An extended library run

I note that the corn maze that I'll be visiting with friends and family this weekend requires me to print the ticket I bought online (as opposed to being able to display it on my phone).   Since my printer sits safely nearly 200 miles away, I planned a trip to the local library to use their printer.

It had rained most of the night and early morning, but by the time the library opened at 11AM it looked fairly decent.  I put on a raincoat, took the rain bike, and rode the long way to the library. I locked the bike up and went in and got my ticket printed

Having finished my business, I went out for bonus miles.   I rode around looking for sights to see on this grey day, The first views were off the west side of Queen Ann.

The mouth of the former tide flats of Smith Cove

Magnolia Peninsula 

I continued counter-clockwise around Queen Ann and stopped near Parson's Garden for this view of downtown.

It was time for lunch, so I rolled down the hill to the Seattle landmark, Dicks. As I secured my bike, it began to rain.  I ate lunch and monitored social  media as I watched the rain fall.  After about 45 minutes the rain stopped.
Now fortified, and seeing a window in the rainfall,  I pedaled back up Queen Ann via Taylor Ave N.

Photos taken at numbered locations

I never got far, but I never got wet either!

..........Road Bike.....Rollers.....MTB.....Lifecycle..Total
Today .....7...............0...............0.............0...............7
Jan.........765..............0...............0.............0............765
Feb........248..............0...............0.............0............248
March....183..............0...............0.............0.............183
April......228...............0..............0..............0.............228
May.......200...............0..............0..............0.............200
June........199..............0..............26............0.............225
July.........246.............0...............0..............0.............246
Aug.........502.............0...............0..............0.............502
Sept.........974.............0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,44.............0............1018
Oct.......... 962.............0..............45.............0............1007
______________________________________________
total.......4507.............0.............115............0...........4622

Magnolia

After about a day and a half of rain, it was dry, but foggy, today in Seattle. The forecast says rain starting tomorrow and lasting through the end of the month.  If I was going to get 1000 miles this month (and do it without getting wet!) it was likely going to have to happen today.

I took off late morning, allowing the fog to at least thin out, in search of 60 miles.  I was thinking a boring ride out the Burke-Gilman/Sammamish River trails.  As I rolled down Queen Ann along 3rd Ave N my plans changed.  I took a left turn toward the Chittenden Locks.

Unlike the shortened Seattle tour with Oregon friends a few days ago, today I went directly up toward Magnolia.

This option starts off with about a block of steep roadway, then turns into a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over railroad tracks.

It then turns back into a steep paved trail.  Today the wet leaves made it difficult to pedal as they were as slick as ice under the straining back tire. I walked the steeper leaf covered sections.

I got up into the wide streets of the Magnolia neighborhood.

I reached Magnolia Blvd and worked my way back up to Discovery Park.  I did a little exploration while there.  It was not until later that I learned that bicycles are not allowed on park trails.

I retraced my route along Magnolia Blvd, and back into Magnolia Center, where it was now lunch time!

Following lunch I rolled back out to Magnolia Blvd and took in some of the fog impaired views.

I rode down Thorndyke

I then made the turn toward the Elliot Bay Trail.

 I got safely through the construction along Seattle's waterfront. The port was busy with container shipping.

I turned toward Alki Beach and crossed the Duwamish Industrial Waterway.

All this industrial progress came at a price of course.

 I continued along the Alki Point Trail.  The fall colors were out.

The fog was beginning to clear out enough to allow me to see across Elliot Bay to downtown Seattle.

I arrived at Alki Point.  The area always reminds me of Mission Bay in San Diego, except Alki Beach is colder, greyer, and there are very few palm trees around.

There are a few statues and monuments around.

A monument to the Portlanders who traveled here and founded Seattle

I continued on to the Alki Point Light, and a bit farther, before turning back around.

Just before crossing the West Seattle Bridge I turned south and rode along the Duwamish Trail.  I got on the Green River Trail and rode as far as Cecil Moses Memorial Park before turning around. I had turned this way to get a few more miles since it was beginning to look like I was going to fall short of my goal, and hoped that this park would be far enough out to do the trick.

As I rode back along Marginal Way I noted a rather upright rider gaining on me.  I glanced down at my speedometer and noted that I was riding 18 mph.  I picked it up a bit, but was still passed.  The guy was in full tweed on a flat bar bike..........with electric assist!

I continued my way northward, again along the Seattle Waterfront and through Olympic Sculpture Park.

 I worked my way around Queen Ann and up the Kralik Way. As I was working my way up Queen Ann I noted that the fog was clearing nicely, at least toward Lake Washington.

Even though I missed getting 60 miles, I finished up the ride with exactly enough miles to get 1000 miles for the month.  Whew!  Now anything I ride between now and Saturday is bonus.

..........Road Bike.....Rollers.....MTB.....Lifecycle..Total
Today ...56...............0...............0.............0..............56
Jan.........765..............0...............0.............0............765
Feb........248..............0...............0.............0............248
March....183..............0...............0.............0.............183
April......228...............0..............0..............0.............228
May.......200...............0..............0..............0.............200
June........199..............0..............26............0.............225
July.........246.............0...............0..............0.............246
Aug.........502.............0...............0..............0.............502
Sept.........974.............0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,44.............0............1018
Oct..........955.............0..............45.............0............1000
______________________________________________
total.......4500.............0.............115............0...........4615

Iron Horse

I joined a few meetup folks for a ride of the Iron Horse Trail east of Seattle, from Rattlesnake Lake to Hyak.  It was billed as an all day ride, with time to smell the roses.  8 of us were to start at 9:30am and be finished up by 5pm.  The day was grey, but dry.  Temperatures were cool, but comfortable.

Julie, Victoria, and Sara, rolling like the three horsemen!

The gravel trail is easy enough to ride on any tire from about 32mm on up, with skilled riders able to negotiate it on 23's.

The Snoqualmie Valley

I was not the designated ride sweep, but I was the defacto ride sweep.  I provided company and moral support to two slower riders.

Both had suggested that they should turn around and ride back, but I knew they were both capable of doing this ride.  We just kept plugging along.  We arrived at the avalanche shed, a sign that we were near our turnaround.

 By the time we arrived at Snoqualmie Tunnel the three of us were probably an hour behind the lead group, but well within the published timeline.

As we pedaled through the 2.5 miles of blackness, we recognized the voices coming toward us. Our jackrabbits had turned around at Hyak and were on their way back to the cars. They didn't stop as they passed.  We knew we'd never see them again on this ride.  I was somewhat surprised that we didn't regroup on the way up, and failing that, a regroup at the turn around point would have seemed normal.

Our little "peloton" arrived at Hyak.

We stayed just a few minutes then started back.

We found our speed had nearly tripled.  Not only were we riding down a 2% grade, we had a 15 mph tail wind!

 We did stop at one of the bridges to take in a free show. We watched this guy work his way across the canyon for nearly a half hour.

This would seem hard enough as it was, without taking into account that there was a 15 mph wind blowing!

We finally pedaled off, not because the entertainment was lacking, but because we feared the skies were going to open up on us.  The clouds had been getting darker all day.

We arrived back at the trailhead at 4:15pm, even with the half hour watching the guy walk across the slack line.  We were well within the pre ride schedule......... but were still the only ones at the parking lot.  So much for a post ride debriefing.

At least we beat the rain.  Within minutes of beginning the drive back, windshield wipers were activated.


.......Road bike........Rollers.......MTB.......Lifecycle....Total
Today........0...............0.............45..............0.............45
Jan..........765.............0..............0..............0.............765
Feb..........248............0..............0..............0..............248
March......183...........0...............0.............0...............183
April........228...........0...............0.............0...............228
May.........200............0..............0.............0...............200
June.........199...........0...............26...........0...............225
July..........246...........0...............0.............0...............246
August.....502...........0...............0.............0...............502
Sept..........974...........0..............44............0..............1018
Oct...........899............0..............45.............0...............944
Total........4296.........0..............115............0..............4401