Author: Mackey

Obliteride 2020

The Fred Hutch Foundation (based in Seattle) hosts a fundraising event every year called the Obliteride, with the intent on raising money to obliterate cancer through research. Because COVID, this year’s event is virtual so I planned my own century route.

Last week I headed out for a lunch ride where, long story short, I blew up the carbon frame on my road bike. I’m okay, but my beloved Orbea is most certainly not. Scrambling, I found a robin’s egg blue gravel bike, a Salsa Warbird, in a local shop that just happens to be my size. That’ll do pig, that’ll do.

Big shift in the plan and now my century road ride has turned into a century farm-road ride. Considerably tougher on an unfamiliar route with a brand-new bike. What could go wrong?

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Shots in Salt Lake City

Meet up with the college buddies for a good ‘ol fashioned football tailgate. The weather was miserable as was the outcome of the game, but Utah fans were the absolute best. Shot with a Kodak disposable.

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Home to Cheney

It’s 5am and I’m rolling out of my hometown Pullman, Washington to bike up to my buddy’s house in Cheney. It’ll be about a 75 mile road ride, mostly on country two-lane highways. He’s going to have some BBQ and cold beer ready for me so my motivation is decently high.

The ride was just fine with nothing super exciting to note. I stopped in the town of Rosalia for a convenience store lunch before continuing on through Turnbull Wildlife Refuge. Solid miles.

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Somewhere in Central Wash

Met April in the middle of the middle. It was her location and her plan, I was just along of the hike. The intention was to overnight at some designated campsite but we very quickly (not quickly enough) realized that we were completely off route. Decision-making wasn’t our best set of skills this trip and we ended up following active train rail back to the trailhead.

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