Desert (Windy) River Randonneurs 400km May 26, 2012
This is the same ride / route that the DRR held did last, it is a nice route basically an out and back with a variation in the middle. The ride starts in Richland Washington, heads west to Prosser then on to Toppenish before turning north to Yakima. From there the route meanders through the Yakima River valley climbing 3-4 hills before reaching the turnaround in Ellensburg.
The ride started at 6am I was up at about 4:30 and headed to the starting point about 6 miles from my hotel via the excellent bike paths that run along the rivers and connect the Tri-Cities. The day was clear and cold and I was happy to have put on a t-shirt under my Jersey.
Having ridden this same route last year I was well prepared for wind and rain in addition I studied the route and mapped it out several times so I wouldn’t get lost. An inevitable part of randonneuring is making a wrong turn at some point during the ride which I always do. This one came early as I missed the turn outside of Benton city and continued on for another ¾ mile or so before figuring out I was off course.
Having gotten back on track I poured on the speed, it helped that the road I was on was slightly downhill enabling me to cruise pretty fast. I even had a chance to ride in my new aero bars which I bought to help beat the Eastern Washington wind and as an alternative place to rest my hands during these long rides. Along the way I passed 2 other riders before reaching the control at Prosser where I met up with Ron as he was preparing to get going again. I was quick at the control and Ron invited me to ride along with him. Together we headed out to the next stop in Toppenish which was a blessing as it is about 30 miles of flat road and head winds to get there. Along the way Ron and I got into a rhythm of changing off the lead every mile together we managed to keep our speed up averaging about 17 mph. We made a quick stop in Toppenish before heading on to the next control in Wiley City. At the Wiley market Ron made a very funny discovery. He had texted his wife that he was riding with a guy name “steve”. She texted back perfectly describing me. Turns out she had been my physician at work who I went to see after doing the DRR 600km event last year. I had remembered she told me her husband was also a randonneur but I failed to put two and two together when Ron told me where she worked. Just goes to show you what a small world it is.
From Wiley we rode up to Yakima and then entered the Yakima River Canyon. The canyon is probably the prettiest part of the ride but also the most difficult. There are 3-4 hills and constant head wind. Even with a tail wind it is a difficult road. Ron and I pressed on through meeting a local rider along the way who joined our little pace line and took a turn pulling for us which was a welcomed break.
We arrived in Ellensburg and made the traditional stop at Safeway eating our lunch/dinner before heading out again. On the way back through the canyon we passed the other 4 riders still heading to Ellensburg. All seemed to be doing fine and we exchanged smiles and waves in passing. Along the way through the valley we had to climb the hills in reverse but had some great descents of a mile or more. Ron pointed out that everyone was a hero when there is a tailwind. The first 5 miles or so after lunch I was feeling pretty crummy and Ron was pulling, then thankfully I started to feel better and we kept going. Traveling with Ron helped a lot he pulled when I was feeling crummy and I pulled when he was feeling crummy. We took a few breaks along the way to look at the river from the summits of the climbs. I needed to dig out more “Gu” as I forgot to load my pockets at the last stop. Ron enjoyed the breaks also and took a moment to fuel up on “Gu” as well. Once out of the canyon the hardest part of the ride was over, only a few minor climbs remained and a lot of flat ground. We stopped at the Nob Hill control getting some food at Mc’Ds. I had a small chocolate shake and Ron sat down for some food.
From there we headed east, I remember last year putting on my lights at this point but this year Ron and I were well ahead of where I was last year. The final 3 legs of the ride are 20 miles, 30 and 30 miles respectively. The distances are nice and the road generally flat making it generally a nice ride. Along they way we stopped at two gas stations and a Mc’Ds where I had some chicken strips and fries. We took one last break at Benton city before taking on the final climb of the ride then racing down the road full speed back into Richland. When we got to the last control point Ron had to call me back to slow down as I just about passed the turn in. Ron and I finished up the ride having ridding 17hrs and 18 minutes. Overall it was a very nice ride.
There were 6 of us that started out the ride on May 26th. One of the riders that I met at the starting point was Jared Carr. He was there with his wife Kelley who was going to meet him later in the day at one of the controls for lunch. I remember noticing that he had his Road ID on his left shoe and that he was riding a Specialized. I saw Jared twice again on the ride. Once just outside of Benton City heading west. He was moving along well and we exchanged hellos, he was smiling and seemed to be enjoying the ride. I saw him again about 4pm he was past the half-way point in the Yakima River Canyon. We exchanged waves and smiles, he was doing well maybe 15 minutes behind the next rider from what I could tell his spirits were up. He was through the hardest part of the ride and I’m sure he was looking forward to the break in Ellensburg. Jared was hit and killed by a car at about 12:30 am on May 27. He was about 30 miles from finishing the ride.
