Thursday 5/12/16 Down the Olympic peninsula to Hoodsport

First of all in response to several questions about my health and stomach issue. I didn't think that anyone would actually be reading. But for those who asked, I ate a huge dinner of fish and chips on Tuesday and a big bowl of chili con carne on the ferry from Victoria, then rode hard and ignored it. And the problem cured itself. Amazing how the body will fix itself under duress. I have to watch what I write, now that I find that people are actually reading and not just looking at the pictures.

Well Thursday began early since I camped. Heading south on the East side of he Olympic peninsula it was relatively flat. The day was sunny and warm.

I watched a beautiful sunrise......

Passed through some bautiful farmland with the towering Olympic range behind in the distance.

There were many small rivers I crossed flowing down from the mountains. It was too cold for a swim, though I was tempted.

There were many similarities to Maine with low tidal flats. I was told that the tide was about10 feet. And lots of great habitat for shellfish ......like Oysters. 

My stomach was fine so I had some raw for lunch.

The only problem for the day was that the road was narrow with quite a few logging trucks which didn't scare me.....those guys are professionals ......but also lots of RV's and pick-ups with huge campers. Those were the ametures........danger.

Bridges were narrow with NO shoulder, but fortunately were not long and traffic was light.

It was a beautiful day and a great ride. There were few to no hotels so I made it early into a State of WA park for a hiker/biker camp site and hot shower. No restaurants were around so I made due and grilled some fresh scallops, a steak and a baked potatoe on an open fire. I was very impressed with myself for remembering some long thought lost Boy Scout skills.

I shared dinner with an amazing young Swiss man who had ridden his bicycle from Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. I learned a lot from him about gear and survival and felt very humble by comparison. I am a neophyte and not even close to his league. He left me with a great book Bicycling the Pacific Coast that he had carried from Mexico and since he was almost to Canada asked that I bring it back to Mexico and give it to a rider headed north. He signed it with his name and dates of travel.

The view from my campsite at sunset looking north along the Hood Canal, actually a natural long narrow bay in the Puget Sound.