93 riders, 7 DNF, 1 Hors Delai
17 on the 1000k
76 on the 1200k
Results: 1000k – 67:57, 260k – 16:29
3 years after my first attempt at a 1200k in 2007 (PBP), I completed the Cascade 1200 this year. At PBP I got 900k into the ride and then had to DNF due to a multitude of reasons detailed in more detail here (PBP 2007). In 2008 I had registered for the Cascade 1200 but then blew out my left knee in the 600k qualifying brevet. I completed the 600k but at the cost of not being able to ride longer rides for the rest of that year.
Now in 2010, an older and wiser Randonneur it all came together for a successful ride at this longer distance.
DAY 1
Monroe Inn – Start (0 miles)
– started as large group of 93 riders, all riding together for the first hour or so
– then the strong riders picked up the pace and vanished for the rest of the ride
– rolling hills to the first SIR manned control on the side of the road
– didn’t bother getting food at this control as I still had enough on my bike and there was a long line in the grocery store
– pretty familiar rides from previous brevets in this area
– chatted with a couple people but riding pretty much by myself
Cumberland – SIR manned, side of the road (53.5 miles)
– riding with various people, still generally people in sight
– got to the first real control and stopped at the Plaza market for lunch (too many people waiting at the “Truly Scrumptious Bakery”)
– couple of chicken legs and refilled water
Eatonville – Plaza Market (95 miles)
– stopped at Morton just before 3pm for a bowl of tomato basil soup and roll (Bean Tree Coffee House), Chris stopped as well but got moving before I was finished
– saw Jennifer and others arriving just after 3pm
– trying to eat better food during the course of this ride to keep energy levels up
Morton – Bean Tree Coffee House (123 miles)
– uneventful run to Packwood
– apparently there was a tailwind but it wasn’t obvious to me
Packwood – Shell station (158 miles)
– chatted with Minnesota women doing ride (Michelle Brougher)
– rode out together but parted company as riding at slightly different paces going uphill
– nice climb up to White Pass, arriving at the top just as sunset approached around 9pm
– nice temperature for climb
– used granny gear for most of it and sitting up vertically to use different positions for leg muscles
White Pass Summit – SIR sweep, Dan and Matt (178 miles)
– Dan and Matt were set up at the top in the sweep vehicle to cheer people on at the back of the pack
– Got into night gear and carried on down to Clear Lake control
– Great little set up and got a bit of food before heading on
Clear Lake – SIR manned camp site (188 miles)
– nice stretch from here around Clear Lake and the downhill run into Naches with a strong tail wind
– great nearly full moon shining on the sides of the canyon walls, lovely color in the night
– Japanese rider missed the Clear Lake control and ended up riding up the 40 miles into a head wind to the control and then back again (that would have been an ordeal)
– Arrived at overnight around 12:25 am
Naches – SIR Overnight Control (223.7 miles)
– Bowl of chicken rice soup and cold shower
– Nose started bleeding after the shower but quickly stopped
– Got my bike set up for the next day and then set my wake up call for 5 am (aiming for 4 hours sleep)
– Sleeping in a large gym on mats with sleeping bag (put slip of paper with wake up time at feet), Most people were already in and asleep
DAY 2
Naches – SIR Overnight Control (223.7 miles)
– Woke up at 4:15 , most people had got up at 4am or earlier and once I woke up and saw that the gym was nearly empty decided I better get moving
– Left at 5:10 am and starting riding uphill into a headwind, felt like it could be a long day
– After about 30 minutes a larger group passed me and I latched on
– We got into a rotating paceline which made the wind and the leg easier, rode with Don & Elaine Jameson, Pat, Jeff Loomis and others
– Hit Services at Cliffdell and stopped for breakfast number 2, egg/sausage muffin and cup of tea
– Headed up to Lodgepole control with Jeff and another guy
– Climbing nice and steady
Lodgepole Campground – SIR manned (269 miles)
– Left here a bit after 10am, starting to get hot now
– Wind had changed direction so still riding into a headwind
– Toes cramping a bit as go down hill and started taking endurolytes (toes cramping on my left foot are generally a leading indicator of other imminent cramping)
– Stopped for another muffin at Cliffdell, arriving just as another group were leaving (usual crowd who are either just ahead or behind me)
– Riding along and Pat caught up and then Jeff Loomis and Joe
– Borrowed some chain lube from Pat along the way to try to ease my squeaking chain as we sat sweltering outside a convenience store
– Rode together to Fruitvale were ended up in McDonalds for lunch and a cool down
Fruitvale – McDonalds (326 miles)
– Nice stretch along a shaded bike trail with a group of 5
– Started using mouth wash to keep mouth fresher and sugar free
– Stopped to apply some more lube before SR-24
– This looked like a grim stretch, 40 miles on SR-24 in the baking sun
– We all started wilting in the heat and going pretty slowly, 10 mph or so to conserve energy
– Stopped for Ensure along the way
– As the afternoon got later started to feel better and my pace picked up and I left the group and rode solo
– Arrived at oasis, Vernita rest area and saw Jennifer and Steve Davis there
– Quick break and refill of water bottles and then off for a steep climb out of the valley
– Met Dan and Matt (Sweep) at the top of the climb were they were cheering people on and tending to Irene who was down with heat stroke and had thrown up there (she eventually continued and finished the ride)
– Nice stretch along the top of the plateau in the evening sun
– Saw two people with rifles shooting into the air, fields and at signs. As I approached they got into their truck and drove off. I waved after them.
Mattawa – Shell Station SIR manned (391 miles)
– Nice break at the SIR manned stop and then Jennifer asked me to ride with her and Steve for the final leg to Quincy
– Her light was acting up a bit along the way and her knee was twinging a bit when she stopped and had to get going again
– Nice chat and pleasant night time ride with the two of them to Quincy
Quincy – SIR Overnight Control (432 miles)
– Arrived at 1:23 am and had warm shower. More mats in a gym to lie down on. I selected one under a fan for white noise to block out the snoring and managed to fall asleep. Got to lie down at around 2 am and asked for 6 am wake up call.
DAY 3
Quincy – SIR Overnight Control (432 miles)
– Woke up at 5:15 am as most people had already left and decided to get up
– Started at 6:08 am, near the back of the pack
– Rode by myself to Ephrata along familiar Martin road from NW Crank, passed Jennifer and Steve along the way
– Caught up to the usual bunch near Soap Lake as they were leaving a coffee shop but let them go as they were riding a bit faster pace than I wanted to go
– No wind and shade for a lot of the ride up to the visitor center, starting to heat up towards the end
– Nice little break and then back on the road
Dry Falls Visitor Center – SIR manned (474 miles)
– This was a hot stretch, two long climbs and then a bit of a head wind to battle
– Nice descent into Moses Coulee but then made the mistake of taking an Ensure just before climbing out and my stomach had problems digesting it. Felt pretty ill for 45 minutes but then got over it.
– Temp was in the mid 80s but in previous years had gone over 100
– The Farmer control was a great little surprise in a little schoolhouse/church/hall. Just a large room with fans and good food. Really did the trick of reviving me before the next stretch.
Farmer – SIR manned (501 miles)
– Long stretch on straight roads on the plateau. Some cloud cover had come up and it was starting to get later in the afternoon so cooling down a bit.
– Eventually Dan Jensen caught up to me and we rode together to the Wagon Wheel control. Great 8 mile descent into Bridgeport, we cheered when we saw the little cheese sign for the downhill ahead. Met up with Wolfgang at the stop at Bridgeport.
– Also got the treat of some fresh new asphalt to ride along on Old Highway 97
– Dan Turner was manning the Marlott control and provided ice socks
Marlott – Wagon Wheel Restaurant SIR manned (560 miles)
– Parted company with Dan Jensen so that I could do the extra little 15k leg for the the 1000k to Okanogan
Okanogan – Chevron (570 miles)
– Started the 19 mile climb up Loup Loup on SR20
– A steep part near the beginning but then it settled into a nice pitch and went up at a steady pace
– Passed Jennifer who had resorted to walking as her knee was in a lot of pain
– Rode with Wolfgang for a bit and reached the top about the same time
– Regular rhythm of water every 15 minutes and endurolytes every hour, body seemed to adjust well to this such that I could sense when the hour was coming up and my legs would start to feel a little crampy
– Dan and Matt (sweep) were set up there minding the tail end of the field, great to see them and put on full gear for the descent
Loup Loup Pass Summit – SIR Sweep (590 miles)
– Kept an eye out for deer on the way down as there have been a lot hit over the past year
– Wolfgang was with me for a bit but then dropped back (and apparently stopped for a ditch nap as he was getting sleepy)
– Long 20 mile stretch or so into the wind and slightly up hill to the over night control and finish of the 1000k
– Rode through shut down nighttime Winthrop
– Saw a red blinky up the road that seemed to keep staying the same distance away
– Arrived at 1:57 am
Mazama – SIR 1000k Finish and Overnight (624 miles)
– Got some chilli and first in a room for the night
– Didn’t specify a time to get up but was told that the rooms would be swept at 8am anyway as the control would be cleared
– Other riders came in and didn’t get much rest with their leaving at 5am and the subsequent noise
– Gave up at 7 am and got up
DAY 4
Mazama – SIR RUSA Permanent 413 Start (0 miles)
– Resisted temptation to stop and get a ride back
– Chatted with Elaine who was stopping with Don after 1000k and driving back
– Had a good breakfast with Chris and then departed at 8:10am
– We took it slow and steady up Washington Pass and passed Jennifer and Steve near to the top
– Great scenery and good to be on the road
Washington Pass Summit – SIR Sweep (18.5 miles)
– Met the sweep vehicle with Matt at the top, they had a mattress laid out that looked very tempting
– I was feeling pretty sleepy at this stage but nothing like PBP in 07
– Jennifer, Steve and Wolfgang joined us at the top and then Chris and I took off for the descent
– Headwind all the way down which kept our speed pretty low
– Brief climb up to Rainy Pass on the way
Diablo Lake Overlook (49 miles)
– Stopped at Diablo Lake for a break and to enjoy the view
– Wolfgang stretched out in the sun for a nap
– Reached Newhalem and refeuled, Chris didn’t feel we could make it to the control in time but we got going and found that it was a nice steady downhill and our pace was improving
– Decided to go for it and got into a two man paceline with short 30s pulls doing 17mph
– Really got the adrenaline going as we got closer and saw that it would be close, put the hammer down for the last couple miles and pulled into the petrol station with 1 minute to go
– Raced into the store and got the clerk to sign the card, exactly on the time needed
– Mentally this was a huge lift and got us into a great rhythm for the rest of the ride
Marblemount – (74 miles)
– Kept riding with the same short pulls but at a more civilized pace, 15 mph
– Arrived at Darrington and stopped for some fish and chips at a diner were we met Jeff Loomis, Irene and Dan Jensen
– Matt from the sweep dropped in as well to say hi and see how everyone was doing
– We left before them as our time limits were tighter
Darrington – SIR Sweep (101 miles)
– Steady ride to Granite Falls with stretching breaks along the way
– Saw our first bit of light rain for the ride on this stretch
– Met up with Don Boothby at the petrol station were he was checking to see how Chris was doing
Granite Falls – SIR Sweep Don Boothby (141 miles)
– Nice final 21 miles in the dark with some rollers, no real issues with the hills
– Felt very alert for the later part of the day with no sleep issues which was interesting, I was expecting that they might come back once it got dark but the steady aerobic pace might have kept them away
– Great riding with Chris for this whole day, made a big difference in keeping something to focus on and keeping the pace up
– Finished in Monroe at 12:39 with 41 minutes to spare (actually would have been 2 hours 21 minutes if I’d been doing the 1200).
– Susan and the kids had come up to meet me and were standing outside to cheer me in as we arrived
– Good crowd still up in the Inn as I signed in and got my finishers medal
– Grabbed a beer and a slice of pizza and then headed off to bed
Monroe – Finish (162 miles / 786 miles)
– The next day headed for the celebratory breakfast with the whole family in Monroe
Takeaways
– Riding within myself at a steady pace really helped keep the whole ride enjoyable
– Eating a better mix of regular food is good
– Using mouth wash helped prevent mouth issues
– Didn’t drink many sodas (only tried Mountain Dew once and it seemed to much caffeine)
– Trying for 4 hours but getting up after 3 once my body woke seemed to be sufficient sleep, no significant sleep issues over the 4 days
– Riding with people makes for a much faster pace but the concentration in a paceline can get wearing after a while, nice to alternate during the day
– Limited caffeine ingestion to gels and the occasional soda (no caffeine tablets this ride)
– Did P90X for 6 weeks leading up to it, balanced out muscles and strengthened core
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