Day 1 August 3 La Push to Sequim

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Photos: At the bottom of the page

Video 2: Olympic Discovery Trail by Lake Crescent

We started from La Push First Beach in the morning of August 3. It was drizzling and foggy. We pushed out our bikes to the edge of the Pacific water and got our rear tires wet, the starting ritual of a coast-to-coast ride that many riders love to perform (others ignore this). Our wives Shuyi and Maria, and Peter’s daughter Katrina and her friend Lucy were there to send us off. Katrina helped Peter to collect a small bottle of Pacific water, which Peter carried all the way to the Atlantic coast.

The morning traffic was light on La Push Road out of La Push to Route 101. Steady climbing on both roads. Stopped to refuel at Hungary Bear Café, which, along with Bear Creek Campground and Motel/RV Park, had been closed. At mile 37 we got on the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT). It was nicely maintained and paved, going through forests, the northern shore of Lake Crescent, and the southern shore of the Salish Sea near Port Angeles. It was one of trails on my trip that I liked the most.

To continue on ODT across the Elwha River, there is a tricky turn to the right from the paved Elwha River Rd to a gravel path before the bridge to get on the lower level of the bridge. We missed that turn and had to come back from the upper level of the bridge. The trail passes the Railroad Bridge Park, where the Dungeness River Nature Center is. With toilets, water fountains and a big lawn, this can be an ideal site for camping, if allowed.

We camped at the Sequim Bay State Park that night.

It turned out that on the first day, we made the most daily total climbing of the entire trip (3969 ft). It was also the longest daily ride for Peter (98.2 miles).