This will be a short one cause I have 8 hours of riding tomorrow plus a hour and a half ferry in store for me tomorrow so I want to head to bed soon.
Where was I? Right, So I wake up from where I stayed in Sidney (an RV resort) and have breakfast in the lagoon nearby. There were some signs of raccoon and tons of birds. Generally, a nice breakfast spot. Border control on the ferry was pretty lax. I got "sir"-ed a lot, which was nice and I generally didn't mind since I was totally bundled up. Generally, when I'm traveling I try to look as ornery and "manly" as possible so as not to have to deal with flak. So far its been working well as I've only had one rude comment yelled while biking. I can't tell if that's just people not being jerks this far north, or because I look like a man from the back...
Anywho, made it to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and got the third degree coming through, to my own country. A part of me wanted to say, I have nothing but pannier on me, what do you think I could be hiding?! But I eventually was allowed to pass and proceeded to bike to San Juan County Park by heading north and the wrapping west then south. The terrain was quite hilly and I began to feel small twinges of the outside of my left knee. I had a similar pain hiking a year or two ago and know that it comes from not stretching adequately. Needless to say, once I got to camp, I started stretching.
San Juan County Park was an awesome place to camp. No hot showers, but it made up for it in the views. Absolutely stunning. I went to sleep overlooking the gulf islands. This was the first night that I didn't notice any significant condensation on my tent and as I set it up almost the same every night I chalked it up to me guying out the "gear closet" and allowing more air flow. I woke up early early and waited on breakfast because I wanted to head to Lime Kiln Park and have some time to look around.
Lime Kiln was a short bike away and I put on my trainers and walked down to the water. I was sitting eating my light breakfast when I noticed some bullhead kelp (I believe) bunched up in a cove. It looked neat so I grabbed my cameras and walked out precariously onto the rocks on the edge of the water. While I was taking phots I heard a strange sound and when I looked up there were Orca whales swimming RIGHT THERE. It. was. amazing. I fumbled with my phone and got some sot too amazing photos, but they don't do justice to how close they were. I can still see the dappling of the "saddle" markings of one in my mind's eye. I think that right there made the whole trip to the San Juans worth it.
SO after gasping in the radiance of large sea mammals I headed south to the ferry and Orcas Island. On Orcas I planned to stay at San Moran State Park, which is located at the top of a large hill. More knee pain. Not too bad, very infrequent, but I was babying it in the granny gear none the less.
I got to San Moran and I was smacked in the face with amazing nature once again. The park is right next to a fresh water lake and at the base of a mile high mountain with amazing views from a stone tower at the top. I hitched a ride with my camp mate Cassy and headed to the top where we both snapped pictures like crazy. When we got back down it was dark, but there were ghostly forms walking around camp. Turns out they were deer that are so inbred, they are turning white. Very strange tiny animals.
The next morning saw me off to Lopez Island. I was planning on taking a later ferry and getting picked up but I ran into some cyclists who told me I needed to bike Lopez. So I boarded a ferry and biked to the small village of Lopez. Lopez is the friendlier of the islands I visited and if I could, I would convince my dad to move there. Its gorgeous, the weather is mostly mild (according to my cousin) year round and the people are SO NICE!
I was put up by my Aunt and Uncle (who are really something like 2nd cousins, but we don't keep track like that in our family) in their amazing house tucked into a little meadow. It has been a wonderful break filled with "hot little hor"s and mellow bike rides, but tomorrow begins the real start of the southernly movement. I can't wait, and I hope that my body holds up. I opted for the flatter of the three routes for this very reason.
Where was I? Right, So I wake up from where I stayed in Sidney (an RV resort) and have breakfast in the lagoon nearby. There were some signs of raccoon and tons of birds. Generally, a nice breakfast spot. Border control on the ferry was pretty lax. I got "sir"-ed a lot, which was nice and I generally didn't mind since I was totally bundled up. Generally, when I'm traveling I try to look as ornery and "manly" as possible so as not to have to deal with flak. So far its been working well as I've only had one rude comment yelled while biking. I can't tell if that's just people not being jerks this far north, or because I look like a man from the back...
Anywho, made it to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and got the third degree coming through, to my own country. A part of me wanted to say, I have nothing but pannier on me, what do you think I could be hiding?! But I eventually was allowed to pass and proceeded to bike to San Juan County Park by heading north and the wrapping west then south. The terrain was quite hilly and I began to feel small twinges of the outside of my left knee. I had a similar pain hiking a year or two ago and know that it comes from not stretching adequately. Needless to say, once I got to camp, I started stretching.
San Juan County Park was an awesome place to camp. No hot showers, but it made up for it in the views. Absolutely stunning. I went to sleep overlooking the gulf islands. This was the first night that I didn't notice any significant condensation on my tent and as I set it up almost the same every night I chalked it up to me guying out the "gear closet" and allowing more air flow. I woke up early early and waited on breakfast because I wanted to head to Lime Kiln Park and have some time to look around.
Lime Kiln was a short bike away and I put on my trainers and walked down to the water. I was sitting eating my light breakfast when I noticed some bullhead kelp (I believe) bunched up in a cove. It looked neat so I grabbed my cameras and walked out precariously onto the rocks on the edge of the water. While I was taking phots I heard a strange sound and when I looked up there were Orca whales swimming RIGHT THERE. It. was. amazing. I fumbled with my phone and got some sot too amazing photos, but they don't do justice to how close they were. I can still see the dappling of the "saddle" markings of one in my mind's eye. I think that right there made the whole trip to the San Juans worth it.
SO after gasping in the radiance of large sea mammals I headed south to the ferry and Orcas Island. On Orcas I planned to stay at San Moran State Park, which is located at the top of a large hill. More knee pain. Not too bad, very infrequent, but I was babying it in the granny gear none the less.
I got to San Moran and I was smacked in the face with amazing nature once again. The park is right next to a fresh water lake and at the base of a mile high mountain with amazing views from a stone tower at the top. I hitched a ride with my camp mate Cassy and headed to the top where we both snapped pictures like crazy. When we got back down it was dark, but there were ghostly forms walking around camp. Turns out they were deer that are so inbred, they are turning white. Very strange tiny animals.
The next morning saw me off to Lopez Island. I was planning on taking a later ferry and getting picked up but I ran into some cyclists who told me I needed to bike Lopez. So I boarded a ferry and biked to the small village of Lopez. Lopez is the friendlier of the islands I visited and if I could, I would convince my dad to move there. Its gorgeous, the weather is mostly mild (according to my cousin) year round and the people are SO NICE!
I was put up by my Aunt and Uncle (who are really something like 2nd cousins, but we don't keep track like that in our family) in their amazing house tucked into a little meadow. It has been a wonderful break filled with "hot little hor"s and mellow bike rides, but tomorrow begins the real start of the southernly movement. I can't wait, and I hope that my body holds up. I opted for the flatter of the three routes for this very reason.