thanks - I will ask the mods to rename it!

KLondike

Today is THE DAY ... XD

Live report from the painting party! It was pouring early this morning, or at least it was where I live further north, but it had tapered to a warm drizzle when I arrived. Great turnout, lots of photogenic college age females. Look forward to a bumper crop of pics. :-)

OOOH, I am getting really excited. The weather says 13C and drizzle falling (it's 32C and sunny here) but I so wish I was there:(:(:( I think a new box of tissues may be needed:eek::eek::D:D

I wonder what a bit of light, steady rain will do to those paint jobs?

First in: it looks to have been pretty damp but seems also to have "come off" successfully! Klondike, we know you have a long commute back (and maybe a little night music down Stumptown way) before we see anything, but now I for one am really ready...

Well done crispus, this one is of the damp parade itself (note folks dressed up for winter) taken about an hour ago, hopefully the paint might just have washed off off at the end of the ride:D:D:D

Fremont 2011 report -can't upload yet!
 

Hi Guys - I'm already back from the parade (At a hotel in Seattle). This one was not like any I can remember. The weather sucked - worse than the reports with a steady drizzle that never let up. When I left Gasworks Park, my thermometer read 58. How's that compared to last years wash out?? Not really any better....

So, but on to the news and photos. The painting party was a bit cramped and photography was more difficult than in past years. They are continuing to "work" on the photographer issue, meaning try to find ways to minimize it. Today, most of the photogs were all crowded into one little area outside the semi-enclosed parking lot, meaning all of our pics are going to look a like. I was disappointed with the conditions early on and found most of the women to be topless only. PLus, we were all standing under trees which were dripping constantly on our cameras!!

But then things started to improve and once the ride got underway, many new women turned up and quite a few were fully nude. I still feel though that fully nude riders might be down a bit this year. Anyway, I got lots of good photographs of girls on bikes at this point. The ride was underway, and I had actually left early after a false start, then had to race back when I realized only a fraction of the riders had departed.

On to Gasworks Park. I was not even going to go to Gasworks this year, but because the painting party was a bit disappointing, I decided to go ahead and go down there. I sure am glad I did!! WOw - so many great girls, close ups and photo ops. You will see in time. THe area was crawling with photogs more than ever, and I do sense a slight increase in tension this year between riders, organizers and us guys. Hopefully, this can be worked out.

I think numbers were very strong today, but two years in a row of rain and small crowds has dampened my spirit so to speak. It just isn't the same festive atmosphere. But I did get lots of pics which you will start to see shortly as i don't think I am going to make it back to Portland for the nightime WNBR.

EDIT: I CANNOT UPLOAD ANY PICS! I'm on a slow hotel wireless connection and the uploads (even one pic) is timing out! I'll work on it...

KLondike



KLondike

OK, well I'm doing my best to put pics up. This one uploaded, but is sideways. anyone want to right it and repost it?

I'll keep at it but may have to wait until I get back to Portland tomorrow.

KLondike

here's another. I think these girls may have ridden topless, then got naked only for the photo! Love the girl on the left!

uploading one at a time and they will probably all be sideways...EDIT: OK, loading into iphoto first, then saving makes them display right..

KLondike