9/27/14 11:43 PM

Well, last year the tandem never got out of the car with 34^ and sleeting rain.

Weather much better this year. Elaine wanted singles, so we left the Tandem at home.

Pics from perimeter roadway which 30 miles worth get closed to auto traffic a few times a year. Very hilly, very! Correcion: 24 mile closed to auto traffic for the days they choose.






Last edited by Sparky on 9/28/14 9:03 AM; edited 1 time in total

9/28/14 12:36 AM

Looks like a Bucket List ride.

9/28/14 12:54 AM

Still on my bucket list. Elaine was unable to complete very much due to the hills being so challenging. I geared her down to 24 GI. I was gear down to 28GI, but did not go lower than 32 mostly, and 30 when I pushed a few repeats.

I was going back down hill from Elaine in reverse a 1/2 mile, then back up to her. I did 10 of these, so I could get double the climbing in without making her go way over her fitness. Also, she did not have to feel like she would never catch up to me this way, as I was behind her always. Still tuckered her out, she went to bed soon after we got home. I am still up watching some DVRed shit. I could have done more, and would have loved to. ;) But I needed to watch how deep I was getting her in.

9/28/14 5:38 AM

The geology of the lake is really interesting. It is not really a crater but is a collapsed volcano. It is a DEEP lake in pleas too.

Are their paved routes that circle the lake?

9/28/14 8:19 AM

Yes, the Rim Road. It closes in winter

32 miles around according to RideWithGPS as well as 3968 ft of climbing.

That classifies it as "hilly" in my book !

9/28/14 9:00 AM

"That classifies it as "hilly" in my book !"

Undulates plenty too. I thought maybe we could do an up and out and down and back. Not. ;)

There are spots that drop radically both on the crater side and the down slope side. There are no barriers, pavement ends and fall line. So it can be a dangerous place to be sure. Thus our wait to ride when no cars are on that section they close. Actually a generous 24 miles of road without cars.

I feel pretty tired now I just got up, so I guess I worked more than I originally thought. ;)

For those that do not recall, it was so socked in last year, with maybe 100' visibility... It was like driving to go see fog pretty much. Could not even see the lake at all, I questioned it's existence until I saw it with my own eyes yesterday. ;) We enjoyed sitting in front of a huge fireplace, Elaine reading, me snoring last year. So the previous cycling disappointment has now subsided. ;)

9/28/14 9:47 AM

I didn't feel the traffic was too big of a concern. We did it in June and it wasn't too busy with tourist traffic yet.

quote:

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But I needed to watch how deep I was getting her in.

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9/28/14 9:49 AM

quote:

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Looks like a Bucket List ride.

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9/28/14 9:51 AM

"wasn't a frequent rider."


Elaine fits into that category this season.

9/28/14 10:23 AM

It's "only" 30 some miles!

The elevation is cumulative. With low enough gearing, it became a "take in the view slowly" whenever the road tilts up. So my girl friend wasn't at all discouraged by any single climb.

It was only towards the end, with the prospect of one long climb back to the visitor center (no more view to speak of), that she decided it'd be quickly that I speed my way to the top to retrieve our car...

But since it's her car, I forgot to get the key from her. She realized my mistake (no cell signal), and decided to start climbing so I had less to back track. When I realized my mistake, turned around and met her half way down, she asked "how much more climbing?", then decided to finish the climb so she could say she completed the loop!

9/28/14 7:02 PM

quote:

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the Rim Road. It closes in winter

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9/28/14 7:10 PM

What year was this??

Been very mild winters since we got here 2011 forward. But in April 09 on our re-con we tried to access St Helens from the east approach. We got to a certain point going north and it became obvious by the growing snow banks and where they stopped plowing we were not going to Helens that way or day. The 4-5' deep snow cover road as far as you could see gave it away. It was a 120 miles to backtrack and go the way that was not blocked off thusly. Additional assumption FWIW. ;) On it being open that way, not the distance...

9/28/14 7:36 PM

The big snowbanks were in 2005. The road blocked in July was 2006.

We would love to have done that ride but our conclusion was that you needed to go the 2nd week in August.

9/28/14 11:17 PM

Must get windy up there? On top of the climbs and variable weather...

9/28/14 11:19 PM

yes. for sure.