UPDATE: Doug e-mailed Thursday at Noon and won’t be able to make it. Although he figured out a lighting electrical short…he won’t be able to be fixed in time. The ride is solo now….which means I’m a bit more inclined to worry about getting better photos.

Part 1 and Part 2.

It’s the day of decision, the bike is ready, Doug is scrambling to have his bike back together without popping headlight fuses, I have witnesses lined up, and the weather forecast calls for 30% chance of a soggy commute over to Chehalis and Friday a.m. but improving all weekend.

The ride is a GO!

I have many things to do tonight to get ready, but I’ll be riding over tomorrow after work to the Chehalis area.

I’ve had particular fun and concern with the ferry leg to Friday Harbor. It’s been very helpful to watch the Anacortes Ferry Cam each morning from 9:00 a.m. to it’s scheduled departure of 9:35. Washington ferries have unique motorcycle staging and loading procedures at each terminal and I want to make sure we don’t risk missing this critical ferry time because we couldn’t get to the ticket gate. Mid-week doesn’t seem to be much of a problem this time of year.
Although I’m planning a minute-by-minute schedule for the ride….it’s nice to know if one has any wiggle room in case of traffic in the Seattle area. Missing the 9:35 a.m. ferry would be disastrous to the ride with a 5 hour wait until the next ferry.

It’s also going to be tricky trying to satisfy Saddle Sore 2000 requirements while also zig-zagging around the county seats. To prove to the IBA we’re not cutting corners it means getting about 20 receipts….with at least a dozen of those extras we wouldn’t normally get just to prove we didn’t cut any corners. I think getting the SS2000 is going to be difficult and won’t hurt myself or anybody else trying to do it, but will probably have a better sense somewhere about Vancouver whether it’s going to be possible or not. If need be I’ll resort to just the county seat ride and use as much time as needed.
This is actually 3 rides in one we’re attempting and I’m sure has never been tried. 39 county seats, 1 state capitol, all within the state (no cuts down I-84 in Oregon or into Idaho at Lewistn….no matter how much Streets and Trips wants me to), and an additional 300 miles at the end to get to 2K in 48 hours.

We’ll know Sunday morning for sure whether we did it….

Cross your fingers for us and watch for us Friday around 9:30 in the top picture in the lower right near the closest 3 orange cones!