Day 4

Today was full…and hard. Long post ahead!

It rained all night long and we again packed everything pretty wet. We were a little late getting on the road- about 8am. But a cool blessing was the guy next door saw us packing and brought out a couple cups of black coffee for us before he took off to work. We munched on meal bars and dried fruit as well.

We are fatigued this morning and the brain fog was real. I’d place something down and quickly forget where. Trying to find thins and unpacking bags and pockets just to realize it was in the other bag!

The morning was a mixed bag of surface streets, gravel roads, and single track. It was soft and muddy after all the rain. 

Even the paved roads were filled with what I’m now calling “Troyisms,” in honor (sarcastically) of the race director, Troy Hopwood; we’d be riding on a flat road and come to a turn in the route into a different road- uphill always it seems- only to climb, meander, then drop back down to the same road you were on in the first place! 

A cool highlight was crossing the Hood Canal Bridge, taking us onto trail in the Port Gamble Forest Heritage park. Some cool routs and single track- Bobsled was one of the trails we were on and it was a deep cut, winding trail, just like a bobsled run. And muddy of course.At one point came out of the forest to a hillside of yellow flowers- spectacular. And the clouds had started dissipating and a sunny day was developing!

More gravel and roads as we approached the Kingston Ferry area. And one last single track- Spine Line- 2.6 miles up and down- and I came very close to a wreck on the decent, hitting a patch of mud and sliding off trail. 

We got into Kingston and looked up the ferry schedule- oh great, we have about 25 minutes before it leaves at 12:45pm. We are talking about timing and if we have time to get lunch in front of a bar/restaurant called the Filling Station. The cook was outside taking a break and overheard us. He says, I’ll make you lunch in under 15 minutes right now so you can catch your ferry.

How does a cheeseburger and fries sound?”

We are like, “that’s awesome! Thank you!”

He runs in and whips it out like he said.

Puts it in a bag that I hang on the handle bars and we ride quickly to the terminal.

We are one of the last ones on.

We take them to the front of the ferry and tie them with rope to the railing. 

Then it’s a quick trip upstairs to the passenger deck to wolf down lunch on the 20 minute crossing.

And it was a delicious burger!

We run back downstairs to our bike, as bicycles are the first ones off the ferries.

Next was a STEEP climb (walking the bikes) out of Edmonds.

Then the meandering began as we made our way east, then north, then east again before turning south. It’s amazing how many little parks there are with trails that we found to make the route.

Then my day took a turn for the worse!!!Going about 25 mph down a hill, I swallowed a bug- it stuck in my throat and I drained my stomach (and that delicious cheeseburger) trying to dislodge it. Gagging over and over. Finally settle down after about 15 minutes, and started out again feeling spent.

We stopped at a Safeway and got a banana and chocolate milk to try to settle my stomach and also fuel for the next section.

More streets and bike paths- Burke-Gilman Trail, Sammamish River Trail, Gravel PTE trail- if you do your research, you can get through the greater Seattle area without too much time on roads.

Stopped at a Subway for some more fuel, then rode the East Lake Sammamish Trail, through the state park at the end of the lake, then bagged the last available room at Motel 6. As we left the lobby to head to our room, up rolls Florin and Nathan, two other XWA racers. They try to get a room but to no availe. We offer to have them pack into our tiny one bed room, but they ended up at the next motel down the street, paying twice what we did.

A hard, full day of another close to 4,000’ of climbing, feeling the fatigue, and pedaling out another 60 miles.