^ Glad you didn't learn a hard lesson there, Dude!
I carry a Black Diamond headlamp as a backup on every night ride. They are fairly cheap and easy to carry. Great for hiking too.
Last week while I was at a Memorial for an old friend of mine, I got to talk’n bikes with my buddy Bruce.
I asked him if he’d like to join me for an overnight camping trip on Bainbridge Island the next day.
Bruce is one of those friends who like me, is retired and up for an occasional spur of the moment adventure.
Early the next morning I was out, chasing my shadow up Snoqualmie Ridge to meet Bruce in Bellevue.
Striking out Thursday Morning by
Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Riding into downtown Seattle, we take the ferry to Bainbridge Island. After grabbing some lunch in Winslow we head along the “Chilly Hilly” bicycle route to find a camping spot at Fay Bainbridge S.P. The sun was out, things were warming up nicely as we rode along Manitou Beach Drive taking in the view of Seattle.
Seattle Skyline from Manitou Beach Drive by
Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We got a hiker/biker campsite close to the beach, 7 bucks for the night. After everything was squared away, we set out on our bikes, unladen to ride the rest of the “Chilly Hilly“ route around the Island…
Overnighter on Bainbridge by
Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We stopped for dinner at a restaurant in Lynwood Center and ended up lingering there until the sun began to set. We switched on our lights and finished circling the Island in the dark. Traffic was quite light and we had fun riding along on backroads in the dark. We stopped again along Manitou Beach Drive and took in the view of the lights of the Seattle waterfront glimmering like a diamond necklace across the Puget Sound as the sky darkened, watching the air traffic pattern overhead as jets approached for landing SEATAC airport.
Crappy picture but it was the best I could get from my small camera.
Night time ride around Bainbridge Island by
Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Bruce turned in when we got back to camp. I went down to the beach and watched the sky not wanting the day to end, finally retreating to the tent when the chill started to creep in.
We rode back in the morning, Bruce splitting off in Bellevue. I continued Eastward.
One last photo taken as I waiting to cross Front Street in Issaquah. An old car, I have no idea what it was, chugged by. An interesting subject though.
Not often you see something like this by
Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Climbing into the foothills back at home in North Bend by 3:30. A nice little get away…