Arose at 5:00 am, and breakfast started at 6. We packed our gear, then headed over
to the Fort Worden cafeteria for a good
hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon/sausage, hash browns and fruit.
Walked back to
the campsite and loaded the truck, then hit the road. Bruce and I rode with
Brian for most of the day. We started out in clouds, fog and cold
temperatures, so started out wearing tights,
rain jacket, and long-fingered gloves. The road dipped in and out of the fog,
and my glasses kept
fogging up. The terrain went up and down, with great descents but tough climbs.
We rode past the Trek Tri-Island rest stop called Banana Land
(where I met Sandy in 1987), and about that time the sun came out and it started to get warmer.
We turned onto
Highway 20 for a while and dodged logging trucks, and encountered even more climbs and descents. From
Highway 20 we joined US 101, where the shoulder got better and the route went on and off the
highway as side roads were available. Lunch was at John Wayne Park in
Sequim, where we ate in the sun by the water. After a relaxing break we headed off
again, with more hills and headwinds thrown in, especially as we got closer to
the coast. The views along the windswept bluffs were spectacular, with magnolia trees
sculpted by the wind and sandy beaches and spits at the shoreline. I was very tired and
had difficulty riding. The last 15 miles
into Port Angeles was on a bike trail, part of which was a rails-to-trails conversion.
However this trail was much more hilly than the rail line, several times
dropping into a stream bed then climbing back up the other side. The last
third of the trail went right along the seawall and we watched the ships
cruise through the Strait of Juan de Fuca while battling more headwinds and
much cooler temperatures.
When we finally came into Port Angeles we climbed our last hill, a mile up to
Jefferson Elementary School where we camped. After a hot shower in the shower
truck we ate a delicious hamburger and salad dinner with chocolate éclairs
for dessert. A short rider meeting was followed by an interesting talk by
one of the guides from the local nature reserve, and we headed to bed soon
after as it's quite cold and we're very tired. I'm looking forward to a day off
tomorrow and a trip to Victoria.
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See below for pictures from today - hover your mouse cursor over the
thumbnail for a description. |
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