Day 5: Hoh Man! I'm Pedaling Through a Rain Forest

Trip:  Bogachiel River to Quinalt Lake

Distance:  65.6 miles

I woke up in a rain forest and it wasn't raining! (If these were lyrics to a Bob Dylan song, the next line might be "and then someone handed me a bone....."!).

Yes.  Today I did a fair amount of travel through rain forests - including the Hoh rain forest:

Another early start to get a few hours of the 101 to myself (mostly).  Perfect riding weather: 58-60 F, overcast and no wind. Stopped for a snack at rest stop near the Hoh River:

Looks like some good fishing down there....

And of course, no rest stop is complete without some calories:

I had a cheese and honey sandwich for lunch!  There's not much I won't shove into my stomach at this point.

It's easy to get into a content, zen like state as I pedal down the road - everything feels right (and it's hard to get lost on the 101).  I start to pick up the distinct smell of the ocean (the good one, not the dead fish one.....) and I know I am back at the ocean:

This of course makes me smile:

Well that, and all the free berries that can be found just about everywhere:

Cruise along a scenic stretch along the coast:

and then I turn east and head up towards Quinault  Lake:

While checking in for my campsite, I am informed that the Quinault Lodge (you check in for the campsite in a very nice lodge - weird mix of folks) was where President Teddy Roosevelt signed the national park act!  (Oops, correction.... He signed the bill that created the Olympic  National Park here).  Cool beans.  I am heading back later to scope out the actual desk (and buy beer at the store....).

I got a nice campsite right on the lake:

And that lake looked perfect for swimming - so I charged down there and swam for a bit - ahhhhhh :)

Camp neighbors are all super friendly- I have already been offered a chair by my next door neighbor,and some very friendly Canadians (is that redundant?) invited me by site 13 for a beer later  :)

I could get used to this

Day 4 - Lake Crescent to Bogachiel River

Distance:  53.7 miles

Vampire Sightings:  none

The crux of today's ride was getting around Lake Crescent (via US 101) before traffic got too crazy  So I got rolling at 6:00 a.m. and booked over to see what all the fuss about this stretch of road was.  

I was greeted with this masterpiece from the National Park Sevice risk management team:

It really wasn't that bad - a stretch of SR 20 on day 1 was was a lot sketchier. Most of the truck traffic (logging trucks) were coming the other way, and the empty trucks, were cool and gave me plenty of room. The RVers were still sleeping off their s'mores.....today was the first day I ran into an old friend from the Antelope Valley - WIND.  It was coming straight at me most of the day, and for a stretch  near Lake Crescent, it was howling (and making me cold!).

Can you see the white caps out there?

The rest of the day went by quickly and I get to enjoy the last 10 miles of the Olympic Discovery Trail:

After that it's back to 101 and the logging trucks and RVers.  Plenty wide shoulder, and listening to music makes you almost forget they are there (that's where a rear view mirror helps!):

I make it to Forks before noon, and smell something  good (and warm!) Coming from a cafe - soup!

Really hit the spot. Apparently, the movie "twilight" was filmed here, and the town is milking all the tourist traffic  out of this factoid.  You can't swing a dead cat (or salmon) without seeing a sign or business without a reference to the movie.  

A short pedal after that and I am at home for the night - a lush, forested campground on the Bogachiel River.  Hey Now!!

Day 3 - Sequim Bay to Crescent Lake

Distance:  55.9 miles

 

Today was all about the Olympic Discovery Trail which I (mostly) followed all day.  I say mostly because I did miss a turn here and there...... But my "alternates" all turned out swell :)

 

Lots of bridges and uncrowded trails - my kind of riding:  

 

 

 

 

 

See how happy all that traffic-free riding can make a person:

 

Seems like there was something interesting around every corner.  Neighborhood produce exchange:

 

And some words of encouragement from the locals:

 

 

 

 

And the knitters were tearing it up in Sequim (as usual):

 

Don't think the knitters were making this much noise:

 

Am starting to feel the need to eat everything in sight.  This was my first stop at 730!

 

 

 

Stopped for groceries in Port Angeles (where everyone seemed friendly) and then as I headed west things got more desolate/gritty..... More than one rebel flag flying in front of a house or double wide.  

 

After passing through Joyce, I turned left and commenced with the grind up the hill to Crescent Lake.  Arrived at camp (Log Cabin Resort...... Meh- I would avoid it) early enough to get some bike maintenance done and wash some clothes.  

 

Crescent Lake is beautiful - and I haven't seen a single body float up. Yet.

 

Day 2: Fort Ebey SP to Sequim Bay SP

Distance:  62.5 miles (a couple scenic detours)

Another fine day of pedaling.  But first, a pic from last night's sunset viewing area:

A quiet ride towards Coupeville with only this mom and her fawn awake yet:

Made it just in time for the 715 ferry to Port Townsend.  Even though I was the last one to show up, I was the first to get on! (Norton luck usually doesn't run that way....)

After the ferry ride, I stop for breakfast in town and met some friendly locals.  One guy educated me on why we are having so much warm weather these days.  Something about..... 100 hundred years ago,.... Particles in the air, China.....manufacturing.., rain shadows .....I think he was describing global climate change or some sort of conspiracy...... Hard to tell really.  He did wish me luck on my trip and went out of his way to go out to his truck and get me two granola bars.  What a guy!

The other fellow (Calvin) told me about how some folks have been very lucky in finding gold up near  the Olympic National Park (panning). But the best  story (he had a few) was about his friend who was fishing on Crescent Lake when a body floated up in front of him.  Of course he called the authorities who later determined that she had been down there for 20 years (Crescent Lake is very deep). She was well preserved because the water at the bottom is so cold. The best part of the story is that her husband (a doctor) had reported her missing and when she couldn't be found, moved to the East Coast. But when she was found he  apparently was overcome with guilt (or evidence) and confessed to the murder.  Port Townsend you rock!!

The rest of the day was spent on and off some cool trails ( 15+ miles).  Whoever puts the time and effort into keeping these trails up deserves some kudos:

Was plenty warm when I rolled into camp. Very nice place – view of the Sequim Bay from camp and the shade of an old growth forest :)

Things could be worse:

Found a great loaf of bread at a market on the way, so cheese and avocado sandwiches just feel right for dinner:

Day 1: ¡Adelante!

 

Today's Route: Bellingham to Fort Ebey state park 

Distance:  61.8 miles

Wildlife sightings:  deer, bald eagles, Canadian geese  

Finally got to start pedaling today.  After passing out immediately upon hitting the pillow last night, I was up early and on the road by 6.  Got a chance to see downtown Bellingham without any traffic - nice town.  And they were (apparently) happy to see me:  

 

The ride along Chuckanut drive was quiet and scenic with occasional views out to Bellingham Bay:  

 

While taking break right before riding on the Padilla Bay Trail, I met a nice couple who lived nearby and told me all about the area.  Including the location of a large rookery (?) of Blue Heron.  He said he has counted as many as 200!

 

Next, was a busy section of HWY 20 that made it hard to enjoy the scenery. I did manage to get a photo going over Fidalgo Bay:  

 

After crossing Deception Pass, I met my first touring cyclists on the trip.  They were from Toronto and had started riding in Vancouver -  heading down the coast with an ultimate goal of San Francisco.

The rest of the day I had a great view of the Strait of San Juan De Fuca including this lunch stop:  

A bit of an uphill grind to get my campsite for the night (fort Ebey State Park), but the views are outstanding!

Pacific Coast Tour - Getting to the Start

Today's route: LAX to Bellingham, Wa
Well, getting the bike to the start turned out to be more effort than I had originally planned. Amtrak Express (plan A) turned out not to be a viable option (despite numerous phone calls where I was told it was possible). Of course I didn't know this when I hauled The Rig down to Union Station last Sunday to send it on its way to Bellingham. But I quickly found out when I met "Marge" the shipping clerk at Amtrak. Marge (who "has been doing this 23 years") made it very clear my bike was not going on a train to Bellingham. Bummer. Wish Marge had been at the other end of the phone when I had called previously. Note: You CAN Ship human remains from Union Station to Bellingham on Amtrak Express. Just not a bike. Ever.

Plan B would be to ship the bike via Fed Ex, but I really didn't have enough lead time to do that comfortably, and it would probably arrive a day after I did. So I went with Plan C: take it with me on the plane. First, I made multiple calls to Alaska Airlines to make sure I COULD do this (once again, I was cheerfully told "no problem sir,"). Then I scrounged up a used bike shipping box (thanks Bob and Shilo at Squeaky Wheel bike shop - you guys are the best!) and disassembled the rig so it could fit into the box. Racks, fenders, rear derailer, handle bars, seat, etc.... Needed to come off and then I played Jenga with all the parts trying to get them to fit in the box:

It all fits!

Rolled up sections of cardboard for lateral support. Extra points if you can guess the beer brand.

Mom gives me a ride to LAX in the morning (3 a.m. Blast off ..... ) reminding me (once again), That she is the best!

Mom an Larry giving me a proper send off:

Flights go smoothly except for a slight delay in Seattle.  Hats off to Alaska Airlines and their handling of the bike.  It showed up without a scratch, and the guy who DELIVERED it to me in baggage claim even helped me un box it and chatted me up about the ride.  

Reassembly in the baggage claim area was about as good as you can get.  Carpeting, a view of Mt. Baker, and a friendly person from the airport checking in on me from time to time.  I even managed to get it all back in working order (from this):

Rounded out the (long) day with some running around town to buy food, stove fuel, and mail back some stuff.  

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Bicycling The Pacific Coast

Planning.......lots of planning

I'm not sure when the idea for doing this ride first came to me. It might have been a couple of years ago when I was camping in Idyllwild and met a couple from New Zealand who were riding from Mexico to Canada via the Sierra and Cascade ranges. Impressive! I didn't know people did such things. They even had a set of maps designed specifically for the route - which to me, made the whole thing seem semi legit. Or it could have been when I was researching and preparing for a mountain bike ride from Durango to Moab last summer, and I started to understand that bike touring was a great way to travel and experience everything around you. But, by the time I started hosting cycle tourists at my house (through the Warmshowers organization) and hearing their amazing stories, I was well on my way down the rabbit hole.

Everyone I talked with said the Pacific Coast route would be the best tour to start with. The logistics are easy, scenery spectacular, camping plentiful and with its popularity, finding companionship along the way would be easy. So that's what I'm going to do. I fly up to Bellingham Washington on July 30th, and start pedaling south on the 31st. With any luck, I'll arrive in at mom's house in Oxnard around September 4th.

Here are some of the logistical details for those interested:

DISTANCE: Approximately 1800 miles without side trips and scenic detours (of which I hope there are many)

ROUTE: I'll start off by touring through the Olympic National Park (via the Olympic Discovery Trail), but will then stay pretty close to the pacific coast the rest of the way down
.
BIKE: Here's the rig I'll be riding. More detail can be found here

The Rig

ACCOMMODATIONS: Ideally I'll be camping every night, but may also use a Warmshowers host, hostel or (shudder) hotel.

FOOD: Self prepared and mostly easy to pick up along the way. Restaurants and coffee shops are also options and can have the added bonus of wifi and a power outlet for device charging (I will also have a solar charger).

GETTING TO THE START: I'll be flying, and The Rig will be going up on Amtrak the week before. Amtrak is by far the easiest and least expensive way to ship a bike (and the Amtrak folks have been very helpful whenever I have talked with them). All I have to do once I land in Bellingham is find the bike, put a few things back together (pedals and handlebars) and start pedaling.

NAVIGATION: The Adventure Cycling Association has an set of excellent maps that cover most of the route. I will also be following most of the Olympic Discovery Trail and utilized their website as a resource. If all else fails, I have an iPhone with all of its navigation firepower at my disposal...... Assuming I have cell coverage.

COST: Camping fees will be the largest cost, followed by food and then transportation (to Bellingham). I am estimating that the daily costs for the 35+ days will be ~ $35/day. This could bump up substantially if I discover a good pub or two along the way......

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