Time to hit the road!

Well. It’s underway. The 2015 B4B ride is ready for for departure. This morning I took off from the Seattle area south to the city of Rainier. Ironically not even close to Mount Rainier as the name would suggest. I left Jon and Margaret’s house around 10:30 AM. Thanks so much for the incredible hospitality!

The ride itself was relatively tough. There were hills. Lots of them. Some that felt as if they would never end. You know those hills where you think you see the top, and then there’s a whole nother climb? Yeah. There were a lot of those. Lucky for me it was also raining in the mornning. Nothing too devastating, but enough to put the rain jacket on. The hills lasted throughout most of the first 35 miles. Then I hopped on a road, and cruised the final stretch into Rainier.

For lunch I stopped at a Subway and reenergized my body. It’s pretty easy to tell when you need to eat something. Your body just feels exhausted. You’re tired. However, eating a few more calories or granola bars can quickly solve that problem. I’m already enjoying all the weird looks that I’ve been getting from people as I walk into businesses. Who is that guy and why is he wearing spandex bike shorts? I smile, then nod, and continue on my way. In the evening I stopped at a Walmart to buy dinner. The amount of stares I received were plentiful, but, hey, a little self embarassment is good for the soul. Right?

Mapping the route is still a work in progress. Eventually through these first few weeks, I’ll figure out a system that does two things. Works when GPS or 3G cell service is not available, and conserves as much cell phone battery as possible. My mapping is my phone. Which is good and bad. It is efficient, can update, and can really lead you out of almost any problem. However, without solid service or battery it becomes almost useless. That’s why figuring out an efficient system is important to safely and efficiently reaching each location.

Setting up camp tonight went suprisingly smoothly. I found a nice, free campsite thanks to a local. They even have electrical outlets, so I’m charging up my phone for tomorrow’s ride. The tent went up with no problems, my sleeping bag is warm and cozy. In fact, I think I hear it calling my name. So with that, day 1 is in the books. However, it’s only the first out of a long game. There’s still plenty of game left to be played. See you tomorrow.

Matt