Originally uploaded by monkeychart

Sunday, August 9th (82.3 miles)

Mercer Island (my parents’ house)
Seattle
Winslow
Poulsbo
Gardiner
Sequim
Port Angeles (the Aircrest Motel)

Monday, August 10 (70.9 miles)

Port Angeles
Fairholm
Beaver (Tyee)
La Push (48 foot vessel “Beverly J” of Brookside, Oregon, captain Alan Jacobs)

Tuesday, August 11 (89.8 miles)

La Push
Beaver
Fairholm
Port Angeles
Sequim
Sequim Bay State Park (hiker/biker campsite)

Wednesday, August 12 (91.8 miles)

Sequim Bay State Park
Discovery Bay
Port Townsend
Coupeville
Oak Harbor
Edison
Bo
Bellingham (Maxx and Melissa’s)

Dad, Megan, and William at Mercer Island

Originally uploaded by monkeychart

Dad, Megan, and I set out early on Sunday. Megan was intending to ride as far as the Coleman ferry dock. Dad was intending to accompany me for a couple days….out to the coast and back.

We were inspired by the good feeling of starting out on this adventure. While we also wanted to avoid the difficulty of having to say good-bye. Megan decided to just ride the ferry across with us. On the other side, why not ride a little farther? Megan would go just ten or twelve miles down the road with us and then turn around. But after ten or twelve miles, Megan was still feeling good. We encouraged her to continue. And she valiantly took up the challenge. Megan would join us overnight in Sequim or Port Angeles.

But at the forty mile mark, after a difficult (wind-y, traffic-y) crossing of the Hood Canal Bridge, Megan was completely out of gas. It was apparent that she couldn’t continue. And, at the same time, she couldn’t go back.

The Kingston-Edmonds ferry was only about ten miles away. If Megan could get to that ferry, then my mom could pick her up on the other side. But I needed to keep going to make Port Angeles by a reasonable hour. And it would have been irresponsible to send a spent Megan back on her own. So we decided that my dad would accompany her back to Kingston.

On that hill above the Hood Canal Bridge, as traffic streamed by, each of us emotionally frayed by our physical exertion, dad, Megan, and I said goodbye.

The first rain for weeks is scheduled for Sunday (with continuing and increasing rain throughout the week). My dad hates riding in the rain. I hate the idea that my shiny, clean bike will immediately be embedded with dirt and grime. Therefore, I am 100% confident that Sunday is the departure date pre-destined by Zeus.

We’ll be riding from Mercer Island to downtown Seattle to catch one of the ferries to Kitsap and from there to Sequim to overnight. My dad doesn’t want to carry gear and he wants to stay in hotels. I guess this makes him a Notlotsofgear Guy. But he’s not a big, fat jerk. He’s actually rather nice. So I stand corrected, already. I’m looking forward to the hotels as a way to ease into the trip. Plus, I need to condition and shakedown gear issues. The trip to the coast will let me do this while still being close to home bases if need be. I expect dad to be with me until we cross back from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island…..maybe as far as Bellingham. We’ll see how it goes.

We’re planning on leaving at 8am Sunday from my parents’ house on Mercer Island. Any and all, please come ride with us as far as Seattle or as far as you dare. Mary, Steve, Nicole, Megan, Matt, Gloria, Tom, Jim, Rennie, Becca, Laura, Ron, Wendy, Jeff, John, Adam, any and all…..this means you! 9822 Mercerwood Drive. Maybe call first….206.232.7584. Or not.