# It's Beautiful Outside.. Were do you go?



## eplanajr

Weekends like this rarely grace us, where did you go?
Me, nowhere. Smack in the middle of finals


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## ronbo613

The road out front is as good a place as any. Surely you can find an hour for a bike ride.
I used to tape things I needed to study(mostly electronic crap) on my handlebar stem so I could study and ride.....


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## SwiftSolo

eplanajr said:


> Weekends like this rarely grace us, where did you go?
> Me, nowhere. Smack in the middle of finals


Cayuse Pass yesterday, Stevens Canyon tomorrow. I'll take the camera and post some pictures. 

Mt. Rainier climbs are spectacular right now (Sunrise is not open yet). Cayuse is great because Chinook pass is still closed and will be for some time yet. The traffic is minimal and really courteous. Once Chinook opens the entire thing becomes an a$$hole RV driver magnet on the weekends so get it now!


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## Kai Winters

Most of my loops take me around parts of Lake Ontario. There are lots of inlets with very nice roads. The scenery is great and there are few cars.


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## mcsqueak

I did the 55 mile loop of the Pioneer Century on Saturday, which left from Canby and went south. Nice day but the wind was BRUTAL during the second half of the ride, and of course it always seemed to be pointing against us.

Yesterday I just took a leisurely spin through Portland, mostly using the "bike boulevards" marked with the bike symbol and sharrows. It was pretty nice, actually... saw some neighborhoods I'd never biked through before, and it was pretty relaxing.


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## ChilliConCarnage

Saturday morning I hopped on the W. Seattle to Southworth ferry and rode about 100 miles with some friends. It was HOT out there! My poor skin is still stinging! 

https://www.BloggersInc.com/BLOG/PageRedirect.cfm?SiteID=7&Blog_ID=706&User_Action=View_Post

(Extra points if you noticed that I was wearing my RBR lownge jersey)


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## mcsqueak

ChilliConCarnage said:


> It was HOT out there!


Ugh, yeah. It was around 85 down here in Orygun. The heat is a monster when it first comes around. I need to spend some $$$ on a super-lightweight jersey for those extra warm days.


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## h2o-x

I did a solo 90 miler from La Conner up Chuckanut through Bellingham and back on Saturday. On Sunday I did another solo from La Conner down through Stanwood and back up through Mt Vernon to La Conner. It turned out to be about 55 miles. 

The wind was oppressive at times, but I am used to it living here. I loved the warm weather and sunshine.


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## jayteepee

The second half of the Pioneer Century was definitely a bit on the hot side, after not experiencing anything resembling heat so far this year. The lack of shade didn't exactly help matters. Still, the first half of the ride rolls through some pretty countryside.


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## maximum7

The Pioneer was pretty good this year. 4 of us did it. Made it do-able with as windy as it was. 
Heading out tomorrow around the West hills tomorrow.


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## jayteepee

I wish my legs weren't so dead from the hilly day I had yesterday. It's definitely a perfect day to be riding around the West Hills. I passed on a group ride to Larch Mtn this morning, which kind of makes me sad. Gonna have to settle for something a little flatter today.


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## jlp1976

This weather never happens and I am in the middle of putting my bike together. Dang holiday screwed up the mail system.


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## eplanajr

Past weekend was a date with me + my bike + Lake Wenatchee.. EPIC weather and mosquitos large enough to put flats on my Conti Gatorskins haha


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## mcsqueak

eplanajr said:


> Past weekend was a date with me + my bike + Lake Wenatchee.. EPIC weather and mosquitos large enough to put flats on my Conti Gatorskins haha


Looks awesome! How many cars did you see while you were out there?


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## eplanajr

Hardly any.
Of course there were cars however, once you get off the main road that goes next to the lake, the traffic really dies down. I was surpised as to the lack of traffic.

The pics of the road where the moss is on the sides was essentially a nice wide bike path considering I saw one car out there...


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## h2o-x

eplanajr:

That is a beautiful ride! Thanks for posting. I am going to be in the Chelan area this weekend, and I am curious what route did you take? 

Keith


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## eplanajr

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/43409674
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/42597478

I basically combined these two trips into one. I went along the White River road, which is FLAT and has a little more traffic (I counted maybe 15 cars total), but some beautiful scenery none-the-less. Then I continued onto the other trip. Talk about a great road to have practically all to yourself. 

Nice thing about these rides too is that there are some primitive campgrounds along the way with benches and pit toilets and they make for nice rest stops.


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## RRRoubaix

Wow- that looks and sounds fantastic, eplanajr!
Basically a cyclists dream ride...


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## eplanajr

Anybody ride recently?

Two weeks ago I rode from the town of Cle Elum beyond Lake Cle Elum and to the end of the pavement at the Salmon La Sac Campground. It was a great ride. If I would have been on my cross bike I would have continued beyond the Salmon La Sac CG for some more epic views of the heart of the Alpine Lake Wilderness. 
Cle Elum to Salmon La Sac Campground in Cle Elum, WA | Bike Map | MapMyRIDE

I currently do not have any photos, but I think my riding partner took some. If he did I will get them up.


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## unicrown junkie

eplanajr said:


> Anybody ride recently?
> 
> Two weeks ago I rode from the town of Cle Elum beyond Lake Cle Elum and to the end of the pavement at the Salmon La Sac Campground. It was a great ride. If I would have been on my cross bike I would have continued beyond the Salmon La Sac CG for some more epic views of the heart of the Alpine Lake Wilderness.
> Cle Elum to Salmon La Sac Campground in Cle Elum, WA | Bike Map | MapMyRIDE
> 
> I currently do not have any photos, but I think my riding partner took some. If he did I will get them up.


 I looked up your link you provided, seems like a good ride overall that I want to try. What caught me off glance was your comment about Alpine Lakes being visible, I'm used to thinking about them from the Stevens side, where one cannot see them directly!

As for my riding, was all off road this weekend over on the Olympic Peninsula. But taking the cross bike out sure sounds like fun! :thumbsup:


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## eplanajr

unicrown junkie said:


> I looked up your link you provided, seems like a good ride overall that I want to try. What caught me off glance was your comment about Alpine Lakes being visible, I'm used to thinking about them from the Stevens side, where one cannot see them directly!
> 
> As for my riding, was all off road this weekend over on the Olympic Peninsula. But taking the cross bike out sure sounds like fun! :thumbsup:


The "Wilderness" area is what I mean. However I am sure that with a cx bike you could take any number of roads there and find some beautiful lakes...


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## unicrown junkie

My bad, I knew what you meant but I phrased it all wrong. I've wanted for years to portage across from the Stevens side over to Cle Elum via Alpine Lakes, but the off-road ban has prevented me. But the route you took just looks like fun in general.

Hope that clarifies things!


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## QED

Lake Wenatchee is one of my favorite places Eplanajr! My all-time favorite place is through Washington Pass from Diablo lake to Mazama. I have never biked it yet, not sure I can make it, but I am absolutely sure that I am going to try it next summer. It is not a ride for the faint at heart. 

Unfortunately, this last beautiful weekend, I was stuck in the city, but did manage to get a ride in, like Ronbo613 said...out the front door.


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## OldEndicottHiway

eplanajr said:


> The "Wilderness" area is what I mean. However I am sure that with a cx bike you could take any number of roads there and find some beautiful lakes...



Loved your Lake Wen pics. I live over here ( just N of Wen near Glacier Peaks Wilderness), and have never ridden there. But the riding out my door is very similar, and endless for road,cx, and mtb terrain) so I've been too lazy to go up there. Your pics make me want to reconsider my laziness.


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## OldEndicottHiway

We're still cooking over here on the eastside. Yesterday I opted to put away the rubber- footed steed, for the steel-footed ride that pedals itself. 

 


Hope you all are enjoying what summer we have left...they (whoever "they" are) say we're in for one hellubba winter...


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## Wookiebiker

Racing in the Eugene Celebration Stage Race this past weekend...I sucked it up, partly due to a pretty major crash two weeks ago (5 stitches to the chin, 2 in my left index finger, a banged up left knee and LOTS of road rash)...but still had a great time


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## eplanajr

Wookiebiker said:


> Racing in the Eugene Celebration Stage Race this past weekend...I sucked it up, partly due to a pretty major crash two weeks ago (5 stitches to the chin, 2 in my left index finger, a banged up left knee and LOTS of road rash)...but still had a great time


So it was a good weekend? haha.. get well soon.


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## eplanajr

These are some pics from riding the Lake Cle Elum area that I posted about earlier in the thread.


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## eplanajr

*Just my commute*

No crazy exciting, but it been pretty epic recently. It was a great little ride. About 16 miles each way. 

Too bad we wont see many more clear warm days for a few more months.


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## SilverStar07

I would have to agree, this last weekend was beautiful. I thought I was going to have to work on Saturday but at the last minute was told I didn't need to come in. So I decided to drop my car off for service in Totem Lake (NW Kirkland, Wa) and go for a ride while they were working on my car. I was able to get a nice ~38 mile ride in around Lake Sammamish. I didn't get any pictures but it was a great ride.

SS-


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## eplanajr

Cool.. That's always a nice ride.


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## pdainsworth

*Early Sequim/Dungeness ride*

Left the bike shop (Mike's Bikes) at 750 am for an hour and a half ride before work. It was cool (31 degrees) but calm. No traffic. Gorgeous morning...


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## lilphoton

yesterday, rode over to mercer island with some friends and got ourselves a little misplaced. only a 16-mile ride, but lovely. 

i haven't decided where to ride today. suggestions?


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## bigbill

Out and about near my home in Poulsbo today. First ride on the new (to me) GT.


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## ChilliConCarnage

bigbill said:


> Out and about near my home in Poulsbo today. First ride on the new (to me) GT.


Hey Bill, I remember seeing a picture of George Hincapie on a bike just like that one. Is that an official team bike?

On Saturday I did a 65 mile loop with my riding buddies. The weather was superb! My legs weren't!


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## eplanajr

Depends where you want to go, and what you want to ride. 

My Saturday ride was my standby ride. Marymoor and back.


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## bigbill

ChilliConCarnage said:


> Hey Bill, I remember seeing a picture of George Hincapie on a bike just like that one. Is that an official team bike?
> 
> On Saturday I did a 65 mile loop with my riding buddies. The weather was superb! My legs weren't!


It's the real deal. Fillet brazed by Mark Nobilette in the 90's, its even got a number bracket.


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## OldEndicottHiway

bigbill said:


> *It's the real deal. Fillet brazed by Mark Nobilette in the 90's*, its even got a number bracket.


Jerk.

"...may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your..."

(insert snarky smiley emoticon here).


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## ChilliConCarnage

I thought I noticed a number bracket. My buddy also has a cool bike with a number bracket on it - it's Davis Phinney's old 7-Eleven race bike that he bought back in the late 80s.










Here's a picture from the end of my Saturday ride:










(Alki beach at sunset)

We're very fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world.


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## hoodedmunkee

Mercer Island Loop although too many cars there on the weekends


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## V70R

River Rd on the east Willamette and Hwy 43 last Saturday, perfect day for a River Rd cruise


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## LaxMaster

I live in West Seattle, I usually go to alki beach but last summer I went on a week long bike trip around the San Juan Islands which were beautiful. If you ever get the chance to go there I highly suggest you go.


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## romelman

*any good rides in the portland area?*

i live in pdx any good rides out here?


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## mcsqueak

romelman said:


> i live in pdx any good rides out here?


Tons! Like so many I wouldn't really know where to start with suggestions, especially not knowing what type of rides you like.

Check out http://www.rubbertotheroad.com/ for a bunch of good suggestions, with links to maps and route info.

For my money, if I had someone visiting me that was into cycling, I'd probably take them up the historic Columbia river highway and down to Multnomah falls and back. Great climbs, long but not brutal.

If you like climbing the West Hills are full of low-traffic roads that are perfect for rides of anywhere from 15-40 miles.


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## eplanajr

*Pemberton, BC, Canada (just north of Whistler)*

The wife and I are expecting a baby.. so we went on a "babymoon" to BC. We went to a small town about 30 minutes past Whistler called Pemberton. I of course, brought my road bike. 
Here's the link to the route...
Kick Pauls ass Jun 20, 2010 4:37 PM in Pemberton, BC | Bike Map | MapMyRIDE

Here area few pics....





































A Canadian Adventure isn't complete without a flat front tire occurring on a 40mph descent....


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