Paradise Valley, Squamish - October, 2012

Imagine this - the gang is finally back in the saddle after a long dry spell. But the chosen ride to Paradise Valley in Squamish will hardly leave us saddle sore. Hoody chose this destination as Koody & Newbie are bringing along a fellow Yankee who has never been to Vancouver, let alone this neck of the woods. The Pro-Nancy is guaranteed to enjoy the "Sea to Sky Highway" even if the ride, weather and/or company fails to deliver.

 And so the ride begins on the uphill side of Highway 99 at Alice Lake. The lake is calm and scenic, but chilly all the same as a finger test verifies. Better that than major shrinkage. But before starting Newbie spies a small but beautiful piece of nature - the mushroom, or is that a toadstool. It is an Amanita Muscaria - a toadstool - that is both poisonous and possesses hallucinogenic properties if ingested. Glad we left it alone to its own devices.

 The book says the terrain is paved roads, some flat, some gentle hills. I can attest the ride downhill to the highway is not gentle. All Hoody can think is "Oh Lordy - what goes down must be hauled back up later - bike, body and all!" Crossing Highway 99 and we now continue gently on a hill, until we reach the turn north to Paradise Valley Road. We have yet to pedal since starting but all good things must come to an end. We are on a fairly open road, passing a sawmill with the smell of fresh, cut timber.


 A little further on and we spy the homestead of a 'Sprite' beckoning us to join her and her friends for a romp in the bathtub. No time for that now, especially since Newbie and Pro-Nancy are way ahead of the pack.

 A wave good-bye and we catch up to Newb and Nance at the Cheakamus River Bridge. We stop to enjoy the river. Just upstream we can see the fish jumping. In fact, the river is known for its steelhead and salmon fishing. It certainly is a good day to be a fisherman. We didn't bring our poles. Instead the guys are wearing their matching neon jackets which are catching the gnats. Obviously the green is attractive to these little buggers and if we wait long enough they'll be covered. So they shake the little pests off and we continue the ride.

 And look who we meet now. It is Koody's friend Billy, or rather a pygmy cousin. Research has confirmed that these are dairy goats, complete with wattles - a curious hairy covered appendage that to us, of the non-farming class, find interesting. One unproven theory is that a goat with wattles gives better milk. A few looked pregnant and we thought how can this be. Aren't babies born in the spring? Well, truth be told, the gestation period is about 150 days and these animals just keep on breeding regardless of the time of year. Goat calendars are available in case you need to check your herd. Do remember that the wattles usually stay on the wether - Ha! The goats are part of the Squamish Outdoor School and after being entertained by this passive bunch, we continue on our way.

 The road winds its way through a typical coastal forest - complete with a dense area of tall cedars and other coniferous trees, draped in hanging moss. It is quiet and eerie here even though we are in broad daylight. Only the occasional car on the road breaks the silence. The forest ends as we approach another crossing of the Cheakamus River, obviously a popular place for salmon fishing as there is quite the gathering of fisherman.


 We have another 2 km to ride to the Tenderfoot Creek Fish Hatchery.  The tanks are full of coho salmon and they will pass the winter here until eventually being put out to sea in the spring. These are large schools of wild salmon, not to be confused with farmed salmon, as an employee emphatically explains to us. From his tone, we gather this is a hot and sensitive topic and are directed to research the internet for further information. Hoody has and certainly it is more education for the day. This dispels the notion that farmed fish are bred in hatcheries like this. In fact, farmed fish are raised in pens in the sea and never leave 'home'. Disease and chemicals are just a tip of the iceberg with problems to this method so Hoody will avoid farmed fish at all costs. The hatchery is the end of the road for this ride so we now retrace our trail back to Alice Lake.



 But not before we find a thousand-year-old western red cedar just off the beaten path. A boardwalk surrounds the trunk but to our surprise, the tree is dead, deceased, not living. I think we all expected to be awed by some towering living giant. It's mentioned as a highlight of the ride so that basically is that.

 We meet up with Squamish Valley Road and the gradual ride uphill to the highway - quite do-able. And then it is over the highway and the final push up that last upward climb. OK - not for all of us as Koody and Nancy cruise on without a single huff and puff to the top. Newbie gives it a valiant effort but finally decides to walk the last bit of the hill. That's the signal for Hoody to bail and follow suit.


 Our day of biking ends with a scenic lunch at Furry Creek Golf Club. We dine while being entertained with golfers on their last push uphill on the 18th hole - albeit with golf carts to ease the climb. Nancy comes down with a case of the giggles which we had attributed to beer. But I am re-thinking - she may have been closer to the toadstools than we earlier thought. We hope to squeeze in one more ride before hanging up the bikes for this season.

Fir Island & the Tulip Festival, April 2012

This was the first bike ride for 2012 and it almost was the ‘ride that never was’. Hoody decided it was high time for Koody and Newbie to experience the wonderful scenery of fields of tulips in La Conner. We would combine this with the Fir Island ride and knock off 2 stones at once.

The plan – Koody and Newbie would make the 4 and a bit hour drive from Portland and Hoody (minus Olde Dutch) would drive from Vancouver (about 2 hours, give or take the border crossing) and we’d meet at Pioneer Park. The pre-arranged time – 11am. But the morning of, Koody and Hoody connected and Koody confessed that his and Newbie’s mechanical skills were lacking. They couldn’t figure out how to install their new bike rack on the car. So 12 noon was the new agreed upon time.

Hoody arrives near La Conner at 10:45 and stops at the mall to get some cash. Koody and Newbie, meanwhile, phone Hoody shortly thereafter to say they are in La Conner. Yikes – Hoody is immediately on her way, figuring she is only 15 minutes from the rendezvous point. So let’s do that figuring again – one highway exit so jammed with tourists to see the tulips that it is impossible to get off, opt for another exit further along, weaving country roads lacking adequate road signs, using maps that are lacking road names, 3 stops to ask for directions, 7 or 8 texts back and forth ($1/minute for Hoody), and finally almost driving past the parking lot in a rush to where my BB’s are waiting – I hear my namesake which saved me. We connect and the ride is definitely on.

So one hour later from Koody’s “we are here”, Hoody out of breath, with the ‘natives’ restless and starved, we decide our first order of business is food. So the ride is off temporarily while we ‘fill our engines’.

But not before Hoody checks out the newbie bike rack. It’s a beauty and so are the guys – in their matching neon green hornet jackets. So bright for Hoody’s eyes that she has to immediately don her sunglasses. Hoody must confess – she has a team jacket but left it at home, opting for winter black and warmth. The spring in the northwest is known to be brrrrrisk!

And check out the snazzy new car to go with the bike rack – another pride and joy and newbie member of the family. It’s a hybrid with all the bells and whistles. A tourist obliges us with our traditional starting group photo at mile 0 and then it’s on to lunch in La Conner at the Nell Thorn restaurant.

We decided to wait for a seat on the outdoor patio (the biking being detained a bit more) and eventually enjoyed a decidedly delicious lunch with some sun and tulips to put us in a festive mood. Waiting to pay for our bill slowed us down even more – Are we ever going to get those rears in gear on the bikes?


Yes – we are finally off! Heading east out of town on Morris Street, Koody spots an old relic – traditional style gas pumps with a not too traditional price. At least not the 20 cents/gallon that Hoody remembers from childhood. Hoody is much more interested in the milkshake that is for sale, except there is currently no room in the ‘tank’ having just finished lunch.

We take the first roundabout duly noting the marker in the centre hailing Louisa Ann Conner, whom the town is named after. We head north on Laconner-Whitney Rd and east on McLean Rd to ‘Tulip Town’. But not before a chance to see a field of bright yellow daffodils to catch our fancy. Their season has just about faded but we are still finding a few ‘late bloomers’ amongst us. There is also the wonderful view of Mt. Baker and the surrounding farm land area (not as peaceful and quiet as the 11 other months of the year when there is no festival and traffic jams) but still enjoyable enough that the mind can wander.

And then of course, there are the fields of tulips. Such an amazing array and display of colour. From a distance, the colours seem to stretch to the horizon and beyond. Up close, we enjoy the individuality of each blossom. And then there’s the photo-op – in front of the tulips, behind the tulips, beside the tulips, smelling the tulips, parking near the tulips. The only thing we didn’t do was ‘tip toe through the tulips’, although if we had a ukulele with us I’m sure we would have been bounding through the rows, belting out a Tiny Tim classic. And yes, Newbie found a weed (no not that weed!) and managed to transform the bane of all lawns into an object d’ art.

Having our fill of tulips, it’s time to ‘pick’ up the bike route to Fir Island and discover what adventure awaits us along the way. We head south along Best Rd, with Hoody, Koody and Newbie enjoying a leisurely pace. The colonial houses, weather worn barns and abandoned structures lend a country charm to the ride.

We pass the Rexville Grocery on our left, a bit of a landmark according to our book. Apparently there are gourmet foods to be had and picnic lunches to be bought. You can even rent the store after hours for that special occasion. Hoody decides to give the store a pass instead of exploring what’s inside – based on an outside first impression. That and the sign for their art show – a misnomer? From across the road the canvases looked a bit touchy, feely as in black velveteen canvas. We’ll leave it at that for now knowing full well Hoody’s 4-eyes could be totally in error.


On we go – up over the bridge spanning the Skagit River and then a left on to Moore Rd – finally escaping the traffic. Our route takes us along the Skagit River, but the view is obscured from the high levees that protect the area from occasional flooding. The ‘No Trespassing’ is a bit of a deterrent but it’s the sense that this is NRA land that keeps us from really poking around too much.

But our route is still interesting as we happen upon the Skagit City School. The original structure was completed in 1902 with a west addition in 1907. We’d say it was a stroll through memory lane but please, we don’t look that old. There are swings in the yard which are irresistible to Hoody & Koody’s childish spirits. Albeit, the buoy is more challenging to stay seated on than we initially imagined. School’s now over for the day so we’ll continue on our way.

Newbie is clearly not enjoying the gravel road given his bike is strictly meant for pavement. In a flash he is way ahead of the pack but his neon jacket is never quite out of our sight. Hoody and Koody, meanwhile, stop to take a ‘ride around the world’, stopping briefly in Malaysia before making our way back to Skagit Country again. Did we forget? – there was that jaunt in Peru to check out the llamas.

We catch up to Newbie at the Fir-Conway Lutheran Church. The roots of the church date back to 1888 when the congregation worshipped in a local school house. The current structure was built in 1917 with additions since that time. The ‘Wizard’ in the parking lot seems to be the latest addition, working its magic of welcome relief.

And then in the blink of an eye Newbie is on his way with Hoody and Koody lagging behind again. It’s the signs that have now caught our fancy. Or maybe we’re just courteous riders that share the road with the local traffic. Whatever the reason, we are thoroughly enjoying the agricultural humor.








  Until the NRA pops up again and we feel like fair game.

So we skedaddle west than north on Fir Island Rd, eventually hooking up with Newbie at the bridge. It’s a mild uphill climb on Best Rd and then Newbie is off into the wind – as in gale force head wind – leaving Hoody and Koody chugging along. Well maybe not Koody but Hoody sure struggled. Either it is legs that haven’t recovered from a day of ‘boot camp’ or it’s an aging bicycle that now needs to be replaced.


We eventually roll into town with Newbie sunning himself on a bench, waiting for the lackeys. We finish our day with a coffee and sweets at the Calico Cupboard.  Biking back to the cars, we have time for a quick peek at the Magnus Anderson Cabin.  It’s a batchelor pad, akin to studio apartments today. Then it’s time for the BB’s to hang up the bikes and head for home, with promises to ‘hit the pavement’ together again in July.

Trip Details

Start: Sat 4/21/2012 11:51 am
Finish: Sat 4/21/2012 5:21 pm

Ride Time: 1:56:28
Elapsed Time: 5:30:46
Distance: 25.14 mi
Total Ascent: 1.74 mi
Total Descent: 1.77 mi
Avg Speed (Ride Time): 13.0 mph
Avg Speed (Elapsed): 4.6 mph
Maximum Speed: 27.6 mph (this was Newbie, certainly not Hoody!)

Route Map:http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=205306643065937420938.0004be46b3f67313c7dc9