If you'd rather skip the written report and just see the photos, you can find them here. A full ride report below:
The two of us (Liam and I) loaded our bikes on the Kistap fast ferry from Seattle to Kingston on Monday morning (June 17th) and headed for the hills. On day one, we rode from Kingston to Quilcene via Port Gamble where we stopped for lunch and I picked up an anorak, having left my rain gear at home. It wasn't supposed to rain! It did, of course - though just a light drizzle it was pretty cold and damp. That anorak came in handy, and I was glad I could find one in Port Gamble at Olympic Outdoor Center. We pedaled across the Hood Canal floating bridge and along the shoulder of SR 104, enduring the traffic noise and making our way through a road project at the Beaver Valley Road junction. We left 104 at Center Road, enjoying the much lighter traffic and foxgloves in full bloom alongside the road. We spent the night at Mount Walker Inn, which was very nice - clean and quiet. It was our last shower, restaurant meal (Quilbilly's), and phone call opportunity as we left civilization and cellphone coverage behind for the next couple of days. (29 miles/1,700 feet)
On Tuesday morning we started up Penny Creek Road, beginning the biggest climb of the trip - 17 miles and up 3,800 feet to Bon Jon Pass. It started out damp and cool, but cleared up and warmed up during the day as we sweated uphill, mostly on pavement and alongside of forests full of blooming rhododendrons and other wildflowers. At the first summit we stopped for lunch. There was more climbing ahead of us, another 1,200 feet and 16 miles of gravel road - and some double digit grades and pothole mazes to contend with. Upon arriving at Forks of the Dungeness campground, we were pleasantly surprised by how beautiful and quiet it was (quiet until the cub scout troop arrived, at any rate). No shower and no potable water - but we washed off the sweat of the day and filtered some water from the river (Grey Wolf, near the confluence with the Dungeness River). (33 miles/5,000 ft)
On Wednesday we discussed routing options, and decided to head to Sequim Bay State Park rather than the Dungeness Campground as I had originally planned - both to reduce the mileage for the return to Kingston, and because it tends to be warmer and dryer. This was the shortest ride of the trip, with some final lovely miles in the national forest before we hit pavement and a long descent into Sequim. We stopped for brunch at The Oak Table Cafe. I had their "Signature Apple Pancake" and Liam had an omelette. The portions were enormous - I couldn't finish the sugary delicious pancake even though I was quite hungry. We headed to Sequim Bay along the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) where we set up camp in one of the hiker/biker sites and took badly needed showers! Back to Sequim 4.5 miles for dinner, and then camp for the night. (28 miles/1,600 ft)
On Thursday morning we made another route change. We had no particular reason to return to Quilcene, since we rode our bikes there instead of driving and parking and because we didn't relish the thought of returning to Kingston via 101 and 104. Liam suggested an alternative that took us on the ODT and mostly on backroads to the Hood Canal Bridge. This turned out to be a very nice ride - except for the 1.5 mile climb on SR 20 from Discovery Bay. It truly deserves its reputation - a steep climb with no shoulder and a deep ditch alongside the road. Don't think I'll be doing that again- but this time we lucked out! A driver had somehow put her car in the ditch! We detoured around the tow truck and state patrol waved us on. We left 20 and turned right on Eaglemount Road with no more traffic behind us. The rest of the route via Center, Beaver Valley, Larson Lake, Andy Cooper, Oak Bay and Paradise Bay Roads took us back to Hood Canal and Kingston for the Fast Ferry home. (45.5 miles/2,800 feet)
This was a more epic trip for either of us than the miles and elevation gain would suggest, but we are both looking forward to doing this again and we are planning another bikepacking adventure soon. Contact me if you're interested in the route we took, or joining us on our next bikepacking trip.
PS - if you're planning a trip on the ODT, do skip SR 20 but plan a stop at the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Library. It's well worth your while to visit the cultural exhibit that includes an 18,000 year old mammoth thigh bone with a spear point embedded in it. You are riding across and through their ancestral homeland, after all.
