Month: July 2013

Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands

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Clearly we’re fond of Whidbey Island: We’ve visited three times in less than a month. Twice by bike — including our fourth century of June — and once by foot. Each time, we’ve wanted to stay for much longer. The landscape, the lush and winding roads, the farm stands and U-pick berries, the quaint shops, the sparkling water … so much to love. This trip covered Day 1 of the Washington MS 150 route, crossing over from La Conner onto Fidalgo Island and doing a quick tour there.

Future posts will detail our future visits. For now, a brief photographic recap.

 

Fidalgo Island – Mount Erie

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So there we were, happy toodling our way through Fidalgo Island, Paula muttering to herself about how lousy her legs were feeling. Nothing was clicking. Good day to take it easy, enjoy the sights, relax.

Hey! There’s a sign that says something about “Mount Erie” and “lookout.” Sounds pretty!  Let’s go see!! … said Paula, wanting nothing more than to take some pretty pictures on this easy ride day.

And so began our accidental ascent of Mount Erie: 1.5 miles of grueling gradient, rising 807 to 878 feet,  topping 20 percent at times and often hovering around 15 or 16 percent. The kind of climb that the poor climbers among us (and many of the good ones) plan for and look forward to (in that weird way that we have) and, perhaps, get a little freaked out about beforehand. NOT the kind of climb you’re supposed to do in an unplanned, sightseeing sort of way … though in the end, perhaps that really is the best way.

Seeing as how Paula is climbingly challenged, she’d never done a climb remotely like this. While her NYCC friends were merrily (or not so merrily) skipping up Devil’s Kitchen and Vista Maria, she’d take lower, longer way around. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to climb. It was simply that … well, falling off a bike mid-climb because you can’t turn the wheels around seems inadvisable.

And now here she is on this killer climb, thinking: “That view at the top had damn well better be worth it!”

And she survived. Basically.  OK, there was one brief ambulatory episode, near the top, when the legs and lungs collapsed simultaneously. But this still counts as a victory.

Timothy, of course, sailed up the thing.

As for the view.  You be the judge.

Chelan Century

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For our third century of June we headed to Lake Chelan and the Chelan Century — promoted by some of our Cascade friends as the most beautiful in the state and featuring a challenging climb up McNeil Canyon Road. It more than lived up to our expectations, with 103-plus miles, 8,600 feet of climbing and some drop-dead gorgeous views (not to mention that drop-dead climb).

The route is a cloverleaf design consisting of  three loops (one, two and three), each starting and ending at Don Morse Park — right across the street from our Airbnb place and, most importantly, the condo’s pool.

McNeil Canyon offers itself up in the second loop: a 7-mile chug, average 6.4 percent grade with some notable 12 percent stretches. And no shade, to speak of. Totally manageable, even for the climbing-challenged among us, but also totally exhausting.  And: totally worth it, especially when it comes to the descent back down again. Plus you can get a special KOM-like jersey commemorating the achievement, which Paula of course had to do.

The rest of the ride was as spectacular as promised — vista after vista of mountains and water, all manner of color and texture, wide open roads, happy-making descents.

And at the end, a terrific festival with local wine and beer and we made friends with a great group from the Mount Baker Bicycle Club of Bellingham — whose president, coincidentally, is the star of one of Paula’s photos from mid-ride.

Like Walla Walla, Chelan is a prime winery area so of course we made plenty of time for a few tastings on Sunday.  Recovery drinks, redux.