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60 miles St. Charles flats
Parked in a neighborhood called "New Town" with new homes modeled after old-style homes--row houses, plantation houses, etc--everything with front porches and gardens instead of front yards--adirondack chairs out front. Past St. Charles Municipal airport, out to the Golden Eagle ferry (just a tourist stop) then wound our way back through the farm land to the other St. Charles Smartt airport. There was an organized "Flat as a pancake" ride that we ended up in for several miles. Continued out to where the Graffton Brussels ferry usually leaves (this road was under water when I scouted the route yesterday) and wound our way back (thank you to the people who posted this route on MapMyRide--it's a popular route for cyclists). We dropped two people off at the car after 30 miles and headed out for a second loop. DH decided to head back to the ferry instead and see where it went. We'd heard rumors of vicious hills over there--but it is a part of our century next month. Turned out to be two moderate hills then small rollers. Happy with our scouting report, we headed back to the ferry.
I felt strong and blasted off the ferry into a strong headwind. My confidence dwindled until we turned and then my speed picked up. We wandered around for awhile and rolled up to the car with 57 miles--close enough! Off to the pub.
Sis called just raving about our ride and we are already planning on heading back out next weekend.
Our excellent islandhopping adventure
We planned this ride over a month ago, and as of last night, i was wondering if it was going to happen because it rained ALL day yesterday. Here's the plan: I'm driving to the ferry terminal because it might rain and i have no intention of doing 60 miles in the rain. and D is riding his bike. we meet there.
we got onto the 830am ferry; it looks just like this one (the 9am ferry)
http://www.sersale.org/bike/vferry.jpg
Once on the ferry, we are very jolly but secretly i am nervous because i have been warned that there is a serious long hard hill right after you get off the boat.
http://www.sersale.org/bike/vontheboat.jpg
Vashon Island is lightly populated and very beautiful. We climbed that first hill, about a mile of 8-10% grades. yikes! then the next 5 miles or so were lovely ups and downs, rolling hills. Next you drop all the way down to sea level and cross over to Maury Island. It's not really an island anymore; maybe it used to be. The Nursery is about 500 feet above sea level. eeek we had to go way back up!
http://www.sersale.org/bike/vmadeit.jpg
but we made it! This hill had some 11 and 12% parts but for some reason it felt easier than the last serious climb. when we got to the top, there was the nursery. And i was VERY pleased. Note well: smart wool favorite socks. I needed them, the temp was below 60.
We did our shopping, and found lots of cool plants. Raleighdon said we needed to fill the box.
so we did
http://www.sersale.org/bike/vbamboo.jpg
we were finally finished shopping, here's Raleighdon ready to go:
http://www.sersale.org/bike/vloaded.jpg
We rode back down that hill. I was happy because i knew it was a very gentle grade all the way back up to where we had to get back on the ferry. But Raleighdon had other ideas. We were also exchanging a painting for some Cd's only 5 miles from the nursery. And Raleighdon found a diversionary route... sounded short. but my friend lived on Ridge road. What does that bring to your mind? I thought nothing of it. OH NO, it was another series of 8-12% grades to go all the way back up to the top of the Island!
It was very beautiful there, and very green
http://www.sersale.org/bike/vtree.jpg
We found our friends, exchanged our gifts, and went on to our lunch in town, fortunately, mostly downhill
http://www.sersale.org/bike/vsign.jpg
we ate at the Red Bike!!
food was fine, we were happy.
Next was the last leg of my journey, "It's all downhill from here!"
I clocked myself going 38 miles an hour right before I slammed on my brakes!!!! EEEK.
I ended up being a few blocks behind Raleighdon because it was just too steep and scary for me going downhill.
we got onto the ferry ALMOST LAST (that means no waiting)
and here's a picture of the seattle ferrydock waiting for us as we returned:
http://www.sersale.org/bike/vdock.jpg
I ended up riding 27 miles total, Raleighdon got a metric century
a beautiful day and sunburned!
DH, friend, and I did the metric century today for the annual Seacoast Century. I had a blast even tho I got hungry at the end.
We originally planned to do the half century and our friend's wife was to join us. It's not like my husband and I have been riding consistently this summer, so it seemed a good distance for the group. Friend is a very good rider and the kind to tackle any daunting ride (this was not a challenging ride in any way for him). His wife a newer rider. His wife got a cold however and was unable to go. My husband and I experienced enough but not prepped for long rides at this point.
We headed out with the cue sheet for the 50/63. It was cool so had leg and arm warmers on for the first 20 miles, but it was perfectly sunny (this really has was one of the best outdoor weekends in our area alllll summer). It warmed up after the first hour or so, and we pulled off the leg ones. At the rest area we were all feeling good. While this is a very flat century, I was riding with the guys and a bit faster than usual (they were also going slower than their usual, kind of a meet in the middle).
At the first stop we studied the cue sheet and decided the metric looked good as we were making good time. I felt very good with how things were going. It really just added a 12 mi loop to the 50 route, in fact returning to the same rest area. Before I knew it we were back at the rest area right around 45? miles or so, and then we connected to the route back to the fifty.
The rest area had a good array of food options, but no real lunch, mostly ride snacks (orange slices, cookies, bananas, pb squares). I had some cookies and orange slices, as well as some of my gus etc. Somewhere around mile 52 I got hungry, and uncomfortable on the bike. Pace slowed... knew I was nearing empty on my energy.. Long story short, after we arrived, 5 minutes off the bike with a bit more food and a stretch, all was good. The worst is we had to ride by some yummy smelling seafood shack type places the last two miles [I would have stopped if we had more miles, or I thought my mental state could be affected, I'm pretty good about knowing what won't fly w/me].
The scenery on this route is stellar, beautiful mansions along the rocky shore, several state parks and beaches. Many long flat stretches, with some mild rollers. No bad hills anywhere on the metric. I had done a 45 miler along this road last summer so I knew what to expect terrain wise, but it was the first for my husband and our friend. Route markings were great (just spray paint but easy to spot), and lots of people doing a day two ride (this century allows you to ride Saturday, Sunday, or both at whatever distance you pick - 1600 total riders). I think Saturday probably had more people but I'm not sure.
He took pictures but I haven't pulled them from the camera yet. We both have sunburned strips on our arms where our sleeves ended, and our arm warmers (pulled down around the wrist) began. Too funny!
