3 Years and 14,637 miles

For the past three years I have picked up an incredibly addictive hobby.

Last week I passed the 3 year mark and although I didn't hit the 5000 miles per year I wanted I was pretty stoked to hit 14,637 miles. Not a lot for some. But, a lot for me.

On a whim I picked up a Gravel Grinder in March 2020.

For those with short memories this was just as the pandemic was kicking in. Little did I know that I would come to spend a lot of time on my new bike.

I've been a mountain biker for 30+ years. I never got the allure of road biking and couldn't picture myself really getting into gravel grinding. Lo an behold ... I did.

Thinking Time

I ride a lot on the same trails. Which I guess could be boring to some. But, I find it to be a great time to tune into a problem and put my brain onto it while I'm riding. It doesn't always work, but I can say I feel pretty confident that almost as many problems were solved as were avoided.

My "thinking time" on the bike is my therapy and my time to check-in while checking out. Just like in the olden days when I swam ... biking is a great time to be with your thoughts. I'm guessing some of you have a similar experience when you are Zoned-in / Zenned-out with your hobby of choice.

Friends Make It Better

I’m lucky that I have a great group of friends that ride too. The Crew and The Gravel Bros … you know who you are. They tolerate my bad jokes and glacial pace. But, they know I will (eventually) make it up that hill.

Although we have done a few adventure rides there is one that stands out - it was our attempt to cross 1/2 of the state of Washington. I wrote about in Sometimes the Journey IS the Destination and a little more below.

Random Meetups

I also have met and re-connected with a few people I see on the trails on a semi-regular basis - It started with Randy. I met him while walking Ellie the Wonder Pup. I was admiring his super sweet Salsa Cutthroat while he was getting a post-ride foamy beverage and a protein stick from our local convenience store. We talked for a few minutes and we realized we live a few blocks from each other and we said ... see you on the trails. Which, not surprisingly, we did a few weeks later. Randy is much, much faster than I am, but he tolerates my "mtn biker" pace and we talk story for a few minutes before he darts off.

Also, I regularly see John, David, Ben, and occasionally another David on the trails. Usually in a fly-by (not the Strava kind) rather the actual kind.

Bonus: I have also met a lot of amazing pups on the trails. Pretty much anytime I see an English Cream Golden Retriever I'm stopping to say hi. I've met Chevy, Karma, Opal, Wrigley, Austin, Beamer and Yorker. They and their humans are super cool and a nice diversion during a ride.

Heat Dome - A Ride Like No Other

In June of 2021 as The Crew was doing final prep for the planned 300 mile bike ride across the state of Washington ... an insidious and unexpected force of nature was planning an unexpected and uncommon appearance.

As we got ready to roll ... this force was bearing down on the entire state. As I wrote about in Sometimes the Journey IS the Destination. In this write up there are lots of pics as we made our way from the start of the Snoqualmie Valley Trail (SVT) to the start of the Palouse to Cascades (P2C) trail at Rattlesnake Lake and eventually to the place where the P2C crosses The Mighty Columbia River in Beverly.

Beware: Sometimes the Journey IS the Destination

• Day 1 wasn't too bad as we were mostly in the trees going up and over Snoqualmie Pass towards Thorp.
• Day 2 started off nice, but by the time we hit Ryegrass Summit we were feeling it's force. The Heat Dome had arrived.

We found an oasis at the 137 mile mark ... with fresh running water. As we left that oasis the heat kept rising. By the time we started on the other side of the Columbia River in Beverly, WA the Heat Dome was really upon us. There is no shade on the eastern side of the Cascades.

At the 169 mile mark I got my 2nd flat.

This trail section isn't called Crab Creek for nothing - there are nasty goatheads everywhere. I found 2 within 10 miles. Even with puncture protection ... it wasn't enough to ward them off.

My ride was done. It wasn't worth getting heat stroke trying to fix another flat in 119'F with no shade. C'est la Vie!

Squad Goals

165 Miles for BBQ?

Yep, last year I decided to see if I could make it from Duvall to Cle Elum.

There is a great BBQ place called Smokey's Bar-B-Que just off the Palouse to Cascades trail (formerly known as The Iron Horse Trail) and it is conveniently located in the old Cle Elum train depot. Which, as the former name of the trail implies ... is right next to the old train tracks which have been converted into Rails-to-Trails.

200 Mile for a Peach?

That's this years plan. Knees withstanding I'll make it. Thorp or Bust!

For those that have ever traveled the I-90 (aka The Mountains to Sound Greenway) you likely noticed Thorp Fruit just off the highway. If you have ever stopped by you know they have great local fruit ... including peaches at the right time of year.

How far would you go for your hobby?

As mentioned in the title I've gone 14,637 miles for mine. I'm shooting for another 5000 miles this year. And, if my bike holds out I'll keep riding my Specialized Diverge. I've replaced tires, rims, brake pads, and the bottom bracket twice. But, I gotta give props to Specialized for building a really tough bike.

I'm hooked and will plan on riding a few new areas this year. And, as noted on my facebook post about my last 3 years ... my offer always stands ... I'm up for a ride. I mostly ride in Snoqualmie Valley and around Campbell Global.

Warning: I'm slow, but I can ride for a long time at 14-15mph

What's Next?

As noted above I have a 200 mile ride envisioned around the Summer Solstice (June 21st) ... and I'll need those 16+ hours of daylight that we get to enjoy in these long PNW Summer Days to make the ride.

How far have you gone for your hobby?

• I know a few friends that have made epic treks to Kilimanjaro, the Himalayas, and to Antarctica. Sometimes the journey was the destination.
• I've been lucky enough to take a few of my hobbies to far off places - windsurfing, surfing and biking in places like South Africa, Malaysia, Australia, Spain, Mexico, and more than a few places around the USA.
• How far have you gone? How far will you go?

Thanks to everyone that comments on my (now less frequent) social posts. You motivate me. And, to one friend in particular that lives in the DC area ... you WILL see Mt. Rainier on your next visit ... in all it's glory.

PS - If you look closely you can see the 8'ish weeks where I missed my usual 100'ish miles a week for rides while I dealt with The Two C's. Which would have allowed me to zoom past the 5000 mile goal I set for myself. Squad Goals!

#SVT #GravelGrind #ValleyLife #P2C #Palouse2Cascades