GHPQ 2: Washington Park - The Road to Rome, Part One: America - CycleBlaze

April 10, 2021

GHPQ 2: Washington Park

I started packing for the next tour this morning, in a small way.  The Rodriguez is back from the LBS after a badly needed tune-up, so it’s time to suitcase the Bike Friday.  It won’t see the light of day again until we unpack him in Minneapolis and point his nose eastward.

We picked up Roddy at REI last night while walking home from an al fresco meal at Cafe Mingo, a long time favorite.  The shop was supposed to be done with it today but we haven’t been notified yet, so we decide to just stop in and check on its status as long as we’re walking by.  We check in at the service counter and are about to identify the bike we’re here to pick up when I look up and see Paul rolling my bike out from the back.  he’s just finished it and is about to rack it up before working on the next order.

We apologize to Paul for being five seconds late, and then enjoy a nice chat catching up on how the last months have gone for each other.  We talk about Moab, Rodriguez the bike, Rodriguez the company, his daughter’s dancing lessons.  He’s our favorite bike mechanic in town, and probably our favorite anywhere.  

The weather is unsettled today.  Slow to warm up, and with a chance of showers late in the morning there’s no incentive to get an early start.  We both loaf around the apartment all morning, reading our books and waiting for the threatened showers to pass.  Instead, they keep moving further out.  Finally, I decide to trust the view out the window instead of the weather app and head out when conditions look improved for the moment.

Truth be told, this is a day I might have sat out If it weren’t for the challenge goading me into motion.  I’m not shooting for anything too ambitious though.  I’ll just bike up through Washington Park, past the Japanese Garden, past the zoo, and continue on up to the crest before turning around and activating the GoPro.  It’s only 10 miles, but the climb is steep enough in spots that I can just barely credit it for a minor workout.

Once I begin climbing though, I start getting into the spirit of it.  I’m finding that there’s a part of me that’s starting to get a bit frightened anticipating climbs, even fairly modest ones like this.  I’m not quite sure what’s going on here - maybe a loss of confidence, maybe a fear of pain.  It’s all a mind game though - once I get moving everything is fine.  I get to the crest and decide to just keep going, adding the loop around Fairmont and up to Council Crest - at about 1,100’ it’s the highest point around.  On top I pause to take in the views and enjoy chatting with an older couple that walked up here from their neighborhood down the hill.  They remind me of the history of this place, and its heyday a century ago when there was an amusement park up here and a street car line running up from downtown.

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A house in the Alphabet District. We noticed this for the first time last night walking back from dinner, so I suspect it’s gotten a recent face lift.
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At the Holocaust Memorial, Washington Park.
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At the Holocaust memorial. Somehow it’s especially touching that the doll sculpture on the bench is draped with fallen azalea blossoms.
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The women’s restroom at the Rose Garden is out of service.
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Looking across downtown from above the Rose Garden.
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The cherry trees by the Japanese Garden are still in full bloom. The ones at the waterfront peaked about a week ago, so maybe we’re just high enough here to delay the season.
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On Fairmont Boulevard. These flamboyant magnolia blossoms are the largest I’ve ever seen - they must be ten inches across.
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The views from Council Crest are nothing to get too excited about today. We’ll come back when the visibility is better and the fruit trees are in bloom.
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There are four or five ways to drop back to town from Council Crest, probably all video-worthy.  I’m not really sure which way I’ll choose today until I’m in motion again, but in the end I decide to just backtrack to Washington Park.  The visibility isn’t that great today, so I’ll save Council Crest as an excuse to come back here later in the quest.  

The 600’ drop through Washington Park is fast and fun, but not the unqualified delight that River View Cemetery is.  There’s a bit of competition with the cars that you have to stay mindful of, but they’re not much of an issue - no one is moving all that fast, and downhill you nearly keep pace with them anyway.  More of an issue is that it rolls a bit and has about a 100’ climb when you pass the zoo entrance.  No big deal today, but definitely an unwelcome annoyance at the end of a longer, harder ride.

The dragonfly antennae in the video are an annoyance too.  I’ll have to see if I can tape down the cables on the Rodriguez to get them out of the frame.

Video sound track:Blue Rondo à la Turk, by the Dave Brubeck Quartet

I’m surprised at how quickly we’ve come to feel at home here. We’re enjoying the view to the east, watching the light fade and the crows come home to roost.
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Patrick O'HaraLove the music and descent video, Scott. Being a little further north than you, Vancouver is in a cherry blossom explosion right now. What a great idea for another quest.
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3 years ago

Ride stats today: 20 miles, 1,700’

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