Consolation Tour - Seattle to Yakima and back - D1 Home to Carter Creek

I am not sure who'll actually read this, but writing this is helping me get through my recent cancer diagnosis. I couldn't do the continuation of my planned cross USA trip so I did a five day trip from home to Yakima via the Cascades to Palouse Trail and back via Naches Pass. To paraphrase my brother, spinning my pedals was better than spinning my mind.

Overview static map: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48494574

Day 1

Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/220754440

Animated Map: https://www.relive.cc/view/vwq1gzDDdLO

(This was the only entry written the day of the ride. It was written in the dark at Carter Creek).


Today's ride begins with me nervously pondering which way to ride my big loop. Go counterclockwise to Greenwater or clockwise to Snoqualmie Pass. I flip flopped all the way up to my departure. I decided to ride my commute route into work to see folks in the office. Work is a comfort in these times. I was worried about the rain situation. The weather reports have changed by the hour. Part of the reason for doing the commute was to avoid making a decision.

I stopped off at Fulcrum like a normal commute. I hung out a bit and read, but I couldn't concentrate. It was nice to have something besides cancer to worry about. After a half hour, maybe less, I did the last mile and a half to work. At Fulcrum I remembered I forgot to start logging my ride. Minor problem.
Work was abuzz with a training. I said my hellos. At the very last minute, I decided to go the Snoqualmie direction. The weather report had a 20% chance of drizzle all day, but the only drizzle I got was in Bellevue and I didn't even need to put my rain jacket on. I met two cyclists, DJ and JJ! Actually those initials weren't what they went by but it worked. JJ was JJ as a kid and DJ was Korean and used DJ as an easy name for the English speakers. JJ was travelling with a what I presume was trumpet for an orchestra rehearsal in Issaquah. After he peeled off, DJ and I rode to Preston together. We parted ways at the Preston Fall City road.
I was proud of resisting the Issaquah Coffee Company and the burger and shake place in Fall City. I rode 202 to Snoqualmie. It's way better than going over the Snoqualmie Ridge despite the heavy traffic. I stopped at the Falls, snapped a few pictures then moved on. I got lunch at the Black Dog in Snoqualmie and hung on for an hour. I had time to kill. The person running it was very nice.
After Snoqualmie it was a straight shot to North Bend where the climb began. Along the way a hostile a-hole yelled at me to ride the sidewalk. I looked to see if he meant a trail, but no, it was only a narrow sidewalk that ended only a block later. This is the second time I've been yelled at in North Bend. What's in the water? After North Bend the climb began. It was pretty but uneventful. I chatted with several people riding the Cascades to Palouse Trail who were curious about my journey. Maybe they'll take the plunge. I arrived at Carter Creek at 5:35. I had thoughts about going another 11 miles to Cold Creek, but this was perfect. The climb is very gradual, but it tires you.
The camp feels a little gloomy, but the day is a little gloomy. It's 8:45 now. I've been busy with no down time which is great for me. I'm the only person here. Such solitude is wonderful, but it does put me on edge a bit. As I was writing this, I think a mouse may have brushed the back of my foot. I'm glad I cooked and ate away from camp. Let's see what tomorrow brings!

Comments

  1. SandraSeptember 29, 2024 at 3:36 PM

    Thank you TJ. I love reading about your trips as you travel along.

    ReplyDelete

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