Grace sitting up

Hurricane Ridge & Artist Point

The Red Rocket posing on Hurricane Ridge.
There were two bike rides/climbs I wanted to do before the fall weather set in. Both are considered among the hardest and best climbs in the state of Washington and have been compared to the Alpine climbs in France and Switzerland.

Tuesday I drove 2.5 hours to Olympic National Park just outside of Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula to climb to Hurricane Ridge. It is 18 miles each way and has over 5,200 feet of elevation gain with some at a fairly steep grade. It is the hardest climb I have done. But it was a gorgeous day and the climb was wonderful.

The climb is full of beautiful views like this.
About half way up.
The views at the top are breathtaking with mountain ridges that go on forever to the east, north and south.
To the west one can see the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island, and San Juan Island. The clouds in the horizon on this photo covered the water.
It was a truly unforgettable ride and view. The descent was fast and beautiful. I look forward to returning to one of the most stunning places I have been to in a long time.

Last week I drove about three hours north to the small town of Glacier where I started the climb (24 miles and 4,700 feet) to Artist Point -- arguably the most beautiful spot in all of Washington at the foot of Mount Shuksun and Mount Baker. It was a less than ideal day with partly sunny skies but a threat of rain as I began the climb. I decided I would turn around if it started to rain. But the sun kept teasing me as blue skies would show for a few minutes and then it would cloud over and even drizzle a bit. I kept going but was disappointed that the mountaintops were covered with clouds. I was plenty warm with just my cycling shorts and jersey as it was hard work getting to the top.

Here is a typical view on the ascent to Artist Point when the sun would come out.
The road has many hairpin turns as you can see in this photo near the top.
The clouds covered the most picturesque views but this gives you a feel for the beauty of this place as Mount Shuksun is reflected in a small lake.
As I got to the last mile or so, a dense fog rolled in and I could only see about 40 feet in front of me. But I had "summit fever" and was not going to turn around that close to the top. When I got to the top I put on the tights, leg warmers, arm warmers, full gloves and two light jackets I had carried up for the descent. It immediately began to rain and the temperature dropped. As I began my descent I quickly realized I did not have near enough warm clothes and that I was in trouble. By the time I was a few miles down the road I was extremely cold, shivering, shaking and praying for a way out of this situation before hypothermia set in.

A couple of miles further down I got a direct answer to my prayers as a pickup truck with four mountain bikes in the back had pulled over. I stopped and asked the young men, "Can I throw my bike in the back of your truck and ride down to the base?" They said, "No problem, Dude. That must be a freezing descent." The Lord had answered my prayer with four very kind and understanding young men.

I look forward to doing this climb again on a better day when the view looks like this photo I found on the Internet.
I will take plenty of warm gear for the descent.

Silhouettes

A contemplative Rosie at sunset
My major project for the last few months -- and many more in the future -- is labeling and categorizing the tens of thousands of photos I have taken over the years. When the project is complete I will be able to find any picture very quickly. To do this I have to go through every picture -- a rather tedious task at times. But it also yields some surprises and brings back countless wonderful memories.

This evening I was working through some photos of our trip to Switzerland in August 2003 and came across these silhouettes taken at sunset on the top of the Niesen (7,500 Feet) near Interlaken Switzerland. That was an unforgettable evening that yielded some beautiful silhouettes of my beloved wife and the children that were with us.

Steve, Marc, Paul and Rebekah are lined up on the summit.
Marc strikes his signature pose against the setting sun.
Here is one more silhouette of Marc and Steve against the mighty Eiger. This was taken in Grindelwald, Switzerland early one morning in August 2008 as the three of us embarked on an adventurous hike to a Swiss Alpine Club hut.

Majestic Mount Rainier

Friday afternoon Rosie and I had an unforgettable time near Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park. It was a gorgeous day, and there are surely not many more left like that in 2010 in western Washington. As the sun was getting low we hiked to the saddle of Pinnacle Peak. It was an unforgettable walk.

The wildflowers were brilliant.
The trail had countless jaw dropping views of majestic Mount Rainier. Here is Rosie in a triumphant pose along the way.
When we got to the saddle we could see down the other side into the deep valleys with Mount Adams on the horizon.
At the saddle with Mount Rainier in all its glory.

An Afternoon in Paradise

Mount Rainier from Paradise

This afternoon I took one of the most beautiful bike rides of my life. I have cycled most of the passes around Mount Rainier many times, but I had never done the south side to Paradise until today. In fact, it had been a few years since I had driven that spectacular road and I had forgotten the incredibly beautiful vistas one gets at almost every turn. Unfortunately I again forgot my camera and had to use my iphone for the photos below. They give a feel for the gorgeous scenes but do not do it justice.

It was a perfect day for a bike ride with sunny skies and temperatures in the sixties. I drove the 45 miles from our house to the Stevens Canyon entrance where I parked, pulled out my bike and started this unforgettable 43 mile (round trip) ride that had 4,600 feet of ascent. The first six miles were pretty, but mostly just heavy woods. Then around a corner majestic Mount Rainier jumped out.

First view of Rainier on this climb
Shortly beyond that corner is a turn off for cars to admire the view. When I stopped there was a lady taking pictures and I asked her if she would take one of me. We talked for a minute and I found out she was from Switzerland. I told her I thought Mount Rainier is an incredibly beautiful place -- especially on a day like this -- but not as pretty as Switzerland.While the main attraction on this route is obviously Mount Rainier, there are many other things that add to its beauty. Below is the deep, narrow, rock lined Box Canyon. Mount Adams is visible on the horizon between the two trees in the middle right of the photo.
There are a number of short tunnels like this one.About six miles from Paradise. Note the road on the right and left as it works its way toward Paradise and Mount Rainier.

With the Red Rocket in front of Reflection Lake. The wind was blowing and the ripples in the water eliminated the typical stunning reflection one gets.

I couldn't do one of these bike ride updates without what Stephen calls a "Red Rocket portrait shot". Here it is at the trailhead at Paradise.
The Red Rocket is without question the best "toy" I have ever had. I am grateful for the adventures we have taken together and I look forward to many more. I am always looking for partners for these adventures -- come join me for an unforgettable time.