Looking for more ways to mix it up this summer and capitalize on the bike fitness I’d accumulated during COVID lockdown, I set my sights on the Mount Baker hill climb, starting from Maple Falls.
I got started just after noon and enjoyed rolling terrain with some steps of climbing for the first 20 miles before the proper climb began. While there was certainly traffic on the road, it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared for a beautiful summer weekend.
Knowing the main climb was just over 10 miles, I tried to hold a consistently high effort the whole way and was pretty happy with it. I started fading above the ski area on the final switchbacks to Artist Point, but was able to keep moving pretty well. The stunning views of Shuksan near the end really kept me going.
It ended up being my best estimated hour-long wattage output at ~260w for the main climb after not taking it easy on the first 20 miles, so I was pretty worked, but happy at the top. The descent was a dream, with fun switchbacks and wide-open sections that kept me moving at the same pace as the cars on the road.