47.35 in 4:20 We made it to the Kingston Ferry about noon, and I was unloading my bike off the Jeep and trying to evaluate the weather and temperature. It seems sunny (thank God) and warm, but the heavy clouds over the Olympic Mountains looked ominous, and an ocean breeze off the Pacific could really be cool, because the water up here is about 50 degrees. I opted on the side of staying warm, and packed a lot of extra tops, even though I wasn't really worried about rain. Fortunately, as the day went along, the sun stayed high in the sky, and the wind was pretty nonexistent. I peeled off my outer jacket ten minutes after I started out, and rode with three shirts on top. Every time I went downhill, the air was still cool, and the chill and dampness was there, even though the sun was a huge mental boost. As soon as I got off the ferry, the climbing began, and most of my day was spent between 200-600 ft above sea level, even though the water was present 35-40% of the time. This is definitely not the east coast I'm riding here. I rode 47 miles today, relatively close to the water, and climbed over 2500 ft, even though I descended almost as much. That tells you how rolling the terrain was, but it was all very gradual. My legs, which have spent the last three weeks on the power OFF mode, really didn't appreciate the extra work. I felt like I rode a century today, instead of a half century. It's going to take some time to get it back.
The terrain was very green, with huge cedars and pines everywhere, including all over the mountains, which were not very far away from the shorelines. Ferns and blackberries and all kinds of vines and ivies covered the ground. The huge trees sometimes shaded the roads when I wished the sun could get through. There were several small towns, and each was built around a bay with a port. The roads, first Washington 104, then US 101, were great, with wide shoulders and nicely paved for the entire trip. There was plenty of traffic, however, including truck traffic. I thought it would be a little quieter up here around this time of year, but I had better be careful what I wish for. A few road signs caught my attention, including the tsunami evacuation route signs! There were two adopt a highway signs that were unique. One was sponsored by 'Uncharted Paranormal Services', and the other was in memory of Jerry Garcia, ( of the Grateful Dead, I presume). I would have taken pictures of them, but when I am tired or out of shape I have a tendency to take fewer picture breaks.
When I cleaned up and we ate after the ride, we had time to take a little drive to the Dungeness River, where we stood on a bridge and watched salmon swimming up stream to spawn and die. It was pretty cool, and it was one of the things Pam really wanted to see. On a related note, I saw a dozen or so harbor seals, including a pup, as I crossed over a draw bridge that was drawn, and I had time to look around.
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| A cafe along Hwy 101 |
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| Railroad Bridge across the Dungeness River. We stood up here and looked down on the salmon running. |
This is some of the salmon trying to get up the river. The second video is of the guy who did make it up stream!!
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