Climbing Club - June Goals

[onimity]

that's fantastic. I'll have to steal that one.
Of course knowing me I'll laugh so hard I'll cry...

[RolliePollie]

I think a monthly climbing goal is going to be a really good thing for me! I'm only at 65.7 miles so far, but approximately 4,500 ft. of climbing.

I am already wishing for a more accurate way to figure this all out. I've created maps on bikely.com of the different legs of my route and then I have to calculate the total elevation change by combining the different maps based on which way I go each day (I like to vary my route...I just can't go the same exact way each day, right?). I am running on the assumption that my bikely maps are only approximate because it's completely dependent on where I've put my "clicks" on the map. This method is tedious...I think a spreadsheet may be in order to sort it all out. I love spreadsheets so just thinking about this is getting me all excited!

Someday I'll just get GPS!

[Starfish]

Well, everyone, I've done it now. I've just registered for a ride called the Tour de Blast. It is an out and back climb up Mt. St. Helens.

It is in two weeks (6/23), and I do NOT feel ready for this 82 mile, 6200 foot ride! But, since it is only 6 weeks from that ride until the Shasta summit century, I guess I'd better make myself ready!

Is anyone else in the climbing club planning to do this ride?

Oh, and a question for you experienced ladies ( ), how early do you get up and on the road in order to drive to a ride? I think this ride is about 3.5 hours away from me...and the ride starts at 6:30. Would I be crazy to leave at 3am and drive all that way instead of spending the night down there?

[Veronica]

We're going to do it. I think.

Does it start in Longview? I'm trying to figure out driving times.

V.

[maillotpois]

That sounds cool!

Driving: I have never driven 3.5 hours to an event on the day of the event. If it is that far, I stay the night. Even for Davis double, which would take less time to drive to in the morning of the event that it does the day before (because of traffic), we stay the night. I think probably DMD was the farthest I have driven to an organized ride, and I left at 3:00 or 3:15 I think to get there by 4:15. The hard thing was driving home after 21 hours on the bike....

[Starfish]

We're going to do it. I think.
Does it start in Longview? I'm trying to figure out driving times.
V.

Oh. My. Gosh. That is so great!!

I have never done the ride...I think it starts in a little town called Toutle, but I'm not sure. I know all the info is on the Tour de Blast website (not sure of URL, but Google brings it up quickly enough). I am going to have to get on the ball and look it all up, too, because I need to find a place to stay that night.

Also, like an idiot, I got all excited about the ride and registered in a fit of determination, before I realized it is on one of the days of our 2 day estate sale. I think my brothers and sister-in-law will cover for me, but that's why I was thinking of driving down there in the morning instead of spending the night. But, that does sound crazy.

[Starfish]

http://www.tourdeblast.com

Just with a quick look at mapquest, the starting town of Toutle looks to be roughly 20 miles northeast of Longview.

[Veronica]

I have a thing for volcanoes and interesting geological areas. I don't know anything about geology, but man our planet produces some cool stuff!

We're camping at Seaquest State Park. There were pretty slim pickings for hotels/motels in the area. I am kind of a princess about that sort of thing. I'd rather camp than stay in a cheap motel.

We're camping on the way up and doing a little mountain biking at Redwood National Park. Then on the return we're going to spend two nights at Steamboat Inn on the Umpqua River and then camp some more and mountain bike there.

And I'm hoping to get a road ride in around Crater Lake since we'll have all 4 bikes.

Oh, I almost forgot... I don't want to start at 6:30. Can you hear the whine... maybe 7:30.

V.