CHEW 12 Steady

Climbing Hills Everywhere in Winter (CHEW) 2023

Let's meet in the northeast corner of the Ash Way Park & Ride to begin our bicycle journey for CHEW 12 -- the Whidbey Island metric century. There are no bathrooms or water fountains at the park & ride. Please, come prepared. It is also a good idea to have some snacks with you for the boat and on the island.

It is important the we get started from the park & ride promptly in order to get everyone to the Mukilteo ferry dock on time. Please, allow enough time to get to Ash Way Park & Ride, prepare your bike and be ready to ride at 8:00 a.m. We will start with a route briefing and SMART talk then roll out.  If you miss the SMART talk you will not be allowed to do the ride.

We will start with a 9-mile ride to the Mukilteo ferry dock. It will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes to get to the ferry, depending on your pace group. We will stage in the lane at ferry toll booth 4 (the left-most booth as you enter) and then walk up and pay at booth 3. Then we will be directed to stage in a lane on the dock for loading on the 10 a.m. ferry. You can also purchase a one-time ticket online in advance. (Information on ferry/bike fees and advance ticket purchases is available through the links below.) 

There are bathrooms at both docks and on the ferry, but the only working water fountain is in the waiting room at the Clinton dock. Once on the island, it is about 24 miles to the food and restroom stop at the Payless grocery store in Freeland, then 21 miles back to the ferry at Clinton. 

When your group finishes the route at the Clinton dock, take the first ferry back to Mukilteo that you can. Keep in mind that it is about 10 miles -- with a fair bit of climbing -- from Mukilteo back to the finish at the park & ride.

This route is the last for this 2023 progressive hill-training series, meaning that each week the distance or the amount of climbing has increased -- sometimes both. These routes are challenging and if you cannot hold the posted pace you may have to finish the ride on your own. If you don't have a GPS unit or cell phone guidance for your bicycle, please, print out a cue sheet so you can navigate the route. Unless the day is dry, it is advisable to download both the full route and the rain route or to print out a cue sheet for both. Barring cancellation, the decision on which route to use is usually made at the ride start.

We will climb and descend hills at our own pace, and our goal will be to regroup occasionally. We'll limit our speed on any multi-use paths to the legal maximum (usually 15 mph.)

Bring a spare tube and tools to fix a flat, just in case. Please have full fenders if the roads are wet, or you may be asked to ride at the rear of the group.

Note: If weather conditions meet the weather cancellation criterion listed above or if there are unforeseen hazardous riding conditions or other unexpected events, the Ride Leader will post a ride-canceled note in the Comments section below at least two hours prior to the start and Ride Leader(s) will not be at the start location.