The final day of the trip. You might be wondering where all the pictures are...well, I didn't take any. With a bit of rain coming down and the desire to get the trip over with, I never took the time to enjoy the scenery around me.
The day started with Carey and I getting up pretty early. After a short discussion on ferry times, we decided that we might have enough time to make the early ferry at 9:30AM. We packed up as quick as possible and set off. We were about 14 miles from the ferry terminal and had about an hour to get there...for you math fans, that pretty much meant we needed to average 14 mph to make it in time. Faster than we had gone the whole trip. It was going to be tough, but we had to give it a try.
We gave it a hell of a try, but just barely didn't make it. I had pushed myself to the limit, feeling the blood flowing like I was racing in the Tour de France, and just as I arrived at the loading area they let one last car on and raised the gates. I checked my clock and I still think they closed the gate 5 minutes early, but there isn't much one can do as the boat quickly pulls away. Next available ferry, 12:30PM. That gave Carey and I 3 hours to kill at a ferry port with just a few stores. We ended up spending the time playing penny poker and charging up our cell phones after a week of little use.
The final 55 miles of the day seem like a blur. It was boring, the wind was knocking us around most of the time, and we were back in the hustle and bustle of the mainland. Going from the San Juans back onto the Washington State mainland kind of felt like going from the West Coast to the East Coast where I used to live. In the West things are at a slower pace and not quite as crowded, similar to the San Juans. Out East, everyone is rushing every which way and no matter where you turn you see something that has been created by society. This is how this last day felt. Cars rushing by, the Anacortes oil refinery scarring the landscape, and on a bike you just felt really small.
As the final miles were approaching, I started to get that end of summer feeling. On Monday I'd need to be back at work, my week long vacation would come to a smashing halt. I really wanted to get off the bike and clean up, but I also wanted to keep riding. I love my job, condo, and life in Portland, but it sure would be nice to keep the adventures rolling. Those travel tv hosts sure have it good...I'd sure like to know the downside of those jobs, because they seem perfect.
The worst part of the day was in the last home stretch. Unlike Carey, I had a bike computer and pretty much knew when the trip should end based on the mileage. I knew we were close to the end, so when Carey said he wanted to stop at Dairy Queen, I said I'd push on alone. I tend to do this with all things in my life...hold off certain things in my life, just to get to the end. The other day I was cleaning my condo and kept going and going, skipping lunch and hardly using the restroom. Once I focus on that end goal, hardly anything can get in my way. Turns out I was so focused, that I totally missed the turn to get back to my truck. And I knew I was close to the end, so I was pedaling like crazy. When I finally made up my mind that it was all wrong, I had to back track. Ended up going 13 more miles than I needed to. Quite a lot considering it was supposed to only be a 56 mile day. Moral of the story, when your riding partner suggests stopping at Dairy Queen, join him. No need to get lost after a long windy day of bike riding.
Next bicycle adventure? I don't know. I'd like to do some canoeing or kayaking...will try and get out backpacking as well. Have hopes to travel to Hawaii with Sarah in the near future. So much to do, so little time.
Day 7: 68.96 Miles, 12.94 AVS, 5:19:45 STP, 36.9 Max, 279 Total Miles
