Hey y'all,
I didn't realize going in to this trip how different it would be from my last one.
Biking alone cross-country meant there was lots of time for self-reflection, reading, and writing. This time around though it's a completely different experience. I haven't felt drawn to writing, instead wanting to focus on the present moment, Hunter, and the people we share our campsites with. As a result, I haven't been updating the blog. This has led to some guilt, and since guilt isn't a great motivator for me, I've decided to do something about it.
What does this mean? For now, it means I'm going to stop updating the blog for a while. Maybe I'll be excited to write again in a couple weeks, but then again, maybe not.
In the meantime, please follow Hunter's instagram (https://www.instagram.com/a_bike_named_beau/) for silly pictures of us, and maybe I'll start writing again if my muse decides to shoot me with an arrow of inspiration!
Love,
Malcolm
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Days 9-11: Toledo to Manzanita
Temperatures were projected in the high 80's for Mon-Wed, so we woke up early to beat the heat. I had a rather sleepless night - while we both had noticed the copious amounts of cottonwood trees in the park, we hadn't thought of the consequences of sleeping underneath them, until I woke up at 3:30 with a parched throat and a completely clogged up, but also dripping, nose. To pass the time till dawn (and to spare Hunter my loud attempts to blow my nose), I wandered over to the park's pavillion, stretched, and listened to some podcasts before crawling back into the tent around 5 and mercifully sleeping until our 7am alarm awoke me from a deep slumber.
After we got on the road though, it was a beautiful ride. We had one goal for the day, and that was to watch the US vs Thailand game, which played at noon. After passing through Castle Rock, which had an amazing bakery (we shared a delicious maple bar and a terribly decadent raspberry danish), a beautiful greenbelt, and a sweet bike park, we paralleled I-5 up to Longview, home to Mary's Bar & Grill, where the game had just started playing.
By the time the U.S. was leading 7-0, we'd eaten our veggie burger and mozzarella sticks and decided we'd had enough of the carnage, so we headed to our camp site. From Longview our route was highway 4 along the Columbia River, with narrow shoulders and fast traffic, so we prepared for the worst. Luckily, while the shoulders were sparse, drivers were considerate, and most of the logging traffic was headed in the opposite direction into town, so we didn't have too many scary moments.
By the time the U.S. was leading 7-0, we'd eaten our veggie burger and mozzarella sticks and decided we'd had enough of the carnage, so we headed to our camp site. From Longview our route was highway 4 along the Columbia River, with narrow shoulders and fast traffic, so we prepared for the worst. Luckily, while the shoulders were sparse, drivers were considerate, and most of the logging traffic was headed in the opposite direction into town, so we didn't have too many scary moments.
Our camp for the night was the County Line Park, right off the highway on the banks of the Columbia. We snagged a hiker/biker site, took a swim in the river, enjoyed views of Mt. St. Helens, and had a nice, restful evening.
The next day, we headed towards Astoria. But first, as I woke up I had a strange feeling in my cheeks... Turns out, I was trying to blow my nose so often and so vigorously that my cheeks got sore! When I biked the transam in 2014 I started in Florence and skipped the coastal section between there and Astoria, so I was looking forward to exploring town and riding that section. The ride into town was great - we got back on highway 4, pedaled to our final ferry of the trip (and made it by one full minute!), and plotted up a couple steep hills before a speedy descent into town. We found a Warmshowers host, Steve, who lives right downtown, so we headed there first to drop off our stuff.
He'd texted me the code to his house and told us to make ourselves at home, and once we got there, we discovered the entire basement of his house had been converted into what is essentially a bike touring airbnb, with futons, a shower, a bike stand and tools, a mini kitchen, and lots and lots of greatful dead prints, including a signed photo of Jerry Garcia. We showered, changed, and headed out to hit the town.
Astoria is a very cute, quaint town. We walked past a beautiful memorial to the Chinese immigrants who moved to the west coast, then got coffee at the Blue Scorcher, a really neat employee-owned shop, and drank a beer at Bouy Brewing, a great spot right by the water.
After that, we bought some cheese and salad at the Astoria Coop, and went back to Steve's for dinner. As we arrived, we saw some bike jerseys drying on the patio, and two new bikes in the basement. After dinner, Sammy and Jordan, two pals from Canada who are biking down the coast strolled in, and we spent the evening hanging out with them. They were packing pretty light, and are planning to ride the coast in a month. Follow them here!
Thursday morning we bid adieu to the boys (they were riding down 101, while we took a side road), and boogied down our first section of the Oregon coast. The weather cooled down, and we were treated to a typical, foggy, coastal morning. A couple miles in, we spied the familiar profile of a loaded touring cyclist, and pulled up to Steve, a pedalling pastor from Ohio who was on his first day, riding the transam from Astoria to Virginia! We fell in line with him, started chatting, and ended up riding with him most of the day. On the way, we stopped in Seaside, got Steve's first view of the Pacific, and caught up with the Canadians. We all ate some pastries together, and as the boys left we decided to try and meet them again in Canon Beach.
On the road again, we cycled a particularly un-fun section of 101, and I got my first flat, riding over a huge staple on the hill down to Canon Beach. As I felt my rear wheel go wobbly, my spirits fell, but then I remembered the tubeless sealant I'd put into my tube to deal with a slow leak I hadn't wanted to patch. So I pulled over, popped off the wheel, spun it a few times, pumped it up, and was good to go!
We met up with the Canadians at a pizza place right as they were leaving, but got to meet a couple who had just sold their house and who had just started riding their tandem around the U.S. for two years! Follow them here.
After lunch, we headed back down 101 to Manzanita, where we met back up with Hunter's family, and stayed the night at a family friend's house there. We invited Steve to join us, and he accepted, so we made a big dinner and had a good time.
I'm writing this from Portland - we drove there the next day to spend some time before Helen (Hunter's cousin's) graduation, so I'll write a separate post about those rest days!
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| Last ferry! |
The next day, we headed towards Astoria. But first, as I woke up I had a strange feeling in my cheeks... Turns out, I was trying to blow my nose so often and so vigorously that my cheeks got sore! When I biked the transam in 2014 I started in Florence and skipped the coastal section between there and Astoria, so I was looking forward to exploring town and riding that section. The ride into town was great - we got back on highway 4, pedaled to our final ferry of the trip (and made it by one full minute!), and plotted up a couple steep hills before a speedy descent into town. We found a Warmshowers host, Steve, who lives right downtown, so we headed there first to drop off our stuff.
He'd texted me the code to his house and told us to make ourselves at home, and once we got there, we discovered the entire basement of his house had been converted into what is essentially a bike touring airbnb, with futons, a shower, a bike stand and tools, a mini kitchen, and lots and lots of greatful dead prints, including a signed photo of Jerry Garcia. We showered, changed, and headed out to hit the town.
Astoria is a very cute, quaint town. We walked past a beautiful memorial to the Chinese immigrants who moved to the west coast, then got coffee at the Blue Scorcher, a really neat employee-owned shop, and drank a beer at Bouy Brewing, a great spot right by the water.
After that, we bought some cheese and salad at the Astoria Coop, and went back to Steve's for dinner. As we arrived, we saw some bike jerseys drying on the patio, and two new bikes in the basement. After dinner, Sammy and Jordan, two pals from Canada who are biking down the coast strolled in, and we spent the evening hanging out with them. They were packing pretty light, and are planning to ride the coast in a month. Follow them here!
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| The basement! |
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| Candid Sammy reflection |
Thursday morning we bid adieu to the boys (they were riding down 101, while we took a side road), and boogied down our first section of the Oregon coast. The weather cooled down, and we were treated to a typical, foggy, coastal morning. A couple miles in, we spied the familiar profile of a loaded touring cyclist, and pulled up to Steve, a pedalling pastor from Ohio who was on his first day, riding the transam from Astoria to Virginia! We fell in line with him, started chatting, and ended up riding with him most of the day. On the way, we stopped in Seaside, got Steve's first view of the Pacific, and caught up with the Canadians. We all ate some pastries together, and as the boys left we decided to try and meet them again in Canon Beach.
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| Me, Hunter, Sammy, Jordan, and Steve |
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| Puppy in zebra PJ's? |
On the road again, we cycled a particularly un-fun section of 101, and I got my first flat, riding over a huge staple on the hill down to Canon Beach. As I felt my rear wheel go wobbly, my spirits fell, but then I remembered the tubeless sealant I'd put into my tube to deal with a slow leak I hadn't wanted to patch. So I pulled over, popped off the wheel, spun it a few times, pumped it up, and was good to go!
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| The culprit |
We met up with the Canadians at a pizza place right as they were leaving, but got to meet a couple who had just sold their house and who had just started riding their tandem around the U.S. for two years! Follow them here.
After lunch, we headed back down 101 to Manzanita, where we met back up with Hunter's family, and stayed the night at a family friend's house there. We invited Steve to join us, and he accepted, so we made a big dinner and had a good time.
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| Delighted to be on the coast |
I'm writing this from Portland - we drove there the next day to spend some time before Helen (Hunter's cousin's) graduation, so I'll write a separate post about those rest days!
Monday, June 10, 2019
Days 6-8: Seattle to Toledo
Once we got to the ferry, we hung out for a bit (we missed the ferry we'd planned due to traffic) bid adieu to Marine, and relaxed, looking forward to the ride on Vashon. It's about 15 miles through winding roads, rolling hills, and lush greenery. We learned of a sheepdog competition happening that day, which explained how packed the ferry was.
As we exited the ferry and went straight up a comically steep hill, every other biker passed us, followed by a boat-full of cars. We eventually made it, and after that, the ride was amazing. It had the greenery, it had the curvy roads, it had gentle rolling hills. It also had very mild traffic, as every 45 minutes or so a new wave of cars would pass by. After passing through a very cute downtown, we decided to follow the signs to the sheepherder competition, in hopes of seeing some action. The back roads we followed were very hilly, but cars were quite kind in passing us as we puffed up the hills. We passed by the competition, which was very packed. We saw some herding in the distance and kept on plugging.
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| Blurry Vashon |
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| The ferry to Tacoma |
After getting to the end of Vashon, we had lunch in a beautiful city park in Tacoma, and planned our route. By then it was 2pm, and we still had 40+ miles to go on our Google-planned route through Tacoma, DuPont, and Olympia. We didn't think it would be wise to bike down busy roads around 5, and also wanted to get to Olympia sooner to spend time with friends, so we decided to have Henry pick us up 20 miles from Olympia. What a good decision that was to be.
Biking through Tacoma was absolutely amazing. We went past perhaps the most beautiful golf course (and I hate golf, so that's a big, water guzzling compliment), down nice roads, and through an amazing forest.
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| Tacoma city park! |
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| Stupid, but pretty golf course |
After Google tried to route us through an army base, we took a short detour back through the forest and entered DuPont, which was the most generic, soul-less all-American town I have ever seen. After passing by rows and rows of half-built DuPont (the town's corporate namesake) and Amazon warehouses, we cycled through spotless (and person-less) streets, past a kid's softball game and American flag flying suburban homes, down to the requisite strip-mall road bordering I-5, and out of there.
Or so we thought. Our carefully planned google maps bike route had us go over I-5, merge with southbound traffic, then pop on a JBLM road that paralleled the highway to the point Henry was to pick us up. The problem was, that JBLM road was 1) closed on weekends, and 2) inaccessible without some kind of permit. For the second time that day, Google maps had failed us. As there was literally no other way to leave Dupont than by the highway, walking down railroad tracks paralleling said highway, or circling around, bushwhacking into, and infiltrating a golf course for several miles, we decided to reconnect with Henry and ask him to drive a couple miles further down the road to get us. After getting a scoop of ice cream from the DuPont café, Henry arrived, loaded us into his car, and we drove to Olympia.
Henry lives on a property that I can only describe as magical. Was it the somewhat haphazard plants bursting from all angles, the yard that seemed to go forever, the fire pit, slackline, and yard games, the eerily pet semetary-type shrine, the art studio / woodshed combination, or the house itself? I'm not sure - perhaps all of it. Also at the house were other friends, including Matt, Maggie, and Even. We made lots of food, played lawn games, and hung out, and it was a lovely evening.
The next morning, we set out for a busy day. First was breakfast at a cool employee-owned restaurant, then a tour of town (Olympia is weirdly very punk), a stop by the farmers market, a hop and a skip to the grocery store then REI, after which we returned home for lunch and more relaxation as Henry putzed around the garden. After some time, we got back into the car and drove to a park, walked to the waterfront, and hung out in the sun (me) and watercolored (Henry & Hunter). We then got sushi with Henry's friend Teresa, and returned home for some zzz's.
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| Regretfully, the only photo I took in downtown Olympia |
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| Kurt Cobain's ashes supposedly were spread somewhere in/near this pond |
Leaving Olympia, we rode about 20 miles before reconnecting with the ACA route. Today was the first day Hunter and I both felt like we hit our stride - we're already feeling stronger, the road didn't feel as hilly, and the weather got quite hot. We could really notice the change in ecosystems as we left the coast, and enjoyed great views of Mt. St. Helen's as we aimed for the Toledo city park. This was our first shorter day, and it felt amazing. We took lots of breaks, got a milkshake and fries as we entered town, and still had the tent pitched by 4. After relaxing and stretching, we made some dinner, and I wrote this as Hunter read. Visiting many friends was amazing, but also slightly exhausting, so it felt good to have some quiet time. The next few days are also pretty short as we head back to the coast, so I'm looking forward to lots more relaxation!
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| When the garage is bigger than the house... |
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| Why did the peacock cross the road? |
Love,
Malcolm
Friday, June 7, 2019
Days 1-5: Vancouver to Seattle
Vancouver was a delight to bike through. Immediately upon beginning our trip, we were treated to (in my eyes) common-sense bicycle infrastructure. Every 8 blocks or so, the road we cycled was blocked by a "bikes only" section in the middle, completely disencentivizing through traffic while at the same time creating a safe bike corridor and a quiet neighborhood. Whenever we crossed a busy road, there was a dedicated pedestrian/cyclist light, which promptly stopped traffic at the push of a button. After pedaling through a wealthy part of town with mansions bordering the road, we started to exit the city. Entering a more industrial area, the first river we crossed had a huge bike/pedestrian-only path underneath the light-rail.
After that, we very quickly hit a beautiful road with the river on our left and industrial businesses on the right. There were lots of "bikes on roadway" signs, and the drivers were amazing! If there was any sign of an oncoming vehicle, the trucks, semis, and cars behind us would patiently slow down and wait until the road cleared up, after which they would cautiously pass, giving us a wide berth. This behavior held as we exited Vancouver entirely and hit the countryside. After crossing over the highway, we entered Surrey, Canada's fastest-growing city. We biked through not-unpleasant urban sprawl for what felt like forever, before entering what appeared to be wine country, with large fields of grapes on both sides of the road. Standing tall above the stunted bushes were huge mansions - I suppose wine-making is a fun hobby if youre that rich. After a very steep hill (and some pushing of the bikes) we finally exited Surrey, and arrived at the U.S. border.
Hunter and I gleefully biked past the very long line of vehicles and entered a building to be processed. There were two lines: one for walker/bikers (3 people + us), and one for people with visa issues (12+). We all stood and stared at the single CBP employee helping people, surrounded by 9 empty processing desks.
I must say, the U.S. does not attempt to be a welcoming country. In fact, we are actively unwelcoming. For context, Hunter and I were The only white people in line. The CBP officer would wave people over, begin processing, get up, walk around, sit back at their desk, stare intently at their screen for a few minutes, stroll into what I can only imagine was a break room, stamp forms, disappear for a 10 minute break, then reappear and begrudgingly wave up the next group. This wouldn't be a problem per say if the place was understaffed (maybe the officer was following an efficient protocol) - however, there were at least 3 other CBP officers drifting around aimlessly with scowls on their faces, beautifully illustrating brownian motion like motes of dust on a sunny afternoon, which only increased the unwelcoming atmosphere.
After waiting an hour for the three people in front of us to be processed, the officer waved Hunter and I up (again, the only white people waiting), gave us a quick glance, and within a minute (and no mid-processing walkabouts) handed us our paperwork. We excited and pushed our bikes to the border. Lo and behold, our officer had forgotten to stamp our form. Not a problem! The person at the border looked us up and down and waved us through without verifying anything. If that isn't the textbook example of a racist system, I don't know what is.
Regardless, after crossing the border, we had lunch in a gas station parking lot, biked through a town right as school got out and shared the road with lots of busses, and made our way towards Bellingham.
After our first day of biking, what better way to rewards ourselves than with a rest day? My best friend Clay lives in Bellingham, so we spent that evening and the next day eating at Aslan Brewing, getting ice cream, biking to some waterfalls, and walking around town. It was beautiful! In my mind I had pictured Bellingham as a smaller Seattle - instead it was a delightfully crunchy small town.
On our way out of town, we rode down chuckanut drive, a beautiful, winding road hugging the coastline. Luckily, traffic was non-existant - I wouldn't feel safe riding on a busy day.
We then went through some fields and the super cute town of Edison, before taking the Padilla Bay Shore Trail.
We then hopped on the highway (thankfully with a large shoulder), and took a well deserved break at a coffee shop.
Revitalized, we continued on through deception pass state park, with beautiful views of the Strait of Juan De Fuca, and very narrow shoulders.
Past the park, we rode on semi-busy highway 20 before continuing on and camping at a hiker/biker site at Fort Casey Historical State Park, a Stone's throw from the ferry to Port Townsend, and were lulled to sleep by the loud fighter jets of the nearby naval reservation.
Bright and early we boarded the ferry and then rode an amazing trail 9 miles almost to Port Hadlock.
After that was slightly more stressful as we raced to make the 3pm ferry to Seattle. Spirits (and bodies) very dampened by a sudden downpour, we soggily and furiously biked to Bremerton. One accidental freeway adventure later, we exited via an on-ramp and continued on our path, losing precious time. After upping our average mph from 9.6 to 12.6 for the last half-hour, we regretfully missed the ferry by 3 minutes and decided to get some quiche and a muffin and an iced latte while we waited for the next one. After that ride, we rode through Seattle to Hunter's friends Marianne and Austin's house, before taking another rest day! (Again, we are taking it very gently till Portland)
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| Un-stamped paperwork at the ready |
Regardless, after crossing the border, we had lunch in a gas station parking lot, biked through a town right as school got out and shared the road with lots of busses, and made our way towards Bellingham.
After our first day of biking, what better way to rewards ourselves than with a rest day? My best friend Clay lives in Bellingham, so we spent that evening and the next day eating at Aslan Brewing, getting ice cream, biking to some waterfalls, and walking around town. It was beautiful! In my mind I had pictured Bellingham as a smaller Seattle - instead it was a delightfully crunchy small town.
On our way out of town, we rode down chuckanut drive, a beautiful, winding road hugging the coastline. Luckily, traffic was non-existant - I wouldn't feel safe riding on a busy day.
We then went through some fields and the super cute town of Edison, before taking the Padilla Bay Shore Trail.
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| Preach, snowperson, preach |
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| lol |
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| The Padilla Bay Trail |
We then hopped on the highway (thankfully with a large shoulder), and took a well deserved break at a coffee shop.
Revitalized, we continued on through deception pass state park, with beautiful views of the Strait of Juan De Fuca, and very narrow shoulders.
Past the park, we rode on semi-busy highway 20 before continuing on and camping at a hiker/biker site at Fort Casey Historical State Park, a Stone's throw from the ferry to Port Townsend, and were lulled to sleep by the loud fighter jets of the nearby naval reservation.
Bright and early we boarded the ferry and then rode an amazing trail 9 miles almost to Port Hadlock.
After that was slightly more stressful as we raced to make the 3pm ferry to Seattle. Spirits (and bodies) very dampened by a sudden downpour, we soggily and furiously biked to Bremerton. One accidental freeway adventure later, we exited via an on-ramp and continued on our path, losing precious time. After upping our average mph from 9.6 to 12.6 for the last half-hour, we regretfully missed the ferry by 3 minutes and decided to get some quiche and a muffin and an iced latte while we waited for the next one. After that ride, we rode through Seattle to Hunter's friends Marianne and Austin's house, before taking another rest day! (Again, we are taking it very gently till Portland)
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| Watching the first game of the world cup! |
That's it for now. Tomorrow, we ride to Olympia, and we rest again!
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