2009 Fireweed 400 2 Day 300K Tour (the first time for this event and I was the first entrant!)

Fireweed 400 300K self-supported 2 day 'tour' is long gone and I am still enjoying the memories and the tough time on the road.  This was a great trip, one that I will remember.  I decided to do this event because I am trying to learn everything I can about touring prior to starting my journey around the world on my bike.

I decided to do the self-supported ride for the experience and because it was a new event and I've done almost all of the other events.  This event also gave me the opportunity to try out my panniers and to see if I could load them and feel comfortable riding with the extra weight.

I am a person who likes to try different things.  I also like to do the research into the new adventures so I won't be surprised by anything that might happen while on the adventure.  I have hiked and canoed Alaska for years and have not had major incidents that caused anyone with me to get harmed or lost or whatever.  I like to practice with my equipment so I will know how to use all of it in any kind of weather.  There is a lot of money invested in my gear; getting the best I can afford is still important because it important to have gear you can depend on.

Cycling has been no different.  Years ago, after being in Alaska for about 5 years, I bought a bike.  It was a mountain bike with no suspension; it was heavy and it was very uncomfortable.  But I could afford it so I rode it whenever I could. It was OK for the times and the money I could afford to spend on it. But it wasn't my dream bike.

My mother bought me my first REAL bike. It was/is a Klein Attitude Comp, a mountain bike that has front suspension, a great saddle and a fit that is perfect for me. It is a carbon fiber composite and it is durable. I like riding it. Right now I have a basket with a roll-cage on the back of it so I can take my little Shih Tzu, Zoe, on bike rides. She loves it; she just lies down and looks at the world as it goes by! She is so cute!

I have a great Road bike, too. It is another Klein, specifically a Q Carbon that weights about 14 pounds and is a ball to ride. I have used this bike on 4 of the events in past Fireweed 400 events and have loved every minute of the riding.

This year was different for me. I was unsupported and basically on my own. The start of the ride was 0900 on Friday July 10^th. The morning started off in Anchorage with a dash to the train station with an Indonesian family of 6 who had been CouchSurfing at the house for a week. Then back home in time to meet my friend Rose, pack her bike and B.O.B. trailer in the car and headed off for the Sheep Mountain Lodge, about 2 hours up the Glenn Highway.

When we arrived in Sutton, Alaska, about an hour from home I realized that I didn't have my helmet or my gloves. I was in such a hurry that I forgot them at home. In the event that I could not find a helmet to borrow at Sheep Mountain Lodge I would not be able to participate in the ride; helmets are mandatory, and I am very glad they are!

Rose had a friend who loaned me a helmet and within15 minutes of arriving at the Lodge we were on the road to Glennallen, a distance of about 73 miles. The weather was hot and sunny, a slight headwind helped keep me a little cool but it was a very hot day!

 I am not a fast cyclist. I enjoy getting off the bike and smelling the flowers and stopping and taking photographs. So I knew that it was just a matter of time for the serious Fireweed 400 riders to catch up with me. I think their start time was noon so I had a 3 hours head start, which really isn't much time when you think about the caliber of these cyclists! They are so cool to watch; they are fast and smooth, they fly by with what looks like little to no effort. Then there are the ones who are in a pace line! What a sight to see! Lots of fun to watch!

 I didn't get to eat the kind of breakfast I usually like to have prior leaving the house and I was not at my best most of the day. There were no rest stations for the 300K riders, it was self-supported, or at least it was supposed to be (so I thought and so the website indicated). Turns out that Rose and I were the only 2 who really did the total self support part of the ride. So all I had was biking snacks, nothing that was really food. By the time I got to Glennallen I was so hungry and I was very tired. The headwind got stronger throughout the day and it also got VERY hot! By the time I got to Glennallen it was 85 degrees!

I stopped at the old Tasty Freeze and had a grilled cheese sandwich and some iced tea and felt better. I was not looking forward to the last 35 plus miles to get to the Tonsina Lodge where the 300K folks were to spend the night. I ended up getting a ride; I was so tired, probably from the lack of good food. I was glad for the ride, it started to lightning and thunder about 5 miles south of Glennallen and I don't ride with lightning around!

I was happy to get to Tonsina and have a cabin to clean up and sleep in! I had reserved it the day I signed up for the ride and I was glad; it rained all night long! Rose and I felt very special because we had a dry bed and didn't have to put up or take down a tent. We could have done it but this was such a treat!

 I walked up Thompson Pass pushing my bike. I don't feel like I failed or anything like that because when I got to the top I got to ride DOWN the other side of the Pass and that was a HOOT!

The wind was awful, right in my face but I was able to get my touring bike, a Surly Long Haul Trucker with panniers and a trunk, up to 39.77 MPH before I had to make the first hairpin turn and prior to the wind hitting me sideways causing the bike to shimmy and shake! All in all it was a great ride!

After the turn and the attack by the wind I stopped the bike, regained control and headed down the hill. I guess I averaged about 35-37 MPH down the rest of the road, the wind made it hard to keep control of the bike and I didn't want to get hurt by going too fast. I'm too old to do headers over the handlebars! Hurts way too much!

When I got to the bottom of the Pass I still had 20 miles to pedal to get to Valdez, it was the longest 20 miles of the entire trip! At the Bridal Veil Falls I stopped for a minute then pushed on. Fortunately the trees on the south side of the road blocked most of the wind on this last leg.

Two miles out of Valdez and the 'FINISH' line there was a sign that indicated '2 miles to go!' and I was glad but I also knew that those last 2 miles would take forever! I had hoped to be in Valdez around 1730 and arrived just a few minutes after 1700, so I was pleased. I did it, had a little help along the way with the ride through the rain and lightning, but I did it. Will I do it again, maybe, depends on what I am doing the weekend after the 4^th of July next year and the years after that.


This was a great experience for me. I proved to myself that I can ride long distances with panniers and survive. I know that I will get tired and I know that it is OK to stop and get off the bike and rest. It is also OK to catch a ride with someone because, for me, it is not necessary to do the total distance; it is more important to have fun, enjoy myself and feel good when I get back on the bike, whether it is the same day or the next day. I have been hosting a lot of cyclists at my home this summer and many are travelling for extended periods of time. One couple will be on the road for more and 1.5 years! I have asked all of the cyclists a lot of questions and have seen what kind of gear they carry. I have learned that traveling 50 miles in a single day loaded with panniers and food and water is a good distance. I have learned that it is best to do a lot of research on routes and plan accordingly. It is also a great idea to be able to do most of the repair work on your bike yourself, because you may be in the middle of nowhere when something breaks.

So, I have had a lot of lessons taught to me. I took my first baby step on my journey to travel around the world by bicycle. I feel confident that I can do this, alone if necessary, and that I will have a great time. The Fireweed 400 2 Day 300K Tour gave me the opportunity to test myself, my resolve and my ability to adapt and improvise. It has allowed me to see that long distance touring is possible for a woman over 65 years old. So I am on my way and I won't stop until I get to the end of the journey, whenever and where ever that may be. I have lots of people to visit in all corners of the world and I am on my way! Thank you Fireweed 400 for giving me the opportunity to prove to myself that this is doable and I can start my journey with the confidence that I CAN and WILL DO THIS!