SteveSCF

This ride was one of the highlights of my 2008 riding season – in fact, it was the longest single-day ride I’ve ever done. Great weather, great scenery, well organized.

A great way to prepare for this ride is to ride the Tour de Blast—that ride is in June, and goes up the other side of Mt. St. Helens. It’s only 82 miles, so it’s a bit shorter, and the road itself is in much better condition (the roads on the High Pass Challenge have a fair number of cracks and potholes). If you can finish the Tour de Blast in good shape, you can do the High Pass Challenge.

I will likely do this again in 2009, unless I the schedule doesn’t work.

My goal was 100 in 2008, and I did 118. My 2009 goal is one higher!

This is a great goal, because at 20 miles/day it gives me plenty of base miles for my overall biking/fitness goals for the year. It also forces me to be out on my bike in all kinds of weather, which keeps me cycling year round.