Thank you everyone for the feedback, and good luck to everyone else riding this year!

Luckily, I don't have to worry about dropping off bags or anything. My friend that I'm riding with has a sister who is going to drive all of our stuff to Centralia and set up our tent, etc. So when we arrive, it will all be there for us! So, when I get to UW on Saturday, I just need to get all my stuff on, go potty, and start

I hope the traffic won't be too bad, I have the directions for the detour, so we'll follow that. I was reading on the Cascade website and someone said in the 8 years they've done STP, they haven't had a problem with traffic. So that's promising.

I am a bit concerned about all the people on the road that may not be the most experienced. I plan to stay to myself, or with my friends, and perhaps meet up with a couple other people if I get separated from them. But, try to be cautious and keep a safe distance from others.

I feel prepared though. Those first 25 miles, are part of a route I do often, so I know to shift down right before that short but steep hill at Seward Park. I just hope I don't get tangled up in someone else's misjudgment

As far as food goes, I can never eat anything too heavy while riding, so sandwiches are out of the question. In fact, when I did the Flying Wheels century this year I pretty much only ate what I had on me, plus 1/2 a plain bagel. I'm also vegan, so I don't expect most places to have anything for me, and plan accordingly. Plus, it's always risky to try something unfamiliar.