Earn Your Milkshake Metric Century
(a gravel ride)
Meet at Nick Loutsis Park in Carnation at 9:15 AM for a 9:30 AM rollout to begin a 67 mile out and back on the Snoqualmie Valley trail. Total elevation gain on the route is about 3,000' of mostly 1% - 2% railroad grade. The plan is for a moderate pace effort which on gravel will translate to a steady pace speed. Plan for the ride back down from Rattlesnake Lake to the I-90 underpass to be at an immoderate pace. Tires for the ride should be 35mm or wider gravel friendly tires. Riders should be comfortable on well packed gravel with the occasional loose spot. Terrain? This doesn't fit the A/B/C/D categories well because it's a long, gentle climb on the way out, but it doesn't let up and over the miles it does add up.
There are a couple of Honey Buckets of questionable cleanliness at the start. Plan accordingly. The planned stops are:
- Mile 11: Quick stop at Snoqualmie Falls: snacks, water, and flusher.
- Mile 23: Snack break, water, and flusher at Rattlesnake Lake.
- Mile 33: Lunch stop, no water, pit toilet at Alice Creek Campground (bring your lunch)
- Mile 43: Quick stop for water and flusher at Rattlesnake Lake.
- Mile 51: Milkshake - you earned it! Detour in North Bend to Scott's Dairy Freeze
- Mile 67: Back to the start
There is a Honey Bucket at mile 60 if needed.
The route looks like this: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52427667
Ride Leader: Paul Heydron, + 1 425 344 1543, paulhh.wa@gmail.com
Notes and logistics. Parking in Nick Loutsis park is tight. I suggest using the parking parallel to the trail along Milwaukee Street. Scott's Dairy Freeze isn't gourmet ice cream: it's soft serve, burgers, and shakes. If coming from Duvall, a convenient bathroom stop along the way is a Depot Park in Duvall (where we often start SVT rides).
It's a long day out on the bike. Bring plenty of water. Bring plenty of snacks and a lunch. There are places we can detour if necessary, but other than the planned stop at Scott's we'll mostly be on the trail. Bring the usual fix-it stuff - especially flat repair type fix-it stuff since we'll be out and about for quite a while. Please note that the stops listed as quick stop are just that - some water, quick trip to the bathroom, quick snack, and back out on the bike.
Disclaimers: Bad weather cancels. E-bike welcome, please read and comply with the club e-bike policy.
