Day 3: Arlington to Woodinville; Friends, More Miles, Beer, and Beer

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Today’s route started off with the remaining 20+ miles of the Centennial Trail which was much appreciated.  You could say the first half of the ride was uneventful, just the way we like it.  A few miles before the trail ended we stopped for lunch (delivered by super mom), a chair transfer, and most importantly the addition of Denise.

My friend Denise rode a few miles with us which we all enjoyed.  Even though Denise’s time with us on the road was short, she would join us later at the breweries.  Yes, brewerieS.

Before we could get to the breweries we had about fifteen miles of road to navigate.  The road varied from poor with no shoulder to excellent with a shoulder resembling the multi-use trail we started the day with.  Regardless of the road we were on we all felt the drivers were very courteous and patient.

Paparazzi!

The highlight of the day were the two breweries we visited after the riding was done.  We first visited Triple Horn Brewery with a great atmosphere and some fantastic shirts for my Joshs, compliment of the brewery.  While at the brewery Denise rejoined us for the festivities.  Also, Kayleigh King from Nelson Boyd Attorneys along with her family joined us.  Kayleigh has been instrumental in our blogging and social media efforts.  Kayleigh and her entire family were a delight to meet and spend time with.

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As luck would have it Dirty Bucket Brewery was within rolling distance from Triple Horn.  Was this really a lucky coincidence, or are we just really good at planning?  Triple Horn offered a refreshingly subtle porter in a lively and roomy atmosphere, while the Dirty Bucket was a small, quaint brewery with a delicious coffee oatmeal stout.  The owner was extremely generous and picked up our tab and provided two shirts for the crew.  Just another illustration of how everyone we meet has been extremely supportive of our journey.

Done!

Day Two: Anacortes to Arlington; Tires, Umbrellas, and of course Beer

After catching a few winks at the hotel, it was morning again way too soon and time to resume our journey and my longest distance effort ever: forty miles. We got started only a few minutes behind schedule on the beautiful and well-used Tommy Thompson Trail in Anacortes, where within less then a quarter-mile one of my cycling companion's (Josh Blaustein) tire tube popped! I and my other cyclist (Josh Sutcliffe) continued on, leaving Blaustein behind to change out his tube and catch up. The Tommy Thompson Trail was beautiful! Nice and flat, with great views of the water and a flock of Great Blue Herons. Dodging the occasional broken shell dropped by gulls, we reached the end of the trail and were ready to start using the umbrella since I got a little more sun than I wanted yesterday. That lasted for about half a mile before a giant gust of wind turned the umbrella inside out while crossing a busy intersection, because episodes like that require an audience. The road ahead was in the shade, fortunately, so we put the umbrella away and rolled on.

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This stretch of road-rolling lasted twenty-eight miles. I must say the conditions were less than ideal: many miles on highways with little to no shoulder and steep drop-offs. I'm very happy to report that the drivers were polite and passed us with plenty of room.

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As the day wore on and got warmer, we thought we'd give the umbrella another try. Thanks to Blaustein's ingenuity, we managed to make it work which really increased my level of comfort. We pulled over in someone's driveway for adjustments (and a few mouthfuls of chips and salsa, as one does), and the person who lived there came out to check out what was going on. We chatted for a while before continuing, finding out later that she's now following our journey!

We found a great place for lunch, recommended by a few local cyclists and our new driveway salsa friend, called The Rexville Grocery. The sandwich (and beer) was very tasty, but I was really impressed with how accommodating the owner was. I continue to be blown away by how friendly those we meet are; perhaps it's the wonky umbrella?

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After miles through farmland and winding forested roads, crossing the green Skagit River twice, it was time to swap chairs before I used up my battery. The transition takes a little getting used to, but like a NASCAR pit crew my team got me back on the road in no time.

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Not too far past my previous distance record (thirty miles), we found The Centennial Trail for the last nine miles of the day. What a treat, especially after so much time in car traffic! We cruised along, tired but happy to be in such a lovely environment. It was so much quieter than the road, which was very convenient for my 6:30 call-in to KSQM FM, when I give listeners my daily live updates. Just as we were wrapping up the conversation, I looked up and saw what could only be interpreted as an omen: a big flag with the words "Craft Beer" written on it. Not one to argue with fate, we rolled into the Whiskey Ridge Brewing pub for some delicious libations. Bonus: new shirts for the crew to wear tomorrow!

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Tonight I'm staying at my good friend's house (also named Ian) and am really looking forward to getting some rest. So would my mom, who put a little over two-hundred miles on the odometer of the van (with one minor run-in with The Law) taxiing our stuff to-and-fro. So with that, good night and see you on the trail!

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Day 1: Port Angeles to Anacortes; Boats, Pigs and Beers

  Day 1 began with family giving us (myself, Adam, Josh S., and Josh B.) an energetic send off as we boarded the Coho to Victoria, Canada.  Thank you Blackball Ferries for comping our rides.  Once we arrived, we were moved to the front of the line which got us through customs quickly, and we were able to start putting miles on the chair/bikes.

Navigating through downtown Victoria presented our biggest challenge of the day trying to find the start of the Galloping Goose trail.  Once on the trail, it was smooth sailing all the way to Sidney.   Some highlights along the road included multiple honor-system produce stands, very large and  happy (rolling in mud) pigs, a very impressive remote control airplane show, and a tasty lunch at Harvest Road Farm to Table Grill.

Along the trail we met many friendly people interested in our journey and also eager to share knowledge about the trail and specific points along the way to keep an eye out for.  Once in Sidney we met a local woman, Mary Lynn and her dog Gracie and spent time talking about the ride and why we are here.  She was very sweet and wished us luck on our journey as we said goodbye.  A few minutes later she returned with a generous cash donation.

After lunch and a quick tour around Sidney, we headed to the ferry dock to get ready for our ride to Anacortes. While waiting for the ferry we met a woman from France who told us of her brother’s injury and how he has stayed active in his chair.  She also gave us a cash donation and wished us a safe trip.

After the two and half hour ferry ride we arrived in Anacortes.  We were met with a very warm welcome at Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery where we had a nice dinner and some samplers.  You would think we were rockstars.  The owner gave a significant contribution to our dinner bill and gave the riders free shirts which will be on display as we ride tomorrow.  Something else that made dinner and beer taste extra special was a surprise visit from our friends and trivia teammates Terry and Tammy for Port Angeles.

It's late, and tomorrow is going to be twice as long in miles. Southward from here.

Enjoying the ferry ride

Moving to the head of the line in Victoria

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Final Route (for now)

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I was hoping to get this posted a couple days ago but came down with a nasty cold. I'm feeling much better and am looking forward to starting the trip on Saturday. I've had a ton of advice on how best to make my way through Washington and I have incorporated many of the suggestions into the route plan below. One significant change is my ride from Woodinville to Tukwila (previously Renton). I'm thinking about cheating a little bit on this day and riding from Woodinville to Seward Park and then having my support vehicle taxi me due West to the Duwamish trailhead.  It would be a more direct route and would allow me to finish the day on trails rather than roads. If anyone has a good way for me to get from Seward Park to the Duwamish trailhead without my support vehicle I'd love to hear it.

Saturday, August 13: Port Angeles to Anacortes

Sunday, August 14: Anacortes to Arlington

Monday, August 15: Arlington to Woodinville

Tuesday, August 16: Woodinville to Tukwila Part one

Tuesday, August 16: Woodinville to Tukwila Part two

Wednesday, August 17: Tukwila to Puyallup

Thursday, August 18: Puyallup to McKenna

Friday, August 19: McKenna to Bucoda

Saturday, August 20: Bucoda to Napavine

Sunday, August 21: Napavine to Castle Rock

Monday, August 22: Castle Rock to Woodland

Tuesday, August 23: Woodland to Portland

Huge thanks to everyone who has e-mailed me with route suggestions and support. I'm beginning to feel much more confident about each section.

The Proposed Route

Port Angeles to Portland

I wanted to share my route with you all in hopes of getting some feedback on each of these proposed sections of my ride. I am not real familiar with many of these sections so please e-mail me if you have suggestions on ways to better my trek to Portland. If I'm able to follow this proposed schedule I'll reach my destination three days ahead of schedule. So if you have an alternative route that adds a day or two but is safer or more scenic I'd love to hear about it. I have some specific questions I'll address after the day by day breakdown of the ride.

Port Angeles to Anacortes

Anacortes to Arlington

Arlington to Woodinville

Woodinville to Renton

Renton to North Puyallup:

North Puyallup to McKenna:

McKenna to Bucoda:

Bucoda to Napavine:

Napavine to Castle Rock:

Castle Rock to Woodland:

Woodland to Portland:

Okay, onto some questions.

I am concerned about my route through Seattle. I got some valuable advice from Aaron Taht suggesting I take the Fremont bridge, Ship Canal trail to Myrtle Edwards to the downtown waterfront. This brings me a little further west but does look to be the safer option. I'd love some feedback on Aaron's suggestion and the best way to get from the waterfront back to the STP.

I've also heard the STP route through Puyallup is kind of nasty. I'd love to hear thoughts concerning this section. There's probably a much better way through that I'm unaware of.

The STP, and my proposed route, go through Fort Lewis. From what I've heard, I won't be able to go through that way. Is this true? If so, any suggestions on alternatives here?

Finally, the STP crosses the Columbia River using the Lewis and Clark Bridge. It doesn't look like this bridge would be all that wheelchair friendly. With this in mind, I rerouted away from the STP down the 5 so as to cross the Columbia on the 205. Is this a good plan? Perhaps the Lewis and Clark bridge isn't so bad. I just don't know. I could use some advice on the best way to enter Oregon.

I appreciate the help in the route planning. I'd like to thank Matt Hixson for his help getting me from Anacortes to Arlington. I initially had a sketchy plan and he got me on a much safer option. I feel like it's finally coming together but it sure helps having people familiar with the area to offer their expertise. Please e-mail me with any and all suggestions.