One Thousand Four Hundred Fifty-Four

A common refrain among cycle tourists is that travel by bicycle affords an opportunity to grasp the true distances between places. When the only way to move is by turning the pedals, it is impossible to get anywhere sitting limp in a seat. You feel the energy it takes to get over every single hill, the sustained exertion you need to crest a major climb. At the same time, you don’t worry about speed limits; doing 70 in a 55 zone isn’t an option. You are the engine, and the odometer counts the miles on your legs.

But when I arrived in Vancouver, I didn’t feel any of that. I looked down at my Cateye, and I saw the display reading out 1454.2. I knew that it had been 37 days since I pedaled out of a driveway in Los Gatos, California. I could run through the names of the places where I had slept each of those nights if I wished. What was impossible was to paint a coherent picture of the distance in my head, to zoom out and process the journey as a continuous whole.

Campgrounds of the Pacific Coast: Washington

Camping in Washington is a bit of a different experience than it is in California or Oregon. The average campground is more similar to California in terms of facilities, although like in Oregon, food lockers are highly unusual. But the main difference comes out of the fact that there is no single near-universal route through Washington. Virtually everyone who bikes the coasts of California and Oregon sticks to Highway 1 and US 101 outside of short deviations. But in Washington, Adventure Cycling routes you through the I-5 corridor and the Puget Sound, while many people choose to ride around the Olympic Peninsula or cut across it. Hiker/biker campgrounds are fewer and farther between as a result, and those that do exist tend to be much smaller than their equivalents in Oregon or California.

Campgrounds of the Pacific Coast: Oregon

In terms of campground quality, Oregon is generally considered to be the best of the three Pacific states (free showers!). California's are pretty basic and Washington doesn't have a really well-defined route that the majority of cyclists use, so the infrastructure isn't quite as strong. But Oregon has a single route (101), strong state backing for cycle touring, and a state legislature that is apparently able to spend money wisely (looking at you, Sacramento). That being said, you'll need to learn how to hang your food from a tree in Oregon. Food lockers are nonexistent, and raccoons are as aggressive as anywhere else - see the duct tape on my tent for evidence.

Campgrounds of the Pacific Coast: California

This post is mainly intended as a resource for other cycle tourists trying to decide where to camp. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend making routing decisions based entirely on campground quality, there are situations when you have a few to choose from. And while I can't give an opinion on every single one, I can at least share my thoughts on the places where I stayed (plus a few that I didn't but have something to say about anyway).

After the jump: reviews.

Day 37 - Blaine, WA to Vancouver, BC

Day Total - 46.3 miles
Trip Total - 1,454.2 miles
Vancouver. The End.

On the final day of the trip, the weather certainly didn't disappoint. It was raining pretty heavily when I woke up, and though it stopped and started a few times, it didn't look like it was going to stop for good anytime soon. I delayed as long as I could, did a little bit of bike work, and finally I rode off into the drizzle a bit after 10 AM. I chose to deviate from the ACA route and cross the border at the Peace Arch, where I-5 goes into Canada. Of course, I couldn't get on the interstate directly - I had to go through Peace Arch State Park to access the pedestrian/bicycle crossing.

As usual, I got a lot of hassle from the Canadian authorities. The initial border guard had me go inside the customs building to talk to another guard. She didn't give a reason, but the man I spoke with inside seemed very concerned that I was going to try to get a job in Canada despite my assurances otherwise. Somewhat surprisingly, they didn't seem too experienced with cycle tourists at this crossing, perhaps because the ACA sends riders to the truck crossing a few miles to the east.

Day 36 - Oak Harbor, WA to Blaine, WA

Day Total - 73.4 miles
Trip Total - 1,407.9 miles
Spending the night in the last town before the border. Also, Washington dogs didn't let me down in their last hurrah: I had to fend off a pack of 5 late in the day.

This morning Kevin and I parted ways. We would be following the same route to Bellingham, but I had a lot farther to go than he did. I was trying to get as close to the border as possible, which meant at least 25 miles past Bellingham, so I needed to get an early start. Therefore, at 9 AM, we said our goodbyes and I pedaled north on Highway 20.

Almost immediately, I encountered trouble. Just two miles in, I came to the Deception Pass Bridge. It was built in two sections, with a rocky islet in the middle, and it's also exceptionally narrow with no shoulder. I decided to walk my bike, but as I tried to go across the northern section, I hit a snag. The barriers separating the sidewalk from the road were so close to the railing on the side of the bridge that I couldn't fit my bike through! I had to go all the way back to the southern end of the bridge and ride across it, because the barriers prevented me from entering the road anywhere else. I waited for a break in traffic, then gunned it while taking the middle of the right lane (it would be a lot more dangerous if I stuck to the far right and a car tried to pass). Fortunately, the bridge was only about 3/4 of a mile long, but it was harrowing nonetheless.

Day 35 - Poulsbo, WA to Oak Harbor, WA

Day Total - 59.7 miles
Trip Total - 1,334.5 miles
We saw Canada for the first time today.
In related news, Kevin isn't going to Vancouver. He has decided to end his tour in Bellingham tomorrow, so I'll be going solo north from there.

We started the day at about 10:00 on the very busy Highway 3, which we followed a few miles to the Hood Canal Bridge. The crossing was gorgeous. heading west from the Kitsap to the Olympic Peninsula (and Jefferson County), we could see the snowy Olympic peaks against the clear, blue sky. The weather was the best we have had in Washington so far, and that was good, because we had some 60 miles to ride to our destination for the day.