Today I found a lighthouse
I woke up feeling better. Day 2 was rough. I think my body is slowly getting caught up with the concept of what it means to ride 50ish miles a day and do a bunch of climbing. I don't think I'm quite there yet, but slowly getting there.
We continued along the Olympic Discovery Trail. This is a lovely paved trail that winds through the Olympic Peninsula. It's a good way to get across without having to deal with a bunch of traffic. There was some highway riding today as well. If the roads are busier, we ride the shoulder and try to be as visible as possible. I've got bright clothing and a flashing light at the back of my bike. One of the steepest climbs of the day was along one of these more central highways. 2 miles at 5% grade. If you're not used to reading grades think about how much you have to push on the gas pedal. A 5% grade is a nice push on the pedal. On a loaded bike it means low and slow. Low gear and slow progress.
After turning off the main highway we then went on a much more agreeable road. I rather enjoyed winding through the hills we stopped for lunch in a little town called Chimacum. What an interesting place! This seems to be a very agricultural part of WA. There were farm stands and vegetable fields everywhere in town. We stopped by the local café for lunch and DANG. Lunch was HUGE! I had the meatloaf dinner. I got WAY more than I was expecting. It started with a large salad of real romaine and shredded vegetables. Then the main meatloaf was probably triple what I was expecting. AND there was ice cream for dessert. The place was friendly and the atmosphere really felt of a small town. This is the place where people meet for coffee. This is the place where you go for a date. I love places like this.
One woman came up to us and asked where we were riding. After she heard we were going cross country she got super excited since she had made a similar journey herself in 1987!
After lunch the main group headed to the next town but I wanted to check out the local farmers market/CO-OP on the corner. What a neat place. A delightful team busied around a small grocery store with an extensive produce section. They had local vegetable and flower starts sourced from around the peninsula. Got talking to one of the staff who was interested in our ride and where I was from. I said I grew up on a small Organic Certified farm in SW MN. We talked about the growing conditions of the area and what this CO-OP was really trying to achieve. Growing Community and Keepin' it Local! AWESOME!
After leaving the Corner Farmstand I headed down into Port Townsend along the Olympic Discovery Trail. Rolled through farms and woodlands. There is a yellow flower that is blooming EVERYWHERE. I'm not sure what it is, but it sure is pretty.
The trail spits you out in the Port Townsend boatyard. It's actually kind of disorienting because you have no idea if you're supposed to be there. If you were to stick strictly to the trail you end up on the beach. So I looked around and saw a couple other bikes rolling through so I figured it out from there.
My timing must have been fortuitous because there was a team moving a large yacht from the shop back to the water. The concept is simple. Lift up the boat with a large sling and move it from point A to point B then lowering it down. Still sooo cool to see. I have an interesting fascination with large machines. Such power but yet able to perform delicate tasks. I found the rest of the crew at a local spot and we all spent some time recovering.
We decided that the climbs for today were enough and we did not have enough in us to continue another 20 miles to our regular scheduled destination. Art saw that there was a state park just on the other side of the ferry crossing. Worried about camping we saw that they had dedicated walk in sites for hikers and bikers. SOLD!
Manvel had the first trip to the bike store today. He bent his derailleur hanger a bit on the single track and they didn't do the best job of fixing it yesterday.
The ferries are super cool. They stage everyone ahead of time and then load you on the boat. Bikes go first as they go all the way to the front. The boats are able to be driven both forwards and backwards and have a sort of symmetry to them, so you're not exactly sure which side is the front and which side is the back. We headed up to the deck and waited for departure.
The wind whips a little differently when you're out on the Sound. It feels chilly yet not cold. It has a lot of body to it being at sea level. You can almost feel the high moisture and oxygen levels. It's really quite special to stand out on the deck and just feel it all around you.
When I said our campground was right next to the ferry stop. I don't think I guessed how close it would be. We were probably 200' from the ferry at 15' of elevation. Our campground hosts were very kind and excited to see us there. Fort Casey served for many years as one of the first lines of defense for the Puget Sound. It also has a historical lighthouse.
We grabbed supper right next door at a lovely little seaside café. I was short on power so not much for dinner pictures, but I assure you, it was fantastic. I had fish and chips, and a fresh baked berry pie was my dessert.
Our campground hosts told us to be back for sunset because up by the lighthouse were some of the best sunset views of the peninsula. We raced up the hill (weeellllll........ more like slowly slogged) to catch the last bits of the sun slipping below the Pacific horizon. It had a level of grandeur to it, and was awe inspiring. I think a couple of the others were more in the "eh whatever" camp, but I thought it was stunning.
'till next time
-Matt
Miles Ridden Today: 51.35
Feet Climbed Today: 1,828
Total Miles Ridden: 180.72
Comments