Day60

Cape Disappointment State Park[MAP]

 Washington15 July 91.2 miles 6:16 hours
Cape Disappointment lighthouse (Day 60)

Cape Disappointment lighthouse (Day 60)

Have ridden 3000 miles. I’m sick of corn grits for breakfast. I’m sick of bananas. I’m sick of rice cakes and peanut butter. I’m sick of Snickers. And today, for the first time, I’m bored of riding. Even the prospect of entering a new state, Washington (the Evergreen State) didn’t cheer me up or quell my boredom. The only consolation was finding a jar of Nutella in a small store near the Washington border, my first Nutella since leaving California.

I got a rear tyre puncture today on the way across the bridge into Astoria, the first since day 2. I used the opportunity to hang out in the emergency lane of highway 101 during morning peak hour traffic and change my tyre as well. It’s done 3500 miles and was worn down to the threads.

After setting up camp at the state park, I took a ride along the peninsula but from the road there is barely any sign of the coast unless you do some hiking. I did get to see my first family of racoons slowly crossing the road in front of me, a mother followed closely by her four young cubs, all the time keeping a very close eye on me.

Flat tyre number 3, outside of Astoria, Oregon (Day 60)

Flat tyre number 3, outside of Astoria, Oregon (Day 60)

My first tyre change, on the left is the old rear tyre, middle is the new tyre and on the right is my front tyre, Astoria (Day 60)

My first tyre change, on the left is the old rear tyre, middle is the new tyre and on the right is my front tyre, Astoria (Day 60)

Another state (Day 60)

Another state (Day 60)

Cape Disappointment campsite, exactly how I feel about my diet (Day 60)

Cape Disappointment campsite, exactly how I feel about my diet (Day 60)

Cape Disappointment (Day 60)

Cape Disappointment (Day 60)

Day61

Twin Harbours State Park[MAP]

 Washington16 July 81.67 miles 5:52 hours

Another mediocre day. I’m bored again of riding and bored again of eating the same old gluten-free food. I called my boss today to quit my job. It’s been two months since I took leave, so I figured I should give them a month’s notice. I’ve thought seriously about the job situation for the last two weeks. I think my mind was kind of made up when I decided not to ride back to San Francisco. I told my boss where I was and how much I was enjoying myself and then “ah…umm…I think I want to resign”.

He declined my resignation. He said take off more time if you need it and just come back when someone calls you. Before he ended the conversation he told me that he wished he was in my shoes. I don’t think he really would have liked to have been in my shoes because my feet have been very sore for the past few days.

Day62

Quinault Lake (Gatton Creek Campground)[MAP]

 Washington17 July 66.3 miles 4:35 hours

The last few days have been low points of my trip. I now realise why. I need a bit of a challenge. My plan lately has been to make it to Vancouver and then head across to the east coast of America as fast as I can in order to see the Autumn colours.

Today I had my map of the USA out and for some reason I turned it over to read the travel warnings on the back of the map. And there on the back, hidden away in a corner, was a little map of Alaska (and a little map of Hawaii). I’d forgotten all about Alaska. I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska and see the Northern Lights ever since a friend of mine, Herman, told me his stories of being an ambulance paramedic in Fairbanks. For some reason I’d totally forgot about that dream while thinking of places to visit . I feel challenged!

I got to Quinault lake in the early afternoon after spending the day singing to myself, the only entertainment, albeit quite poor entertainment, on another mediocre riding day. Maybe it is possible to spend too much time with one’s self, like a friend of mine once remarked to me. Quinault Lake is on the edge of the Olympic National Park and the primitive campground I’m in is literally right on the edge of the lake, I only have to walk a few feet from my tent and I’m standing in the clear cold water of the lake. My campground neighbours are a young family from Seattle; Michael (a physician of internal medicine), his wife Rebecca, their three-month old baby and their wonderful golden retriever Bella who keeps coming and sitting on my feet. I was asking them all about Alaska and they mentioned that a ferry runs up there from Seattle but to ride back by bicycle would require going through some pretty isolated stretches of country.

Gatton Creek Falls (Day 62)

Gatton Creek Falls (Day 62)

Day63

Quinault Lake (Gatton Creek Campground, Rest Day)[MAP]

 Washington18 July 31.75 miles 2:53 hours

Last night I was woken by a raccoon a metre from my tent, for about ten seconds it just stared brazenly into my torchlight, then casually turned and wobbled away.

Had a wonderful rest day; took a leisurely ride around the lake, a quiet dirt road with national forest all around. The whole ride I kept thinking Alaska, Alaska, Alaska and getting more and more excited about the idea.

Took a walk through the rainforest, everything is lush and covered in moss and ferns. Michael and Rebecca invited me for a dinner of garden burgers and showed me some of their maps and I realised how bloody far away Alaska really is. Called Herman also and he was very encouraging for me to get to Alaska but to take the ferry there and take the ferry back.

PreviousFort Stevens State Park (Rest Day) NextOlympic National Park (Hoh Rain Forest Campground)

No Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email is never shared.Required fields are marked *