I'll start off with a couple corrections/updates. A friendly person commented that the tourer, Neal, I ran into has a blog URL of http://www.NealBikestheUSA.wordpress.com/, and I'm on it! Also, yesterday I got a couple great glimpses of Mt. St. Helens in the distance, what an impressive sight! Snow covered and a bit ominous, it definitely makes the list of future visits.
Today started off great at camp. I had gone to bed late and therefore didn't rise until 9:30, but I wasn't planning on another 97 miles so I could afford a little leisure. I hiked the Old Growth Trail and the Trail of the Deer, both of which were full of lush ferns and large firs. There was also a stark reminder of the value of preserved lands as I came to the park boundary and found the land adjacent had been clear-cut. It certainly made for an interesting picture.
Waking up in a forest and walking the trails was a reminder of how much I enjoyed the first week and a half of camping. Camping in WA has given me a few surprises as well as comforts. There are far more critters than in other sights. I had to put long pants on ASAP to avoid mosquitoes, there were small spiders all over the place, a slug drew slime patterns on my tent, and a chipmunk had the chutzpa to scamper onto the picnic table right next to me and would have taken off with my banana bread had I not scared him off.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day, finally, and I biked through Chehalis and Centralia which were both very cute towns with a lot of charm. I stopped for a snack in Centralia where I got my first whistle as I sat down on a street bench. I got two more whistles near the Olympia airport when I stopped for water. Watch out Steph, I just might get picked up by one of these guys.
Olympia bills itself as one of the most beautiful state capitals and I can see why. From the capitol building one can see Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and even the tip of Mt. Rainier (which made the "to visit" list as well). A few blocks away is the Fish Tale Brewpub where I had a porter and organic chicken shawarma, followed by a taster set of Amber, Oatmeal Stout, Double IPA, and pear cider. The IPA and cider were my favorites.
A quick 13 miles brought me to Riverbend Campground where, due to a few sprinkles, I decided to finally try setting up my tent fly first. My tent, being lightweight, is almost all mesh, so if it's pouring I don't want to set it up before the fly or the interior will be soaked. With a footprint (basically a tarp cut to the right size and with grommets), I can set up the poles first, put the fly on, then build the tent inside. Everything worked great and soon I was having a meal and a shower.
I received a comment that there has been a lack of sunset pictures, and mostly for good reason. I've been staying at a lot of parks with tall trees and haven't been able to see most. Also, the sky has been cloudy most nights, reducing the visibility, and some nights I've been too tired to even think about it. But coming into camp tonight I had a great view of Mt. Rainier with the sun setting on it. The pic doesn't do it justice, for it was magnificent.
Tomorrow should bring me to Seattle where I'm excited to do some exploring, rain or shine!
P.S. I topped 1000 miles today! That means an average of just over 52 miles per day. Seattle will knock that down a little but I'm feeling really good about the pace so far!
No comments:
Post a Comment