W*h*ine Tour - Days 12 and 13
Lake Crescent at Lyre Creek
Prologue…
The final two days of our journey.
July 27, 2021
Early start before the heat, ice cream, switching campsites due to rude homeless man in hike/bike camp at Sequim Bay State Park.
Getting Hot
Motivation to beat the heat got us up and moving out of camp earlier than our usual 9am start. Leaving Lake Crescent to Port Angeles the options are single track or a back country road ride. Given the heat and our wide loads we opted for the road. An early morning start on a Sunday did make it a relatively quiet and pleasant ride into Port Angeles.
The trail leaves town following the sea wall with far-reaching views to Canada, the Cascades and the start of the San Juan Islands. We opted for an early lunch at one of the benches to watch the sea birds foraging amongst the seaweed covered rocks, savoring the views along this stretch of trail, proposed to be replaced with a commuter route further up the hillside paralleling 101. As the trail left the cool sea breeze and shade of the trees, the intensity of the mid-day sun could no longer be avoided. We arrived at the only creek stop outside of town to refresh our now tepid water and cool our heads. Once again we were met with a bit of trail magic when a left-behind spray bottle magically appeared alongside the creek, providing some much needed bursts of mist, as we moved on down the trail toward Sequim.
Our plan was to find a hiker-biker spot in the campground just outside of Sequim. But the late afternoon heat won out, propelling us toward the first grocery store in town seeking cold water and ice cream bars, which we downed in the midst of the parking lot on a small island of shade. Feeling some momentary relief, we set out again to hopefully find an open spot at the campground.
It appeared we had lucked out when the last of 3 hiker/biker spots was still open. As I sat relieved on the picnic table waiting for Nivaun to register, I quickly realized our neighbor was unable to embrace the peace of the forest, so we opted for a full tent site further up the hill. We have always felt out of our element in RV/tent campgrounds, paying for a spot on the ground, surrounded by campers sporting city conveniences and outdoor carpets. This time though we were thankful to have the option of a cool shower and a table to cook on with minimal effort involved. As we began setting up our minimalist camp, our new neighbor approached, intrigued by our bike packing setup. Inspired by the You-Tube icon for “Get Out There”, Ryan Van Duzer, he was excited to learn about our own bike packing setup and plans.
The heat still hung heavy in the trees as evening came, making the thought of crawling into our cozy shelter in the stagnant air seem less than inviting. Even wandering the campground provided little relief, until I reached the expanse of the shoreline below. Distracted by a sweeping sunset view, shared with a neighboring seal bobbing for an evening snack, I finally made up my mind to just breathe through the heat, and try to get some rest for the final push to our cabin home.
July 28, 2021
Frogs, Pollywogs, and Arriving Home.
Mission Accomplished
Morning routines started early to ensure we would make it to the cabin before the afternoon heat. So many PNW summers of my youth, I remember rain lasting all the way into June, and now here we were facing triple digits in the teens and no consistent rain since March. When Nivaun and I first met, our shared love of rain was among the many confirmations that we were meant for each other, and is reflected in our intended travel pattern to follow the cooler temps, rather than try to escape them by heading South in winter. As we embraced the coolness of the shaded side road leaving camp, we wondered how much of that plan was going to be feasible as climate chaos ensues.
After paralleling 101 on rolling country roads taking in the last views of the Sea, we fast tracked the last stretch on the highway to enjoy an extended downhill and make our way on to the final approach to Lake Leland. With home just a few miles down the road, we pulled into Crocker Lake not wanting to rush the inevitable thrust back into reality of work and family commitments. As we enjoyed the last bit of solitude and the shade, a park service truck rolled in. We watched as he made his way over to the boat dock and then pulled along side us to check how we were doing. He was excited to share the latest update on the thousands of pollywogs at the dock - an annual event he had been following for years. Some were already morphing into frog-form and he wanted to make sure we didn’t miss it. A final bit of nature/trail magic to brighten our morning - thank you Park Service!
We rolled up to our driveway shortly before noon, feeling accomplished and amazed at all we had experienced in just a few days. Our mission was completed, wine bottles still intact, and our appetites whet for endless bikepack travel.
Epilogue…
In spite of this tour’s title, there was very little whining involved. However, there was wining 🍷 on a few occasions.
The mission for this tour was to whittle our gear and reveal what worked in different circumstances. It was our great fortune that a lot of scenarios we will encounter in the US were experienced in this short thirteen day tour.
Discoveries like off and on road navigation, trail angels, warm showers, and stealth camping were a huge success. Discovering what apps and how apps performed in various situations was helpful.
