foiled again

This weekend we went to portland for "Filmed by bike" a celebration of the bicycle. It is short films about cycling or related to cycling. It is in its fifth year, and grows each year. They tell the story of the first year hoping that 50 people would show up. Last year they had just two showings on Friday at 7 and 9 this year they had 6 showing and it sounds like they were all sold out. 1,300 people in all. To me that is just amazing, and inspiring. Seattle we should get one going. Outside the theater, before the first showing.

Fat Tire was there with some of their bikes, sit and spin, oh not so good after all that beer.

"Filmed by Bike" raffle girls where everywhere.

After we went to the sold out 7 o'clock show we exited to see this madness, the streets before the 9 o'clock showing. too bad you can't read the lighted board. Is that called the marque? just wondering.

Like i said we went last year and it was great, we didn't really have to wait in line, this year was different we had to wait in line, the weather was similar, rainy, and the air was filled with excitement, bikes, bikes, bikes....what more is there to say.
We didn't really plan that well and ended up heading home that night so that we could get to the step it up rally the next day here in Seattle, we figured the traffic would be easier to deal with at night, than on Saturday morning. We had a really big step it up rally, we marched and chanted and showed our support for lower carbon emissions and our support that global warming is a real issue that we will need to deal with in the upcoming years if we wish to leave the earth in any shape for future generations. There were still people that were trying to tell the marchers that it is all one big hoax to make money, but it fell on deaf ears as everyone marching was commited to the cause. It rained on us a bunch, but by the end the sun came out and warmed everyones spirits.
Sunday my friend Craig and I went to Skukoom Flats and the trails off the 410 here in Washington. 410 is the road that goes out towards Crystal Mountain. As those of you who live here know this winter has been a rough one. It started hard and fast in November with the most rainfall in a single month ever recorded, and never really let up at all. Most people that I have talked to that have lived for a long time have dubbed it the worst winter in 15 or 20 years if not the worst winter they have ever had here. It went a little something like this, rain, rain, wind and rain, wind rain and snow, ice and snow, rain, wind, rain, I think you get the picture. We had a group that we thought were going, but it only ended up being us two brave soldiers by the time the day actually arrived. I thought that it would be difficult, but interesting enough I didn't think about the blowdown and damage we might see. I thought it would just be a bit damp and maybe a little muddy, but the soil out there is more loamy and filled with pine needles and roots. So we arrived it was bit chilly, but not too bad. Did the whole strip by the river thing, no peeking etc. then doned our uniforms and it was off to explore, and we got our monies worth.
This was the fifth or sixth tree that we came across in the first mile, and the only one that was even close to be ridable the others were head high. So I got my log hop on.....

and road away clean, I didn't say it was pretty though....

Craig got to enjoy some open trail, he is smiling like he always is.....

That was the White's Creek side of the equation, then we crossed the highway and went on an adventure, retracing the route of last years Greenwater Gamble, we added some extra climbing, and the whole time it felt like I had a lead weight attached to my bike, the earth was pedal power robbing, think snow melting on dirt and you get the idea, I felt filled with gu, and stuck in place, craig on the other had just pedaled along, damn gears. So we climbed for awhile and hoped to get to and intersection with the Sun top trial, but the snow turned us around, riding through snow at 30 miles an hour is fun, like cutting marshmellows, I hope you all understand that, cause I don't.
We wanted to be over there, I think, have to go back at a later date and do some more exploring when there is less snow on the ground.

After finding our way back and through some snow,we reconnected with the race course and eventually found our way to the Skukoom Flats trail, and we were off like a herd of turtles. There was a lot of blowdown on this trial, and even a large section of the trail missing. Just take a look at the picture....

and that suspension bridge that used to be so fun... well not so much anymore...

I would imagine that this trial will get cleaned up sometime in the future and maybe rerouted, well for it to continue it really needs to be rerouted, because the steep side hill hiking that we had to do was just a challenge we joked that the most fun thing to hike through brush and over and around trees with is a bicycle, it just felt like the forest wanted to grab every part and rip the bike from your had, by the end the bikes started to get a bit heavy on the arms, and the mind started to be a bit tired of on the bike off the bike. Like a bad cross race with 4 foot barriers that try to strip the bike from you hands. oh now thats an idea, that would make for a great spectator sport. any takers??????

So I have rambled on enough i figure and made up for not posting for awhile. thanks for reading, and if you made it this far you are a real trooper and deserve a medal or a chest to pin that medal on at the very least. as always keep pedaling......