KILLER CROSS PHOTOS

Here're some pics from a couple of today's Killer Cross races--the C's and the A's. Words to follow in the next day or so. Another terrific job by Ryan Rickerts and the Cascade Cross crew!

L'Alpe d'WoodChips

Log Boom of Doom

Vuvuzealous 'cross fan.

That hill.

Dale Plant nears the top of that hill.

The other hill.

Start of the Master Men C 40+ Race. GrandMaster Glenn Gervais in red. 

Log Boom of Doom revisited.

Dale Plant nears the top of the other hill via the other approach.

Me at the top of that hill.

Moments before the start of the kids' race.

Logan Wetzel with a bit of a gap in the Mens A race.

Heckle Hill.

Jeff Cummings nears the top of that hill.

Rusty Dodge.

BELLINGHAM CYCLOCROSS

It's the first full week of fall and here in Bellingham, that means one thing: time to get your cylcocross racin' on. Wednesday practices have been going on for a few weeks (6 p.m. at the Lake Padden ballfields: free, all welcome, beginner's clinic, lots of fun!), but this Saturday is Killer Cross, the first race in CX impresario Ryan Rickert's Cascade Cross Series.  

Races start at 10 a.m. at lumpy, bumpy Squalicum Creek Park. Should be lots of fun. And pain. And suffering. And madcap hilarity. Pre-register by going here.

SEATTLE TIMES CONCONULLY STORY

Click here to enjoy my Seattle Times story on last month's epic gravel-grinder ride to Conconully with Scott Young and Brian Ecker.

MORE PHOTOS FROM WINCHESTER LOOKOUT RIDE-RUN

WINCHESTER MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT RIDE AND RUN

Incredible ride up Twin Lakes Road Saturday followed by a quick run up to the Winchester Mountain Lookout. Spectacular scenery, terrific weather and seemingly perfect light for photos. Great company too: Glenn Gervais (below, trying to reach out and touch Mount Larrabee) and Steve Vanderstaay. 

Aptly named Twin Lakes, our biking destination. After parking at the Salmon Ridge Sno-Park, we pedaled a  half-mile of flat toward the D.O.T. shed, took a right on Twin Lakes Road and got pedalin'. After 6.4 miles--which included some 3,100 feet of climbing--we arrived at the lakes. Absolutely, terrifically stunning!

At Twin Lakes, I continued on for about a half-mile and found this pretty little tarn in a basin. A little beyond that it becomes private property--a gold mine, it turns out. 

On this day, however, I found a couple forest service folks with binoculars trained on a black bear and a herd of mountain goats. (They're way up on that 45-degree slope in the upper right and unfortunately, too far away for me to photograph.)

The last stretch of road from the Yellow Aster Butte Trailhead to the lakes is by far the toughest. It's chewed up like crazy and final 1.3 miles climbs 1,100 feet! (Repeat 1,100 feet in 1.3 miles!)

EXTREME CLOSE-UP of your author.

After a quick little explore at Twin Lakes, we locked our bikes to a tree and began the 1.5-mile (one-way) run-hike up to the Winchester Mountain Lookout. (Since the trail climbs 1,300 feet, it was a lot more hike than run for me.)

Views of Mount Baker--and seemingly every other Cascade peak--were huge!

Steve and Glenn at the lookout. Maintained by the Mount Baker Club, a B'ham hiking club, the lookout was built in 1935 and is available to camp out in on a first-come basis.

A gauze of clouds atop Mount Shuksan's summit pyramid. 

Heading down with a view west toward Yellow Aster Butte.

Steve, Glenn and I at the top. Behind us, Goat Mountain is in the foreground, Shuksan in the back.

Steve on the descent. The distant switchbacks are by the Yellow Aster Butte trailhead, about 1,000 feet below.

Me, gettin' all Ansel Adams on ya'. Sorta.

MORE MOUNT BAKER HILL CLIMB (RIDE 542) PHOTOS

Here're some more pics, a mix of GoPro seatpost-mounted shots and handheld shots. This post has Hill Climb photos as well. 

Also, just to let you know, I'll be doing some upcoming slideshows and book signings at Puget Sound area REI stores; click on the EVENTS box up there for more info. I'd love to see you there. (All events are free but you have to register online to ensure a spot.) I'll no doubt be using some of these shots in my presentations.

Enjoy ... 

I love this guy's expression. It's like, 'OMG, this McQuaide dude is just killing it up Powerhouse Hill; it's all I can do to hold his wheel.' Then again, he could be thinking: 'I just wish this old guy would get out of my way.'

Red. Love the red in pics. It just pops.

Saw several kids riding on Sunday. That was cool. 

Orange pops too.

See above comment re: kids.

Nathan Cranston (550) of Everson. He e-mailed me that he lives in the "lesser known bicycling paradise of Everson." E-town rocks, baby! Ride 34 in my "75 Classic Rides" book begins and ends in Everson!

See above comment re: red.

I dig this guy's Jens Voigt expression. SHUT UP, LEGS!

The final K fog.

This was with about 150 meters to go. Must've been really freaky for riders who'd never been here before. They must've been afraid they were going to ride off the edge of the earth. 

Thanks B'ham Herald photog for tilting the camera and making it look like I'm climbing really, really fast. 

The aftermath of the little Powerhouse Hill crash. (See post below for more details.) Here, rider 677 checks bike damage after I unavoidably rode over his bike.  

Some friendly folks out for a 24.5-mile ride. That climbs 4,300 feet. And ends in a 45-degree foggy soup.

Fast guys.

Fast and not-as-fast guys.

Fast guys.

Bellingham's Philip Buri, all smiles on the descent.

Cool.

Cold.

Pat Skaggs and family. Cold.

Hot Bodies in Motion. These guys were good!