Sunday, June 30 MAGA Cross Ride

[schouten]

TL;DR

New route: Olympic Discovery Adventure Route!! (not Dry Hill Mountain Bike park) - Route input welcome!!

Itinerary:
5:40am - Meet at Coho Ferry in Victoria (no reservation required for cyclists - bring required Id)
6:10am - Coho leaves from Victoria to Port Angeles
7:40am - Disembark, find riders meeting up in Port Angeles, buy bananas, go!

86km loop from Port Angles to Crescent and back (tentative Strava Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/19649705)
BikePacking gives a good overview of the trail and makes it seem fun but not too technical

5:20pm - Catch Coho from Port Angeles to Victoria
6:50pm - Collapse

Supplies
2 bottles of water - according to BikePacking, water is available along the way
Food - Breakfast on the ferry but packing some dense, filling food and snacks. Will enjoy a tasty meal in a pub at the end (The New Moon Craft Tavern looks good)
Bear Spray - I don't got none but will bring a small air horn that should send a wild animal packin'. I suspect the trail will be well travelled though.
Clothes - Weather forecast is good for Sunday but some rain before. Let's keep an eye on this.
Identification - Passport
Tools - New multitool (thanks #inforcrossfondo2019), tubeless patch kit, and an extra tube.




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I've been spending some time fawning over Trail Forks maps and it looks like there are quite a number of trails near Port Angeles. Yes, you read the correct, I'm thinking of a TSCXy international ride!!

Currently thinking about Dry Hill, but input on the exact route is definitely welcome. If we catch the 6:10am Coho from Victoria we should have ample time to take the Olympic Discovery Trail (only 10km from Port Angeles to the Trail Head), boot around some access roads and single track, and then return to Port Angeles for a beer, regale ourselves with our riding heroics, discuss the superiority of our socialized medical system, and catch the 5:20pm Coho back to Victoria. And still have enough time to repatriate ourselves for Canada Day!

Obviously, I need to do more route planning, but this should be a smaller ride than the Terra Nova to Sheilds Lake expedition (in hindsight, that was triple ).

Let me know if you are interested. I might be able to tweak the dates depending on interest/scheduling conflicts.

[mashby]

I'm out. First weekend of summer vacation; we'll probably go camping. Love the olympic peninsula, hilly though....

[Alan]

Ron, I'm totally into an adventure down on the Olympic Peninsula, but it'll have to be a different date as that's a camping weekend...
I know what you're thinking....

[schouten]

Well, this is better than crickets. I was beginning to think everyone R U N N O F T'd.

I also have permission to go July 7th if that works better for folks. Ideally we would have a posse greater than three for this adventure. Please post if that works for you.

[Rolf]

Another super fun idea, Ron! But I'm not sure I can swing a full-day ride any time soon.

[JTyre]

Hi Ron, I'd be totally up for that, but I'm still working on my fitness and handling skills for the Penticton Fondo in mid-July ...

[LouiseF]

Hi Ron,

I like the idea, like the date (June 30) and am still owed a day on the bike. But I might have to be a commit the week before kind of person (sorry, annoying I know...). That is just the state of life right now. My MIL is in town over July 7 so not likely that I can leave for the day.

I'll follow plans and come if I can.

L3

[schouten]

L3 you are the closest to committing to the ride (although for planning purposes I won't count you toward the minimum three). An OBB Wheeler (and colleague) will join the ride so we are 2 confirmed for June 30th but still flexible for the July 7th.

[schouten]

Rolfy...



To join us.

[schouten]

This ride is a go! But the route has been altered considerably.

Instead of risking life and limb on black diamond trails in an unknown Mountain Biking park, while far away from our wonderful medical system, we've opted to do the West Central section of the Olympic Discovery Trail from Port Angeles to Crescent, loop back on E. Beach Rd., back to the trail, and then return to Port Angeles. Given a 6:10am Coho Departure (from Victoria - 90 min crossing time) and an ideal 5:20pm Coho return (from Port Angeles) this gives us an ample 9+ hours to ride the trail. We probably only need 6 hours so there will be lots of time for beer/coffee/food while waiting for the ferry. There is a 9:30pm ferry from Port Angeles just in case.

BikePacking gives a good overview of the trail and makes it seem fun but not too technical. Single Track but flowy. We won't do the entire trail as this is a single day ride and we have a ferry schedule to adhere to. Here's the tentative Strava Route I have plotted: https://www.strava.com/routes/19649705 and a video of what I believe is the trail (Note: turn volume way down, the soundtrack is horrendous).

I'll update the initial post to reflect this.

[Alan]

Ron, while I like your beard and your sense of adventure I only have one thing
to say to you on picking a non-viable weekend for me and my two amigos.

[schouten]

Well, friend, I don't hate you and I wish the suppositories were available that day (ahem, underwhelming support) but if I change my mind on the dates one more time I'll be facing a mutany at home.

Think of this as reconnaissance!

[LouiseF]

This looks awesome. What is your plan for the ride back. The trail is an out and back but your plotted route is a loop.

[schouten]

What is your plan for the ride back.

Arrgh, more like guidelines, really...

The idea is to take East Beach Rd back part of the way and then join the trail we started on. I thought the road might provide some welcome respite; unless other possibilities present themselves.

[Dolly]

I am in!! Cross riding in the forest in the U.S. with big trucks, guns, and bears...what could possibly go wrong?

[schouten]

Welcome aboard Dolly! Now you just need to haul yourself to the coho ferry for 5:40am!