Outdoor adventures, mostly gravel rides, but not always
An easy beach trail along the Olympics' South Coast
A tale of so many fronts: sun, fog, thicker fog, sun breaks. “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” was never truer advice.
A beautiful alpine meadow filled with wildflowers & views
The upper meadow at Marmot Pass is one of my favorite locations in the Olympics having hiked there a few times. The WTA reports suggested the wildflowers were in bloom – perfect!
A straightforward out-and-back on a steady, but shallow, climb along a roaring river
I rarely ride out-and-backs and when I do it’s usually a hill climb. The ride up Icicle Creek Road isn’t as impressive as Hurricane Ridge or Mt Baker but it offered an exceptional experience on an early morning ride.
A hike through the remains of a forest fire to a picturesque alpine lake
We go to the trail early (7:30 am) mid-week to plenty of parking. The trail to Eightmile Lake starts through a burn from 2017 resulting in little cover from the sun and a lot of shrubby new growth. Fortunately the views along the trail are plentiful from the start and the grade wasn’t too bad for our mixed-skills hiking party.
A day hike to the Mt Townsend summit from the Little Quilcene River trailhead
A nice day hike to Mt Townsend from a new-to-me trailhead. The wildflowers are out in force and the trail is in great shape without a single blow down.
A classic Enchantments hike to an alpine lake
With the snow mostly gone, I opted for the classic hike to this gorgeous alpine lake.
Quiet farm roads with rolling climbs, great views, and plenty to explore
Fantasic tour under blue skies, under falling leaves, and quiet roads among farmland. I started the ride from BI on the normal loop to Port Gamble with a small detour for a road closure.
One of the more beautiful hikes in the Olympics, especially for visiting high alpine lakes
I hadn’t been to Royal Lake since a backpacking trip in July 2011. At the time we were unable to make it to the upper basin because of a late melting snow pack. I was excited to explore the upper basin on this trip as over the last few years I had become pretty familiar with the region from prior rides and hikes.
A HC climb to the Hurricane Ridge Visitors center, then a punchy gravel classic
This year’s edition of Ride the Hurricane had two great changes from last year:
Riding from Bainbridge Island to Deception Pass over bridges, on ferries, and on quiet roads
✅ Ride from BI to Deception Pass and back in one day.
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