It was Ride Around Cougar Mountain in One Day -- OK, it was only a half-day,
four hours, really, for the 50 mile loop.
I rode with Jack and Jack, two guys in their sixties. I really like riding
with men of this age group. Unlike men around my age, they have nothing to
prove; at the same time, since they're retired, they've got nothing to do
all day but ride, and they're in excellent shape and great cyclists. Since
with my new job I get Wednesdays off, while heretofore I've just being doing
housework (ugh) on my day off, today I decided to totally goof off and do a
reasonable ride.
The first 15 miles I did by myself, and then I met up with Jack and Jack
down at Coulon Park in Renton. We took it out the Cedar River trail. I did
this section with my daughter last summer, when the trail was lush and
green. It was not quite as scenic with the trees barely budded, but it was
still nice. Then we took it up by Lake Francis, and did some hills, and then
came out by Hobart. These guys are a little nuts -- I would have just
coasted down the Issaquah-Hobart Road, but no, they wanted to take Tiger
Mountain Road instead. So I did that climb with Jack, who gallantly rode
with me, while the other Jack sprinted ahead to the top.
On the long winding descent down, it started to sprinkle, and then rain in
earnest. We stopped for lunch in Issaquah, and when we were through, it was
still raining. Just a bit out of Issaquah, Jack and Jack decided that they
wanted to do Zoo Road, a notorious local climb. Me, I decided I better get
home and greet the kids as they got home from school. So I waved good-bye to
the two of them. A few miles later we had a sparkling sun break. By this
point I'd done the last steep climb of the day and was on my commuter route
home. Sun breaks often come with a stiff wind, typically from the south, but
I had no problem with that as it was north, north, north back to house.
My daughter was already home, and she very kindly opened the garage door for
me so I could just sail right in. Great ride. But now I still have all that
housework!
--
Warm Regards,
Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
Sponsor me for the Big Climb! See: www.active.com/donate/cpetersky06
See the books I've set free at:
http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky