September 20, 2009

Cascade Bicycle Club's only urban event takes riders along Seattle's beautiful waterways. The route is based loosely on the salmon spawning cycle. Starting at the Sound at Myrtle Edwards Park, you'll travel upstream to Lake Washington and then cruise along the Ship Canal toward the ocean by way of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. You'll then pedal onward through Magnolia to the finish line festival where you'll find a slew of prizes, fun kids' crafts and great food.

Pedal past numerous historical landmarks along the way - including:

Pioneer Square, International District, Lake Washington Boulevard, Seward Park, Seattle's first Bike Trail (Interlaken Boulevard), Burke-Gilman Trail, University Bridge, Gasworks Park, Fremont Bridge, Ship Canal Trail, Ballard Locks (with Salmon ladder viewing!), Discovery Park, Elliott Bay, Alki Point, and many more!

The Routes

A detailed map and cue-sheet will be provided at packet pick-up. Riders should expect the following distance and elevation gain for each route:

• Cedar River Special
  A 55-mile loop with total elevation gain of about 1,700 feet. Four major hills to climb, with terrific views of the city from all four sides. Note: 55 mile riders should depart by 9 a.m. to hit the food stops in time. View route.
• Fit for a King
  A 33-mile loop with total elevation gain of about 1000 feet. Three hills to climb. Downtown to Mt. Baker neighborhood, Lake Washington Blvd. to Interlaken Blvd. and Discovery Park. View route.
• Chum Run
  14-mile loop with a total elevation gain of about 350 feet; one climb over Discovery Park. View route.
• Chinook Explorer
  8-mile flat out and back on bike trails & bike lanes from Myrtle Edwards Park to Commodore & Smith Cove Parks and back!
• Family Fry
  4-mile flat loop on bike trails from Myrtle Edwards Park to Smith Cove Park and back with a special food stop just for you.

RIDER ALERT: The good news is that Lake Washington Blvd. is closed to vehicles on Sunday between Mt. Baker Beach and Seward Park. However, both the Trek Triathlon and Bicycle Sunday will also be taking place on Lake Washington Blvd. at the same time as this event. Riders should use caution and stay out of the coned-off race course lane when riding to and from Seward Park. Please give right-of-way to all pedestrians and racers, and please be on the look out for families and children. Let's be great neighbors!

Please note: Restore Our Waters Cascade Spawning Cycle takes place within Seattle limits and does not have a sag wagon. Please have a plan (bus money, cell phone, etc.) to get back home should you experience mechanical difficulty.

Salmon in the City: The Game

What digs do Salmon prefer for chilling out? What neighborhoods are cool among upstream-mobile salmon? And what's with that whole "spawn and die" thing?

As you take in our fabulous urban ride, play this interactive game to learn more about our salmon, earn a metal water bottle and be eligible for other great prizes, including Ortlieb Panniers, Seattle Aquarium passes, Cascade Bicycle Club event tickets and more.

To get started, just pick up a game card at the Restore Our Waters Booth at the start line, or at one of the five official stops along the route. To play, visit each of the designated rest stops to learn fascinating salmon facts. After you triumphantly cross the finish line, just turn in your completed game card. The first 180 riders back will earn a great metal water bottle, and ALL participating riders will be entered in a drawing for larger prizes!*

Salmon in the City: The Game is brought to you by:

*Prize details: 180 metal water bottles will be available to riders. This inventory will be divided among all routes so that riders on the longer routes will have a chance to earn a bottle. ALL participating riders will be offered an alternate prize if all bottles are claimed, and will be entered in a drawing for grand prizes.

Download the Salmon in the City map (PDF)

Salmon Bracelet Scavenger Hunt & Bike Art for Kids

New this year we offer a special race against time and fish at the Cascade Spawning Cycle. After decorating their bikes in style at the bike art table, junior Spawning Cycle participants can enjoy riding a three-mile scavenger hunt. The family-friendly bike trails interconnect from the start line at Myrtle Edwards Park through Elliot Bay Park, to Smith Cove Park and back. There will even be a special food stop at Smith Cove Park to help fuel the ride back!

Each child will receive a bracelet starter, a list of salmon questions, and clues about where to find the answers. Ride the loop by following the salmon markers, answer all the questions on your list, and on the way you will collect each of the colored beads necessary for a beautiful salmon lifecycle bracelet. Each bead represents an important part of a salmon's life. In addition to the bracelets families can win free passes to the Seattle Aquarium and other cool prizes just by playing the game.

The Salmon Bracelet Scavenger hunt is brought to you by Restore our Waters, Seattle Parks & Recreation, Washington Department of Ecology, Seattle Aquarium and the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation

Carpool

Parking is difficult at this location; ride your bike to the start line from your home or either end of the park. We encourage you to carpool to the starting point - RideshareOnline can help.

Just log on at www.rideshareonline.com and follow the easy instructions for a first time user to register. Once your registration is confirmed, select a bike ride from the event list. You can go back anytime and click on "Find Matches" to look for carpool partners from your area.

Still have more questions? Check out our FAQ.

Events Message Board

This electronic bulletin board serves as a forum for Cascade events. It is for Spawning Cycle questions and commentary and also for other events. It is designed to put event questioners in contact with experienced event riders.

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