Thursday, April 1, 2010

Time to Recover

I mentioned earlier the possibility of riding another 300K brevet this weekend, there are a couple local options (this, and this) that are of interest and I thought it would be good training to do another 300K if I was up to it.

I am, or would be (up to it) but I caught that cold that Mrs. C had. It’s just a cold but I was pretty stuffed up earlier in the week and though I think the worst is behind me, I feel like I still have a little way to go to get back to 100%.  So I’m conflicted, but perhaps a layoff (for a weekend) will help me heal while avoiding this:

High Wind Watch
Coast Range of Northwest Oregon (Oregon)
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 845 AM PDT THU APR 1 2010 ...ANOTHER STRONG FRONT IS HEADING FOR THE COAST EARLY FRIDAY....A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. THIS SYSTEM WILL DRIVE A STRONG WARM FRONT ONSHORE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LATE TONIGHT FOR BREEZY CONDITIONS ALONG THE COAST. HOWEVER THE POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL OCCUR AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ONSHORE AROUND DAYBREAK FRIDAY MORNING. FURTHERMORE...THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG WINDS IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS IS ALSO INCREASING.  COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-WILLAPA HILLS-INCLUDING THE CITY OF...VERNONIA 845 AM PDT THU APR 1 2010 ...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE WILLAPA HILLS AND THE NORTH AND CENTRAL OREGON COAST RANGE... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORTLAND HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
* WINDS...SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS MAY INCREASE TO 30 TO 40 MPH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 70 MPH POSSIBLE...PRIMARILY ALONG RIDGE TOPS AND EXPOSED TERRAIN.
* TIMING...STRONG WINDS WILL BEGIN AFFECTING THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS AROUND 5 AM FRI MORNING. THE STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED To OCCUR AROUND 8 AM...THOUGH POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS COULD LAST INTO EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
* LOCATIONS INCLUDE...WILLAPA...FRANCES...VERNONIA...SUNSET SUMMIT...LEES CAMP...GRANDE RONDE...VENETA...AND MAPLETON. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH...OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS. 

And this for Sedro Wooley:

High Wind Warning

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
403 PM PDT THU APR 1 2010 SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-403 PM PDT THU APR 1 2010...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...NORTH INTERIOR OF WESTERN WASHINGTON FROM ADMIRALTY INLET NORTHWARD...AND FOR THE LAKE LAWRENCE AREA OF THURSTON COUNTY FROM 5 AM TO 9 PM PDT FRIDAY...
* VERY STRONG...POSSIBLY DAMAGING...SOUTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN ASSOCIATION WITH A DEEP SURFACE LOW AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE REGION ON FRIDAY. THE WINDIEST AREAS WILL INITIALLY BE NEAR THE ENTRANCES TO THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...AND NEAR LAKE LAWRENCE AND OTHER AREAS OPEN TO SOUTHERLY WINDS. WINDS OUTSIDE OF THE LAKE LAWRENCE AREA OF THE
SOUTHWEST INTERIOR WILL BE LESS...30 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH. ELSEWHERE WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED TO INCREASE TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH.
* A STRONG WESTERLY SURGE OF WIND WILL OCCUR BEHIND THE FRONT LATER FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE WIND DIRECTION WILL SHIFT FROM SOUTHEASTERLY TO WESTERLY BRINGING THE STRONGEST WINDS TO THE STRAIT...AND AREAS NEAR WHIDBEY ISLAND. EXPECT THE POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS OF 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH TO SUBSIDE LATE FRIDAY EVENING.
* THE VERY STRONG WINDS COULD RESULT IN SOME POWER OUTAGES ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON FRIDAY DUE TO POWER LINES BEING DAMAGED BY TREE LIMBS. SOME OF THE REGIONS TREES HAVE BEGUN TO LEAF OUT LREADY...WHICH COULD ADD TO THE POTENTIAL FOR WIND DAMAGE TO OCCUR. RAIN SOAKED GROUND COULD ALLOW TREES TO EASILY TOPPLE OR BECOME UPROOTED.  PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR MORE CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE.

When I saw this I chuckled as it reminded me of that first 300K I rode years ago that started at the Winslow ferry dock and took us across and then around Hood Canal. That was a doozey weather-wise and though I won’t soon forget it I’m not excited about the prospect of taking on something like that again while I’m trying to get out from under the last vestiges of a cold.

So I probably won’t be out in this but for those who are, there will be new stories to tell.

Bon route et bon couragé!

1 comment:

  1. I saw the wind/rain warnings and took a pass on this weekend, too. After 2 weekends in a row rolling down the Pioneer Highway into headwinds, I just wasn't feeling like going for a 3-peat.

    Can't wait to read the ride reports, though!

    ReplyDelete