SAMISH LOOP RIDE 'N' BUSHWACK

On Saturday, the Titanium Cowboys rode one of our favorite running routes from years past, the Samish Loop. Very simply, head up through Arroyo Park, continue south on the Lost Lake Trail--climbing one of the toughest sustained, no let-up climbs around (1,200 feet in less than 2 miles)--to Lost Lake, then across to the Land of the Lost, up another mega-hill (Sick Joke) to Pine and Cedar Lakes and down Hemlock back to Arroyo. (All phots are stills from the video I shot; in above pic, I look like some droopy-faced cartoon dog, don't I?)

John and Scott switchbacking through Arroyo Park.

South of Lost Lake, the trail is barely runnable, much less ridable, and requires what one of us had termed a "10-minute bushwack." However, when it comes to bushwacking, actual time has been scientifically proven to be three times that of the estimated time. Thus, our "10-minute bushwack" really took 30 minutes.

Scott and I took a couple falls; conveniently, my camera was turned off during my spills.

The Cowboys on the shores of Lost Lake. A hella ride: about 23 miles with 3,200 feet of climbing. Next week, Scott and I run the Deception Pass 25K; John runs B'ham's Jingle Bell Run. For those of you so inclined, here's the vid from Saturday's ride featuring a cool tune by Two Door Cinema Club (I hope).

Here's the route on Strava:

AIN'T NUTHIN' BUT A MUD THING

I'm certainly not complaing about this winter's riding weather--last year we rode in snow from November through March, it seemed--but this weekend was by far the muddiest. Had a huge Team Unattacked turnout for Saturday--five of us, Mellow Johnny, Titanium Cowboy, the Professor, GG Tri Guy and myself--for the 25 mile (or so) Lost Lake loop; Interurban Trail first.

One of those days in which, from the first pedal stroke, I know I'm not 100 percent but I did what I could. We'd planned on doing the Samish Loop into the heart of Chuckanut-Blanchard No Man's Land and return via Pine and Cedar lakes, but I whimped out. That big climb out of the Mud Lake hole a-frighted me, I was soaking wet (it had been spitting rain the whole time), and not to be one of those big phonys about it like everybody else is nowadays, but I think I was a little despressed about J.D. Salinger having just died and all. ("Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.")

Mud was crazy thick especially on the descent into Lost Lake, but you get to that point where you can't get any muddier or wetter and you're not freezing cold (yet) and you're having the time of your life with a great group of guys. And this is what keeps me coming back again and again and again. Three of us stopped for a cuppa at Woods Coffee at Boulevard Park on the way back where we scored the coveted outdoor fireplace seat. (That's me, the Professor, and Mellow Johnny.)

Sunday, I was feeling even worse at the start and came close to cancelling on Johnny Boy, but I fired up the single-speed and we headed up for a two-and-a-half hours on Galbraith. Tried some new downhill trail parallel to the Three Pigs; I wouldn't say that it was made for a rigid fork 29er but it was fun nonetheless. Muddy as heck though.

It's no mystery why I felt so crummy both days: these past two weeks I've been doing two-a-day run-bike intervals on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Essentially, four interval workouts in three days.) Then riding long-ish back-to-back on weekends. Anyway, I think it caught up to me so my grand plan to take it easy this week. ("Grand. There's a word I really hate. It's a phony. I could puke every time I hear it.")

FIRST EPIC IN A WHILE

Epic ride today, first one in a while. Stopped to shoot a quick vid wherein we recreate the scene of da' Assaulting Alder incident and shortly thereafter came across Laura Todd and Val Thompson who were so helpful that day.

Then it was on to the ride: down Interurban, up Fragrance Lake Road, Lost Lake Trail to the Dictionary, down So Easy (which isn't) and around like we're doing the Samish Loop. Then up the helatious climb to the Pine and Cedar Lakes end of the world, down Hemlock and on toward home.
The lovely Glenn Gervais was with us, rockin' his new Motobecane 29er with flat pedals. That's burly. (I'm digging the way I'm hunched over in the below pic; that's Glenn in the middle and the Clark man on the right.) The ride has two mega climbs, probably totally about 3,500 feet, but the Hemlock Trail descent from Pine and Cedar is so cussing fun. That one, and the Alternate Incline Trail over on Blanchard might be this cross-country rider's favorites. So great to get out today!