Tour de Peaks 2005

(2006 writeup)
I last rode Tour de Peaks in 2003 as a warm-up for the 2003 RSVP.
The only thing detracting from the pretty ride was the food stop running out of food. Fast forward to April, when Sue Beauvais, the ride organizer, contacted me to let me know of improvements she was planning for this year’s Tour de Peaks, outlining all the food and potty planned. I had to sign up.



I rode to Snoqualmie from my house, taking the winding road up past Snoqualmie Falls. After picking up my number and topping off my water bottles, I headed south to do the “Upper” loop, which meanders along North Bend’s blueberry fields near Mt. Si, pictured above.

While browsing the maps the night before, I noticed the road past the Lake Dorothy Road stop continues for at least another 10 miles. When I got to the stop, the super-friendly volunteers filled me in on the details. It’s a forest road, meaning it soon turns into dirt, providing access to several trailheads and a swimming hole. Intrigued, I rode it a few miles, turning around at a very out-of-place concrete bridge. (I say “out-of-place” because the bridge was “Interstate quality,” as one person put it. Very big, smooth, and … out-of-place.) This section was very slow moving because of the rocks and potholes, but would be worth coming back to if I can borrow a mountain bike.

On the way back to Snoqualmie, I saw a family of deer sipping water. I’m sure they were wondering how much faster I have to pedal with the smaller wheels.

Greeting us back at Snoqualmie was a feast of pizza, pasta and pastries. Sated, I biked half of the “lower” loop (to the north) taking in the hillier section, but skipping the deconstructed bridge (I did that earlier this year). Totals for the day: 60 miles and 1,965′ elevation gain. The dirt road really slowed me down.

Flickr gallery.