View Sea2Jax in a larger map

Thursday 12 May 2011

Day 3 - Heaven's Angels

Todays Mileage: 64 miles
Total Mileage: 166 miles
End Point: Packwood, WA

Some of you will be glad to know that today has been much better than yesterday. Last night I had a mega sleep. I was intending to do dinner after a nap but slept from 9pm till about 6.30am. I decided given the cost of the motel I should hit breakfast hard. I got a wafel coated in syrup, a bagel and two sausages. The lady serving was very kind as was the only other guy having breakfast. We started debating the highs and lows of american tv as the news was all about an 8 year old who had just got botox!! Wtf!  After packing up I had to say goodbye to my swanky hotel room..

I left Eatonville with the intention of only doing 45 miles.. I cycled to Elbe were I planned to go through rainer national park via skate creek road.. the website had told me this was open. Once I got there however the guy in one of the few shops told me it was closed due to snow, and also told me I should be on verizon not ATT if I wanted to make phone calls.. I have now lost all reception.. I left the shop and headed over to group of guys in the american army who I thought would surely know - they didn't. I asked them what they were up to and it turns out they were training, but training to drive buses! Sure enought once I left I got overtaken by 4 school buses driven by soldiers. Further up the road there was an official sign saying the pass was closed meaning I would be taking the long way round via Morden on 7 and then hiting 12 to take me to Packwood, an extra 20 miles. But I knew from here on in all the roads would be open..

In Morden I met what I thought was a group of hells angels in the gas station, got chatting and it turned out they were all on trip to a christian convention - to which I comically quipped they should be heaven's angels!! About 5 miles leaving after Morden I got waved at by an suv who then pulled over in front of me, I was bemused but not scared. Riding up to the car an old couple had mistaken me for another cyclist they met in Morden, they couldn't believe there was more than one cyclist out and about. Just across from were the car pulled me over was the weird shop in the photo above with all the signs - it was supposed to be a 'rebel shop', I was going to venture in but wasn't too keen on the homophobic message in the bottom corner.

The last 10 miles went quite smoothly in nice sunshine and then I had one of my coolest moment to date. About 10 deer lept on the road in front of me. I was taken aback as most of the deer in the UK are about the size of my bicycle, these deer I kid you not were the size of horses! I was a bit annoyed I didn't manage to get my camera out in time.

Currently in a nice campground in packwood with showers, wifi and electricity for $10 - bargain. Thinking of heading to the bar in a minute..

Other important news is as follows, roadkill count is currently at 4 dead possums.. managed to almost fixed my handlerbar bag with spare strap and my trip computer is still in km.. I'm debating whether to change as it feels like I'm going faster.. is a bit of pain to keep converting it, but I am getting pretty fast...

Tomorrow is a mega ride through white pass which should be epic and beautiful :)
P.s. thanks for all the kind messages! And yes I'm using some plastic bags - just not enough!

2 comments:

  1. I love the picture of you with the beautiful scenery. You are looking very professional. :) And I saw you are over the 1500 mark in sponsorship! So cool you saw that many deer and I love that you are counting roadkill. Hope you made it up the massive climb today! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Is the roadkill count roadkill you have run over, roadkill you have seen, or roadkill you have eaten?

    ReplyDelete