June 26, 2024.
Before bed last night, I did a last minute game change and took down my tent to sleep inside the gym. Rain was in the forecast for the morning and why sleep outside in the cold?? There were 7 of us who chose to stay inside while the others camped outside. Our group is 11 people plus 5 route leaders. It’s pretty much the perfect size for a trip like this, but it means more money is spent to support the trip per capita than if it were a group of 30 riders who raised more money and don’t require much in the way of additional support resources. The gym was nice and dark, but the HVAC system was quite loud when it came on, so I was awake by 7, as were the others. We only had a 35-mile day today, which was planned so we could enjoy Olympic National Park some while staying at Kalaloch Campground, which is right on the Pacific Ocean and near the infamous Tree of Life.
After leaving Forks High School, most people went to The In Place for breakfast. Some went to the grocery store and a couple of us went to a Mocha Espresso Hut, which also had tasty sandwiches. I ordered a Mexican Mocha Latte with a ham, egg, and cheese crossing and a blueberry muffin.
By the time I was done eating, Bernie, Ted, Todd B., and Butch were ready to ride. We left shortly after the Davies family, but never caught up to them. They’re strong riders! As we left Forks, it started to rain… and it hasn’t stopped as I’m writing this at bedtime. My face has been swelling overnight, likely due to the express cortisol in my system (I assume, but I think I need to see a cardiologist and pulomonologist) from the rapid increase in exertion compared to the one hour a day I normally workout, but my body is also tired and sore, and my hands are going numb some when I ride, which is probably from the tension in my neck and upper back. I try to remember that my little bit of pain and discomfort this week pales in comparison to what someone with MS may go through in their lifetime. So, I remain thankful for what I can do. Long covid and body aches make this extra tough for me, but I’m riding to raise awareness and funds for people living with a debilitating disease.
The guys let me lead the entire day and kept saying it was a great pace. I’m not sure if they were trying to just encourage me or if it really was a good pace for them. I made them stop and stretch and drink water with me every 7 or so miles when I finally was starting to seize up.
We took photos at the entrance to the Olympic National Park and then our one rest stop for the day was 27 miles into the ride at the top of a hill where it was windy and rainy with views of the Pacific Ocean, just past Ruby Beach, a National Park site. We didn’t stay too long.
We headed onward the Kalaloch Campground in the park. No doubt that we are in a rainforest. The trees are big and lush and it feels like how you’d picture a rainforest, minus the heat of somewhere like the Amazon.
At camp, our sites were a little spread our, but Todd W., Todd B., Butch and I snagged the only oceanfront camp site. The sound is quite the opposite of our first night of camping, which was utterly silent, minus my purring mountain lion friend. With a slight break in the rain, we threw up our tents in a flash and changed out of our soggy clothes, thanks to Route Leader Cove diving around to each of the camp sites to help unloading be an easier task. A ranger quickly discovered he was blocking the road and told us to promptly move the van and trailer, oops!
I made some warm instant pho before we headed down to the
beach to see the Tree of Life – a Spiked Spruce straddling the receding coastal
ledge. It's quite impressive. Someone
had said it wasn’t doing well, but it looked great to us. We signed beach
stones and placed them under the tree. I
touched the Pacific Ocean and it jumped into my shoes a bit. I haven’t been this damp and cold since the
Northern Tier ride in 2015 through New Hampshire when it rained torrentially.
Next, Cove made a round of hot cocoa for the handful of us
at camp, cooking under a pop-up tent.
Then, a few of us walked over to the Kalaloch Lodge where there’s a
small shop, a gift store, a few rooms to stay in for a pretty penny, and a
restaurant with 4 options for dinner, supposedly. We attempted to warm up some inside, but I
was already too far gone with the dampness on my clothes. Oh, well.
Back at camp, we cooked our various styles of instant camp
foods. For me, it was a hearty can of Hormel Angus Beef Chili stirred into
instant garlic mashed potatoes. It was
basically how I pictured it – ugly, but warmed the soul. I shared most of it with Route Leader Drew,
thankfully, as it was far too much food for me.
I haven’t felt great all day, so I didn’t have much of an appetite.
Over the course of the evening, Cove whipped our more hot
cocoa, built a fantastic fire, and we made s’mores. Cove really nailed his
duties today for getting us registered at the camp and being an awesome host –
truly above and beyond, honestly! For a
19 year old, he’s extremely mature.
Nearly all of us sat around playing a popular trivia game (the name
escapes me), which we ended up just breaking the rules and helping each other.
However, the commentary and funny wrong answers were like watching Hollywood
Squares, as Bruce put it. This group is
meshing so well after a mere 4.5 days together.
This is when the experience really starts to fly and we start to dread
having to part ways. Four of the 5 route
leaders will continue on down the Pacific Coast route together, but Cove and
Drew both have already said they’re sad that we will be leaving soon. Even though
my body is struggling and I’m concerned about fluid retention issues and aches
and pains on the bike, this experience and the cause really make me long to do
more rides with Bike the US for MS. I
never camp at home, yet I savor it on these rides, despite not getting great
sleep. I guess it’s just part of the
allure and adventure that comes with doing these trips. I can’t imagine riding across the country,
day in and day out, but if I knew my body would eventually equalize, then it is
something I would love to do one day when I don’t have pets to miss and a job
I’d have to quit. I do love life on the
road and it makes me wistful for a camper van still. There are so many lives I want to live and
not enough time to do it all. This is
the first trip that I’m actually starting to feel my age and I hate it. There’s
only 1 other woman in my age range and the others are basically in their
20s-ish or retired. It never ceases to
amaze me to see “the old guys” crush me on a bike and not be bothered one bit
by the distances each day. It’s very inspiring.
Even though it’s nearly 10pm, there is still twilight as I
write this from my not-yet-toasty sleeping bag that I’ve layered with extra
clothes and blankets. Water has intruded
my tent in a lower corner, so I hope it remains there and I can dry out some
for the night. My tent is filthy, but this is the last night I think I’ll need
it for the trip. It’s crazy to think we only have 3 more days together and 2
more sleeps. I’m already melancholy for this trip to slow down and start
over. I feel like I’ve been fully
present and enjoyed it, and look forward to, hopefully, sunny skies as we round
the coast and head eastward again.
Thanks for your support. If you’d like to make a donation to Bike the US for MS, here’s my link:
https://ride.biketheusforms.org/participant/Amanda-Williams-2024
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