Mt St Helens: 2005-11-20
I have this habit. Every year, close to Thanksgiving, I try to ride up to Mt St Helens to take a look at the mountain. The last two years, I rode my YZF and went up on Friday after Thanksgiving. This year, I went up earlier in the week, on Monday. In the past, I haven’t been able to make it all of the way up to Johnstone Ridge Observatory. This year was different.
 Mt St Helens |
 Mt St Helens |
 Mt St Helens |
 Mt St Helens |
 Mt St Helens |
 Mt St Helens |
The ride was easy enough. The only difficulty was reach in the overlook before the sunset. Time was short and I knew I had to keep moving if I wanted to reach my goal. Rolling it up, I entered the snow line at 3800′. The temps were still above freezing. My concerns were focused on the snow melt crossing the roadway. If I lingered too long in the darkening landscape, it was possible the flowing water might convert to a solid and my gentle curved lines would end in straight lines off the roadway. Trying to stick to the speed limit, I continued higher. The road to Johnstone Ridge was open as daylight continued to fade. It was time to swap out my visors and snag a quick photo before I tried to reach the observatory. The valley floor was filled with a golden failing light. Across the valley, a switchback marked the start of my final climb. Up and around, the ribbon encircled the terrain. Reaching the summit, I found about half a dozen other cars in the parking lot and piled snow around the edges. I dismounted, grabbed my tank bag and headed toward the mountain. A few more pics and my goal were accomplished. I actually watched the sun set twice, once before I reached 3000′ and again at the observatory.
The difficulties started to mount as I descended. The warmth of convection ended with the sunset. And the temperature fell like a stone. I stopped in Kid Valley to warm up and score some caffeine and calories. Read: a Red Bull, a Twinkie, and a cupcake. After 10 minutes, I was craving the power feed on my bike. It is funny that when I unplug to warm up, I usually get colder. The outer layers on my armour are still hovering near freezing while my windproof, heated vest keeps my core temperature over 100°. Hmm… I like that. When I reached I-5, I saw a temperature sign with a 38° reading. Once I got back to I-5 the ride was easy enough. Just miles and miles on the super-slab.
I enjoy the run. The roads are usually empty. The cold creates a barrier. The cold asphalt doesn’t allow for good grip, which forces a slower pace, a more relaxed pace. I have to wear extra layers, making sure every nook, cranny, seam, and zipper is closed and sealed. The smallest opening in my visor keeps the fog at bay. Keeping all of the helmet vents closed keeps the top of my head warmer. Neck gators tend to bind too tightly which makes my shoulders ache after a few hours. When I start to get really cold, I crank up the power of my heated grips. They work too well even in the lowest setting. It is very rare that I use them at full power. But when my arms feel cold or my finger tips are starting to go numb, I have to crank it up then start moving body parts every minute or so. Like all tasks, I use technology, knowledge and experience to overcome the immediate problem. No big deal.
So until next year…
