Hello soreness and no sleep! Needless to say, after all the events that happened prior to bed, we did not have a restful night’s sleep. It rained on and off throughout the night, but we woke up to a rain free morning with birds singing. Cannibalistic birds. We attempted to hard boil eggs last night, but in the midst of all the confusion, the eggs were left behind. However, they were still edible. I ate 2 and am still living to tell the tale. We left 4 out as we got ready in the bathroom, and came back to a crow devouring them, leaving a mess. Oh well for that idea. We packed up our wet gear and got going for the day.
The morning was rainy and a little chilly. Our legs are sore from yesterday as they are still in the process of getting used to long rides. Again, I underate and practically destroyed a bag of gummy bears I bought yesterday. We stopped in Bellingham for some super fancy coffee and grocery shopping.
Washington is very similar to Western Oregon we experienced the last few days of the Transam. Dreary and wet, but still extremely beautiful. The clouds rolling into town are pretty magical and definitely add a nice ambiance to the environment. I knew I fell in love with the pacific north west 2 years ago during the Transam, today reminded me why.
Roadkill is again back in our lives as are saddle sores. Just gotta hold our breath and apply more Chamois Butt’r.
The people out here are extremely nice and friendly for the most part. They are truly interested in what we’re doing and wish us a ton of luck. I mean, even saying “we’re riding to Mexico” sounds like quite the undertaking to me. Although all these people are nice, it does take up quite a lot of time talking with them. For example, today we had a conversation with a really nice guy named Tom who talked to us for an hour about his trip down the pacific coast years ago and spots to see along the way. Although super friendly – it again took an hour. We gotta cut back on encounters like that if we want to tack on additional mileage down the road to complete this trek on time!
Today was one of the most beautiful rides I’ve been on. Yet with beauty comes danger. We were riding on a windy road without a shoulder with an abundance of cars. The cars were extremely respectful and gave us plenty of clearance, but still a little nerve wracking.
The views along the road, Chuckanut, were breathtaking. From pacific scenes straight out of a fairytale to views of the bay, it was hard to pay attention to the road. But we did and survived! In the picture below, you can see the mountains we biked through. Even from the outside it’s beautiful.
We arrived at camp much earlier today and were able to afford a much needed shower (still require quarters). We ate, set up camp, and planned for upcoming days all with plenty of sunlight AND without getting kicked out of the campsite! It’s quiet and peaceful here without the threat of rain. Hopefully we sleep better than last night.
Mosquitoes are horrible around here, for only this week apparently, adding an annoying beginning and end to our day. But, another day in the books and another beautiful sunset to end the day with!
Also, here is Addie the navigator helping with directions. Where was her wise guidance yesterday when we could’ve used it?!
Emilie Bikes and Hikes 