I overslept for this morning’s 200k, but was still able to drive up to Arlington for the McClinchy Mile, the event put on by B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County. This year’s had three loops: a flat 34 between Arlington and Stanwood (Camano Island), a “challenging” 47 going from Arlington to Granite Falls to Lake Stevens, and a “hilly” 27, a cut-off version of the 47.
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| Granite Falls loop |
The 47-mile route (51.8 measured) heads south and was mostly rolling. Both rest stops (one in Granite Falls, one at Machias Station, just before the Centennial Trail) had orange slices, cookies, breadthings and peanut butter. Mechanical support, provided by Dean of Pedal Dynamics, was available at the Machias Station stop. Traffic was very light until the Centennial Trail segment merged with the shoulderless 67th Ave NE.
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| Stanwood loop |
The 34-mile route heads west and is pretty flat. There’s one rest stop at Heritage Park, the turnaround point. The “loop” of Pioneer Hwy and Norman Road breaks up the monotony.
Very friendly folks at the rest stops.
The cue sheets are pictorial only, not especially convenient for a map case, but the routes are simple enough and littered with faint Dan Henrys that it’s difficult to get lost. I would have liked a 100-mile option.
My co-leader for several of the the Cascade “Newcomers” rides left me a voice mail last night. It was a garbled cell phone connection, but he sounded none too strong. The message was that he had “overdone it a bit” on a ride, and wouldn’t be able to assist on Sunday’s ride. The 200K you missed appears to have done him in!
My husband and I rode our tandem out on the Centennial Trail from Snohomish to Arlington on Saturday. I had completely forgotten that the McC Mile was that weekend. I felt like we were nearly pirating the ride when we stopped at the Machias station for a brief WC break.
It was a beautiful day for our ride — I’m sure it was nice for you, too.