THREE MONTHS SINCE COLLARBONE SURGERY

Well, today was the day that three months ago I couldn't wait for--my three-month post-surgery check-up. Truth be told, it was fairly anticlimactic. But I think that's a good thing. I've been pretty much back to my normal activities, or maybe 90 percent of normal, for about a month now.

The collarbone was x-rayed,  Dr. Bergman said it looked good and that while it can take six months or a year before the collarbone is completely healed (the x-ray still shows a slight fracture line on the collarbone), I've got a titanium plate holding everything in place so I'm good to go. Just don't fall on it, he said. Which is pretty much common sense, innit? It's not like I'm going to go out and purposely fall on my good collarbone for fun just 'cause it's never been broken.

Hopefully, the plate will not bother me down the road and I'll just leave it in there for the rest of my life. That's an option, I guess. Having more surgery to take it out. One of the nine screws does stick out a little but I find it amusing. Kind of like the bolts on Frankenstein's neck. Hopefully, I've turned the final page on this collarbone chapter.

Oh yeah, I've got a story in today's Seattle Times about Jetty Island, this cool little oasis near Everett. See it here.

PACKWOOD-PARADISE-STEVENS CANYON LOOP

Rode a kind of RAMROD Jr. today. Eighty miles with 6,000 feet of elevation gain including the climb to Paradise (el. 5,400 feet) and the one over near Stevens Canyon that climbs to about 3,500 feet. Only Cayuse Pass was missing. As well as about 75 other miles. (Click here to read about my epic bonk on Cayuse two years ago.)

Still, it was plenty tough. Rode it all on my own. From Packwood, where I was on the road at 5:45 a.m. if you can believe it, I headed northwest via Skate Creek Road and the Nisqually entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. Saw many elk along the way but hardly any cars, which was great.

From Nisqually, thus began the 17-mile climb to Paradise which isn't super duper steep, just long. Along the way, I kept imagine the juicy something-or-other I'd get to eat at the visitor center cafeteria once I made it to the top. Alas, it hadn't opened yet; I left so early I made it to Paradise by 9:30. From there, the screaming-fun descent that goes on and on into Stevens Canyon. Probably my all-time favorite road bike descent. Had to stop a few times for photos--saw a big mama bear and two cubs and just above is Reflection Lake. Rainier is truly an amazing place!

Next up, Tour de Whatcom this Saturday.

FIDALGO ISLAND BUTTKICKER

Yesterday, I headed out on a 50-miler suggested by cycling friend Corrina Marote. A true leg-shredder if there ever was one. Basically, the perimeters of Fidalgo Island (where Anacortes is), the Swinomish Reservation, March  Point, as well as a crazy evil thing called Mount Erie thrown in for fun. Started out on the Tommy Thompson Trail, the cool trestle trail (fun to say "twessle twail") that crosses Fidalgo Bay into Anacortes. (See photo at the bottom.) Out toward the ferry terminal then south where Marine Drive (does every town in Washington State have a Marine Drive?) makes like a roller coaster, yanking you up, then down, then up and down again.  

Then a foray to the middle of the island where Mount Erie awaits. I've ridden this hill maybe three or four times--never fails to shock and annoy. Incredibly steep. Climbs 900 feet in the longest 1.5 miles you'll ever ride in your life. Steepest thing around. The Power House Hill that causes all sorts of bother in the Mount Baker Hill Climb is 600 feet in 1.8 miles; in other words, pancake flat compared to Mount Erie.

From there more fun heading south and east toward the Swinomish Reservation (across from La Conner) where a terrific, low-traffic, mostly flat loop awaited. Then north to March Point where there was essentially another one, albeit this one with tidewater--Padilla and Fidalgo bays--on the right the whole way. Super fun 50-miler with 3,400 feet of climbing.

Top photo is Mount Baker above a really low tide on Padilla Bay mit curious eagle checking out the buffet offerings. Middle photo is nominee for the best-named road I've come across so far; it's on Swinomish Reservation.

HIGHWAY 20 ROAD BIKE RIDE

Headed down to Highway 20 yesterday to ride a bit of the more-than-stunning North Cascades Highway as research (and a helluva lot of fun) for my upcoming Classic Road Rides book. Super duper incredible is all I can say. I rode from Newhalem to Mazama--60 miles with 6,319 feet of elevation gain and a profile that looks like this:

Basically, one long steady hill from mile 18 to mile 42. Not ultra steep or anything, just fairly relentless with two steep sections--the one leading to Rainy Pass at mile 38 and the one right after which climbs back up to Washington Pass four miles later. From there, it's a crazy fun descent for 18 miles into Mazama.

 

Truthfully, I'd always been afeared of that descent because it looked daunting. Like no matter what you did--even if you dragged both feet, threw out an anchor, had two flat tires, etc.--you wouldn't be able to keep from going 65 mph. Given my still-healing collarbone I liked not the prospects of that. But I can honestly say it wasn't bad at all--no worse than the Mount Baker Highway down from Artist Point or the road down from Sunrise. My top speed was only 37 mph, fairly pedestrian, but quite comfortable for me right now. (It may have helped that I had a slight headwind on the way down; this likely helped keep down my speed.)

Incredible ride and my oh my, but I do love the Methow Valley. I, and my Specialized Tarmac Pro, shall be back.

A shouts-outs to my sister Kath (and trusty dog Roy), who drove the Team Unattacked team car offering support, sunscreen, sandwiches and the like. (Kath drove, not the dog.)

SUNRISE-CAYUSE-CHINOOK

Incredible day of road bike climbing on Thursday last. From the White River Ranger station to Sunrise--that's 14 miles with 2,900 feet elevation gain--back down and then up to Cayuse and Chinook Passes--that's another 8 miles with 2,000 feet of climbing. Finished it off with a quick dash (in a manner of speaking) up Crystal Mountain Boulevard which was 1,500 feet of ups across 6 miles.

At the top is Sunrise which is absolutely incredible. About 1,400 feet higher than Artist Point (between Mount Baker and Shuksan), and 1,000 feet higher than Paradise where RAMROD tops out on Rainier's south side. Sunrise Point is 2 miles before Sunrise and a couple hundred feet below it, but from there I could see Mount Baker, Stuart Mountain in the Enchantments (near Leavenworth), Mount Adams and of course, Rainier. That's a sweep of almost 200 miles from Baker to Adams. Incroyable!

The photo just above is me and my Tarmac Pro a little below Chinook Pass with Tipsoo Lake and Mount Rainier in the background. Below is Highway 410 to Chinook Pass. None of these climbs is especially steep, mostly in the 6 to 8 percent range, just long. They're nothing like the seemingly vertical (but much shorter) pitches I came across during last week's Torture Century. In fact, the last two miles from Sunrise Point to Sunrise were mostly flat. I can truthfully say that I pulled into Sunrise still in my big chainring.

This morning the Titanium Cowboy, Scott Young, and I got out for about 2-1/2 hours on the big ol' 29ers. (Though with our titanium plates and screws, all three of us--Scott, Johnny Boy Clark, and myself--are titanium cowboys, really.) Man, that was fun! First real MTB ride since the collarbone break. Felt really, really good. Almost like it was a rigorous physical therapy session. We did Lower Galby--Last Call, Rock 'n' Roll, and the like--up to the Wall and down the Three Pigs. Only difference that I see right now is that I'm not comfortable on anything resembling a bridge. Anything that raises my wheels off the ground, and thus the distance I could fall on that collarbone, I'll walk around. Pretty cool: we saw three pileated woodpeckers!