Training Log Archive: tommyturbo

Rainier-Syc with Tracy

Grand Ridge-Duthie-Soaring Eagle: Diversity is a good thing. In the 2.5 weeks since I returned from five straight days of road riding at the ninth annual Chelan Cycling Camp, I've been busy riding MTB. I've ridden the trails at Grand Ridge 3x, Duthie 3x, Soaring Eagle 3x, Olallie 3x, and Raging River 3x. For good measure I've also ridden Tiger once and my local trails at Park Pointe twice. I feel like I am riding really well. Now I just need it to rain this weekend so I can catch my breath!

Olallie Jolly: Contrarian viewpoint results in a tiebreaker. I've had hard time deciding which is my favorite of the two new fantastic local MTB areas that have been developed in the last year. With the recent opening of the new one way trails at Raging River, I now have a clear favorite and it is Olallie. The reasons: 1) RR has the second longest and hardest (by a wide margin) climb in King County-but Olallie is the hardest and longest and that's even better 2) Raging River is now quite crowded even on a weekday. Today I didn't see a single other rider at O. 3) I don't like the new one-way DH trails at RR that much-I prefer the "old" way of descending. The new trails are purpose built for DH and come off as very contrived to me. 4) Since the new RR DH trails are ridden in only one direction and everybody brakes in the same spots, the trails have taken a pounding from the crowds and are badly eroded in spots. 5) While the views are nice FROM the clearcut at the top of RR, the view OF the clearcut sucks-I don't like clearcuts. 6) The crowds! Sometimes it pays to be a contrarian.

Squak Mountain back yard hike. It's sweet to be able to access a beautiful forest via a trailhead .25 miles from the house.

Highway from Hell. Tracy dropped me off at the Raging River TH and I rode home on I-90 after I finished at RR. I was so used to being done with my ride at the parking lot that I saved the ride file. It's legal to ride on I-90, but I've never heard anybody call it fun of any type. It actually wasn't bad at all. I've ridden far worse roads. I was tired from the get-go, and that's not ideal before starting up the second longest and hardest climb in King County.

Olallie Jolly: Return to the "Quaint" Bike. After four straight days on the "modern" geometry MY18 Epic, I was not sure what to expect when I went back to my "pre-modern" bike. It was as great as ever, actually better than ever, now that I have installed 11 speed and XTR brakes. I love the MY18 Epics, but I'm keeping MAC unless I manage to break it. I'm faster on the MY18, but I have no excuses when riding MAC.