I'm having time re-write this because my post didn't publish properly and my original text got deleted. Wah! I was far more witty when I wrote this yesterday, I swear.
How are we on our next to last day already?! It feels like the end of summer camp, as Route Leader Cove so eloquently put it over dinner last night.
But, let's go back to the beginning of the day, which started extra early because we had an 87-mile ride ahead of us - our longest day of the trip. The unmistakeable 'alarm clock' of sleeping bag and tent zippers wakes me up every day on these trips - I never have to set an alarm. It's a sound that is both nostalgic and grating. Everyone was awake before 6am in the gym at Lake Quinalt High School in Amanda Park. Everyone except Butch slept in the gym, which had automatic lights on a sensor that came on in certain sections of the gym if anyone moved. I managed to face away from the lights and put on an eye mask at some point during the night. It's the first night of the trip I didn't have the heaviness in my chest as I went to sleep, which is surely due to not riding yesterday. My face was slightly less swollen, too, but the eye mask may have also provided some compression on my eyes.
Despite feeling very efficient with my morning camp routine (bathroom, change clothes, pack up sleeping bag and air mattress, gather belongings and put in the trailer, get out camp stove, boil water for coffee and oatmeal, prep bike while coffee and oatmeal cool enough to eat, bathroom again, ready to roll out), I am also routinely one of the last people out of camp. I have yet to figure out what takes me longer than everyone else. I don't get distracted by my phone. Anyway, I left camp ahead of only a couple of people. I passed Bernie and Ted having coffee at the mercantile 1/4 mile down the street, and Butch joined them. I pulled over to take a photo of Lake Quinalt and the rest of the riders left at camp passed me.
I guess I would be riding in the back again today. However, as I got warmed up, I felt pretty strong. It's amazing what a day of rest, lots of caffeine, and a good night's sleep does for you! I slowly was able to catch up to some of the riders and ultimately pass them. Maybe I was going out too hot, but I felt good. When I started the day, I secretly felt like I'd likely attempt a full century (100 miles), but I only wanted to take it rest stop to rest stop because of how terribly I had felt the day before.
Eventually, I caught up to Route Leader Drew and we passed a dog that barked like mad and chased us into the street. Very rarely does that happen, but it's also not uncommon in rural areas.
At the first rest stop, at a small road side shop, I downed a cold bottled Starbucks Mocha Latte, Nacho Doritos, and an Oatmeal Creme Pie. I felt pretty good and pressed onward. I continued to leap frog some of the riders. My downhill riding is very strong and I tend to lose my speed on the climbs, but not today. I listened to a favorite Spotify playlist and felt good. The weather was also perfect. I rode the morning with lots of layers, as it was only in the low 50s and the sun had not yet joined us.
At the second rest stop, we were in small, but bustling town called Montesano. I ate a few snacks from my bin, including some Skratch chews that had enough caffeine to get me to the next rest stop. I continued onward once my devices (watch, phone, and battery bank) were recharged.
After passing through Satsop, a small group of us stopped at a taco stand in Elma, another small, but bustling town on our way to Shelton. This was our "On Your Own" Rest Stop 3, even though the van joined us briefly. Tacos had been on everyone's brains, so we indulged. I had a small bean and cheese burrito and a Dr. Pepper (more caffeine!) - something mild to ensure I didn't cause any GI distress along the way!
I rode the entirety of the day solo, with the exception of a small section in the afternoon leaving the taco stand. Eventually, the faster riders got ahead of me again, but there was about half the group still behind us having burgers in Montesano. The day was now quite warm and I was down to just my cycling big shorts and jersey. It felt good to be warm, instead of in a cold rain as the two days prior had been. The shade was cool as we went through the Olympic National Forest, but it was pleasant.
The route was rolling, but we did have a very long climb ahead of Rest Stop 4, which was at the new Buck's Prairie Mercantile, which was a cute, little general store. I wasn't hungry, but I knew I needed a little more caffeine if I was going to make it through another 30 or so miles because I needed to make up 13 miles if I wanted to hit a century. The Davies family had already completed some of their extra miles in the morning to go down a trail to see the World's Largest Sitka Spruce Tree. I didn't want to do the extra miles on gravel, so I skipped that with them, which meant I was on my own for my miles.
Leaving the last rest stop, I rode out and back on a 3-mile stretch, then down a country road to a YMCA, over to a lake front, down another country road that felt too remote for me to safely be on since I was off the mapped route, then I circled back towards the Rest Stop, turning back again before a big climb, and then down another country road over a one-lane bridge to where it ended at a gate. By now, I assumed everyone had caught up and was well in front of me, likely already at the school for the night. I was surprised to see the rest stop van when it passed me with only a couple of miles left. I figured they were watching my Location and were just waiting around for me. Once I got into Shelton, my Google Maps (which we are not supposed to follow, but it was very similar to the map) tried to take me up a steep gravel path, which I did not do. The actual route took us up a steep and curvy road that the cars were unhappy about. I kept checking my mileage to be sure I wouldn't be under 100 miles and certainly not too far over.
When I arrived at Olympic Middle School, I was greeted with cheering from Cass (another cyclist that has been dealing with an injury all week), Route Leaders Siri and Cove, and the Davies. Nobody else had come in yet! How was that possible?! Maybe they were all riding a century, too! However, they weren't. Somehow, all of the century riders beat everyone else! I guess they all took leisurely rest stops while we kept pressing on to ensure our extra mileage wouldn't put us at camp too late.
I quickly showered first before others arrived, but the locker room floor was quite slipping and I took a hard fall. I'm okay, but just sore. I'm glad it wasn't worse because I went down pretty hard.
Most set up their tents outside because it was a nice, clear night, but I slept inside in the gym (this one also had an automatic light on a sensor, so we were taking a risk) with the 5 oldest riders (all men, haha!)). Once everyone was in, showered, and had their camps set-up, we headed for a final group dinner to a local Mexican restaurant. We unloaded the vans, so we could all go together. It was good food and even better company. Ted made a nice toast and I made a sappy speech that choked me up, but everyone said was exactly how they felt. Even though I felt super awkward 'speechifying', I'm glad it was well-received. These trips mean so much to me and our group meshed very well.
Despite the long day, this was the latest we were up all week - 10pm! Tomorrow is out last day, but also "short" with only about 47 miles to ride. I'll save my sappy wrap-up for after we all say goodbye.
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