Published September 13th, 2007
in biking.
Once again this years MS Bike Tour was an amazing event. Last weekend Kristin and I, along with about 1800 cyclists, pedaled 150 miles around Skagit, Whatcom, and Island counties on a two-day figure eight route that started and stopped in La Conner each day. It was definitely a challenging ride with a total of 7000 feet elevation gain. My legs are still sore and my seat isn’t sure when it wants to get back on the saddle again. But I wouldn’t trade the sore muscles or tired body for all the fun and sun and camaraderie that I experienced last weekend.
Combined Kristin and I raised over $4500 for the National MS Society. Our 28 member team Lyn’s Leggs raised $30,000. And so far the 2007 MS Bike Tour’s 1800 participants have raised over $1.2 million!
THANK YOU to all of you that sent support! These events are only successful because of your generosity. If you haven’t already given and would like to contribute, please do. Donations are being accepted for this event through October 19th.
Check out my photos from the weekend.
To donate visit my personal page
Click here to view the team page for Lyn’s Leggs
Thank you for your support!
-Brandon Wilhite
Published August 14th, 2007
in biking.
I love biking in the Puget Sound area. With all the different bodies of water that surround Seattle - Lake Washington, Lake Union, the Ship Canal, and the Puget Sound - traveling almost always requires navigating around or over bodies of water. I am always trying to discover new biking routes. Road biking is all about the route. And navigating the waters always makes the bike route a little more interesting.
Last weekend Kristin and I biked to Gig Harbor. The ride included three ferry rides, one bridge crossing and many hills to climb. Her folks live in Gig Harbor so it makes for a great overnight biking destination - we can travel light not needed to bring any overnight gear with us.
Our route took us in a big two day loop starting and ending in Seattle. Saturday we head South along the Seattle waterfront wrapping around the shoreline to Alki beach in West Seattle and then south to Fauntleroy where we caught a ferry across Puget Sound to Southworth near Port Orchard. From Port Orchard we pedaled South on scenic country roads down to Gig Harbor. If we actually got to quit at Gig Harbor it would have been a breeze but Kristin’s parent live just South of the Harbor on Wollochet Bay. Which means we had to make the wicked climb out of Gig Harbor. All the roads leading South out of Gig Harbor are some of the steepest roads I have ever biked.
Sunday we left heading East from Gig Harbor across the old Tacoma Narrows Bridge - unfortunately the sidewalk on the new bridge is not open yet. Once across the Narrows we made the quick jaunt up to Point Defiance where took the short ferry ride to the South end of Vashon Island. Vashon Island was quiet, scenic and HILLY. The roads on Vashon have smooth wide shoulders. And the smaller shoulder-less roads are only lightly traveled. Drivers seem to really believe in the Share the Road signs we say all over the island. From the North end of Vashon we caught the ferry back to Fauntleroy in West Seattle and then backtracked along Alki and the Seattle waterfront on home.
Published September 18th, 2006
in biking.
Thank you to all of you who supported Kristin and I in the MS 150 Bike Tour this year.
The weekend before last we joined over 1000 cyclist in pedaling 150 miles around Skagit, Island, and Whatcom Counties all in an effort to raise money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Our figure eight route started and stopped in La Conner, WA both days. Saturday’s 75 mile ride took us through Anacortes, across Deception Pass onto Whidbey Island, through Oak Harbor and then back across Deception Pass returning to La Conner. Sundays ride took us North through the beautiful farmlands outside of La Conner around Chuckanut Mountains, almost to Bellingham and then South down the scenic waterfront Chuckanut Drive. The ride was challenging to say the least but, we had a blast doing it. So much so that we signed up to do it again next year!
The MS150 was a huge fundraising success. Thanks to your generous donations Kristin and I personally raised over $3000 for the National MS Society. In total, an estimated $1 million was raised by this event. This will truly make a difference for so many living with MS in our community.
Thanks again for your support!
Kristin giving “A Bike-by Kissing”
Published August 14th, 2006
in biking.
As I mentioned before, Kristin and I are riding in the Seattle MS 150 this year to raise money for the MS Society. If you’d like to help me reach my fundraising goal of $1000 you can give online here. So our couch-to-150 training program now has us doing 40 miles a day (with hills) on the weekends. With all the miles we’ve spent in the saddle this summer we are getting bored of our usual routes around Seattle. So I did a little Google Earthing and found a perfect 80 mile two day ride - Seattle to Gig Harbor and back!
Kristin’s folks live in Gig Harbor so it would be a perfect out and back overnight destination. As we pedaled away from our apartment Saturday morning we both felt a little giddy thinking, “we are actually going to BIKE to Gig Harbor!?”. Gig Harbor is usually only about an hours drive South of Seattle - just across the Puget Sound from Tacoma. But with summer traffic and the additional traffic caused by the Narrows Bridge construction we haven’t been getting down to see the folks very often. Let’s just say it is a long enough drive that it stops of from just “stopping by”. So pedaling there seems like a very long trek! Another reason we were excited is that we were surprising Kristin’s dad - he had no idea we were coming. He had even called on Friday and left a message asking if we would come to visit even though he knew we were probably busy. We knew he was going to be shocked that we actually biked there!
The trip was excellent! We had a nice breeze at our back Saturday morning and made the 17 miles to the West Seattle ferry in time to catch the 9:15 to Southworth (Port Orchard). From there it only took us a couple more hours of pedaling through 24 miles of beautiful country side to land us at Kristin’s folks in Gig Harbor. What a great way to travel if you’re got the time! We were able to pack light - just our camel packs - because we both have spare cloths and toothbrushes permanently stashed at her folks. The family treated us well. We fully relaxed and recuperated all afternoon, evening and Sunday morning before starting our return trip around noon. The ride home was a bit more challenging. We took a different route back to Southworth and it proved to have much steeper hills plus the wind was now in our face instead of at our backs. But it was still a beautiful ride and the hills are strangely rewarding.
We are loving bicycling! If anyone is looking to pick up a new hobby I would high suggest getting a road bike and start putting in the miles. I think you will find it addicting like we have. I just hope we can find the courage to keep riding this fall and winter when the rain begins to pour.