Kalaloch

August 9, 2019

Just an update to record that we made it to Kalaloch, and had a great stay at the lodge. More later, of course.

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I said I’d get back to this day, didn’t I? I’ll bet you thought I’d forgotten. Nope - this was one of our favorite days of the tour, and one we don’t want to forget. I’ll post the entry here at the bottom of the list for now to get your attention and then resequence it later.

Just as a reminder of where we were though, we spent the previous night in Forks - not the most inspiring stay-over of the tour, but not the worst either. Forks actually has two big climbs to fame: it’s allegedly the rainiest town in the contiguous 48 states, receiving on average 110 inches of rain per year; and it’s the setting for Twilight, the beloved series of four romantic vampire novels by Stephanie Meyer.

We had the good fortune to arrive in Forks in a rare dry day; and neither of us is big on vampire novels. So the big selling points in Forks were lost on us. Instead, we settled on strolling for a mile along scenic Highway 101 for a mile to a so-so pizza restaurant, where we enjoyed watching the stream of families coming in to register for the soccer season at the tables next to us.

Main Street (aka, Highway 101), Forks. I see that Forks is a college town, which often is a positive indicator. It’s not enough though, and Forks doesn’t make it onto our short list of places we might settle someday. Rain is one thing, but I really hate vampires.

Finally earning his keep, the GBO lends a hand back at the motel.

We get an early start to today’s ride, starting with a decent breakfast at The In Place, our loaded bikes safely leaning against the outside wall next to our table. We walk out with two hefty turkey sandwiches to go and head south again for a short day spent entirely on Highway 101. Traffic is light, the shoulder is fine and the first thirty miles go quickly until we reach famously beautiful Ruby Beach in the sliver of Olympic National Park that protects a stretch of the wild Pacific coastline. Our plan is to hang out here for as long as we want, eat lunch, and then continue on to Kalaloch for a leisurely afternoon exploring the beach and seaside forest there.

Image not found :( — Heading south from Forks on Highway 101. Other than the precarious miles around Lake Crescent, the highway is proving to be much more comfortable cycling than I’d expected. Still though, it’s a highway - you have to keep your wits about you.

Video sound track: Hard Lesson, by The Burned

For all those jam fans out there (we know who you are). Hoh, Hoh, Hoh.

Ruby Beach is justifiably very popular, and the parking area is crowded. We at first lock our bikes up to a pole beside the parking area and start walking down to the beach; but then think better about it and go back to take them with it. It’s not particularly easy wheeling them down the narrow path through the salal to the beach, but it’s much more comfortable being able to see them leaning against a driftwood log while we have our look.

It’s really a beautiful place, we’re here on a great day, and we have a good look. Definitely a place we’d return to if we get the chance some day.

We tear ourselves away from Ruby Beach after about two hours, which really wasn’t long enough; but we want to see Kalaloch too of course. It’s only a flat six miles away, so the ride goes quickly as we wheel past a string of imaginatively named beaches: Kalaloch Beach 6, Kalaloch Beach 5, Kalaloch Beach 4. The excitement builds as we race through the final countdown to our day’s destination, Kalaloch Lodge.

Kalaloch Lodge is the simplest and least sophisticated of the three Olympic lodges, and our definite favorite. It’s a place we’d love to return to someday, perhaps with the Jetta on a combined biking/hiking trip. The lodge has a wonderful setting, perched about fifty feet above the beach with a stunning view west.

Soon after we arrive, I go down to the beach to check out the bird life, while Rachael rests up for a bit. I enjoy a delightful hour of exploring the driftwood, watching the surf, and marveling at the huge gathering of gulls at the mouth of the Kalaloch Creek that empties immediately below the lodge.

The mouth of Kalaoch Creek, viewed from Kalaloch Lodge.

Peeps! I finally figured how to get a passable shot of them. You can’t approach them and get close enough. You have to be patient, stand your ground, and wait for them to come your way.

After dinner, we go out together for a walk through the woods and then north along the beach to see the famous Kalaloch Tree of Life, which Rachael is especially keen to see. Then, on the beach, Rachael walks far ahead of me as I hang behind and take shots from the distance of her approaching a flock of gulls. Suddenly she stops, looks my way and points to the sea. I look too, but see nothing. Later, she excitedly tells me that she saw four pelicans skimming over the waves. I’m sorry I missed them and am a bit skeptical about her identification, until twenty minutes later they make a second pass along the shore. Such amazing birds - I love the way they glide just above the water. They remind me of a peloton of bike racers for some reason.

Later, I pull the photos off the zoom camera and we’re both stunned to see that the pelicans were intermingled with the crowd of gulls she’d been approaching.

There’s a massive driftwood pileup beside Kalaloch reek.

Sitka Spruce trees can take the most intriguing forms. These two look like they’re in a centuries-long erotic embrace.

Here’s another astonishing spruce. Dancer? Samurai?

There’s a gnome hiding in the opposite side of the tree.

The Kalaloch Tree of Life, a Sitka Spruce that gets its name from its miraculous ability to survive even though the ground has been completely eroded away beneath it.

A double puzzle. I don’t know what either half of this colorful pair is. Do you?

Rachael and I could hardly believe it when we saw how close she was to the pelicans she later saw soaring over the waves.

Such a graceful dance. I could watch this all day.

We make it back to the lodge just before sundown. I stop in downstairs to grab an IPA and unload the day’s photos, while Rachael goes back to the room and her book. I suddenly look up, see the reddening sky, and rush outside. In my haste, I without thinking just leave my iPad, wallet and phone on the table in the lounge. Rachael is out there too, after seeing the sky develop from the sea-viewing window of our room. Kalaloch Lodge is famous for its sunsets, and we’re lucky to get one tonight. The best sunset of the tour, and as a bonus all of my kit is still waiting for me with my beer when I return.

Afterwards, we retire to our room and read our books - there is zero network access at Kalaoch, and it really feels a bit off the grid here. I’m surprised by how restful this is, cracking my paperback rather than working on the blog or obsessively catching up on the latest outrageous and enraging news. If I could make myself do it, I should kick myself off the grid from time to time.

What an awesome spot! Probably my favorite overnight of the tour. You should give it a try too.

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Ride stats today: 36 miles, 1,300’; for the tour: 909 miles, 45,300’

Today's ride: 36 miles (58 km)
Total: 909 miles (1,463 km)

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