This was our first STP. My hubby, his brother and brother's wife and I all made the two day trek together.
We started late - 7:30 - last of the "official" starts. Seattle was nice in that the traffic control was really good. The officers were polite, and I think the riders were polite in return. The roads were not in the greatest shape, but I don't ever ride up there-so that may be normal.
The lake was gorgeous in the AM!
When we pulled into the 1st Stop (REI), there were lots of riders there - we felt like we were gaining ground. Then it took the mechanic 45 minutes to change DH's flat. They were literally closing down the stop by the time we were done. (ugh!)
Off we go - Kent and Auburn just weren't pretty. Kind of dusty too. Puyallup was nice. Again the officers did a great job of traffic control, and there were a bunch of people just cheering the cyclists on. I wish they'd have had an officer at the bottom of "the hill." We hit the light at red and started up that bugger from a standstill. Regardless, it really wasn't bad.
The top of the hill to the Spanaway stop was kind of a blur. The line for water was insane! Again we made it to the stop with lots of folks present, so we were feeling good again. However it took another 30 minutes to get brother-in-law's tire replaced - so we were towards the back again.
The next segment was more of a blur until we reached a narrow stretch of highway (must've been 507). For as far as we could see - riders - all going pretty SLOW (we weren't speed demons).....trying to pass along that stretch was dangerous at times. Ick.
The bike path was nice. We saw one rider down, but medics were already on scene and I heard something about a shoulder injury.
We went to Chehalis the first day. Other than the occasional hoot from a loud truck and then a gun of an engine - it was nice. We couldn't imagne trying to camp in Centralia...did any of those people sleep?
The second day with the rollers was a refreshing change. We started earlier, and I think we were generally with more experienced riders. We came across one gal who we think took a header, knocked out some teeth and broke her nose. They were being cautious though and making her stay still. Again - QUICK aid response - very impressive!!
Except for another exceptionally long pit stop (45+ minutes to look at a derailler) we were clicking along.
Once we crossed the bridge into Oregon - it was very different. The riders were still nice, but fatigue was setting in for most, and we didn't see one officer or, well, anyone doing traffic control. We thought highway 30 had the potential to be very dangerous. And once we got to St. Helens, it stopped being pretty. That was kind of sad.
The finish line was awesome. They did a great job organizing a very festive finale.....
Overall a GREAT ride. Lesson learned though - leave early, be aware, and have a great time!!