I wanted to try something different this year on my annual yuppie trip, so I started by looking at different tour companies. Emily Andrews, Diann Laing, and the Pidlypchaks all recommended Bicycle Adventures, an outfit that operates out of Olympia, Washington. Their area of expertise is the Pacific northwest; most of their cycling and other active vacations are in the Washington and Oregon area. I took a look at two tours: one of the Oregon coast and the other on the San Juan Islands. I'd seen enough of Oregon the last two years so opted for a change of scenery and a week-long camping trip on the San Juan Islands.

Even though this was a camping tour, it was hardly "roughing it". The Bicycle Adventures staff would be carrying the gear, doing the cooking, and even supplying the tent. Once again, all I needed to do was to show up with my camera and start riding. After past experiences with the Backroads rental bicycles, and being somewhat uncertain about Bicycle Adventures' rentals, I elected to bring my own bike to this trip. I returned my venerable Fisher mountain bike to its touring trim - slick tires, rear rack and touring bag, and Onza clipless pedals. Unfortunately I did not include a set of fenders; this turned out to be a bad idea although I didn't know it at the moment.

My original plan was to drive to Seattle, but after talking with my friend Gretchen about the distance to the place, changed my mind and flew instead. It would have taken at least a day and a half for each direction. Finally, Tom and Shirley were having their annual Frenchman's ride on the day after the tour ended, so an airplane was the only way to get back in time. For some strange reason, my travel agent booked me on Reno Air on the flight to Seattle and on Alaska Air on the return trip. This turned out to be a bad idea.

Packing for this trip turned out to be a snap. I put all my cycling clothing in with the bicycle. Other than my sleeping bag I didn't need to bring any camping equipment. Since all our meals would be in camp or on the road and our camp sites were all located away from towns, I didn't need to bring any fancy clothes. Everything, including my sleeping bag, fit into one carry on bag!

Sunday July 6: Reno to Seatac (Seattle)

I had a relaxing sit and coffee with Gretchen before she dropped me off at the airport. In spite of horror stories about taking a bike on an airplane flight, Reno Air was very nice about it. The bike case was my only piece of checked luggage, so the agent took a quick look at the size, had one of their luggage experts take a look at it, and said, "No problem." They slapped a tag on it and that was that. The trip from Reno to Seattle was uneventful; just the way airplane trips should be! The flight left and arrived on time. When I got to the airport in Seattle, it only took a couple of minutes to get my bike at baggage claim and call the nearby Hampton Inn motel for the short ride to my room for the night.

Seatac is a town named after and serving an airport. The part of it that I saw was a somewhat shabby collection of motels and fast food joints. The airport itself rests on a large plateau; whether this was man-made or not I don't know.

I unpacked my bicycle, relieved to find that it had survived the baggage handlers' tender administrations unscathed. Judging by the still-pristine condition of the ABS plastic case, Reno Air had taken decent care of things. It only took 15 minutes or so to get the bike out and assemble it once again. I pumped-up the tires, put on my cycling clothes, and took a nice 2-hour ride around the neighborhood. Right across the road from the motel was Angel Lake park, but it was really crowded. Once I got away from the strip malls and bustle of Seatac and into the residential areas along Puget Sound, it was quite nice. I searched in vain for a nice viewpoint nearby; every square inch of viewpoint land was covered with large and expen$ive homes. Eventually I came across a small park with the promising name of Marine View. Following a dirt trail to a paved footpath, I rode it down to the water's edge. This was one steep hill - I had to use the brakes constantly to get down and the lowest granny gear on the bike to get back up the hill again. If I was on my road bike I'd have been walking it. At the bottom was a tiny beach and a nice look at the Sound.

The next adventure of the day was to find someplace to get dinner. Unfortunately the proliferation of fast food joints didn't extend as far as the Hampton Inn. The only places within walking distance (I had no intention of tempting the local bike thieves) were a Chinese/Grundge lounge and Taco Bell. I didn't have any problem deciding to go south of the border. The 7-layer burrito was actually pretty good (thanks for the idea, Christa!), but I failed to successfully unmask Batman on the drink and instantly win millions. There goes that new house by the beach …

One nice thing about the Hampton Inn is that it was quiet. I was really surprised given the proximity to a very busy airport. Apparently the place was sound-insulated to the eyeballs.

Monday July 7: Seattle to San Juan Island

After a quick breakfast at the motel, I hauled everything down to the lobby and waited. The weather was cool, windy, and cloudy. The Bicycle Adventures van was there right at 9:00 AM as they had warned. They put my bicycle case inside the trailer, the bike on top, and me inside. Chad was our leader, Nancy was the co-leader, and Stephanie was a leader trainee or something like that. The group on this trip was going to be very small - only 8 guests and the staff. Our next pickup was Gus who was just down the road. On the way to Seattle we stopped for Jennifer, Jim and Ginger, Tod, and Denise. Then it was down the road to Anacortes where the last guest, Steve, would be meeting us.

Surprisingly, the demographics of the group weren't that much different from the people who go on Backroads tours. Lawyers, accountants, network analysts … The big difference was the attitude. Everyone was pretty kicked-back, most were repeat customers, and the Bicycle Adventures staff weren't quite so worried that everything might not go perfectly according to plan.

It took a while for the van to get us to Anacortes. We made one stop along the way at a rest area that featured the huge stump of a cedar tree that had been burned ages ago. The vehicle was, well, tired. It wasn't like the thing was going to break down at any moment, but it was definitely approaching the end of its service life! It had more problems getting up the hills than my old Colt Vista Wagon did.

Anacortes is a cute little town. It has been a ferry terminal for many years and is the main access from the mainland to the San Juan Islands. We stopped at the Majestic Hotel to pick up the gear for Steve and then headed to the ferry terminal. The van got parked in its assigned spot in the line of cars and trucks waiting for the mid-afternoon boat. While the van waited Nancy took us on a ride out to and around Washington Park.

It had started to rain as we headed from the terminal to the park, but fortunately it wasn't cold. Parts of it were like a rain forest and other spots opened up to spectacular views of the islands when the clouds broke. The on and off drizzle continued as we returned to the ferry. Chad and Stephanie had prepared lunch while the rest of us were riding, so we had a nice meal while waiting for the boat to arrive. Looking at the other vehicles waiting in line, we notice another Bicycle Adventures van (the people doing the inn trip) and a group from Backroads. I never realized just how much a Backroads group stands out. Everyone on matching red bikes wearing matching red helmets, and all followed by a spotless new red van.

The ferry arrived and everyone on foot and on bicycles were herded on board before the cars. Our bicycles were secured along the sides of the boat. We went upstairs to the passenger decks and had a meeting to discuss routes and the basic outline of our trip on the islands.

About an hour after departing, the ferry docked at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Cyclists and pedestrians were taken off first, followed by the horde of autos. Our group met the van at the appointed location for last minute instructions and then we were off on our first tour of the trip.

Following an inland route, I headed out to scenic Roche Harbor. Only 5 miles into the trip I scooted right on by the entrance to the Lakedale campground where our group would be staying for the next two nights, then I was off through rolling hills and green and past llama and alpaca farms to the harbor. The main feature of the resort was the Hotel de Haro, a beautiful old structure with impressive rose gardens. On the way back to the campground, I took a side trip to Davison Head and took a look at an old mausoleum hidden off in the woods.

Back at camp I picked up a handful of quarters for the shower and then received instructions on setting-up my REI tent. This experience made me glad that I opted for a Sierra Designs backpacking tent. The two man REI tent was very small; my feet touched one end and my head nearly touched the other. It was not easy to set up what with having to thread poles through tiny channels. It started to rain around dinner time, and that was when I also discovered that the rain fly left much to be desired. No matter how tightly it was stretched and staked, it still managed to touch the tent sides and allow small amounts of water to dribble inside.

Tuesday July 8: San Juan Island

It started raining last night during dinner and was getting serious about it by breakfast time. The tour leaders handed out plastic rain jackets and I was off into the driving rain for a scenic tour of San Juan Island. Unfortunately, the scenery consisted primarily of rain, slick roads, and more rain. Fortunately it wasn't very cold.

The tour route went down the center of the island, out to the southernmost part of the point and then up the western coastline before crossing back to the campground, a distance of about 40 miles. The center of San Juan contains a lot of farmland, and I imagine it looks quite scenic when it is visible. Only 4 miles into the ride I had to navigate a gravel (i.e. mud) road which put enough goop on my bicycle to cause the gears to almost quit functioning. Not to worry, because the next stretch on pavement was wet enough to wash most of it off! At about 7 miles I passed through a cemetary and country church. In keeping with the spirit of things, it was divided: Catholics on one side, Protestants on the other. The island has a history of division. It was the last disputed territory between the United States and Canada/Great Britain and still has the remnants of the American and British military camps.

Lunch today was at the southern end of the island at Cattle Point, reached after riding through American Camp. If it were dry, I would have loved to explore some of the camp highlights. Fortunately an old WPA building still stands on the picnic grounds of Cattle Point. The windows are long gone, but the roof is mostly waterproof. It was nice to have a chance to dry off and enjoy lunch out of the rain, a feeling shared by a family of swallows who had built their home up in the rafters above our picnic table.

Off into the drizzle again after lunch, my somewhat clean bike got filthy again on 2 miles of mud and gravel road. I was now riding along the shoreline (or so the map showed - it was difficult to see the ocean through the rain and haze) and went past the Lime Kiln State Whale Watching Park, the only park in the United States devoted only to whale watching. If there were any whales out there, I suspect that they were staying underwater rather than braving the wind and rain. The next point of interest was the British Camp at the north end of the island. The only access to this area was on dirt roads, currently mud roads, so I kept on riding the last 6 miles back to our campground.

It took me over an hour to clean myself, my clothing, and my bike of all the mud and accumulated grit. Our tour leaders showed their flexibility at this point and ran a few of us into Friday Harbor to visit a laundromat. We were able to wash, and most importantly dry, our clothes and cycling shoes.

The rain let up right after an excellent dinner and we all enjoyed viewing a spectacular golden and orange sunset.

Wednesday July 9: Orcas Island

After removing the yellow slugs from my tent, I broke camp early and rode to the Friday Harbor ferry terminal for cappuccino at the Front Street Café before the ferry arrived. We had the option of supplementing our planned breakfast on the ferry by obtaining extra goodies here. The ferry took us to Orcas Island in about an hour, and I was off towards Moran State Park. The weather was still rainy but not pouring like it was yesterday. I got sprinkled upon several times but not soaked. Temperatures were decidedly cool today.

Orcas Island is shaped like a horseshoe; the ferry landed at the southwest end of the shoe and I rode along the edge of Crow Valley before heading over to the west coast. Orcas is probably the most mountainous of the San Juans; Mount Constitution is over 2400' in elevation. The entire ride was fairly hilly and had the added feature of smallish black slugs along the damp roads from yesterday's rains. The Bicycle Adventures van was playing leapfrog with the Backroads van along this route. I must credit Chad with finding the better parking spots for snacks and other support. About halfway to the park, I made a side trip up a dirt road to Orcas Island Pottery. The Backroads crowd was already there, so bicycle parking was at a premium. The display of pottery and other ceramic creations was wonderful, as was the view from the back yard of the store and workshop. This is definitely a "must see" for any pottery fans!

After this stop it was off around the eastern part of the horseshoe on the appropriately-named Horseshoe Road, through the tiny town of Eastsound, and then up and over a long climb to Moran State Park for lunch. At this point the hardcore riders had the option of riding to the top of Mount Constitution. The wimps were given an opportunity to hike to the top and get a van ride back down. The word from our tour leaders was that the hike was much prettier. I chose the walk. I was joined by co-leader Stephanie, Jennifer, Tod, and Ginger; those who weren't riding or hiking stayed in camp.

The walk to the stone tower at the top of Mount Constitution is indeed a scenic one. The climb is not nearly as steep as is riding the paved road; no traffic, either. The well-marked trail took me from a rain forest environment to pines and manzanita much like the Sierras. Down lower I saw foxglove, Indian pipe, and of course a large collection of yellow and greenish slugs. Once the trail left the trees and proceeded along the side of the mountain for the final couple of miles, I got some fantastic views of smaller nearby islands when the clouds broke up. The stone tower at the top took me a few feet higher and I was able to see a panorama of the nearby San Juan Island group. As promised, the van met us at the top, and on the way back Jane pointed out a number of other hiking routes that I could take tomorrow.

Another excellent dinner tonight: wraps! As good as Wrap Street? Well, not quite, but darned tasty.

Thursday July 10: Orcas Island

Today was an "off" day - no cycling was planned unless some people wanted to ride up Mount Constitution again. What was planned was a kayak trip for those who were interested (only about half of us); everyone else had the day off. It had rained once again late last night or early this morning.

Chad took us in the van over to Doe Bay on the southeast shore of Orcas Island. We were fitted with paddles and spray skirts and given some basic kayak instructions. As with my first kayak experience in South Carolina, this one was in a sea kayak - one difference was that it was a two seat boat and a much nicer one than I was in before, the other was that this ride would be in a real ocean. I got paired with our instructor, and she gave me some good tips on paddling technique. We headed off into the bay and proceeded northeast along the coast. We didn't see any whales (the instructor said that a sighting is rare) but we passed a bald eagle nesting area and got to see one of the eagles sitting high in a tree. It was much different going along in the ocean than cruising up a river - the waves and currents make for a busier ride, and the alignment of the boat became more important. I was still impressed with how stable these craft are. It also helped that the guide/instructor was steering!

The kayak trip was over quickly, so after lunch I packed up for a hike around nearby Cascade Lake and up to Cascade falls. The park has an extensive trail system, including a boundary system that closely follows the perimeter of the entire park area. I went around the southwest edge of the lake before crossing the south park entrance road and then proceeding up to Cascade Falls. I saw some interesting fungus, the usual slugs (the black ones seemed to be out in force today), and deer that were tame enough to walk right up to them and take pictures. The waterfalls were pretty nice and had many viewpoints. I started my walk in rare sunshine and finished it in the rain.

This evening we had salmon for dinner; excellent as usual.

Friday July 11: Lopez Island and back home

It was drizzling again this morning as I packed up my wet tent for the last time. We rode to the Ferry terminal for breakfast at the Orcas Hotel: quiche, cinnamon rolls, and good latte. The hotel has been restored, and is the place that those on the inn trips stay. The gardens and flowers were beautiful.

The ferry arrived at 9:30 AM and took us the short distance to Lopez Island. More important was that the sun finally came out and looked like it was going to stay out - I could get some use out of all that sunscreen that I brought along!

Once off the ferry, I essentially rode the perimeter of Lopez Island. After an easy climb I was off along the west side of the island, through the village of Lopez, and along the shore of scenic Fisherman Bay. The first stop was at Shark Reef Park, known as a place for observing seals. Along Mud Bay Road I was entertained by a pair of soaring red tailed hawks. My next stop was Agate Beach. There were signs posted everywhere warning of dire consequences if you took any agates, but it looked like people had long ago made off with most if not all of them. This put me about as far south as one can ride on Lopez; I retraced some of my route and then followed the roads along the eastern shore back north and into Spencer Spit state park where our final lunch together was set up. From here it was a short 5 mile ride back to Port Stanley and the ferry line.

While the van waited in line, I got out my bike box and packed everything back inside except for the clothing I would wear back home. I even had time to call Gretchen and say, "Hi!" The ferry arrived back in Anacortes around 4:00 PM and we all settled-in for the long drive back through the Friday traffic to Seattle. People were dropped-off at hotels and finally the airport.

I'm not certain why I was on an Alaska Air flight back to Reno - that's just the way my travel agent did it. After this one experience, I will never again take this airline to fly anywhere, much less Alaska. It started when they insisted that my bicycle required "special handling" which of course involved a "special fee." Seems that having a bicycle inside that plastic box made all the difference in the world and was much different from having it full of, say, dirty laundry. Alaska Air's "special handling" consisted of me toting the box down to the end of the counter where it was then left, unattended, for about 20 minutes. I then watched the ticket agent put it on the same conveyor belt as all the rest of the luggage. Then I headed over to the gate for my flight. Only it wasn't the correct gate, so I had to look around for the right one. Then the flight was delayed, then the gate was changed again, and then the flight was delayed again. Finally the plane was changed and we all had to have our seat assignments redone! The upshot of all this mess was that I didn't get back home until 1:00 AM. A big thanks to Alaska Air.

Comments and Impressions

There's a definite reason why the Pacific Northwest is so green. It rains. A lot. It didn't rain the entire time that I was there, but darned close to it. If anyone tells you that July is a dry time and that the San Juan Islands are much dryer than Seattle, don't believe it! Take rain gear, take fenders, and prepare to be wet.

Even though the weather was not what I was used to or expecting, the area really is quite beautiful. The damp climate made for nice skin and hair for a week and a profusion of vegetation. The fauna is another story. Deer I've seen around here, hawks and eagles live out my front door, but this was my first experience with such a large number of invertebrates. Slugs are gross; there's no other way of putting it. They scoot around leaving slimy trails. They come in sickly colors like pale yellow and snot green. If you hit one on your bike, you've got a good chance of going down; if you step on one you can slip and fall. Give me the desert's snakes, spiders, and scorpions any time!

This was the first camping trip that I've taken with a touring company, and I must admit that it was lots of fun. It was nice to be outdoors instead of inside a hotel or inn, regardless how fancy. Even though my group got stuck with an unusual (according to the locals, anyhow) amount of rain for this time of the year, things never got really uncomfortable. The last camping trip I was on required me to carry 45 pounds of gear on my back for a week, cook my own meals, bathe myself in ice cold streams, wear the same clothing for days, and use any convenient bush for a toilet. For this trip, someone else carried the tent and all my stuff, carried clean clothes for me, did the cooking, found nice campsites, and even provided quarters to operate the campground showers.

Bicycle Adventures did a wonderful job of leading this trip. My previous trips with Backroads introduced me to a number of different tour leaders, all with differing styles but all pretty much adhering to the "company line" of wanting everything to go perfectly. Chad, Stephanie, and Nancy were all professionals in their business, but the entire attitude was much more casual. Maybe it has to do with the smaller groups that go on the camping trips; the leaders seemed to fit-in better with the guests. There was a positive "can do" attitude that really helped! I also get the impression that Bicycle Adventures, as a company, isn't quite so rigid in how leaders conduct their day to day business. The main concern seems to be that the guests enjoy themselves and that the leaders are there to assist in the process. It worked quite well.

Bicycle Adventures has figured out how to do daily route sheets correctly. Each day came with the standard route sheet showing mileage, turns, and a description of the ride. One big difference here is that their rental bikes had cyclometers on them so that one could actually put those detailed mileage notes to use. Most importantly, we also got a map! That's right, a photocopied map that fit right in with the rest of the sheets and showed the places we'd be riding. You have to experience a trip through the backroads of Austria, trying to figure out where you are by reading the detailed descriptions and distance in kilometers, on a rented bicycle with no cyclometer, to fully appreciate the significance of having a usable map along - not some meter square monstrosity that requires an advanced degree in metric topology to refold. We also got a daily itinerary telling us where we had to be and by when for various events. In the case of having to catch specific ferries, this was quite important.

I had a great time in the Pacific Northwest, and I highly recommend Bicycle Adventures as the touring company to show you their back yard. Just remember your rain gear, and don't squash that banana slug!

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