August 1, 2019
Coupeville
Maybe it was the stress of yesterday’s ride, or perhaps we’re just feeling the effects of two weeks on the road without a break. Whatever the reason though, today’s ride up Whidbey Island felt like more of a challenge than it probably should have been. By the time we reached our inn in Coupeville, we were both ready to call it quits again and were looking forward to tomorrow’s rest day.
Not that Whidbey is an easy ride though. Like all the other islands in the Sound, it’s decidedly lumpy. As Mark Twain reputedly said, Life is one damn hill after another - or something like that. Riding this island, it feels like you’re climbing all day long, and often sharply. A steep, slow climb of one to three hundred feet; a fast drop down the other side; repeat. You never quite recover, and those short climbs add up.
We took our time this morning getting out the door in Mukilteo, and caught the 10:30 ferry. We arrived at Clinton on the island at 11, and started riding up the eastern shore. Forty five minutes later we were in Langley, just seven miles into the ride, and feeling like we should stop for a snack break since the next town was perhaps two hours away. While Rachael went shopping in the village market, I sat outside in the sun and chatted with the delicatessen cook, out on her break. It was an interesting, poignant chat - she’s retired, but back at work after unexpectedly losing her husband to a heart attack. They both retired not long ago, bought a camper, and were pursuing their dreams when they were abruptly cut far too short. Do it now, whatever your dream is.
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Video sound track: Hey! Bo Diddley (variations), by Alex De Grassi
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On the final descent back to the coast, I had a scare when a young deer suddenly emerged from the shadows, not two feet from my right shoulder. It was on the verge, all but standing in the bike lane. I flinched, started to swerve a bit, and then immediately pulled back because I hadn’t checked for cars behind me. I wasn’t really at risk of spilling, but it did catch my attention.
We rolled in to Coupeville precisely at 4:01. It’s remarkable how often we have ended the day within about a fifteen minute band - it must have been about two thirds of the time over the past two weeks. Rachael immediately set to work scanning the stack of menus from the restaurant book at our inn, found the one that looked best, gave them a call, and found that if we wanted a table we needed to show up at 5. We rushed through showers, changed in a hurry, and dashed out the door. Afterwards, I grabbed the camera and headed for the waterfront to soak up an incredibly beautiful sundown.
Rest day tomorrow!!
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5 years ago
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Ride stats today: 41 miles, 2,900’; for the tour: 636 miles, 29,400’
Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 636 miles (1,024 km)
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Coastlines can have a lot of hills, cant they? Much more wearying than long climbs, I think.
Cheers,
Keith
5 years ago
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