Building the calendar

It's hard to believe that January is almost over already. Was it just 4 weeks ago that we were welcoming 2013? And just 10 days before that we were huddled in our bomb shelters against the end of the world? (JOKING!)

Trying to schedule my events for the year, it seems that the planets just aren't aligning for me. The Vicious Cycles events I was looking at (Gran Fondo Leavenworth and Gran Fondo Winthrop) fall on not-the-greatest days. I found a couple other interesting-sounding events that are remote possibilities, if not for this year then potentially next year: The Lewis and Clark Ride & Tie on Labor Day, and The Oregon Coast Gravel Epic on October 5th and 6th.

The Ride & Tie is a 150-mile two-person relay on bikes, with a car to accomplish the leap-frogging, over some pretty challenging terrain. My sister lives in that area, and I've visited several times -- it's basically right on the crest of the Cascade mountains where the Columbia River flows through, the only sea-level passage through these mouintains. Weather can change rapidly (the locals say "if you don't like the weather, just wait 20 minutes"). And there's a reason that this area is one of the world-capitols for wind- and kite-surfing. But it's surrounded by mountains. Climbing would be the word of the day.

The Gravel Epic just sounds like a fun ride much like what I was looking for with the Gran Fondos. My wife, bless her, was looking at the ride calendar trying to find other events for me on better dates, and was finding a few (though not many) Gran Fondos... and not realizing that the reason I was interested in the Vicious Cycles events was due to the off-pavement aspect. The Gravel Epic, on the Oregon Coast just south of Newport, is ALL off-pavement (as I understand it) on forest service roads. Gravel roads one day, a beach ride and run the next.

Not that these events are necessarily on better dates for me this year. Who knows, though...