Transportation
Thursday, May 19, 2005
“The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.”
- Iris Murdoch, writer (1919-1999)
New Zealand or Bust!
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Nick and I just booked our next cycling adventure - two weeks of riding in New Zealand’s alps. Whoo-wee! We’ll get to walk on a glacier, hike through rainforest, meet friendly New Zealanders, ride to Mt Cook and stay on a sheep farm! All that and we’ll get to try jet-boating, rafting, and bungy jumping, too!
(Can you tell I’m excited?)
The only bad part is that we have to wait until January...It’s going to be very hard to be patient for that long.
I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me until now, but don’t New Zealander’s drive on the left side of the road?
Fahrad Ridin’
Sunday, May 1, 2005
Highway 2 just outside Wenatchee
Nick and I left the kitties at home this weekend and headed east to the faux-Bavarian town of Leavenworth. It was my third time visiting the town in April, but this time we were there to go bike riding - or Fahrad ridin’ if you get into the German theme of the place.
On Saturday, we started in the town of Wenatchee. Our goal was Chelan - about 55 miles up the Columbia River. The intended loop would have been almost a full century through flowering apple and peach orchards. As it turned out, the ride was a little ambitious given how late we left. We turned around at 40 miles, which was a good thing because we were pretty tired when we got back.
That and we would have missed this funny little lizard on the roadside. Something about it didn’t seem quite right. Can you guess what it is from the picture?
Dinner at Visconti’s in Leavenworth was delightful. We tried a delicious pinot noir by White Heron Winery. It went very well with both my ahi and Nick’s pasta with sausage and tomato-cream sauce. We rolled out of there and it wasn’t too much later that we crashed at the B&B. Even their kitties couldn’t keep us awake.
Morning came early and we ate a gi-normous Norwegian breakfast, which prepared us for what we thought would be about a 50-mile ride out to Plain and Lake Wenatchee. Riding from the B&B into Leavenworth and a side trip to Tina & Rod’s cabin added 15 miles for a total of 72 miles by the end of the day.
I’d highly recommend this loop if you’re ever out in the area. After meandering for 10 or so miles along the mostly-flat Chumstick Hwy, it climbs a gradual hill - sort of about the same grade as Juanita Dr. coming from Kirkland - then dives a mile down a crazy twisty road into Plain. I had bugs in my teeth by the time we got to Plain. I just couldn’t stop grinning as the road descended and made wide arcs left and right and left again.
From there the route veers off of the main highway onto Chiwawa Loop Road. Cars become scarce and trees shade you from the sun as you meander along on bumpy chipseal. Pretty soon you find yourself at Lake Wenatchee State Park and it isn’t too long before you’re ripping down Hwy 2 back into Leavenworth. Fun, fun, fun.
I won a bike!
Thursday, April 28, 2005
I’m totally speechless! Rodale/Bicycling Magazine just emailed to say I’ve won a bike (above) as part of their BikeTown USA program. I never win anything, at least not until today…
So cool! Wow!
I’ll get it at a ceremony on Monday at Gasworks Park with 49 other people who also won bikes. They are giving them away around the country to encourage more people to commute by bike.
I have grand visions of a basket, bike racks, bell...the total coffee shop cruiser!
McClinchy Mile
Sunday, April 3, 2005
Centennial Trail from Snohomish to Arlington
You may remember reading about the craziness of Chilly Hilly earlier this year. All I can say is fortunately, not all big group rides are that crowded! The weekend before St. Patty’s day, a bunch of former Big Riders and I rode the McClinchy Mile - a low key cycling event put on by B.I.K.E.S. (Bicycles Ideal Kinematic Exploration Society).
This year the ride started in Arlington instead of Monroe and sent people on three loops of varying lengths. We chose to ride the 47 mile loop to Snohomish and back, which took us on the newly completed Centennial Trail. Except for riding off the trail and falling over in the foot-deep gravel/sand mixture at the side of the trail, I really enjoyed myself.
Less crowds made for nice, relaxed riding
Traveling through farmland with mountain views. I could move here!