Wednesday, May 1, 2019

Gold Bar (2019-04-27)

Trying to get into the mountains again.

At Gold Bar
Geotagged Album

Related albums:

Skykomish II (Album)
Washout Before Galena (Album)
To Index…With Friction Shifting! (Album)
Skykomish (Album)

More after the break…

Part 1: To Bus

Part 1: To Bus

As always, I started at 5:00 and headed over to the UW freeway station. I did have to stop to lower my saddle because I laced it, which caused it to sag less when I sat on it.

I had feared rain because of the forecast, but I didn't see any in Seattle. There was a band of rain in the convergence zone between Seattle and Everett, though, which stretched all the way into the Skykomish River Valley, which is where I would eventually be headed.

Part 2: Outbound

Part 2: Outbound

Everett Station was as depressing as always. So many people in obvious poor states of existence. One lady was bent over and making distressed sounds, but wouldn't say anything when a security officer asked if she was okay.

Despite the clouds I'd seen earlier, it was clear skies in Everett.

Snohomish River and EVerett
Clouds to the South: There was a band of rain falling between Edmonds and Snohomish while I was riding the bus to Everett, and it was headed straight for Gold Bar. Thankfully, it was to the south of Everett.

I used the bicycle route across the Hewitt Avenue Trestle, but instead of using 43rd Avenue SE to get to Snohomish, I went all the way to Cavalero Corner, then went south on US 2. The new-to-me bicycle underpass was flooded, so I had to cut across two lanes of very light traffic.

US 2 & SR-204: A pretty big junction for being in a fairly rural area.
US 2 Bicycle Underpass: It was unfortunately flooded, so I rode back up to the top of it and used the highway's shoulder—which entailed cutting across a couple lanes of traffic. Thankfully, it wasn't busy that early in the morning.
US 2 Bicycle Underpass: It was unfortunately flooded, so I rode back up to the top of it and used the highway's shoulder—which entailed cutting across a couple lanes of traffic. Thankfully, it wasn't busy that early in the morning.

I had vague recollections of riding up some hill at the east end of the Hewitt Avenue Trestle in the past, but I wasn't sure if it was US 2 or SR-204. Considering all the new sights, the previous time was definitely SR-204.

Snohomish

My plan was originally to deviate from Bickford Avenue to avoid a certain stretch of road, but I ended up staying on it all the way into downtown Snohomish. It was pretty funny seeing Bickford Ford park brand new trucks on gravel parking lots. I didn't stop in Snohomish at all, but rather kept going along my usual route out along US 2. Looking back, maybe I'll try riding the high bridge over the Pilchuck River sometime.

US 2
US 2

Continuing with my deviation from my past norm, I took a new route through Monroe as well, featuring a stop at Lake Tye Park and riding along some unfamiliar trails.

Lake Tye Park
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Not bad. #cycling

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Greenway: Couldn't find a name for it.
Trail in Monroe: Couldn't find a name for it.

I eventually unintentionally deviated from it, but since there's a gridded street layout there, it didn't really matter.

Rather than taking US 2 out of Monroe, I instead left via SR-203 and Ben Howard Road, which was as beautiful as always.

Ben Howard Road
Rural Monroe

There's an abandoned trestle beside Ben Howard road not far from its west end, which was part of the of the old Milwaukee Road line between Rattlesnake Lake and Monroe. A lot of the derelict trestle is still standing on private property in the area.

Old Milwaukee Road Trestle: In a past life, this was the mainline between Rattlesnake Lake and Monroe. Large sections of derelict trestle are still present on private property in the area.

Just like my last time on Ben Howard Road, I bailed on the 10+% grade a ways in and walked up it.

Ben Howard Road Climb: Maybe someday I'll be brave enough to climb this 10+% grade.
Ben Howard Road Climb: Maybe someday I'll be brave enough to climb this 10+% grade.
Barn
Ben Howard Road
Skykomish River
Ben Howard Road
McCoy Creek

Not far from where Ben Howard Road turns into Mann Road, I even found a bridge with a wooden deck! I was wondering why cars were making so much noise when crossing it.

Mann Road: The first bridge here has a wooden deck!
Skykomish River Braid
Skykomish River Braid
Rural Sultan

When I finally crossed the Skykomish River, its size really captured my imagination. Sure, it's not a huge river, but it's been a while since I crossed something that big.

Skykomish River
Over Skykomish River
Sultan River Bridges and Skykomish River
Skykomish River

Once across the river, I got onto US 2 and headed east, passing through Sultan and Startup. It also started to rain very lightly, but thankfully, it wasn't enough to require rain gear, and it was so scattered that I just ignored it.

Startup Market
Philadelphia Mountain Over US 2
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I sure love a good #generalstore . #cycling

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When I got to the turn back point of my route, I thought that I'd mistakenly planned it to turn back at Sultan, but what actually happened was that my route was truncated by a bug in a script I wrote years ago for converting Google Maps and RideWithGPS directions to useful GPX routes. I fixed it for next time after doing this ride.

Despite that setback, I continued until I reached Gold Bar.

Neil and 333fab at Gold Bar
Gold Bar Family Grocer: What chain runs this? It's too nice to be a one-off!
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#cycling #bicycletouring

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I was so happy to see Woodshed Espresso still open! The last time I was there, the staff was so nice and I had some tasty ice cream and coffee.

Woodskies Espresso: It made me so happy to see this place still operating!
Stevens Pass Snowboard Shop
Stevens Pass Snowboard Shop

I had it in my head that there was a great barbecue place in Gold Bar, but I apparently conflated past rides in Gold Bar with rides elsewhere. Instead, I stopped at Prospector's Steak and Ale, where I had both a tasty burger and a nice chat with the employees. One of them told me that the mountain in one of my photos was Mount Persis. It reminded me of my past times there.

Prospector's Steak and Ale: It's been three years since I was last here. The staff was just as friendly as I remember!

Part 3: Inbound

Part 3: Inbound

Heading back, I discovered that I was getting a tailwind earlier in the ride, which was now a headwind. For much of the ride back, it wasn't too bad. Speaking of the weather, it was kind of funny looking back, as it was rainy back there while it was sunny to the west where I was now headed.

Alpen Drive-in: You drive up to the window to place your order, then park around back to wait for it.
Clouds Over Sultan

I've passed this cute antique shop in Startup many times, but only thought to get a photo this time.

The Haystack Company Antique Shop: This place always catches my eye when I go through Startup.

When I stopped to take a photo of the Texaco in Sultan—which honestly was in pretty poor shape—the owner asked me why I did that and I told him that I like taking photos of places I visit. I bought a candy bar because I felt bad. I told him that I had no idea Texaco still exists, but he told me that they were more common on the East Coast.

Sultan Texaco: Texaco does still exists on the west coast!
Black Bear Clothes Mural
Sultan John: Who the town is named after.
Sultan River Bridges

I wanted to get some photos at Sultan River Park, but the road was closed because the Sky Valley Pokémoners had set up an Earth Day event.

Road Closure
Weigh Station: I was hoping to do an "I hope my bike isn't too heavy" at this old weigh station, but they took out the old building.

The wind started becoming more difficult to fight as I headed west from Sultan. I could barely maintain 11 MPH when it was bad, and it was especially bad when there weren't any cars stirring the air up around the highway.

Wayside Chapel: I always enjoy stopping here for a photo.
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The church in Sultan is pretty small! #cycling

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The reptile zoo was pretty popular, with crowds of both children and motorcycle riders.

Reptile Zoo: Back when I was a kid, one of the guys from this place showed off some of the reptiles in my classroom.

At that point on the highway, traffic was starting to get pretty bad, with more slowdown into Monroe. If it hadn't been for that slowdown, however, I wouldn't have been able to merge into traffic to cross the narrow bridge that marks the east end of the main part of Monroe.

Hot Rod

As I headed west out of Monroe, the wind became even worse. It would periodically try to push me into traffic, and it got so bad that I considered giving up at one of the bus stops east of Snohomish…where the wait for the bus would've been 41 minutes.

However, I stuck it out 'til Snohomish, unloading my bike at the first bus stop in its downtown. The wait for the bus was only 15 minutes there.

When the bus got to Everett, my transfer to Seattle didn't show up when it was supposed to. About 10-15 minutes later, though, three of them showed up. The driver of the one I got on said over the PA system that the traffic on I-5 was horrible.

Part 4: Return Home

Return Home

The ride home from the University District was itself pretty uneventful. I stopped by FreeRange cycles to chat, and ended up finally meeting jonpeer6. We chatted for a good hour or so while the shop's owner kept trying to get his front brake's mounting bolt unsiezed. One thing that he brought up was the crane falling and killing four people in SLU. Other topics brought up were Shutter Precision dynamo hubs and how the shop owner doesn't much care for them, and how Bantam Bicycles are a pretty good deal for custom. I only left because I wanted to get home no later than my fiancée.

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