A Long Line of Bicycles

The Ski to Sea race ends in Fairhaven, where a huge celebration (literally named "It All Ends in Fairhaven") awaits teams and revelers. Thousands of people join the fun, so it's smart to forgo the car and walk, bike, or take the shuttle. Some of these bikes belong to race participants-- there's a road bike leg and a mountain bike leg in the race-- and some, like ours, were just bicycling on a beautiful day.

Bicycling the Boardwalk

The rippled bay dances

with a gold and stormy gleam,

warm wind stealing their laugh

and taking it to me.

Downtown Bicycles

These bikes are wheel nice, aren't they?

Pile 'O Bikes

My sister Melanie snapped this shot of cyclists preparing for the annual Mount Baker Hill Climb in front of the Glacier Ski Shop. Cyclists start at the tiny town of Glacier and ride up to Artist's Point, which is the highest point you can reach on Mount Baker by bike or car. The cyclists climb 4300' in 24.5 miles. The Hill Climb replaces what used to be the DUMB ride-- Down and Up Mount Baker. I guess the acronym was too accurate!

Bikes at Boundary Bay

Another oh-so-Bellingham image-- the pile of bikes in front of Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro. Rain or shine, most of us like to leave the cars home when we can... but it's a much nicer experience to bike in summer! My preferred method of cooling off after a sweaty bike ride is to hang out in the Boundary Bay beer garden and enjoy their world-famous scotch ale while listening to Yogoman Burning Band. I close my eyes and imprint the feeling in my soul, to help me get through the long rainy months ahead!