Our travel took place on the ancestral lands of the Queets, ChalAt’i’lo t’sikAti (Chalat’), Quileute, Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, Quinalt, Sq’ʷayáiɬaqtmš (Chehalis), S’Klallam, Twana/Skokomish, Squaxin, Suquamish, Chimacum, and Tulalip peoples who have stewarded those lands since time immemorial.

Four goofy friends decided in early July 2020 that they would circumnavigate the Olympic Peninsula at the end of July. We planned to go counter-clockwise and take the Olympic Discovery Trail for as long as we could. It was personal for two of the group since they had attempted the route a few years ago but mechanical issues and a serious rainstorm in South Beach made them call a ride. Until this point, the longest I had toured was four days on my first bike tour around the San Juan Islands. This would be a full week and as our departure approached, I got more and more nervous. It is such a specific type of anxiety. I know I am capable of spending a week on a bike. I know there will be places to restock. I know there will be bike shops to help. I still had butterflies in my stomach.

Day One: Seattle to Bainbridge Island

Governor Inslee on the Seattle-Bainbridge ferry.

We decided to head out on a Friday afternoon and spend our first night at Fay Bainbridge Park for a triumphant kickoff. The ferry was late, but there was a special passenger on board — Governor Inslee! We saw him and his entourage in line for the ferry, and as we neared Bainbridge Island he got out of the SUV to survey his domain. We ordered pizza, beer, and wine when we got off the ferry and pedaled to the campsite where it arrived as soon as we had finished setting up. I had never ordered pizza delivery to a campsite before, and I highly recommend it.

Day Two: Bainbridge Island to Fort Flagler

We woke up with the sun, a little groggy from the wine, and made our first camp breakfast. (oatmeal, duh). Our route would take us around Bainbridge, up through Port Gamble and Port Ludlow to Fort Flagler State Park, more or less the same route we took last summer. Even though this route is not that easy (about 50 miles and 2,900 ft elevation gain) it felt a lot easier this time than it did last year. The route has a lot of big rolling hills traveling through serene and adorable farms, and teeny tiny one horse towns. My favorite place to stop and hang is the cafe in Port Gamble since they have bike racks, coffee, public bathrooms, and snacks! We took a mid-morning stop to caffeinate and snack and encountered a van full of Boomers cycling around the Peninsula as well. They were staying at hotels (credit card touring) and taking turns driving the support van with all the luggage. We all took mental notes for when our knees are too worn out to bike loaded anymore.

One of the men was extremely adamant about questioning us and it made me really uncomfortable. While I knew I was safe in my group, and this man likely didn’t pose a real threat — the feeling of an older, tall, white man interrogating a group of young women about our destinations made me really uneasy. I was intentionally vague when answering him, and he just persisted in interrupting our conversations and invading our space. Word to the wise: If you’re a stranger and someone is avoiding your questions, STOP ASKING! This was my first real bike trip since last September, so I had nearly forgotten about this aspect of touring — that entitled middle-aged men will demand your attention and take up space. It’s a perennial theme, and I wish it would stop.

We pedaled until almost 2pm when we found Oak Bay Campground and pulled over to eat lunch. We met a really cute dog, and Po’Boy had fun on the slide. We pedaled another 10 or so miles and made it to Fort Flagler! They have dramatically improved the hiker-biker sites since last year. The sites used to be hidden in the back of the upper campground in complete shade. This year we got a site with one of the best views in the campground. We saw the sunset and sunrise from high up on the bluff, and had really quick access to the beach.

Day Three: Fort Flagler to Joyce

I slept like garbage at Fort Flagler because our neighbors had gone crabbing and left the detritus of their crab feast all over their picnic table and campsite. The crows were going crazy and did not stop making noise all night. So I was grumpy. And then I got out of my sleeping bag and realized I had bled through my tampon and my sweatpants were soaked. Great. I had to rinse them out for about ten minutes in the campground shower and strap these soaking wet pants to the top of my panniers.

It was so nice to be with people who understood my discomfort, and gave me space to be grumpy and dirty and a menstruating mess without judgment. This is the part of cycling with my community that I love. Touring is hard! You’re out in the sun all day, working hard, and managing your body’s performance. There are real moments for celebration, and real moments of disappointment and pain. However, the more comfortable I get with myself, and the more comfortable I feel with these people, I feel safer exploring my full range of feelings. The feeling of safety is also a product of being able to support and hold space for my friends. Sometimes we feel alone, like we can’t depend on others, but in reality there are likely dozens of people that would jump to our aid if we just asked. The more time we spent on this trip, the safer I felt asking for what I needed and using our shared resources. This trip was so many things, but I will never forget this feeling of wholeness and teamwork.

We set out around 9:30, unaware of just how intense our day was about to be. The hills between Chimacum and Discovery Bay had a lot of elevation and no shoulder, my butt nearly gave out on the climbs since this was only our second day of cycling. This trip is when I learned the benefits of having energy gels and blocks handy. I was so so skeptical for so long, but this trip showed me how these supplements can be really beneficial. Not only do they give you a boost of caffeine, but they are full of maltodextrin which kicks into your bloodstream nearly immediately. The gels I used on the trip also had amino acids which aid in muscle recovery. After the experience of nearly burning out my glutes, I was much more diligent about eating a gel before we started cycling, and regularly throughout the day.

We picked up the Olympic Discovery Trail outside Sequim, and it was really awesome to be off the highway. We kept pedaling into Sequim, where we stopped for a really well-earned diner lunch at the Hi-Way 101 Diner. It was our halfway point and between the elevation and heat we were all feeling pretty beat up. The server saw how pathetic and exhausted we were and she was so so so sweet to us! She anticipated our needs and finished sentences when we were too braindead to tell her ourselves. We gobbled down burgers and coffee and even though we were only halfway, and we were so tired and dehydrated, and we still had 40 miles and 1,500 feet of elevation to go. Luckily it was a gorgeous 40 miles.

The Olympic Discovery Trail between Sequim and Port Angeles is SO gorgeous, and winds around creeks, rivers, and farms. It was a shady and green respite in a scorching and dusty day.

Outside of Port Angeles, the trail started to wind through suburban neighborhoods before dumping us onto Highway 112. In the moment, those 20 miles seemed like 50 with the dehydration, exhaustion, and the terrible headwind. But we MADE IT to Camp Epona in Joyce. It was nearly 8pm when we settled in, and it started to rain as we got set up. We moved our bikes and gear into the barn to try and save them from the downpour. As I looked around (OK… snooped) the barn I noticed a pottery kiln standing by itself in one of the empty stalls. In the morning I asked the owner if she had a plan for the kiln, and she said she had a pottery wheel that she wasn’t using either, and that I could take them. Several weeks later, we did!

Days Four & Five: Joyce to Lake Ozette

Getting up to ride after our grueling 80-mile day was tough. It was raining, our gear was soaking wet, I was in a piss-poor mood, and we had 60 miles and a lot of elevation to go. Getting packed up was a real ordeal. We had to try and dry things out as best we could within the confines of a barn full of junk, but really just ended up packing up a bunch of wet clothes and gear.

Even though I was in a bad mood and sore in the morning, Highway 112 turned into an extremely delightful journey. The highway winds across the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula, and is so remote that there were hardly any cars on the road, and all of the logging trucks were headed in the opposite direction. Huge Douglas Firs lined each side of the highway, and the coastline peeked out between them every so often.

After another 60 miles and several snack stops, we made it to Lake Ozette in late afternoon. All of my gear and the clothes I was wearing were still soaking wet. The campsite is first-come first-served and since we arrived so late, a really sweet couple let us share part of their gigantic site until we could find our own the next day. We immediately unpacked everything to soak up the little bit of sunshine we had left in attempt to dry stuff out before sunset. It was somewhat cathartic to see everything I had spread out on the grass. There was a comfort in knowing I could see and account for everything that I needed, and that I could count on my little family for the things I did not have. I loved the feeling of being part of a team that I had on this trip. We all provided different expertise, wisdom, cooking supplies, and snacks; because no one person should have to do anything completely alone.

We spent the remaining sunlight hours hanging out by the lake. The next day we took the 3-mile trail to the coast and hung out in the fog for a bit. We even had a rock contest, of which Bisque was the judge. I won Kindest Rock, Kentucky Fried won Sexiest Rock, and Po’ Boy won Best in Show! You’ll notice that the background of our rock contest pictures is completely gray… The coast in the Pacific Northwest is never ‘beachy’ which is why most people refer to it instead as the ‘coast’.

I was initially skeptical about hiking, and my body felt awful as we set out, but I am so glad we did. Even low impact and simple movement can be really powerful in enhancing mobility. I have arthritis in my knees, so I think it was important to keep my body moving and stave off stiffness.