Port Angeles to Bogachiel State Park

An earlier start was on the agenda today where Evan shocked us all by getting up to observe the sunrise then had his bags all packed (after he went back to sleep). We returned to our bikes and gear and packed up saying goodbye and many thanks to our hosts and to Nancy for chauffeuring us around.

Blake and I mailed a few garments back to Idaho and then we all loaded up on food an hit the road. It was sunny and clear all day, staying in the mid 70s which is surprising for a place that gets 12 feet of rain a year! 10 miles was spent winding around Lake Crescent, a gorgeous and clear lake that is somehow affiliated with the park. That part didn't have much of a shoulder but wasn't too bad. 

There was much talk by some others of quite the hill at the end of the lake but it wasn't bad at all. It was long and gradual which was awesome; I jammed out and sang the whole way up only to find two other tourers up top (I thought they were Blake and Evan). Chatted with them for a bit and kept going. There were minor hills but some nice flat and downhill where we could get a good average going on our speedometers.

Forks was our destination am we arrived in the early evening and inquired about a state park we saw on a map and it was only 5 more miles down the road so we rode on. Hunger kicked in right when we were just a mile or so away and we found a campsite, made some grub, showered, and swatted mosquitos. 62 miles, not too shabby. Hitting up the coast tomorrow for lunch time then to Lake Quinault. 

Obstruction Point

Yesterday we spent most the day hiking in the park again out at Obstruction Point. Gorgeous weather once again with wonderful mountain vistas. It's a dirt road to a pull off where Evan, Nancy, and Blake went for a more daunting 10.3 mile hike with much elevation loss and gain while I went for the modest 7.3 mile hike down to a lake walking along a ridge then dropping more than 2100 feet. The lake was crystal clear and the fish were jumping like mad. I caught up on some reading and just soaked in the view. I am a sucker for alpine lakes, must be why I enjoy the Sawtooths so much. 

I hiked back to the car and read for an hour and a half before the rest of the gang showed up. We were all wind and sunburned just a tad. We returned to camp, consumed many calories, had a fireside chat, then slept.

The Park on the Peninsula

We or off the ferry boat in Port Angeles and found a nice place to have some dinner. It's a quaint town with the ocean sloshing on one side and the mountains holding up clouds on the other. Attempting to stay at a campground, we went to Safeway to get some more groceries we contacted another warm showers person since we planned on visiting Olympic National Park for a couple of days and Evan's friend, Nancy, was coming from Seattle for a visit. 

We obtained a place to stay which was literally 2 blocks away from where we were. Deanna and Randy host cyclers all the time and they have a wonderful home with a cute dog named Skip. There were two guys who just finished their tour from Chicago to Austin, Texas then they took a bus to San Diego and biked up to Port Angeles that were staying there too. They were buying a truck to drive back to Chicago which they did buy yesterday. 

Nancy didn't arrive until 4pm so Evan and Blake worked on their bikes for a bit while I went to the ocean front to read, journal, and explore. They met up with me and we went to eat at a Chinese buffet rated best in the Peninsula. After two large plates of food and a small ice cream cone I was stuffed to the rafters. 

Nancy came and picked us up and we headed up the winding steep mountain road into the park. The road goes from sea level to about 5,000 feet so we were glad we weren't going to bike it. We spent a couple hours hiking around Hurricane Ridge and taking pictures of the mountainous landscape as well as the numerous deer that were not too scared of onlookers. 

After the sun went down we headed to a campground to set up for the night. We enjoyed dinner and conversation then called it a night.

Ferry boats, Canadians, Hills, and A Place to stay.

The ferry boat ride was enjoyable. We sat at the top front of the boat to make sure they were going the right direction. We sat, talked, ate, Blake tried to read but of course Evan and I didn't make it easy for him to read. We arrived to Nanaimo which was larger than expected. 

We stopped at a nice grocery store to pickup some snacks and dinner. Everyone in Canada is so kind, interested, and excited about our bike trip. It's amazing how many people recognize my surly long haul trucker and saddle knowing it is for touring. We departed town and hopped on the highway south towards Victoria. 

The ride was along a highway busier than expected and not as many viewpoints either, still pleasant to smell the ocean air and take in the lush rainforest. There were several decent hills which is only getting us in better shape, but we all struggled a bit. 

We rode 45+ miles down to Duncan looking for a provincial park; we stopped in at a grocery store in Duncan to ask directions but no one seemed to know. Outside a couple and their friend were talking to Blake about our bikes and invited us all to stay the night in their backyard. They were headed to a party but said their doors are unlocked an too feel free to shower and make food in the kitchen and setup anywhere in their yard. 

It's always nice to get a shower especially when you don't know when your next one will be. Granted its day 1 but we are already grimy from sweat and exhaust. We made some hot food, showered, and set up tents then zonked out. Not a bad day; the weather has been so perfect with partial clouds, cooler temps, and sun peaking through here and there. 

Thank you Canada, you have been kind as always.

We awoke today and packed up sating many thank yous and "if you're ever in Idaho..." We rode off encountering wonderful cool temperatures, no rain, and partly sunny weather. 

The riding was nice today but we did encounter a long climbing hill which gave us all a huff and a puff. There was a reward towards the top with a pretty viewpoint of the end of the island, the San Juan Islands, and if it was clear, a mountain in Washington that I am blanking on. We then had an awesome downhill cruise for quite a ways, reaching speeds of up to 40mph. 

About (Canadian about), 9 miles from Victoria we stopped at a Tim Hortons to fill up water, use the restroom, and carb up with a muffin and donut. Surprise surprise. Heading into Victoria we were riding on the freeway navigating past cars speeding from the on ramps to the highway. 

Downtown was a happening place filled with tons of people, a rowing race, some sort of festival, and a picturesque parliament building next to the water front. Sadly we only had a half hour before catching our ferry boat to Port Angeles, Washington. 

We spent the time on the boat reading, journaling, updating the blog, taking pictures, and Evan setting up his mat on the floor and napping. 

Canada has been very kind to us, getting positive responses from everyone. They sure love our tuxedo jerseys! I've always had a good experience in western Canada and this confirms once again that they are very wonderful people. 

Once in Port Angeles, we plan on visiting Olympic National Park for a day or two. Sorry for the lack of pictures but I am taking them, but I am just updating via my iPhone. Check instagram for pics and maybe when we get to a computer. 

Off and going

We took 22hrs to greyhound to Vancouver. Long, tiresome, but worth the arrival into Canada. Stayed with a wonderful Iranian family from Couchsurfing in a beautiful house in West Vancouver. Rode 8 miles along the coast watching enormous barges bob in the bay. It sprinkled on us lightly buy then cleared off and is gorgeous. We are in Horseshoe Bay loading on the ferry boat to Nanimo on Vancouver Island. Should take a couple days riding down the coast to Victoria. 

**Note: I've been posting short updates with pictures on Instagram which you can see on the top right of the blog, as well as, on Facebook. 

Heyo!

Evan here!

Well we'll well well well

Sun never sets here. Looks like we are on another adventure.

Best part of this 1.5 day greyhound trip to Canada. We all meet in Seattle and take the same bus up. 

Till Canada