Wishram Part 1...how to get there

Thursday was the day Bella and I had been looking forward to for quite some time...Wishram day!  The plan was to be in the car and on the road by 8:30 am, but departure time is not a strong suit of Bella's and we were out of the house at 10:00 am.  Oh well...

Wishram is about a 4 hour drive from where we live, and it does not matter if we take the easy way (freeway) or the beautiful way (Chinook Pass).  Which way do you think we took?  Correctamundo, we went via Chinook Pass, through Yakima and Goldendale, and finally slipping into the Gorge to Wishram.  However...I did not drive the whole way.  Why waste some perfect weather and scenery in the car, when I could hop and and ride to Wishram?  Well, that is exactly what I did.

About 40 miles from Wishram, somewhere close to absolutely no where, I pulled off the road and Bella humored me while I put the bike together.  The distance was 22 miles to Goldendale, so I figured close to 40 miles to Wishram.

The first thing I noticed was that it was hot...When we left our house it was 60 F, and where I got  out it was 84 F.  I also knew that the temperature was only going to rise the closer I got to Wishram, due to it being in the "desert."  I was prepared though and had two water bottles, as well as some food.

The second thing I noticed was that my legs were stiff!  I do not do well sitting still, much less for 3 hours.  Getting out of the car and immediately on the bike did not feel real good at the start, and it took me a long time to get loosened up.  Good thing I had a slight downhill...Oh that was just an optical illusion, and I was actually going up on a 1-2% grade for about 2.5 miles.

This is where the fun started, I then had a 4 mile climb and gained nearly 1,000 feet.  It is really amazing how much easier and shorter climbs feel when you are in a car.  I kept expecting the climb to end, as I went, but the dang thing just went up, and up, and up some more.  I knew that I had a long way to go, so I did not push hard on the climb and average just under 12 mph.

What is the best part of climbing???  Knowing that you have really accomplished something is one, but also knowing that there will be a fast descent is the other.  It is always refreshing to fly down a mountain, and feel the pain slowly leave your legs.  On the descent I easily stayed above 32 mph.  I could have pushed hard and really flown, but I knew I still had a lot of miles, wind, and heat to come.  I was trying to be smart and tactical....Two traits I do not exhibit very often.

After the easy descent, I was treated to another climb...This one was much shorter (1.5 mi) and easier than the first, so it went by in the blink of an eye.  From there I should have had easy "spinning" to and through Goldendale...Should have.  Turns out someone thought I was having too good of a time, so they dialed up the wind a few notches as well as cranking up the temperature.

After the second descent, the ride was flatish for a good 8-9 miles, but by no means easy.  In fact, I would rate this portion of my ride as the hardest.  The temperature steadily climbed, while the wind went from next to nothing to STRONG.  So even thought these miles were flatish, they were by no means easy.  I worked hard and harder to hold decent speeds.  This is also where Bella decided to start the photo story of my ride.

Bella, the ever organized, made a grocery store stop in Goldendale.  This worked perfectly, because I would have food and beverage when I arrived in Wishram, and also get to see what I look like pedaling down the road in the middle of no where.  Yes, I know that all the drivers think I look like an idiot.

One thing I bet you did not know is that Goldendale is a MAJOR player in the alfalfa market.  Here is the proof...

After Goldendale, there is a 4 mile descent into the Columbia River Gorge.  Normally there is a very strong wind from the west, which does little to help with the heat.  Surprisingly, on this day, there was almost no wind.  I was baffled by this, especially since Goldendale had so much wind.

Since there was almost no wind, I knew I was going to be dealing with some serious heat.  I am glad that I put nuun tabs in one water bottle, and drank that bottle first.  Why?  Two reasons...

1 - I would not be low on elctrolytes while riding in the heat.  If I drank the regular water first, I would have lost a lot of electrolytes and would not be able to replace them fast enough while riding in the oven.

2 - I could use the regular water to squirt on my head a cool down for about 3 seconds before it evaporated.  Doing this with electrolytes would be stupid and just add to the salt build up on my face and clothing.

So how hot was it?  100.4 by the time I arrived at the house in Wishram.  Yeah I know what you are thinking, and it is true...I am on the dumber side of fool, but I am still the most intelligent man in my house.  I actually enjoyed the heat...On the west side of Washington it is still cold and wet, and that will not change for another couple of weeks.  Little did I know that the east side was going to get some west side love real soon.

Part 2 to follow soon...