Got a pretty good night sleep, hearing the traffic on I-5 was like waves crashing on a beach. I woke up at 4:15 and started eating and getting ready. I put Endurox in one bottle and water in the other and in the Humpback. Light tights and a windvest (no purple leg warmers this time!) The people at the motel were nice enough to let me leave my truck there over the weekend and I rolled the bike over to the start by 5:30AM.

I think there was about 14 people all ready to go and I chatted with Mark T., Ken K., Bob M. and Kent P. Bob brought the report from the pre-ride with all the gory details of headwinds and puking. It was amusing reading, confirming the lack of sanity in these endeavors...The official start time was 6:00AM and everyone was raring to go. We all headed out and rode in a pack for the first 40 miles or so till we hit US-2. I got to chat with Jim Trout and another rookie, Bob Brudvik (thanks Kent), who's been doing doubles in Davis and the like and it's all really friendly and calm, a nice way to start the day.

Once we hit US-2 the pace picked up, Terry and Ann Marie and a few others stop at the store and Kent and I take off. In a short while I don't see Kent anymore and feeling the welcome tailwind decide to just put the hammer down and cruise. The Skykomish control is a quick in and out (9:57AM). I make it to Steven's Pass in what seems like a very short time and Mark is there at our first secret control. Just ahead of me are Ed Husted, Tom Brett, Ken Carter and probably Jim T. I'm feeling really good and decide to just keep pounding away. Leavenworth (1:15PM) is next and I stop in where Ed and Tom are. I grab some goodies and water and head out. Good thing too -there is a line of cars all backed up behind a marching band going down the middle of the highway! I skirt past all the cars and just as the band turns right I ride behind the tuba player and slip through. What excellent timing and all those past years of commuting have paid off...

More tailwinds and the turn for US-97 looms ahead. CSN was the music in my head. The temps are still very tolerable on this side of the Cascades and I continue wearing long tights and a wind vest. Arm warmers are down though. Entiat (3:40PM) is the next control and Ed, Tom and I are still hanging within a mile or two of each other since Leavenworth. Continuing tailwinds bring us to Pateros (6:27PM) and we all stop for food. Ed and I get some pizza slices and take a booth seat to relax while Tom finds batteries. He looks anxious to get moving and soon he's off. Ed goes next and after I fill my Humpback I'm on my way too. Now the headwinds start and the tiredness has to set in. A cookie falls out of my bag and I have to flag a car to go around it so he doesn't smash it. The food is saved! The remaining miles to Winthrop are a bit slower now and the daylight is just starting to wain as I get to Twisp and Hwy 20.

I stop at the Twisp Station for some chips and the lady at the counter tells me one of the riders just took a 20 minute break and was looking kind of rough. I later find out it was Ed. (That boy needs to eat more food!) Finally I flip on the lights for the final few miles and roll into the Virginian at 10:07PM. I'm still feeling pretty good and WOW -more food! (I love to eat). The support that Mark put together was phenomenal, burritos and oddles of other goodies were waiting and a bed and shower too! I ate and headed to Cabin #2 for a shower and sleep. Terry and Ann Marie had the bedroom and Tom B. and I had the pull-outs. I was asleep by 11:00PM.

I had set my alarm for 4:15AM, as most everyone was planning a 5:00AM start. For some reason I popped awake at 2:15AM, decided I was too wired to sleep any more and started getting ready to head out. Went outside to pack the bike and saw Kent's Bike Friday was still there. I went back into the cabin and grabbed the final things before heading into Cabin#1 for some snacks to bring. I came out and Kent's bike was gone! Damn. I had a feeling he would be the first one out...I grabbed a muffin (which then fell into the dirt; I ate it anyway) and a banana and headed out. Kent was about 15-20 minutes ahead and we had a few hours to go before reaching the Washington Pass summit. It was dark and clear, the stars were out and a slight wind made a nice early morning ride.

I had ridden this route west to east last year on tour, so I knew what it was like, but I really enjoyed watching the sun come up and hit the top of the peaks around 5:00AM. I stopped near Lone Fir Trail and listened to the birds for awhile. Very peaceful and the pines smelled so good. I saw many dear and rabbits along the road and slowly got to the final switchback. The pass looks a bit more intimidating then it really is as the slow climb from Mazama to Lone Fir is more tiring I think. I could see Kent above me with Liberty Bell looming above us both and tried to catch him before the top (knowing full well he would not allow that!) I got to the pass a few minutes behind him around 6:52AM. Ron Lee was there; our second secret control, and as usual he was the perfect host, making me some strange concoction of hot coca and oatmeal mixed together which actually tasted pretty good! I headed out a few minutes before Kent and for the first time was the first rider in the brevet! Whahoo! Well, it felt pretty special at the time...

Climbing Rainy Pass was quick and then the long descent to Ross Lake. Music in my head had switched to Aerosmith. I had on my J&G jacket and heavier tights, but soon the temps warmed up and Kent pulled up as I was peeling off some layers before the dam. We ate a snack and he headed out. I fiddled with some stuff and finally got off a few minuted later. There are two climbs between Ross Lake and Diablo before getting to Newhalem. Before Newhalem is a metal grate bridge that crosses where the Gorge Creek waterfall is. I was just ahead of a pickup truck and boat trailer and right at the bridge he squeezed me nearly into the steel guardrail and I could feel the boat brush by my left arm. I was so pissed off! There was no one coming from the other direction and he could have easily been going slower and not crowding me. I picked up the pace in the hopes of catching him in town taking a senior moment. I was ready to truly bite his head off and cause a serious uproar. Do not mess with a tired rider who has just ridden 300+ miles on little sleep! Needless to say, I never saw him again. Kent found me "focused" through Newhalem, head down and cruising. It took awhile before I calmed down.

Last control was Marblemount and Kent and I rode in at 10:37AM. We took a long break, ate and chatted. It was funny to think that we were the only self-supported riders of the group and here we were in the lead. Very amusing and we kept wondering where Jim, Ed, Ken and Tom were. Any moment we thought we'd see them barrel past. Soon Ed did show up as I was heading out, so we knew our places were tenuous. (I know it's not a race, but it is fun after so many hours of riding to see what happens to everyone!)

Kent soon caught up to me and we rode together through the spitting rain after Rockport. I didn't really have any idea what the terrain was like, but Kent assured me that it was basically an easy run in, which it was, except for the winds. About 30k from the finish the wind was more than I could take and Kent pulled out ahead. I settled into a comfortable pace and clicked off the kilometers. Jim finally passed me and all I could think was "I wonder how close to the end he'll catch Kent?" Go Kent! Jim was cruising, headphones and aero bars and a fast cadence. Even considering keeping up with him was an illusion for me. I kept looking behind me, but no Ed. That was strange.

I made the last turn onto SR-530 and arrived at Arlington Motor Inn at 3:12PM. Amazingly, I was the third rider in after Jim and Kent, who finished exactly together. (I love this sport!) Next came Ed, who said that he had just plain run out of steam and then Ken Carter. I drank a Coke and chatted with everyone and then packed up and headed for home by 4:00PM. I still had three hours and a ferry ride and I was a tired but happy boy.

Thanks to Mark Thomas for a great route and support (and all these pictures!), Ron Lee and to all the randonneurs I got to spend time with --it was a great finish to my goal of completing the series! Now...about that 1000k...

390 miles (620k) in 33:12 hours avg. speed 11.7 mph/18.8 kph overall (26 hours on bike; avg. speed 15.5 mph/24.8 kph)
SIR 600k Route

Back to Randonneuring Stories