Olympic Peninsula Days 9 to 12

On the ninth day, we rode to a casino outside of Shelton.  There was nothing spectacular about this ride and certainly nothing spectacular about the casino, unless you count decent meals with a 20% senior discount. 
Day 10 was a difficult and somewhat dangerous ride to Tacoma. Tacoma is a neat city, as is Seattle.  There were three museums within walking distance of the motel; most of us focused on the glass museum which even I found interesting.

 









Day 11 was a rest day and on the final day we rode from Tacoma to Seattle.  This involved cycling from downtown Tacoma to the Port Defiance ferry terminal, riding the ferry to Vashon Island, cycling across the island, taking another ferry to west Seattle and then finding our way to downtown Seattle. Photos above from Tacoma.  Below are (1) from Port Defiance ferry landing, (2) Mt Rainier from the ferry to south Seattle and (3) the city on the route back to Seattle.



Two Bicycle Adventure Club sections, a total of 40 participants, have completed the 12 day ride around the Olympic Peninsula.  No one got injured and NO ONE GOT RAINED ON!!!
This blog will go to sleep until the next tour, “The Whole Enchilada” a tour in the Texas Hill Country which starts April 8, 2012.

Olympic Peninsula Day 8

Last night’s BBQ, served on the lodge lawn, was great.

The Lake Quinault Lodge is one of the Great Lodges of the National Park Service.  It was built in 1926 by 45 men in 53 days. Pretty amazing.

Editorial comment: If everyone listened to the Tea Party, all endeavors would be by private enterprise and there would be no national park system.  How simplistic and ill-conceived their notions are. I hope we return them to the farm in the next elections.

 

 

 

 

This morning the lake was still and surrounded by fog.  The temperature, in the mid-50’s, was ten degrees higher than the previous two days.  We rode out of the park about nine o’clock.  Turning on highway 101 at mile 2.5 and saw blue skies above the forest walls.

Photo: Lake Quinault, early morning.  Most riders took the long 65 mile route today because this got us off the busy 101, much of which is paved with chip-seal, and because the coastal road was much more scenic.  An Espresso stop at mile 30 was followed by lunch at the Green Lantern Tavern in Copalis Beach (mile 40). It was a nice ride on a beautiful day.

Olympic Peninsula Day 7

By the time we arrived at Klaloch Lodge yesterday, the fog had set in and the temperature dropped.  Brenda wanted me to start a fire in the fireplace.  We had another great dinner at the lodge and during dinner the fog magically lifted providing a nice sunset and evening view of the Pacific Ocean (first two photos).

The sky was still clear in the morning and the reflections wonderful.

Most arrived at Lake Quinault Lodge mid afternoon and rode additional miles to see the World’s Largest Cypress tree and the waterfalls down the road. Below is a photo of the lodge; the picnic tables are being set up for our gourmet BBQ.

Olympic Peninsula Day 6

Again we woke in the rain forest to sunny skies.  Probably I should stop saying that!  And the scheduled day to Kalaloch Lodge is short.  We look at alternative routes and extensions and most of us decide the 36 mile round trip to the Hoh Rain Forest is the best bet.  Unfortunately, there is construction on that route with delays of up to an hour (each way) so most of us turn around.  Armed with sandwiches, bananas and cookies, Brenda and I – and most other riders – decide that Ruby Beach is a good place for lunch.  Little did we know how beautiful a place it was – see photos in today’s blog (click on any photo for an enlargement).  The breeze from the Pacific Ocean was very cool but the sun kept us mostly warm.  After about an hour, clouds moved in, and it got much colder.  So we got on the bikes, with jackets, and rode the seven or so miles to the lodge.  We were two hours earlier than normal check-in but all rooms were ready!  Two nights ago at the Sol Duc Lodge we had a really great dinner.  Hopefully tonight’s will measure up.

 

 

 

Olympic Peninsula Day 5

We woke to sunshine, although a chilly 49 degrees.  Today is a short cycling day, 40 miles and mostly downhill so we have plenty of time.  Most us us ride a couple of extra miles uphill and then hike 0.8 mile to see the Sol Duc Water Falls.  Although I’m skeptical about the trip, it was worthwhile as I hope the photos show. (Click on any photo to enlarge.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 15 mile ride from the park, returning by yesterday’s route, was great.  The forest was beautiful, often accented by flowers beside the road.  And, oh yes, it was mostly downhill.  The remainder of the day’s ride, westward on US 101 wasn’t the best. There was headwind and there were logging trucks. But we had a wide shoulder and the sun was shining so no one was complaining. The Hungry Bear restaurant at mile 25 was a treat with supersized everything.  Tonight we’re in the village of Forks, allegedly the town in the US with the most annual rainfall.  Fortunately August has the least rain of any month and none is forecast this week.  Life is good.

Olympic Peninsula Day 4

Note that this post will be late; at Sol Duc Lodge in the  Olympic National Forest we do not have internet or cell service. In fact we don’t have a telephone or a TV. OMG, what will we do?

One of several building murals on the side of buildings in Port Angeles

I had told the riders that day 4 reminded me of the 4th letter in the alphabet because the ride was both Dangerous and Difficult. The dangerous section was from mile 16 to 26 along the south shore of Crescent Lake.  This was US 101 and there was no shoulder. But the main danger resulted from continuous blind curves – drivers could come around a corner and see cyclists, totally unprepared. Immediately after the dangerous section we had a 15 mile climb, the difficult section.  It turned out these descriptions were much overblown; everyone got through both sections with flying colors.

Also, as the rode deeper into the rain forest the rain forecast changed from 65% probability of rain to 33% and the further we rode the more sun we saw.  The last 12 miles into the national park was a beautiful forested area with very large trees, particularly Hemlock and Douglas Firs.

Photo from the west end of Crescent Lake.  We had a picnic lunch at this spot.

Near Sul Doc we stopped at a place were you might see salmon jumping.  The photo at left is from this spot; it brought back memories.

When my family moved from Kansas City, Kansas to Old Ocean, Texas in 1949.  All of the trees in the area (Brazoria County) were covered with Spanish peat moss.  It provided an eerie feeling, particularly at night. But the moss has disappeared from my boyhood home. I’m not sure why.

Olympic Peninsula Days 2 and 3

Day 2’s ride is from Pt. Townsend to Pt. Angeles. Are all towns here called Port something or other?  Today’s route sheet looks complicated; there are 50 turns.  But this is primarily because the “official” route is on the Olympic Discover Trail, a planned 120 mile non-motorized, multi-use trail.  About 40 miles are complete as of 2011.  If, on the other hand, you take the highway, there are only a few turns.  But the highway is the busy Highway 101.  My instruction to the riders is to not worry about the route, “Just be sure the water is on your tight and keep pedaling”.

Bodies of water surrounding the Olympic Peninsula include the Hood Canal, Puget Sound, Strait of Juan Fuca and the Pacific Ocean.

One of our riders researches the area he is going to explore by bicycle and produces a document for the rest of us.  Vic’s first document on the Olympic Peninsula can be found at http://www.wetandem.com/OlyPen11/OP-Background.pdf

From Vic’s document you’ll learn that the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific Ocean and are the wettest place in the 48 contiguous states.  Is it no wonder the weather forecast for tomorrow includes 65% probability of rain?

Once again we have a scenic view from our motel room.  Pt. Townsend was a tourist town; Pt. Angeles is a working fishing town.

Day 3, a “rest day” in Pt. Angeles was built-in to allow everyone to take the ferry to the lovely town on Victoria, British Columbia. For a variety of reasons, no one took this option.  So it’s a lazy day of exploring, laundry, email and reading.  And although it’s early for a rest day, maybe that’s not bad because tomorrow’s ride includes the most climbing on the trip, over 4,000 feet to Sol Duc Hot Springs in the Olympic National Forest.

Olympic Peninsula–Day 1

How did two Texans end up leading a bike tour around the Olympic Peninsula?  Such is the wonder of the Bicycle Adventure Club.  Two local members, Doug and Colleen Gant from Tacoma, WA. designed this tour.  When their tour filled up, they asked us to lead a second section. Their section is one week ahead of ours.

The basic route is a loop counter-clockwise around the peninsula as shown above.

The first day we leave the Vintage Park Hotel in Seattle, a really fine hotel, ride downhill for a half mile and board the ferry for Bainbridge Island. On the other side of the island we cross a bridge to the peninsula. Tonight’s destination in Port Townsend.  On the way we pass many port towns, Port Gamble, Port Haddock, Port Ludlow.  To “fit in” with this nautical landscape, my nightly costume includes a Greek Fisherman’s Hat (photo to follow later).

Near the day’s end, as we cycle through “downtown” Pt. Townsend, we run across two BAC friends who are not on the trip. This is not that unusual for we have club friends all across the country. Right: Brenda visits with Scott and Cathy.  Below, photo from our room at the Swan Hotel.