John’s Ramblings

I needed to get some miles in yesterday, but I woke feeling a bit run-down, and my knees were a little tender for some reason. Knowing I’d get blown off the back of a group just rolling out of the parking lot, I opted to ride an a less frenzied pace on my own. Given the dire forecasts of a.) record high temperatures and b.) extremely high river flows from the melting of our record snowpack, I decided that an early morning ride out to the Green River Gorge might provide a unique spot from which to view the rushing waters.

I thought I was marshaling along at a fair pace as I rode up “Hatchery Hill”, aka Auburn Black Diamond Road. My watch tells another story, however, as I was a full two minutes slower that my best time to the top. Time to do some extended intervals, methinks. I rode past the bakery to see if I saw any familiar faces, but there wasn’t a single bike parked in front of the bakery. Instead I stopped at the mini mart in town to replenish my water bottles, and continued my ride to the gorge.

The river was indeed putting on an impressive show in the gorge. I would learn today that two men are missing and presumed drowned from trying to raft in the very cold rushing river along this very stretch. The Green and Cedar rivers were closed to all users later in the afternoon, as the rescue folks were inundated with calls for help.

As I rode toward home in the Green Valley, the rising waters were in evidence along the roadside, and in some of the adjoining fields downstream. Freshly plowed and ready for planting, these fields at Mosby’s Farm were under a couple of feet of water as a result.

52 miles on the day. I’m a little nervous about the long miles coming up next weekend, when I’ll be riding the Century Ride of the Centuries. I’m very much looking forward to visiting Pendleton again. However many miles I end up doing, I know I’m going to have a good time.

P.S. Today is the 28th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Happy Anniversary to her, and to the folks I used to work with at KNDO in Yakima.

Tags: Cycling, flooding, green_river_gorge

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