Mike McQuaide is a Bellingham-based freelance writer who regularly contributes to The Seattle Times outdoor section, and has written five guidebooks on hiking, trail running, and travel. His latest project, 75 Classic Rides of Washington has just been published by the Mountaineers.
In the interest of full-disclosure, the new guidebook does include a couple pictures I took, and my derrière appears on page 175 where I was inching my way up the McNeil Canyon climb (2,200′ in 5 miles) near Chelan.
The breadth of rides range from an easy 28-mile cruise up Icicle Road near Leavenworth, to very strenuous hilly rides in the Cascades, and long jaunts on both sides of the mountains.
Each route description includes a brief overview, full-color map, elevation profile, difficulty level, round-trip distance, road conditions, and advice on the best season to ride. Mike’s lighthearted narrative descriptions describe the sights along the way, best towns to refuel your body, road safety, as well as turn-by-turn descriptions and mileage logs. Mike has a great way of writing about the outdoors, and his narrative gives insight about the rides that you will never get from simply looking at a map and elevation profile. In an age when we are overwhelmed with gps services, it’s nice to get a first-person account from a reliable source who is passionate about the bike.
A few days ago I shared the book with some cycling mates during a little 4-day project/epic we were doing down in Oregon. It got rave reviews, and it looks to be on some gift lists as well.
Mike will be at the Issaquah REI this Thursday @ 7PM to discuss the book and cycling in the Pacific Northwest. Register here. It’s a free event, but registration is required.
