Journey of the Sorcerer (Chehalis)
Permanent #202, 209 km
Ride date: October 31, 2019
by Mike Hagen

Another routine gravel permanent is done. This was pretty simple: straightshot up the Lougheed to Harrison Mills, then up the Chehalis Forest Service Road far enough to get me to at least 200 km at the finish. It was chilly to start, but the sun was out and it warmed up nicely (until it got dark, then I had to pull the layers on again). The Chehalis FSR didn't start with much promise: it was loose stones, dusty, rough, and uphill. But once alongside Elbow Lake, the road leveled and smoothed out. There were a few potholes, but no washboard to speak of. And there was no traffic! A quad passed me on the way up, a SUV passed me on the bridge at my turnaround, and a pickup passed me on the way out. That was it. I went up further than I planned, so the route is now 209 km. I turned around at a bridge just past the "10 km Up" sign, because that made for a good Control, and because it'd taken me over five hours to get that far and probably over five hours back . . . I needed to turn around. I didn't want to, road was still good!