Monthly Archives: April 2010

(break 6, 7…) day 8, 9, 10, 11: tacoma to portland

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After resting for 2 days in Tacoma with great hosts Tim and Nancy and their lovely cats, Panther, Spot and Suzie, we left for Portland via the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic route. So starting day 8 (April 25th) we biked to Lake Offut, North of Centralia, then to Castle Rock the next day, into Oregon and to Scappoose the day after and finally, on day 11 (April 28th) we had a short ride into Portland.

We’re now in Portland on a day off and I’m realizing how difficult it is to try writing about days prior when there are so many things to catch up on while in a city (haircuts, laundry, beer, etc.) So this may be breezy but I hope I can highlight some of the interesting experiences and sights along the way.

The first interesting experience, one that happened before we could even get on our way, was me realizing that my rear wheel was untrued and rubbing against the brakes in a nasty way because the rim was torn at the base of one spoke. There were signs of stress (and future tearing) around other spokes too. This was not something I could fix and I would need to get to a bike shop fast. I felt a little foolish for not giving my bike a once-over as soon as we arrived in Tacoma. The problem would have been spotted easily and I could have had my bike fixed while we had days off.

Being stubborn and not wanting to delay getting on the road more, we found a bike shop that would be more-or-less on our way in Puyallup, 20km away. Halfway there my back spoke popped out completely and I fixed it back to the rim with duct tape hoping the bike would hold out…and it did. It may not have been smart to ride like that. I don’t know…but it was a good lesson to listen to my bike more. To chill out and take care of things before they become bigger problems. And that could be applied to other things, gear, my body, relationships (can’t duct tape those)…

Anyway, I walked into Bike Tech completely stressed out and worried that they would not have a replacement rim for my bike. And they didn’t – but they did build an entirely new wheel for me, one with more spokes so stronger for the weight I’m carrying. They were also the nicest bike shop folk that I have ever met. We hung around for a few hours (me pacing like my bike was in surgery) and in that time they gave us great tips for cycling out to Centralia and I witnessed remarkable customer service. Everyone who walked in there was given friendly attention within a few minutes. If you are ever around Tacoma / Puyallup…

By mid-afternoon my new wheel was finished and we were off to Lake Offut where we would camp for the night. Much of the way took us along the beautiful Yelm-Tenino and Chehalis Western bike trails. Off the Chehalis Western trail we found the Monarch Contemporary Art Centre and Sculpture Park. It was out of this world. An acreage full of sculptures. No admission fee just throw your bike down on the ground and wander among the strange and beautiful structures set among green hills and horses of the Washington valley. My favourite sculpture was pick-up-sticks (below) and I have posted photos of others to flickr.

The day after the rain came. We were expecting it but I still was hoping the forecast would be wrong but it wasn’t. It was pouring. We were in an area scarce in places to stay for the night so forged ahead to the one campground we knew of. Rain gear helps but only so far. Eight miles from the campground there was a motel and I was wet and cold so suggested pulling the motel card. Anna agreed and we enjoyed hot showers and glorious heat but still prepared the meal planned for a camp stove.

Day 10 was still a bit rainy but less so and it was coupled with the excitement of entering Oregon. Excitement = holy crap we have to bike over a scary bridge. The Lewis and Clark (or Longview) Bridge crosses the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. It’s really long, single-laned, narrow-shouldered and full of logging trucks. The logging trucks spew wood chips all over the shoulder. Tense. But we made it across and stopped for a few minutes to bask in the glory of entering Oregon alive and to breath.

We biked to a town with the best name, Scappoose, and camped at a park next to an airfield. I thought that would be really annoying (airplanes in the middle of the night!) but it was not too bad. It was nice watching them take off and land. And there was a farm nearby with Llamas. Incredible and beautiful creatures that are built to walk around with their noses in the air.

The sky was finally clearing a little and the Scappoose campground host, Donna, also gave us free (I think) firewood and we had our first fire. Perfect for drying out clothes and there was only one pair socks victim to the flames.

On day 11 we had just a short 40k or so to Portland. We have been staying at the Hawthorne Hostel but will continue on to the coast tomorrow to take advantage of good weather forecasted. I was hoping to relax and explore the city a little more but honestly, most of my time has been spent running errands that can’t be done out of the city. Though we did get in a trip to Voodoo Doughnut. I figured all the bike riding justified getting The Memphis Mafia: banana fritter with peanut butter/chocolate glaze and chocolate chips. It was bigger than my hand and took a few sittings to finish but I did it.

We leave early tomorrow. I don’t know that there will be much computer access on the coast and maybe it’s for the better because I can’t possibly write about everything experienced. I want to but I can’t. Even now…3 minutes left on this computer…and I think it’s time to Publish…

day 3 to 5: victoria to tacoma

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After a warm and friendly visit with Helouise and her kitten, Tabitha Trout, we continued on our journey. Early Tuesday morning Helouise filled us with delicious egg benny rocket fuel and we rode to Sidney (30km North of Victoria) to cross the US border and take a ferry to Anacortes on Fidalgo Island – the “real” start to our journey in a way. We would be in a foreign country and things would be ever so slightly different. As Anna put it: “I’m in the US now so I can’t blaspheme.”

That day we rode along the west coast of a worm of land between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands, taking us through forest on windy roads, across the beautiful Deception Pass (below), by sweet smelling farm land, along a never-ending 3-hilled road next to the ocean and exposed to winds picking up and finally, after a frustrated hour trying to find it, to Fort Ebey State Park.

To tell you the truth, Washington has always seemed a bit…spooky to me with trees that seem a darker green and older farms, roads, and houses in the rural areas. That day reinforced my feeling of eerie Washington. It may have been the colder weather but everywhere we went, the streets were empty of people. There were cars on the road and people in buildings but no one out walking. There were newly built but never sold and lost-looking homes on the coast. And there were the cars that rode past our waving them down to ask for directions when we couldn’t find the campground.

Maybe it was also due to the day being harder than the two before. It started with rain and ended windy. Fort Ebey was further out than we expected and, yes, we really couldn’t find the campground. We spent an hour going down the right road, doubting it, going back and then down a wrong road, back up, etc. In the end we found a map of the park and, the road to the campground being quite a long ways around, we took a shortcut on a hiking trail that ended up being fairly steep to push our bikes up but thankfully, a shortcut. I almost cried.

Supper was a can of chili and Foster’s from a Texaco gas station picked up in doubt that we’d find a grocery store (and we never did come across one). A little sketchy but very yummy after the long day and enticing to the raccoon stalking our campsite.

The next day we woke to clearer skies and a good view of the Olympic peninsula. Tired and cold we were slow to get going but eventually left camp around noon and biked to Keystone Harbor to take a ferry to Port Townsend.

From Port Townsend we biked south, over the Hood Canal Floating Bridge and to a campsite shortly after, Kitsap Memorial State Park. It was a much easier, sunny day than the one before. We filled out panniers with good food from a hippy grocery store in Port Townsend and the floating bridge was beautiful to ride over with a lowish sun making the calm canal waters multi-coloured.

We are getting more skillful hanging out food from trees but did lose a foot of rope to Kitsap Park.

Day 5 started with a lofty goal of getting to Tacoma in the evening. It would be a long day and not possible in the event of injury or flat tires but we were motivated knowing that there would be a few days break in Tacoma. From camp we bike to and past Bremerton, around Port Orchard and to SE Sedgwick Rd (160). This road would take us to the Fauntleroy ferry terminal but first, it would almost chew our legs up with a series of long, steep hills. Lunch on the ferry to Vashon Island was devoured.

Vashon Island was only a detour to avoid the Tacoma Narrows Bridge but ended up seeming like a pretty cool place. Would be nice to go back there some day. It seemed a little touristy but not as bad as some islands get and the people were really nice. Coming up the hill from the ferry terminal a man turning onto the road yelled from his car: “You’re almost at the flats! Three hundred more yards you can do it!” I appreciated the encouragement.

And finally it was flat. We biked to a ferry terminal at the south end of the island and boarded a 6:30 ferry to Tacoma – joyous that we’d obtain our goal by getting there in the evening.

It was still a 100km day – more than I’ve ever biked in a day. And it ended with a game of frogger across a few roads and across railway tracks. Not that there was any train activity but I still had all those movie scenes where someone gets stuck in the track and then a train comes in my head. And the bikes would not make for a quick getaway.

This ends the “ferry riding” portion of the trip. We’ve biked around 350km so far and have many more to go. We’ve been on a 2-day break in Tacoma to visit Anna’s great aunt and uncle. It’s kind of cool because if not for this experience, I might have never visited this city. Hopefully I can write about it later. For now, I’m eager to get back on the road tomorrow. From Tacoma to Portland in hopefully 3 days.

My bike still needs a name…

vancouver to victoria

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The bike ride is on!

We left early yesterday morning, caught a ferry to Pender Island, camped (for free!) in the closed down Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, caught a ferry to Vancouver Island this morning and biked into Victoria to stay with friend Helouise tonight. Miraculously entirely without rain, bad sunburns (my cheeks are a little rosy), forgotten gear (but I may have left my glasses at home oops), flat tires, mechanical issues, bad knees, raccoons in the middle of the night or trouble with the law. All things I worried about. Of course they are all things that we’ll most likely encounter on the trip but it was nice, maybe even a good omen, to have a smooth start.

Pender Island was beautiful (of course) and the wildlife seemed remarkable abundant. Maybe Pender is less developed and populated than other gulf islands so bugs and birds are less disturbed? Or maybe the people are just so damn friendly there – the owls have no reason not to hoot. The birds were singing madly, the bug variety was impressive and we saw a snake on the road and an otter run across Medicine Beach into the ocean. It was there where we finally had a chance to chill out after days of preparation and a first day’s ride.

A mini slug on my tent this morning:

On the main island we rode the Lochside Trail between Schwartz Bay and Victoria. The trail is like a biker’s highway and takes you through a lot of gorgeous farmland. I loved how salty seawater and earthy farm smells mingled together in the breeze. If you ever ride the trail, make sure to stop and check out the pigs:

Tomorrow we’ll catch another morning ferry through the San Juan Islands and bike to somewhere between Anacortes and Port Townsend. TBD.