1000 km Pre-Ride notes - Mark Thomas

I rode the 1000 km route this weekend and put together the following notes to assist next weekend's riders.

Start time - The 9AM start increases the amount of night riding necessary to reach the stop in Pateros. I'm willing to offer riders an alternate start at 7AM. If you want to do that, try to let me know by phone or e-mail.

Weather - As always, be prepared for anything. Living up to its name, Rainy Pass greeted me with a cold wet descent. The climb up Washington Pass in the sunshine was toasty. Night riding in the Skagit flats was cold, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees F.

Road conditions - The roads were generally in good shape.

Apparently this is the season to do chip-seal patches, so look out for loose gravel in the shoulder - especially on SR-9 (mile 14-35 and 594-615).

There is bridge construction going on between Pateros and Winthrop. Down to one lane with traffic light control. Not a big deal, but the light wasn't timed for a slow-poke cyclist - make sure the driver waiting at the light sees you coming.

If you haven't ridden on it before, be aware that Chuckanut Drive (mile 520-544) has limited shoulder for much of its length. Bicycles are common on the road, however, and I've never had a problem there. The weather was great Saturday evening and the views were spectacular!

Although I was riding it in the dark and can't be sure, it appears that there was a deep ditch just off the shoulder on Dodge Valley Road (mile 562-565).

Route sheet - Watch the mileage carefully. Not all the streets are well marked at the turns.

Control points / services - The AM/PM where the route joins US-2 (mile 71.3) is a good place to stock up between the Arlington and Skykomish controls.

Leavenworth - The control is marked open, so stop anywhere. The usual stop is the Chevron/Subway on the left.

It is 54 miles from Leavenworth to Chelan. Nothing is open on 97A after 10PM other than a tavern in Entiat that appears to be open until 2AM. There are some services on US-2 a few miles before the exit for US-97/97A. I don't recall exactly how far before (Cashmere, I think).

The control in Chelan is open 24 hours and has a sub shop.

There is a convenience store/restaurant at Pateros, but it is not open late at night. I'll have supplies at the motel for the Thursday morning starters.

Winthrop has lots of options, but I stopped at a convenience store / Conoco station on the right just before the Virginian Resort. I'm not sure that anything is open before 7AM, so if you're moving fast, you may want to stock up with me back in Pateros.

Between Winthrop (mile 264) and Marblemount (mile 352), pickings are very slim. You can exit the highway on the right in Mazama about 15 miles past Winthrop - I think there is a store and a deli maybe 1/2 mile from the highway. The cue sheet notes a campground (Lone Fir) six miles before the Washington Pass summit. I filled up with water there - the tap is the first thing you come to when you enter the campground. Not much after that until you get to Newhalem, which has a general store - daytime hours only.

As you pass through Darrington the first time (at mile 379), feel free to stop in at the motel. I'll have supplies.

The control in Arlington is past town all the way to the highway (I-5). There are a couple of restaurants and several convenience stores clustered around the exit. There is also a motel (the Arlington Motor Inn). You will pass this motel again at about mile 589 near the end of the ride. I wasn't able to stay in Darrington (the motel was full), so I spent Friday night at this motel, left some of my gear, and slept there again on Saturday night. This place may fill up, so if it seems like a good idea to stop there either night, you might want to call them in advance at (360) 652-9595. I may be able to leave a bag there for Friday night instead of Darrington. Try to let me know in advance, otherwise I'll plan on Darrington.

Controls and services get much closer together after Arlington.

As you approach the Texaco control (mile 507) on Highway 20, you may want to turn right and wait for a light rather than try to get left into the turning lane. It's usually fairly busy through there.

In Fairhaven (Bellingham), there is a nice restaurant just past the Red Apple on the right. The Mambo Italiano Café had great food, charming service, and was fairly quick (out in 45 minutes).

In La Conner, the Pioneer Market is open until 10PM. After that, the Station House Bar & Grill is supposed to be open until 2AM. If you miss that, note your time and Peter will mark your cards when you reach the next control in Stanwood.

The Stanwood control will be manned by Peter McKay. Look for him on the right before you make the left onto SR-532.

Last Updated: 09.09.02