06.26.2023, day 1 - starting the ride
it dripped rain all night. woke up to gray mist, couldn't tell if it was raining or not. as the man said, typical northwest morning.
after 20 miles of highway and another 7 on backroad, i finally reached the famed olympic discovery trail.
one good climb after the lake to remind me i'm on a bike, then it's downhill to the north coast.
our sleeping pad has gone flat and the winds blowing hard. we opt to sleep in the car. it was warm.
and started packing, assembling my gear and setting it on the bike for the first time. testing fate, i hadn't checked it back in knoxville or portland. but everything went together well, and after a cup of tea, a banana and the remnants of a scone, i was ready.
an obligatory picture, a hug and kiss, and i was off. suzi went for a walk along the beach.
the san duc and bogachiel rivers join to form the quillayute a few miles from the coast. fed by snow melt, they vary according to season.
and, of course, you're not supposed to bring wood with you or even harvest it there, so the locals sell it. but not to worry if you don't have cash, venmo is recognized.
it's unfortunate, but the forests here are managed for lumber. every mile or two, there's another tract that's been clear cut. mostly douglas firs, i believe. you see the stumps of trees far larger than the trunks of the still standing groves. there was a sign indicating that they cut approximately every 50 years, much longer than the pulp pine down south which i think they cut about every ten years. it also results in staggered sized trees in different plots.
beautiful, lush green, except in a few places where i was half-expecting the witcher to come out of the forest.
and the fantastic crescent lake. riding on a paved bike trail about 100+ feet above the water line, sloping ever down among ferns and firs to the shore line.
stopped at the blackberry cafe for tea and pie and i ended up remeeting johnny from yakima. we've passed three times on the trail earlier. he's on a week long trip before he starts a new job. we trade cycling tales.
then down to whiskey beach campground on the northshore where it's windy as hell. and chilly.
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