I thought I'd kick off this season with a bike trip, so convinced a buddy of mine to join me on this orbit. The west side of the Peninsula dictated a couple of century days, made longer by the closure of Highway 101, adding 14 miles to day 2, and a reroute for safety on day 3, adding 16 miles. The last day was thankfully short at 47 miles, as I was suffering from a static crash on day 3 when starting out clipped in; I slid on some gravel in the turn and took the brunt of the fall on my left side and knee. I was also dealing with saddle sores, a first for me. Luckily Lars was a strong rider with a positive attitude, making this trip a pleasure for both of us.

Our bikes were packed for lodging overnights, carrying not only the clothes and accoutrements for hotels but more extensive repair and medical kits; the west side is far from any kind of easy assistance. These more weighty steeds of course had an impact on our climbing and overall speed, but we still managed over 350 miles to make the 1:30 ferry on day 4. We totally lucked out on the weather with a high pressure system sitting over the PNW, providing clear skies and unseasonably warm weather. Although there were areas of lovely scenery and tranquil riding, so much of the transit dealt with varying road shoulders and speeding trucks, RVs and other vehicles that we cannot really recommend this ride due to the road hazards, at least not in our iteration. Please enjoy the video chronicle of this interesting outing below, and be safe out there!

STATS: Day 1 - 75 miles/4000'//Day 2: 112 miles/5600'//Day 3: 118 miles/3500'//Day 4: 47 miles/2300'

TOTAL: 353 miles/15,400'

Lucky in the timing concerning weather, my buddy Lars and I orbited the Olympic Peninsula starting at the Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal, then proceeded clockwise with the following itinerary: Day 1: Bainbridge Island Ferry Terminal to Port Angeles (75 miles/4000') Day 2: Port Angeles to Kalaloch (112 miles/5600') Day 3: Kalaloch to Shelton (118 miles/3500') Day 4: Shelton to Bremerton Ferry (47 miles/2300') Much of this orbit was on sketchy roads with fast moving traffic, including an abundance of logging trucks and RVs, making the route somewhat fraught with road hazards. Luckily, we avoided any major mishaps and mechanical problems, enjoying a spate of excellent weather in the process.