Seattle to Portland in 12 Hours

Ken et al crossing the bridge into Oregon

A quick recap of STP:

Day 1: Ken, Bill, and I got a late start (7:15am) because of the insane traffic at UW. We never managed to escape the massive packs of riders the entire day, but we still had fun. It was a pretty flat 100 miles to Centralia, and I felt pretty good most of the day. We managed to pass hundreds of riders, partly out of fear of not finding a camping spot in Centralia.
We ended at Centralia College, where we set up camp (we were some of the first to arrive), gorged on pasta and potatoes, and showered. We then joined other riders for beer and Tour de France in the beer garden.

Day 2: We slept in till 6am and were packed up soon after. We were happy to wake up to clouds after spending the previous day baking in the sun. Surprisingly, we all felt fine getting back on the bike, and I even felt stronger than I did on Day 1. Nothing like 100 miles to warm you up … The day was a bit hillier, but a lot less crowded. The last 30+-mile stretch on Highway 30 was a brutal combination of fast cars, narrow shoulders, and packs of cyclists. We had our eye on the prize (beer at the finish), so we blew through those last miles.
At the finish line near Lloyd Center, we felt like we were in the Tour, with hundreds of people cheering along the final stretch. It was strange, but cool. We managed to gulp down one beer each before deciding it was time to get home and veg.

All in all, a good time. Next year, maybe we’ll do it in one day …

Bill’s take on STP here.
More photos here.