Ridin The Iron Horse II

[+The Jester]

LittleBlue: I've done sections of the Iron Horse on a Hybrid Bike (1.75" tires) without any problems. Bigger is better, but One and a half inch tires would be pushing it, and I wouldn't ride anything with 1 1/4"  unless I was being paid Stuntman Union Wages.

Cool! Getting paid to cache. Now where do I submit my pay request for last year?

[+magking1971]

So, It seems everyone wants to do this but now we are at the when part.

Anyone have any ideas?

[MarcusArelius]

Agreed it's time to start firming up the plan.

 

The tunnel doesn't open until May 1st so May/June is a good target. Last year we did it Memorial day weekend but some people make other plans for that weekend.

 

So what is preferred Saturday or Sunday? I would lean towards Saturdays which leaves these options:

 

5/7

5/14

5/21

6/4

6/11

 

How about planning to arrive at Rattlesnake lake at lunch time so that we can picnic? People could end their trip there or continue on to North Bend after lunch.

[+Patudles]

May 14 or 21 work for me. Just chose the day the sun shines. May 6,7 & 8 is my weekend for caching in the Whidbey and Skagit area plus that may not be a good weekend for some as it is Mothers Day weekend.

[+Half-Canadian]

May 7 is the date of a big event planned to launch the new WSGA chapter The First Annual Great "48 North" Geocaching Event, so hopefully you could avoid scheduling another event on the same day! I think quite a few people from the great Puget Sound area will be planning to come up north for the event, so it would be nice not to have them make a choice between the two ...

[+Nomadic Man]

May 21, June 4 or June 11 are all good. Yes Saturday's are best.

[+leatherman]

May 14.

[+Team Noltex]

Just about any weekend up to the middle of June is good for us. I'm just completely stoked to go!

[+TotemLake]

May 14.

May 14 will be no good for me.

[+paul2tele]

June please for me. My May dance card is full:

 

5/14 sailing in the San Juans (it's business. no, really it is!)

5/21 band trip to Victoria

 

Maybe I can grab that cache on Sucia...

[+robinego]

<looking at her PACKED May calendar...can it be? ... it must be a mistake...a Saturday off?> YES, there is a God. I have 1 weekend that I will be awake....5/14-15/05

[+AndrewRJ]

My 2 cents. Any weekend is fine with me

[lucyandrickie]

We say May 14 just because it's sooner than June

 

We like the picnic at Rattlesnake idea. In fact, we're thinking to skip the ride and have a grill set up with burgers and hot dogs for everyone. (And Robin thought she was getting stuck with tuna salad)

[+Allanon]

May 21. I'm booked for a golf tournament on the 14th.

[MarcusArelius]

OK, so lets eliminate Mothers day weekend also.

 

So its'

 

Date PRO CON

5/14 4 3

5/21 3 1

6/04 0 1

6/11 0 1

Any 2

 

The June Con's are the L&R comment wanting May.

 

Anyone else want to add their two cents?

Edited April 7, 2005 by MarcusArelius

[Moun10Bike]

I vote May 14.

[lucyandrickie]

I should add that since we are skipping the ride, we have two mountain bikes to loan out. Write us if you are interested.

[+Patudles]

May is best and the 14th is the very best. But I am game either. I better start looking for that super padded bicycle seat

[+LindaLu]

May 21 would be better for me. I may have to work May 14, 28, every other week, etc.

[+NBJPoppa]

Well, like LindaLu I have every other weekend free myself. For me the better choices would be: 5/14, 5/28, 6/11, 6/25...

[+Stump]

May 14 would get my vote.

[+paul2tele]

6/4 or 6/11 - Pro

[+Cruiser Guy]

I'm good with any weekend. Just sounds like fun to me.

[+EraSeek]

I would really like to go too. I'll just hope it's the right day, and go if it is.

[+Barnabirdy(s)]

14th sounds good to the Birdy(s).

[MarcusArelius]

I apologize in advance to anyone that cannot make it, but it looks like May 14th is the preferred day.

 

Now for the start time we have to allow enough time to bike and cache our way to the lake by 12:00 to 1:00PM. I figure the westsiders can meet up at Rattlesnake lake to form carpools up to the pass. We would meet the “real” eastsiders at the pass. Last year we left Hyak around 9AM with the intent of getting to North Bend by 1PM. However, it took longer than I thought and I think we made the lake at lunch time. Anyone remember?

 

I was thinking departing the pass at 9AM would be about right. What do you think?

 

Also there are a few starting point choices. The closest to the tunnel is the state parking lot (Last year's starting point) which has a $5 parking fee, the forest service lot at N47 23.071 W121 23.393 which is free if you have a NW forest pass, or at Barrel of Fun which is free but is not a defined parking lot and is at the other end of the lake.

 

What do you think? I’ll submit the event page soon.

[MarcusArelius]

I better start looking for that super padded bicycle seat

And I can loan a gel pad seat cover.

[+TotemLake]

I'll have to go some other time then. That's my anniversary, and if there's one thing I've learned, you don't forget the anniversary. Y'all have a great day!

[+LittleBlue]

I have Girl Scout camp with my duaghter that weekend. Sorry I'll miss it!

[+Stump]

I'll have to go some other time then. That's my anniversary, and if there's one thing I've learned, you don't forget the anniversary. Y'all have a great day!

Just show her your post. It proves you didn't forget your anniversary. Then come riding with us.

[+Nomadic Man]

The only Saturday out of the year I have work, bummer I was looking forward to doing it this time.

[+Patudles]

I better start looking for that super padded bicycle seat

And I can loan a gel pad seat cover.

Hey, thanks, but I remembered a cache I went to last fall by the Navigatorz and he had put a soft padded bike seat in the cache. I took it thinking about this ride in particular, but never got around to trying it out on my bike so I had forgotten about it. I was in the store looking at comfy bike seats when I remembered this. So I just tried it today. It fits my bike perfect and the tires on my bike are all pumped up and ready to go. Looking forward to this event. Is it better to have the tires fuller for this type of a ride or not?

[MarcusArelius]

Fuller tires usually mean less resistance but a harsher ride.

 

Since this is all downhill, and gravel, I'd leave them a little on the soft side but not so much that the sidewalls buldge out.

 

edit: Boy if I could type I'd be dangerous.

Edited April 12, 2005 by MarcusArelius

[+Barnabirdy(s)]

Put in plenty of air. It's easy to let it out

[+The Jester]

Fuller tires usually mean less resistance but a harsher ride.

 

Since this is all downhill, and gravel, I'd leave them a little on the soft side but not so much that the sidewalls buldge out.

 

edit: Boy if I could type I'd be dangerous.

I'll strongly disagree with that! Softer tires will give you 'snakebite' flats. If you hit a rock the tire deforms, pinching the tube between rock & rim, causing two little holes (the snakebite). I'd inflate the tires to the recommended pressure listed on the tire (upper side of range).

 

Now you have two opinions - choose which you want to follow (but if you follow his, you may be following everybody - flats take time to fix ).

[MarcusArelius]

Fuller tires usually mean less resistance but a harsher ride.

 

Since this is all downhill, and gravel, I'd leave them a little on the soft side but not so much that the sidewalls buldge out.

 

edit: Boy if I could type I'd be dangerous.

I'll strongly disagree with that! Softer tires will give you 'snakebite' flats. If you hit a rock the tire deforms, pinching the tube between rock & rim, causing two little holes (the snakebite). I'd inflate the tires to the recommended pressure listed on the tire (upper side of range).

 

Now you have two opinions - choose which you want to follow (but if you follow his, you may be following everybody - flats take time to fix ).

I will defer to the flat expert

[+hydnsek]

So, some of us who did Ridin' the Iron Horse last year were talking about doing the Snoqualmie Valley Trail instead - same day - and meeting y'all at the rendezvous point for a group lunch (which I believe lucyandrickie are setting up). We could even set it up as an event cache, as well. I've never done that trail ride, but there look to be a bunch of good caches to grab.

 

The only hitch is - a 120-foot section of the trail washed away March 29 just above Fall City, cutting it at the midpoint. The break appears to be not far from cache ahead's Getting There cache. I don't know if there's a way to detour around the washout (which has an 80-foot drop into the streambed and is reportedly unstable), but if not, we'd have a much shorter ride, starting from the parking area at 356th Dr SE in Fall City, rather than at further back in Duvall or Carnation. Not sure how long this makes the ride to the rendezvous, or how many caches that leaves (again, I haven't done this trail), so maybe one of the knowledgeable folk can shed some light on what's feasible.

 

Input, suggestions.....

[MarcusArelius]

Hmm, now how am I going to be in two places at the same time. Shoot.

[+Allanon]

There's always the option of playing in my golf tournament as well...

[MarcusArelius]

This years' event page has been posted.

[+magking1971]

Thanks, now I can post this on the local boards.

cantwaitcantwaitcantwait

[+hydnsek]

OK, so is anyone interested in me setting up a simultaneous event down the Snoqualmie Valley Trail on the same day and meeting the other group at a rendezvous point for a group lunch (which I believe lucyandrickie are setting up)? Figured some of us who did the Iron Horse last year might want to do something slightly different.

 

Per lucyandrickie, we could start at GCN54K [just past the washout], which makes it about 16 miles on a slightly uphill grade [vs. the downhill longer Iron Horse]. I need to check, but we'd still get about a dozen caches on that stretch.

 

If there's interest, I can arrange an event cache.

 

Abby

[+xy,xx,xy,xy,xy,xy]

Team XY will be there. Is it really all downhill? Trying to figure out whether the 6 year old can handle the distance and whether XX is up to the task. Also is the gravel deep or soft? That'd make a huge difference on his ability to crank through it and my ability to pull the trailer with the 3 year old.

[+runhills]

Team XY will be there. Is it really all downhill? Trying to figure out whether the 6 year old can handle the distance and whether XX is up to the task. Also is the gravel deep or soft? That'd make a huge difference on his ability to crank through it and my ability to pull the trailer with the 3 year old.

It's really all downhill but remember going the other way it is a gentle railroad grade. Actual coasting would be very slow going. Mostly hardpack, almost pavement except for some loose gravel on a couple of the trestles; no problem for the trailer. Last year a couple of youngsters (6ish???) made the trip but it was less than fun because they were always playing catchup to the rest of the group.

 

Maybe a funer option would be for part of your family to go on down and get on the trail at a point closer to Rattlesnake and then play at the lake if the main group doesn't catch them.

[+xy,xx,xy,xy,xy,xy]

Sounds great. Thanks a bunch.

[Moun10Bike]

I've created a bookmark list for the ride and added comments to those caches that I've already done (or hidden). Also, for those who use GSAK or GPSBabel with arc files, I have created an arc file for the route and posted it here. Setting the distance from the arc to 0.25 mile gives you all of the caches listed except for "Stuffed with Fluff" (plus a couple of extras not easily accessible from the rail trail).

[lucyandrickie]

Lunch is served. We'll save the biggest burger for the last one down the mountain.

[+Patudles]

Is it a Veggie one or do I bring my own. I don't like going fast so I will probably be the caboose.

[lucyandrickie]

Don't worry Tuddles there's a veggie in the bag for you.

[+Right Wing Wacko]

Lunch is served. We'll save the biggest burger for the last one down the mountain.

Oh good.... that will probably be me