Sunny Seattle

[cpg]

Sounds like a cool brevet. Looks like some of our illustrious list members participated. Nice ride Orin!
http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2007/09/issaquah-alps-100k.html

Curt

[Fixed]

bro cool i'm goin try one of those .. one of these days
cheers :beer:

[Ray]

I can't imagine starting a ride off with a climb like the one that starts that route, up Cougar Mountain. I've driven that road a number of times and it's brutal. Its hard to compare the visual impression of a climb from a car and from a bike, and I know I've done climbs as hard and harder. But that climb looks almost impossible from a car and I've been in cars that struggled mightily with portions of it. Something to hit with 20 miles of warm-up in your legs, not with a couple miles of cool September morning in you.

Otherwise, looks like a beautiful ride :beer:

-Ray

[Orin]

Sounds like a cool brevet. Looks like some of our illustrious list members participated. Nice ride Orin!
http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2007/09/issaquah-alps-100k.html

Curt

Thanks!

My GPS trace is at http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/3908350 (enjoy the elevation profile and inflated climbing totals) and here is the report I did for a local group:

It was a great day for a slightly lumpy 100k Populaire. OK, they advertised 5400 ft of climbing and I got more like 5700 ft in the more like 110 'official' km.

The warmup on this ride is the infamous Zoo hill in Issaquah. Somehow, I got out with the lead group with Mark Gorman and Bob Brudvik salivating over the upcoming hills. Bob levered his way up on his big chainring until he went out of sight. Mark did his usual spin and I left him and the lead group to their own devices with many hills known and unknown to come.

From the top, we went up Lakemont, down Lakemont, along Newport and back up Lakemont again via 164th. After dropping down to Coal Creek, we started on May Valley, but took the first right. Quite a pleasant gently rolling route down towards highway 169 where we picked up Jones road. Another nice quiet gently rolling road up to where we were forced onto 169 until we could get over to the trail. An informational control at the end of Jones Rd had us scanning the power poles for advertising which turned out to be for the Hempfest. Then it was over the not too pungent today Cedar Grove and another nice back road to Issaquah-Hobart Rd which we took to the south end of Tiger Mountain Rd. This was a pleasant climb and not at all difficult compared to the rest.

At the top of the Tiger Mountain climb was the (not so secret) secret control that we'd been told might just possibly exist to stop us bypassing this climb. We were warned about an accident on the descent that might have left dirt on the road... the flatbed tow truck blocking both lanes was a different matter, requiring hard braking then some portage throught the sticker bushes on the shoulder to get around.

After a headwind section back into Issaquah, we went up Sunset and explored the new trail alongside Highlands Drive, finally picking up an old favourite route, Issaquah-Fall City Rd and the river road into Carnation. No Starbucks for us, Sandy's Espresso instead. A quick "not too hot" latte later, and the final hills loomed ahead.

First, Tolt Hill with another informational control half way up. It was hard to get going again even after only stopping for a couple of minutes to write the answer down. Down the other side and a little 202 to Duthie Hill. This wasn't too bad, but the rollers on Issaquah-Fall City Rd back down to Highlands Dr started to take their toll. A screaming descent down and over I-90 to Sunset Way took us to our final challenge - Mt Park Blvd/Mt Olympus Dr - the third climb up Cougar Mountain. Marked on the cue sheet as "very steep uphill" and "still steep uphill". They weren't kidding. "Death threat hill, you have met your match!" The reward at the top was a nice gold SIR 100km pin... and some refreshments.

This was a great ride to do - we have some new roads to add to our routes, especially the Tiger Mountain Road which can easily be added to our May Valley route.

[Ozz]

...This was a great ride to do - we have some new roads to add to our routes, especially the Tiger Mountain Road which can easily be added to our May Valley route.
Sounds fun.....I've added the Tiger Mountain section to my May Valley rides a couple times...it seems tougher outbound, than when coming back towards Issaquah.

Thanks for the report....I might need to check out Cougar Mountain. :beer:

[tbushnel]

Orin,
thanks for the report and the map. I am going to try parts of that ride as well.
ted.

[Frank Draper]

Orin,

Thanks for the report. My wife's sister, husband, 3 children, mother and father live in Issquah on Tiger Mountain area. Knowing the area I can vouch for it being a very tough ride.

FrankD.

[dspang]

I was hanging out on the other side of the P&R waiting for a buddy when the the group headed out. We did a abbreviated reverse route of this Alps ride, from the Park and Ride to the salmon hatchery, Cedar Grove, to the river out to the lake and then down Newport Wy to Issaquah. It was a glorious day for a ride in Seattle!

The mentioned zoo road is a real lung burner, I live on the other side of Cougar Mt., and I will only ride Cougar Mt. Way eastbound. The way they came up includes a hairpin that requires cars to use 1st gear, and if you are not aware it can stall you out. The people who run or ride it from the Zoo side first have my admiration and respect. I'm just too much of a weenie to do it that way.

It's a fab descent though coming from the West. The first half of the descent you can hit a "no-fooling" 50mph without trying too hard, just gotta watch the blind driveways. The curvey bottom half has a couple corners that has the blood pumping as the drop off from the road is a loooong way down into the big fir trees. You mess up on that section and you can be missing in action.

[Ginger]

I'm just jealous that you people have well known "routes" with interesting/challenging stuff on them.

We do around here...but really...they're a lot of the same old same old or you have to drive an hour or so to find something different. :(

[Steve Hampsten]

I love that zoo climb and my dad's house was about 2/3s of the way up. No way do I ride it as a descent - too many driveways and too much steepness.

[NoviceRider]

I've done the Zoo hill 3 times, 1st two the hill kicked my butt. I had to spend at least 10 minutes in that bus stop shed at the top recovering. The 3rd time I did much better, but was on my 20+ year old heavy bike. I just stopped briefly at the top to wipe off my sunglasses and then pressed on.

My Madone had to be shipped back to Trek because of a stripped screw hole used to mount the front derailleur. Finally have the bike back so I'm looking forward to doing the Zoo hill again, hopefully with more success than my first two attempts.

Anyway, I know Treks aren't well thought of on this forum so figured I'd just give you some more ammo :). Trek bashing aside, I have no explanation for why I had so much trouble going up that hill on my Madone, because it's a much better ride and climbs so much better than my old bike (and approximately 10 lbs lighter).

[Ray]

I have no explanation for why I had so much trouble going up that hill on my Madone, because it's a much better ride and climbs so much better than my old bike (and approximately 10 lbs lighter).
It's either gotta be lower gears or a better position/weight distribution. I think I'd need mtb gears for that hill.

-Ray