Ride 542 is another way of saying do the Mt. Baker Hillclimb. I was fortunate to be able to shoot the course yesterday, and after spending the day with RD Charlie Heggem, I file the following report: DO THIS EVENT!
Starts in the quaint mountain hamlet of Glacier (pop 20, including dogs) and pretty straightforwardly climbs 4,000 or so feet for 24.5 miles (542 in the mirror) to the top of the Mt. Baker ski area. It is not a killer, brutal, relentless, kick-your-ass, Alps-like, Euro-climb, but more of a gently subtle, occasionally flat, scenic, challenging jaunt through the forest and up to the snow. It is a difference like Whiskey to Wine, Beatles to Stones, slush to powder. It is total cool. It is spectacular. It is epic. And it is next week (Sept. 7).
I will be in Madison, Wisconsin shooting IM Moo (again) on that day and hence the reason we shot it on a non race day. On race day next week THE ROAD IS CLOSED TO CARS. I will repeat that bolded and italicized: ON RACE DAY THE ROAD IS CLOSED TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. It will go for a very dramatic RCV, and Charlie and I even discussed the possibility of a Hillclimb Triple Crown, along with Mts. Washington and Lemmon. Wouldn't THAT be a sweet series?
So give this one some thought kids. If this inducement doesn't do it maybe the 4K purse will. Go here for more info. http://www.norkarecreation.com/hcindex.html
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