Disappointment
Abandoning the Cape Disappointment 1000
Ride dates: June 22-25, 2019
by Eric Fergusson

This was my message checking in with ride organizer Mike Hagen, which turned into a newsletter submisson. [EF]

Here is what happened to me. Most of Saturday effort, of course, was spent facing down that ugly headwind. But I also lost a little time with a physical problem in Marysville, and rogue bungee cord at 215 km before the decent into Edmunds. The cord warp itself around my cassette and could not be pulled out even with pliers. I eventually found someone with a knife who was able to slice it out. And of course we all lost little time because of the Edmunds - Kingston ferry. I found myself in Shelton (335km) at 2:15 a.m. and was uncomfortable with letting myself fall too far behind the time limit while sleeping. So I pressed on to Montesano. But sleepiness, the climb out of Shelton and growing morning wind meant that I didn’t make up any time, in fact the opposite. Coming into Montesano on that flat road, my speed was 17… 16… 17 kph head down into the wind. Tough to make up time at those speeds. When I arrived in Montesano at the motel, Erik was there looking relaxed, well rested and ready to go. We were at 385 km and so only one hour ahead of the limit. I knew I would lose at least an hour to the hills and head winds before Raymond, and then be riding the time line into the wind all the way to the Cape. And I still I hadn’t slept. I reluctantly admitted that it was game over for me.

23 hours later at 6 a.m. Monday, in the breakfast room at the Montesano motel, I found Kyle (also abandoned) finishing breakfast and ready to head out for Port Townsend. He was planning to ride all the way home, straight through the night. On Sunday morning he had still been in the ride, and had gone about 20 km past Montesano before turning back. He said that Will had left their Shelton motel before him and might still be on the road. I was pulling for Will, but he too must have been on the limit or behind it because of the Shelton sleep. (I later heard that Will had also abandoned.)

I took two days to ride home and did it on the route. The Montesano to Port Townsend leg was pretty quick. Even with a sit-down meal, I would have made the 3:30 ferry. But I had booked a Port Townsend room and was looking forward to enjoying some time in town, and the motel hot tub.

I caught the 6:30 a.m. ferry on Tuesday. Zylstra Road after Coupvellle was wonderful. A nice find Mike! I know the stretch of Aulds Field / Clover Valley Road and was wondering about access to Saratoga Road. Of course it was closed… because it’s a military base. On a hunch I went down to the other road going north off that stretch of Clover. It was unnamed but had lots warnings to do with the proximity to the base. An extremely steep climb and decent took me to Rocky Point Park - nice views, but no access to Saratoga Road. Further along the route, nobody could have predicted the road surface disaster on Satterlee. I walked down that hill, and then cut up on Christenson which I knew from previous rides took us directly to Hwy 20. The scariest part of Tuesday for me was 52nd Street “Johnson Road” through Surrey in rush hour. Very happy to reach Surrey Lake Park intact.

So for me it was mini hell week: ~400, rest, ~200, ~200. Great conditioning!

Glad to hear that you and Paul had made it, though it was never in doubt. Thrilled to hear that Erik made it too.

June 27, 2019