Remember that blue crayon we all loved as a kid. The deep, vibrant blue? If you liked blue you liked this blue. Imagine that blue, multiplied by 10, and melted into a huge lake. That's what Lake Crescent was like. It was the most glorious blue I have ever seen, let alone in pure water form, and surrounded by rolling hills and tall peaks. Highway 101 wrapped 17 miles around it; over bridges, under tunnels, winding curves. We were riding through Olympic National Park with huge smiles and sunshine on our faces. I gunned ahead of Blake and took the turns with the wind kissing my face and the smell of fresh water getting me high. I can only imagine how Blake felt while on his bike. The best picture I got of him was on this day. I remember how freaked out and scared and tired I was that morning leaving Port Angeles...and then riding this road. And I remember thinking this is what it was about. Don't look back, don't' be scared. Don't let the fear of the unkown grasp a hold of you. Look at where you are! Look at what God has given you to see! You took this adventure for this day alone.
After a while we pulled off at a gas station and grabbed some hot oatmeal and coffee and bars. We sat right on the stairs and looked out at this curiously blue lake with green life covering the hills surrounding us and the lake itself. We pulled off at a sign for a waterfall hike and locked our bikes together. I found myself hiking through the rainforest. I never imagined what the Northwest would be like, but I was surprised at the bright green, mossy forest I was in. I felt so small compared to this huge forest. We hiked for a while and found this grand waterfall. The fresh air and crisp chill under the branches felt amazing.
Once back on the road we rolled into Forks, Washington. I was going to try to avoid the Twilight Saga discussion of this town, but the truth is I can't. Part of my excitement and joy that I have about this place IS because I am shamelessly in love with those books and movies. I just went back and watched most of them this week, the first time since my trip. They didn't exagerate any of the scenery in those movies. It is all just as green, and thick, and crisp as it shows. I never saw any vampires climbing the tall trees or warewolves tearing through our campsite, but it did feel quite magical.
But the actual town of Forks...wow. There is nothing there! It took forever to find the grocery store. Every hotel and building had some kind of "Twilight" thing going on it. "Edward slept here" or "Twilight firewood for sale" or "Jacob's Barber." Seriously, I am not even kidding. That poor town. We first rode through Forks looking for a campground. We found a great one five miles south of town, in Bogachiel State Park. We set up camp then took Pearl back in to get some of that "Twilight firewood" and good camping foods. With Pearl loaded up we headed back home. Side Note: Every place we went, motel, hostel, campsite we set up at each night we always refered to as 'home.' It's the only way to stay sane. Besides, my home truly is where my heart is.
Blake made the most incredible campfire meals. I think we had sweet potatoes and beans and smores for dinner and eggs and oatmeal for breakfast. It was fun to be camping and making a fire and having camp foods.
I remember this moment in time where we were settling into our new lifestyle. Setting up the tent the easiest way. Making sure the towels and clothes NEVER hit the floor in the bathroom showers. Putting headlamps, headphones, earplugs, and phones in reachable areas in the tent. Packing up things in the right order so items we needed were on top in the bags. Always having quarters for showers and laundry. Not crying when we left something behind. Waterproofing the important things. Charging phones whenever possible. There's a lot that goes into travelling. There's a lot that goes into survival skills each and every day. I imagined all this time and energy spent on reading and writing and practicing yoga and trail runs. Time consumption was not what I had planned. We rode a lot during the day, and if we were camping, we had to get everything set up before the sun went down. It was also very cold up north, especially in the first few weeks of camping in the forests. When riding on the road, once we came to a forest, the tempurature would drop drastically. I could feel the absence of the sun in those trees. It even felt damp. Bundling up and making sure everything was dry was a chore. But we got used to it fast. It was summer, and I was regularly wearing three layers at a time. By the time we had set up, ate, did laundry, got into the sleeping bags, we usually crashed hard and slept hard. My excuse for not running or doing the things I planned during this trip was the adrenaline rush I got and knew I would get every day just from riding into something new and strange.
The next day we decided to pack up, leave everything at the camp site, jump on Pearl and head into La Push. I couldn't NOT go (Jacob is my favorite, so I had to see this town.) It was exactly as it should have been; cloudy, cold, Indian, and small! It was beautiful. It was the first time we saw the Pacific Ocean on this trip (I LOVE this memory.) There were totem poles and birds everywhere. Indian artwork is filled with nature and appreciation and this little town was decorated all over with it. The word I can pick for this place is Calm.
After that we went back to Forks, picked up our gear and headed south on the 101. With food packed up we were planning on stopping at a hostel that was in our travel book for that night. It was 80 miles to the next town, so we'd have to stop there to make for a decent two days of travel. I rode ahead to look for the hostel and set up everything while Blake was coming on his bike. I arrived and checked in. Jim was the guy who ran the Rain Forest Hostel. Basically it's his house and he put bunk beds in two of the rooms. I asked if he was expecting more people and he just said "No." I tried to unpack our things without my mind wondering to unsafe thoughts of being held hostage by this guy all by myself and Blake flying past it because it was tucked away in the trees. I walked outside and called my brother, Matt. I told him where we were and the situation I was in...just in case. Blake arrived and everything of course was fine. We were so grateful for a kitchen to cook in and a warm shower. The next day we did some chores and learned about Jim's way of living. On their webiste it says it's "one of the most environmental hostels in Washington" and they are correct. This guy is on this amazing 3 year detoxing diet. He barters with other farmers for food and grows most of his vegitation and composts everything. We sat and talked with him for a while about his lifestyle and food habits. It was educational and probably planted a seed in our minds about our future goals of a healthy lifestyle.
This trip, from Port Angeles to Forks, to La Push and back, and then to the hostel was about 105 miles of travelling.
