Day 7: Sept 7th
DAY 1 RIDING: Port Angeles to Fairholm campground
We drove into Port Angeles without much of a plan, per usual with a later start than I would have liked. We found a sign that said “Welcome to Port Angeles” and took a quick photo. I needed to pee so we decided to drive on, finding a park and a bathroom. I changed into my riding clothes and prepped my bike. Told Rickles where to meet me, said goodbye, and he drove off with the dogs. I started to ride through the town, having to reference my phone often to make sure I was headed in the right direction. I was. As I exited town, I was really starting to question what the hell I was doing. The highway was dirty and dusty, with trash littering the ditches. It was loud as cars passed by nonstop. I was getting a bit irritated. I really started to question WTF I was doing.
After about 15 miles, the towns had started to fade away and nature became more prevalent. I started to get into a rhythm with my pedals and breath. The shoulders had widened a bit and the traffic had slowed down. THIS was what I was after. It wasn’t until I started heading into Lake Crescent that I really started enjoying myself. There were signs to motorists and cyclists to use caution over the course of the next 11 miles. The shoulder narrowed quite a bit and now there were massive logging trucks coming to and from either direction. In addition to this, the road started to twist and turn in and out of the mountains. I was a little nervous as cars, trucks, trailers, and semis would pass very closely. Sometimes a bit too close for comfort, and the ol’ sphincter would really clench.
I am pretty sure my mouth was open with my first glance and Lake Crescent. She was stunning. Huge, tall pines waving along the sides of mountains that dropped directly into pristine, turquoise, clear waters. My head had to stay focused on the road so I wouldn’t get squished or fall over. I pulled off a few times just to gape at her. I wanted in that water!!
Around mile 25, my left shoulder was really sore and my ass was ready to be out of the saddle. I finally saw the sign for the campground. “Thank God!” I thought, only to take the turn off and be faced with yet another damn hill. Head down, pedal on. After a bit of getting lost, missing a sign and walking up the final hill, I couldn’t keep the momentum I needed to stay upright. I found him. He had texted the campsite number, otherwise I don’t know if I ever would have found him, as the place was confusing with limited signage. He said he was surprised to see me so soon. We came up with a contingency plan for no cell service, we had gotten lucky that his message came through. He said he had gotten a bit emotional waiting and was nervous that I wouldn’t find him.
I stuffed my face with some snacks, changed my shoes, and we decided to drive down the road to do the Marymere Falls hike. First important lesson of many: change your entire outfit. Bike shorts when not on a bike results in chafing. It was an easy, beautiful walk through an old forest with massive trees. The falls were pretty and worth the little jaunt. We came back, by this time the sun was setting and no longer shining on the lake. I wanted to jump in but was afraid that it would be frigid and I wouldn’t be able to warm back up before bed. So I didn’t. I will forever kick myself for not getting in that water. Mark my words. I will be back.
We ate leftovers from the night before, I had an edible and laid on my yoga mat for some time staring at the trees enjoying every second and every breath. I did a bit of yoga, ate again (munchies) and went to bed.
Day 8: Sept 8th
SECOND DAY OF RIDING: Fairholm Campgrounds to Bogachiel State Park
Today was supposed to be a 61 mile ride, but we decided to cut it to another 30mile day. THANK THE STARS. I don’t know if I could have physically or mentally done 60 miles on that bike, being that I started this completely untrained and it was starting to show.
Leaving such beauty was a little sad. I wished we had spent a little more time there. The ride today was a bit tougher with more headwinds and more hills. I rode slowly and my knees started to ache, especially my right one. I stopped a handful of times along the road when there were turnouts for a rest and some snacks. My lunch date today was a homeless snail. (aka a slug)
I made my way to the campground to find dad in his chair with the pups at his side. Same as yesterday and probably every day to come, I was happy to be done for the day.
I stuffed my face, changed ALL of my clothes this time and we went for a little hike in the woods around the campsite, I saw the biggest clovers I have EVER seen! I even found a four leaf clover!! I have been looking for one of those my whole LIFE!
We meandered through the trails and ended up finding a river. I tossed the stick for Doodle to fetch and Dad gave Liko a bath in the slow moving waters. We walked back up to our site, ate some dinner and I tried to get my knees to stop aching. Yoga, massage gun, self manual work. I wondered if this is what arthritis feels like, cause this shit sucks! I decided to call it a night and climbed into the truck.
Day 9: Sept 9th
3rd day of riding: Bogachiel State Park to Kalaloch Campground
Usual routine: wake up at about 6:30ish, and start making coffee. Dad starts to move around about 7. After breakfast and packing everything back up, we are usually on the road by 9ish. I was a little worried about my knees today since they were so achy last night. I decided during the several hours I have to think, I would need to warm up better before hopping on my bike and would need to stretch out every night. Today when the shoulders were wide and traffic was quieter I would listen to the “Oxygen Advantage” on my little speaker that hangs from the handlebars so I can still hear traffic. Once the logging trucks started roaring by and the road required more of my attention, I would turn it off. Once in Olympic National Park, the shoulder practically disappears and the trucks were on one today. It required a lot of sphincter control not to shit my pants as they drove by at about 60mph within 12in of my bike. Today was more mentally than physically challenging. I took lots of rest breaks, pulled off the main road to eat, stretch and, of course, pee.
One of the main things I have found absolutely AMAZING during this trip is my She-wee, a cyclone funnel that allows women to urinate standing up!! Seriously the best invention for active, adventurous, outdoorsy women. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to just pull off the road and take a pee … standing up! Not having to worry about showing the whole world all my lady bits. I often wondered if passersby were ever confused about that woman standing up to take a tinkle in the trees.
One of my pee stops happened to be riddled with wild blackberries. I love trail treats!! Not only did I have an amazing stand-up pee break (no I did not pee on the blackberries), I got to have a beautiful, wild snack. There is something so satisfying about being able to pick something that mother nature grows straight from the source and put it in your mouth (something I very much love about the trails back at home in Hawaii.) I made note of what the massive plant looked like so I could find them again. Wishing I had a container or something with me so I could pick some for my Dad. I rode on. Usually around mile 25 I am ready to be done. I glance at my watch to check mileage entirely too often.
FINALLY I see the sign for the campsite and turn in, I found my dad easily this time with no hills to climb. Usual routine: arriving at camp, locking up bike, add air to tires, stuffing face, change clothes and shoes. And then deciding what walk we are going to do. Today we are camping near the beach, first time I have seen or heard the ocean in months!
My dear ocean, even though you are grey and not blue. Oh, my love how I have missed you.
We walked down to the beach and took some photos with the Tree of Life, a beautiful tree with the roots exposed hanging on for dear life. We strolled down the beach, riddled with giant pieces of driftwood, dead crabs, shells and kelp. It was lovely just to hear her waves. The dogs finally got to run free and enjoyed their time off leash. The wind is chilly here so we decided to make “snugglers” back at camp, which are a mix of hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps.
I did some writing and dad played his guitar. It was complete bliss. He then got up and started reorganizing the cab of the truck. I asked him what he was up to and he said “reorganizing my closet.” After putting everything back in to his satisfaction, I look up again from my computer and he is practicing juggling with 3 hacky sacks he must have found in the truck. He heads to the road for a more level surface and after a while I join him. We play a silly game of catch for a while and laugh while throwing multiple hacky sacks back and forth. THIS… this is what I am after. A simple moment of joy shared with my father. So far one of my most favorite moments of the trip.
We decide to eat dinner, make another round of snugglers and head back to the beach for sunset. We set up chairs next to one of the largest tree stumps I have ever seen. We watch the sky turn from one shade or grey to another as the sun sets behind the clouds. After the chill of the wind set in, we headed back up to camp. I did my stretches that I told myself I would do and called it a night.
Sept 10th: Kalaloch Campground to Gatton Creek campground 33+miles
I woke up early to spend some time on the beach before other humans arrived. I got to spend some extra time with the “Tree of Life,” listening to the ocean and the birds. Doodle and I took a little walk down the beach with coffee in hand.
Back up at camp I made breakfast (I had oatmeal, Dad had cereal), we packed up and were on the road about 8:30am. Riding out of the park was beautiful. I like the mornings, there are less people around, less traffic, it's quieter and the energy is just different. Once late morning rolled around so did the damn logging trucks. The road curved left and the trees and lush forest were traded for logging flats and trucks. The shoulder was sometimes wide and others non existent. For the most part it was a relatively flat ride with a few rolling hills. I took my time, rested a lot, ate blackberries and started to wish I had some company. I get intermittent service which allows me to send some text messages and photos to friends.
I soon got a text from Rickles saying that the campsite we were to meet at was full. He drove around for another half hour and couldn’t find anything. I told him I was about 15 miles out and we would have to sort it out when I got there. I told him if he has solid service to start looking up dispersed camping or other sites. He spoke with a ranger that pointed him in the direction of some first-come-first served walk-in sites. He found one. Thank God.
He told me where he was and his service dropped. I followed the text I received which was “Gatton Creek. South Shore.” Usually the first 5 miles and the last 5 miles are the worst for me. I was already over the 30 mile mark, and was riding further down a road I wasn’t even sure was the correct one. It was down hill, which was nice, but if I was headed in the wrong direction, my ass was walking up these suckers to get back out. I rode through a cute little town and stopped at a little store. I didn’t want anything particular except a warm drink (I forgot to mention it was raining most of the morning). Once I realized I had no way to carry it, I left with patches for dad’s air mattress, some mosquito coils and some postcards. I loaded up my panniers and was back on the bike. I also got a map, which was helpful seeing as I had zero service and no idea where I was going beyond “Gatton Creek. South Shore.” She was lovely and told me it was about a mile or so down the road. I found the truck in the parking lot. The sites were walk-in, and he was in number 4, hidden and tucked away in some trees. The spot was beautiful, right next to a lake with only 4 other sites around.
A gentleman about my dad’s age rolled up in his motorcycle with his dog in the side car… yes, wearing doggles. We ended up chatting with him a bit later, super neat dude who does backcountry motorcycling and camping with his dog. He was just here waiting out the weather. He said he did some bike touring as well, he mentioned his last trip was 100 miles a day, for 7 days over 7 mountain passes. And here I am on the struggle bus with my 30 plus miles… Thanks a lot, Ken. We also met George, a chiropractor from Chicago, another super neat dude. I have concluded “nature people” are better people. They tend to be kinder, more generous, easy to talk to and generally more interesting.
I was exhausted, and sat in a chair for a good hour with no energy to move or do anything. Finally we decided to cook some dinner, which consisted of noodle soup, baked beans and some fried up peppers, onions and ham. It was the best food ever. And I immediately felt alive again. We cleaned up and walked down to the pebble beach to watch the sunset. I laid on my yoga mat, stretched and started reading “Eleven Minutes” by Paulo Challo. Dad sat on his lounge chair, with his camera waiting for some colors to emerge from the grey.
Sept 11th
Rest day.
I asked if we could stay an extra day to let my knees rest. I feel like I have a pretty high tolerance for pain and discomfort. But my knees were really bothering me on the ride plus it was supposed to rain today and after spending most of my morning in it yesterday, I thought it best to take the day off.
We slept in, which meant I was up and 6 with nothing to do, so I dozed in and out for about an hour. I started reading my “Bicycling the Pacific Coast” book to see what was coming up for the next few days. About the time I was starting to get really restless, Rickles rolled up to the truck. I made us coffee and we made a plan for the day, it wasn’t raining yet so I figured we should hike and be outside until it does. We looked at the map I got yesterday and saw that the world’s largest spruce tree was right down the road from us. We decided to walk, since it was close and we didn’t want to pack the truck back up. We passed by another cute little store and a laundromat + shower combo. HELL YES! Our day was planned.
We walked to the spruce tree, which was indeed quite large, and we saw another trailhead directly across the street that took us in a nice loop directly back to our campsite. We hiked in a beautiful rain forest, saw a stunning stream and waterfalls. It almost didn’t even look real. Sometimes I feel like I am in a Truman Show type simulation and everything is backdrops.
We got back to the truck, packed up what we needed to and headed to the laundromat. We met a few other fellow travelers who were taking the day to do chores as well. We started the wash and took a hot shower: it cost a quarter a minute. Worth all 6 damn quarters. It was the first hot shower we had since Bogachiel and it was fucking glorious. I have learned with the timed showers to glance at my watch so I know how much time I have left in order to make sure all the suds are rinsed and my hair is washed.
We met an older gentleman with no teeth, who was missing 4 fingers on his right hand. He was from a nearby town and drove 30 miles to do his laundry, normally he says he drives “to town” which is 70 miles! He kept us entertained with stories of sasquatch, fishing and snow. He told me he had 7 brothers and 8 sisters, I told him, his mother must have been a hell of a woman, and can you imagine the laundry SHE had to do. We had a good laugh.
We finished folding and putting everything back in the truck, when you are living out of a vehicle, everything has its spot. We were starting and decided to treat ourselves to a real lunch at a restaurant. The first place we went was closed… of course. But right down the block there was another place with a big sign that said “Restaurant.” We looked at each other. That will do. It was a weird little diner slash internet cafe. But it was out of the rain and they had warm food. Rickles had fish and chips, which was actually quite good and I had a turkey melt. We took advantage of the wifi, I switched my car insurance and did a bit of adulting. Posted some photos and sent out some text replies.
Back at camp, I hopped in the back of the truck (where I live) and Dad went to his tent (where he lives). I read for a while and dozed in and out, telling myself it's a rest day and it was raining out: what else are you going to do? After getting restless, I went down to the campsite and set up my yoga mat under the tarp we had set up yesterday. I read some more, stretched and wrote some postcards. We chatted again with Ken and then headed to get a beer at “The Salmon House.” They were open but for take out only. Goddamn it COVID! We ordered the smoked salmon appetizer to split and used their shitty free wifi to try and plot out a bit of tomorrow. We sat in plastic rocking chairs across the street and ate while I tried to search for campsites. Headed back to camp, had a tarp beer (beer sitting under our makeshift shelter) and headed to bed.
Sept 12th: Gatton Creek campground to Ocean City State Park
Turns out Ken was holding out on me! We were having coffee and packing up and he walked over and offered to have a look at my positioning on the bike since he used to fit people for cycles!! He raised my seat a lot, told me a bit about knee positioning and adjusted my cleats slightly. Today's ride was night and day! My knees still had some residual pain, but nothing like it was the day before. I also had a much faster pace today since my down stroke wasn’t shortened. KEN YOU ARE A KNEE SAVER!
The shoulders were wide and since it was a Sunday traffic seemed low. The small towns I rode through were quiet and cute. It was a lovely ride. The first 10 miles flew by, I hardly checked my mileage, and felt like I needed less rest breaks. The scenery was either lumber farms, or logging flats, which make me a little sad. Humans are the worst. There were a few good climbs today, but bombing down the hills is super fun. I even was speeding at one point. Around one of the curves, the speed limit was 30mph… I was going 32.8!
I did the usual search for Rick in the campground, found out he backed the bike rack into an Audi at the ranger station. The guy pulled up right behind him, he checked his mirror and saw nothing so put it in reverse and CRACK! Hit the guys car. BUMMER! He seemed a little put off when I arrived, but he rolls with the punches well. We just have to wait for insurance to do their thing.
I got to talk with Josh today. It was nice to hear his voice even though I feel like I have to say “WHAT?” every other sentence thanks to the combination of his soft spoken self and garbage service. I am hoping I will get to see him when I ride through Oregon. It makes me excited and nervous, I haven’t seen him in months and I still have mixed feelings after our breakup. He’s one I will always love but also understand we want different things.
Rickles and I walked down to the beach which was very windy with grey mushy water. We watched people drive their cars up and down the miles and miles of sand and a guy fishing off the shore, only pulling in seaweed. We played with the dogs and headed back to camp for some wind cover. I made dinner, took a lukewarm shitty shower, read and went to bed.
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