We set out to ride a loop around the Olympic Peninsula.
We set out early on Sunday June 9th to ride a 550 mile mostly off-road loop around the Olympic Peninsula. We had experimented with various packing methods, extensively researched our route, and were as ready as we could be.
After about 40 miles of pavement we got our first taste of the dirt.
We tried to take frequent breaks for water, and to let Zero do his business.
When we set out again we quickly found ourselves climbing up a mountain.
We rode through the debris of over 20 rockslides that spilled out onto the trail, some with boulders large enough to block any 4 wheeled vehicle. Unfortunately this led to the first drop with Zero (and my first in 7 years and over 25K miles). Luckily it was low speed, Zero stayed on his feet the entire time, and the bike was back up and ready in 30 seconds.
The rest of the ride was great, and we eventually found ourselves at Mora campground outside of Forks, WA. We stayed here on our 2017 trip to Argentina, and it was nice to return. Zero couldn't wait to pass out in the tent.
The next morning we were up with the sunrise. After a quick breakfast in Forks we traveled down the 101 until we turned onto the Hoh Mainline road. We followed this for a while past the prison until we eventually turned onto a dusty dirt road that quickly took us uphill.
After getting a little lost we ended up finding an amazing overlook that really gave us a sense of the scale of the logging operations in this area.
From there we became even more lost before eventually finding the right trail back to civilization. It was a fantastic ride though, full of great views, curves, and lots of deer.
Eventually we popped out on the 101, right by the Tree of Life. So of course we had to check it out.
The next day we woke up to lots of rain. Which was not fun to pack the bikes in. And Zero wasn't thrilled about it either.
Luckily we were only on the highway for about 10 miles before we found ourselves back in the forest. This time with extra mist!
Parts of the trail had washed away at some point, resulting in an impressive landslide.
Eventually we made it through the woods and back onto pavement for the ride into Shelton for the night.
The next day we took a minor detour to check out the High Steel Bridge, a 685 foot long, 375 foot high bridge built in 1929. It was a very dusty road getting there, but the views did not disappoint.
After that we were back on the 101 for a bit, before turning off to ride the trails around Lake Cushman.
These eventually led us back to the 101 for a short ride before hitting the dirt again around Quilcene.
From here it was a short ride home to complete our trip. It was an amazing ride, and we were all exhausted.