Pacific Northwest - bremerton to bainbridge, the long way (300km/189 mi)

hey nor'westers, just a little ride report here from a seattle randonneur.

did another 300k brevet (http://www.seattlerandonneur.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=258&Itemid=28) on saturday - took a ferry from seattle to bremerton, rode a circuitous route to shelton, then up to quilcene and down to bainbridge island.

the route on a map:
http://bp0.blogger.com/__tyOVt3GW-E/SBtgVSxumuI/AAAAAAAAAbg/TS3Gs4ObU34/s400/sir_hood_300k_map.jpg

we did it in about 13.5 hours, i'm really happy with that! (my last 300k was a 19 hour affair..) this time we started at 7:15 AM, finished at about 8:30 PM.

some climbing involved, but nothing major - max elevation was only 800 feet:
http://bp0.blogger.com/__tyOVt3GW-E/SBtRaSxumtI/AAAAAAAAAbY/126em90eXyQ/s400/sir_300k_hoodcanal_ele.jpg

my "rando" bike (a miyata) was out of commission, so my "race" bike took its place. slapped on the dynohub & carradice bag & the ciocc was good to to:
http://bp3.blogger.com/__tyOVt3GW-E/SB6_tSxumwI/AAAAAAAAAbw/mgifFAASZmM/s400/DSCN2384.JPG

rando bikes hitching a ride on the ferry:
http://bp0.blogger.com/__tyOVt3GW-E/SB6_tixumxI/AAAAAAAAAb4/ZVuqNjnfeLs/s400/DSCN2385.JPG

downtown @ about 6 A.M.

http://bp2.blogger.com/__tyOVt3GW-E/SB6_uCxumyI/AAAAAAAAAcA/ndNMr6Uh5LQ/s400/DSCN2386.JPG

at the 1st control in brady:
http://bp0.blogger.com/__tyOVt3GW-E/SB6_uixumzI/AAAAAAAAAcI/6H1syEpZlag/s400/DSCN2389.JPG

getting on the ferry, at about 8:55 P.M.
http://bp2.blogger.com/__tyOVt3GW-E/SB7AgCxum0I/AAAAAAAAAcQ/9hKO29UQwcs/s400/DSCN2391.JPG

coming back home!
http://bp1.blogger.com/__tyOVt3GW-E/SB7Agyxum1I/AAAAAAAAAcY/pZh0vFaFHS4/s400/DSCN2397.JPG

nice one! Matt, I'll be living this spring vicariously thru your trip reports as i nurse a broken hip-

that is some pleasant riding out that way, eh? One of my favorite day rides out of Seattle is the Hood Canal loop- it's very pretty. with a prevalent southerly pushing you up the west side of the hood canal, that stretch can be almost dreamy.


that hillclimb heading into quilcene seems taller than 800 feet, are you sure that pass is only 800?

yeah i definitely enjoyed the views out there, as this was my first time cycling on the peninsula. if it wasn't raining most of the time i would've gotten more pics, but oh well.

that sucks about your hip, get well ASAP! but until then, i'll be sure to post my ride reports here as much as possible. =]

walker pass is the biggest climb on the route, and all the info i can find (including elevation data from the map (http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=10271) i clicked, put it at about 750 feet max. also this page says it's 741 feet: link (http://www.visiteverycityinwashingtonstate.com/MiscPages/passes/walkerpass.htm).

but i agree, after about 150 miles on the bike, that climb seemed bigger! it definitely lasts for 3 or so miles, maybe that's what makes it seem so tall.

Wow. Saturday was Prairie Appreciation Day (http://www.prairieappreciationday.org/), did you stop to visit any on your leg toward Montesano? Sheesh, I totally would have cut that loop out if I was doing this ride.

Nice trip!

Wow. Saturday was Prairie Appreciation Day (http://www.prairieappreciationday.org/), did you stop to visit any on your leg toward Montesano? Sheesh, I totally would have cut that loop out if I was doing this ride.


Great report mattm! The rain stopped by 10am, clouds cleared up by afternoon in Olympia---I hope you dried out.

I was volunteering for Prairie Appreciation Day at Glacial Heritage Prairie. The camas are no where near that stage, so you didn't miss that if you didn't stop. Give it a week or maybe two for the camas. Violets were striking, though; deep purple against last year's die-back. It was a lovely sight.