Well, the ride is over and I finally have a few minutes to post a blog about it.  Instead of adding a bunch of pictures, head on over to my good friend Jeff Henshaw’s blog and watch his great three minute video.

I’ll post some additional pictures, though I think the ones that he and his Mom shot are probably better than the ones I took!  They’re linked right below the video…

All-in-all, it was a great day.  We started with 13 bikes at Microsoft building 88, had 21 bikes as we left Tacoma, a group of Five went their own way in Elbe, bringing us to 16 bikes through the gates of Rainier.  We met up with three more friends at our first stop inside the park at Longmire – and they stayed with us up to Paradise.  After lunch, the group began splitting to go different ways, with about 8 bikes making the complete circuit and stopping for lunch in Greenwater.

While we were winding our way down Hwy 410, we noticed several of our riders pulled over by a Park Ranger (I believe – though someone said it may have been a state trooper).  Since there was nothing we could do but aggravate the situation, we rolled past and watched for them in Greenwater.  They apparently went past un-noticed.

After a nice lunch and a short ride to Enumclaw, I parted ways with the remaining riders (excluding Tony!) and headed back through Buckley, South Prairie, then headed back towards Graham to get Tony pointed the right way.

What an amazing day – despite the spat of rain at the onset, the ride was warm, pleasant and incredibly fun.  We fell a little short of our goal of raising $500 for Team World Vision, but we broke the $300 mark – and I’m extremely grateful to ride with such caring and generous friends.

I pray that God blesses each of you that came – and those that couldn’t.  I look forward to organizing this again next year!

Stay tuned – more to come…

Well, it’s less than a week away, and I’m totally excited about our upcoming ride around Rainier!  This ride should prove to be a GREAT day enjoying some of the best roads, best scenery and coolest folks on the planet!  (Okay, so that may be a LITTLE bit of a stretch, but not much!)

As a reminder, we’ll be leaving McDonalds at SR512 and South Tacoma Way on Saturday, August 22nd at 9:30 AM.  Please be there at least 15 minutes prior to allow time to hang out and get the riders briefing.  The itinerary is fully listed in the post below this one, so check it out.

Also – if you haven’t had the opportunity, please consider making a donation to Team World Vision in honor of this wonderful ride.  I don’t check to see who does and who doesn’t, but what a wonderful opportunity to give back just a little of the blessing that you have.

I look forward to seeing all of you there – and even some of my friends from both Microsoft and World Vision!

Be blessed, ride safe, show up early with a full tank! :-)

Stay tuned – more to come…

Below is a mail that I sent out to some of our riders in the community – but you get the added bonus of some quick shots of the scenery you’ll be seeing on this ride.  These are just quick shots that I grabbed today during my pre-ride of the route…

Greetings Bikers and Friends!

August 22^nd is fast approaching and I’m looking forward to this ride!  I just pre-rode our route and am pleased to tell you that the roads are in great shape!  All of the construction on Route 123 that we’ve had in past years is gone and has been replaced with nice, smooth (well, MOSTLY smooth) asphalt and most importantly, Stevens Canyon Road opened yesterday!

The itinerary is set and is as follows:

Gather at McDonalds (South Tacoma Way at I-5) at 9:00 AM

Rider’s briefing at 9:15 AM

Kickstands up at 9:30 AM!

                We should be in Enumclaw around 3:00 or so (biker time)

We have stops planned at:

Elbe - 15 minute stretch

Longmire (inside the park) – 30 minute facilities

Paradise – 30 minute sightsee / facilities

Greenwater – 30 minute Gas / stretch

Enumclaw – Lunch / Disperse

You’ll need to be aware of the following:

At 9:30, we’re leaving.  It’s expected that everyone will arrive with a full tank of gas.  There is a station right across from the McDonalds – please top off your tank before you join the group.

There is an entrance fee to Mt Rainier of $5 per person (not per bike – two-up riders pay $10).  I would like to collect that at McDonalds and pay for all at once to speed up the process.  Please try to bring a five or ten as appropriate – I’m not promising to carry change! J

This ride will be at the pace of the LEAST competent rider for safety reasons.  This is NOT a speed-run.  Please be considerate of those that are riding with us!

Though there is NOT a requirement for you to make a donation, the purpose of this ride it twofold:

1. Have a GREAT time riding some of the most beautiful places God ever created

2. Raise a few bucks for Team World Vision

If you are able, and are so inclined, please visit the donation site and give what you can / would like.  I will NOT be collecting funds on the day of the ride – the only way to contribute to this ride is via the website:  http://www.firstgiving.com/tomtracey

If you have any questions, need directions, get lost, or whatever – call or text me at (253) 370-4601 or via e-mail at tom@tomtracey.com

More information (including some pictures!) are available on my blog at http://tomtracey.spaces.live.com

I look forward to seeing all of you there!

                Tom…

PS – Please pass this to any riders groups you know of and post on any appropriate website.  (hey Microsofties – someone please forward to the MSFT Riders group!)

Stay tuned – more to come…