Trail Note

Jeff and I went on a great bike ride yesterday afternoon. It was just over 36 miles, with "medium to strenuous" hills (per the book where we found the ride) for a cumulative elevation gain of 1900 feet. When I ride the Courage Classic in August, I'll have 3, 60 mile, 2000 - 3000 ft. days, so I'm on track in my training for that ride (although really need to start ramping up the distance).

The ride was beautiful; very pastural. I didn't realize that there was farmland in Redmond (an area known to most as the home to a little tech company). The upside to biking through farms is that you get a much better view of the cows and scenery than while driving. The downside is that you're much more exposed to the smells of the cows and their by-products. Once we cleared the suburban developments, there was very little shoulder to the road, which makes it a little nerve-wracking when passed by trucks, but most Washington drivers are courteous to cyclists, and there was very little traffic. The weather was a little iffy early on (some fleeting black clouds and at one point a few drops of rain), but was sunny for most of the afternoon. It really hasn't warmed up here, yet, so we'd get warm climbing the hills, remove layers, and then shiver while on the downhill portions of the ride. I felt fine in my legs despite the hills, but found that my back, knees, and "sitting places" were sore by the time I was halfway through the ride.

We took a few pictures; Jeff or I should post a few soon.



Route Map