| Date: September 17, 1999 | | Location Canada to Mexico - #8 - Kalalock to Lake Quinault | | Where: Rain Forest Resort, Lake Quinault | Friday - Jim writes
"Today we finally got a break! A break in our schedule and a break in the weather. But let me back up first because you have been with out all the good details.
Back on Tuesday morning when we got to the ferry terminal outside Anacortes we were met by the sight of 85 other cyclists all dressed in matching lime green helmet covers, ride numbers and name tags---they were all with the Wheeling Washington tour. The same fellow that is putting together Odyssey 2000 - a year long supported cycle trip around the world, organizes it. As we were waiting for the ferry trying to take in all these riders and all their support vehicles, a voice from out of the group called out---"Hey, I know you, you're Jim Scott!" It was Jim Higbee, an ex-Salem resident, who was very active with the Salem Bike Club at the time of Margie's death. We talked with him all the way to Sidney on the ferry. We saw him again the next morning in Victoria since they were all taking the ferry to Port Angles too. Some of you on this list will remember Jim and his wife Kathy.
We discovered that the Wheeling Washington group was going the same direction as we were that day, AND we also discovered that the road we were going to take around Crescent Lake was washed out! But, Wheeling Washington was planning to take a four-mile hiking trail around the north side of the lake. We decided to do the same. It turned out to be quite an adventure---fully loaded touring bikes are not exactly the same as mountain bikes. But by pushing and pulling we made it. Arriving at our camp site at
Fairholm we found that the store (where we were expecting to by our food for dinner and breakfast) was closed. Well, that's why we carry emergency food!
Thursday we headed west and into rain. Moisture continued to plague us that day and half of the next.
Now back to the break---After 65 miles in the wet yesterday we stopped today at 34 miles, ate lunch and got a cabin. So here we are at Lake Quinalt with a nice lazy afternoon to take hot showers, dry out our stuff, do laundry and recoup.
Oh yes, now that we have a cabin the weather has broken and we have sunshine."
|  | | Rain Forest Resort cabin |  | | sunset on Lake Quinault Days Distance: 34.2 miles
Days Climb: 1060 feet
Days Average Speed: 11.6 mph
Days Max Speed: 28.5 mph
Total Distance: 346.5 miles |
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