being suspended in the air 400' up. With my fear of heights, I only did that once, then got off the bridge.



The last hour was supposed to be a slight downhill into Marblemount. The headwind made it feel like a slight uphill. Steve and I lined up and started pounding it out. I pulled the last leg into Marblemount. I was surprised when I stopped. I knew we were pulling two women and maybe one guy. There were actually five people behind us. It felt good to know that even though I am having trouble climbing, I can still pull the line in the wind.


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Location:Mazama - Marblemount

Let's Take a Ride

This all started last year, when I missed the summer cycling season. I was having problems this year getting the focus and motivation that I needed to step up my training to regain my normal cycling condition. Steve suggested that we do the Redmond Cycling Club's Marblemount to Mazama tour. Day one, you ride from Marblemount, over the North Cascades Highway to Mazama. Day two, you return. I needed a ride on my calendar that put a little fear in me, so I said sure, I'll go.

The first day of the trip is 75 miles with 6800' of climbing. We drove to Marblemount on Saturday, put our bags on the truck and left just before 9:00. The first hour is a slight uphill to Newhalem. We stopped where they give the Seattle City Light tours.



I thought it was a good time for the obligatory start of the ride photos. This is Steve.


This is Cathie's favorite look for me, The Pirate.



There are three small bumps up before the real climbing starts. This is the view from the top of the second bump. It is the dam and spillway at Diablo Lake.



The next climb was about 5 miles with a little over 1000' of gain. That took us to the Diablo Lake Overlook.


There were lots of motorcyclists around so we found one to take our picture.



We got back on our bikes and rode 8 more miles to lunch. After lunch, the real climbing started. The first climb is 18 miles and 3000' to Rainy Pass. Then, a short descent with a 4 mile climb and 1000' to Washington Pass at about 5400' of elevation.

This is where the pictures of the day's ride stopped. I was okay for the first bit, but after 4 miles of climbing I started feeling a little light headed and nauseous. Due to the beta blocker that I take, it limits my heart rate. I was stuck at about 142 bpm and I needed more. When I stopped and rested for a minute or two, the symptoms went away. When I got back on the bike, they would start up again after a mile or two.

After three cycles of starting and stopping, realizing how long the climb was and the air was just going to get thinner, I decided it was time to call it a day and get in the sag truck.

When you have done the some of the riding I have done over the years (STP, RSVP, Cycle Oregon, RAMROD), you have good days and bad days. The way you deal with the bad days is you become really stubborn and decide there is no way you are getting in the truck, no matter how much it hurts. I've seen people climb into the vans and trucks and for many of them, they don't have a choice. They are broken and they can't go on that day. It's really sad to see.

Well, there I was and I was at that point. I couldn't go on. We found the truck and sent Steve on his way up the hill. The sag driver was really nice. As he said, "It's a bike ride. It's supposed to be fun. When it's not fun, you should stop." He made me feel a lot better.

The original plan was to have me wait for Steve at the top of Washington Pass, then ride down together. It was too cold to wait up there, so we told Steve that I would meet him at the hotel.

I was dropped off at Washington Pass. I put my coat and winter riding gloves on and did the 17 mile, 3200' descent. It was a blast.

When I got to the lodge, I realized that I didn't get rained on all day. In fact, it was sunny until lunch. Steve was not as lucky, he was two miles from the Mazama Country Inn and he got caught in a thunderstorm. The skies just opened.

The most important part of the day, I kept my promise to Steve.



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Location:Marblemount To Mazama