Determined not to have a late start, we set an alarm for 5 AM. We woke promptly, ate a modest breakfast of granola with powdered coconut milk, and packed up our belongings. Leaving the Airbnb on schedule at 6 AM was a good start to a long day. We returned to the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT), rode along the water, through an industrial area, and then through residential. We saw a few deer and someone running the trail with two dogs. He ended up being the only person we saw on the trail all day.
We cycled on both the lower and upper decks of a bridge spanning the Elwha River. After talking to Tom at the Bike Garage in Port Angeles, we hoped to reach Hwy 101 by 8 AM to avoid riding with heavy traffic and no shoulder. Near Lake Sutherland, we realized we weren’t going to make it on time. We arrived a half hour late to a road block due to construction. Worried we would have to traverse the unpaved section of the ODT, we were relieved to be shuttled a few miles down the one open lane. Cycling a few more drizzly miles, we reached Lake Crescent Lodge. I wished we could stay the night, but at least we warmed up by the fireplace and ate a second breakfast while looking out at the lake.
We were glad to have rested, but disappointed to return to rain. We hugged the lake for miles before diverging towards Camp David Jr. to rejoin the ODT. The detour added miles, but shortened our time spent on Hwy 101, so it was worth it. We later crossed the highway and continued on the ODT which eventually coincided with a road. Only one logging truck and a few cars was good, but riding 9.5 rainy miles on a bumpy road was not.
Just before returning to the highway, I said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if it stopped raining when we get to Forks?” A few minutes later, the rain let up, but we rode 10+ miles with a headwind. After more than 6.5 hours of cycling, we reached Forks and finished our ride at 3:30 PM–the same time we started riding our first day.
Today’s Mileage = 69.97
Total Mileage = 135.97
