Long Slow Distance

Brian, Suzie, and I took Crash, Gerald and Chugg (respectively) out for a longer ride yesterday. This is the first time Suzie has been able to join up (when we didn't get beaten back by a snowstorm) and we did great. The intent was to begin our LSD rides and begin exploring the Centennial Trail that travels north from Snohomish. We left my place at around 8am (and 34°, yikes) and headed south out along the Lowell-Larimer Rd, then angled back north to Snohomish on Springetti Rd. Here's a picture of TGOR at the top of Springetti

I certainly don't tire of the scenery out here, even on a dismally gray day like this the countryside is refreshing.

Once in Snohomish we poked around until we found the Centennial Trailhead and began blazing our path north. Despite the annoying, and sometimes difficult, zigzag riders are forced to take at the roadblocks the trail designers threw up at intersections, we make quick progress. So quick that we just kept going. And going. Long Slow turned into Longer, and a little Slower. For we had to be a bit wary on the stretch between Machias and Lake Stevens, there was still quite a bit of snow on the trail from a storm or two ago. Finally we turned around to head home, but only because we ran out of trail. Yep, we took it all the way to the northern terminus up in Arlington.

The return trip quickly began to reveal that none of us had intended to travel quite this far this day. We all got hungry. Real Hungry. But Suz (and Gerald R.) were the MVPs of the day, for they had stashed away a $20 bill. Enough for everyone to enjoy a cookie or a bagel, enough to fill the tanks enough to get us home. While eating outside the espresso stand we saw the Snohomish Bicycling Club riders making their way through town. Geared out in blue Bicycle Centres Jerseys they looked to be just making their way toward the trailhead. Brian and I have talked about joining one of those rides, maybe in one of the upcoming weeks.

So, there is a lumberyard in Snohomish that likes to boast of their safety. Or rather lack of it. The number on this sign is usually below 10! The highest I've ever seen it climb is 36, which was just the other day when I passed here on a ride. As we approached it today I thought it might be up in the 40's now, but NOPE. This warranted a picture with Crash (who needs to make this his photo in his blogger profile now).
As we pass here and write of our ride in this vicinity we'll have to try to keep track of the safe stints here for you.

Once we had a little something in our bellies we began the last stretch of the ride home, up Riverview Rd and then Homeacres Rd on Ebey Island until we reach Hwy 2 and home to Everett. I really love this stretch: it's beautiful, amazing views of the river, the valley, and the mountains to the east (which were lit up like a beer commercial today!). Plus it's fast, the road is primarily long flat stretches where you can just pound out the miles. Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's virtually in my backyard, literally no more than 5 mins from my front door.

All told, we rode for 60 miles round trip. I think that's the longest ride I've ever been a part of. And I'm ready for more. I hear Monday and Tuesday are both going to be clear weather-wise. If it's not icy tomorrow I'll commute to work, otherwise I'll car my bike in and just limit the day to a lunchtime ride with Crash and work on the climbs. I think I have plans at gramma/grampa's house on Tuesday, but I'll see if I can't get in at least 20-30 miles in the morning.