Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Cape Flattery, Washington
What a fantastic day!
I left the motel at Forks, WA (Forks Motel, nice place) about 0800 ready to head for Cape Flattery, apparently the westernmost point in the US. I had about 120 miles of gas in the tank, but looking at the map I wasn't certain that was going to be enough, so I stopped in Clallam Bay and filled up - glad I did, because gas stations here are few and far between.
I'm a little tense at this point, not knowing what is coming and expecting that this is going to be a pretty remote area. Little did I know how remote it was actually going to be.
The road from Clallam Bay to Neah Bay runs along the coastline and was FANTASTIC in both directions - twists, turns, ups, downs - a virtual roller coaster and tremendous on the bike. One sign warned of slides and washouts and the road shows it - cracks where the surface can't support the roadway and cliffs overhanging the roadway which will sometime come down. Occasionally the road dips down to the water level and there are pulloffs where people stop and have lunch, etc. This is actually the Juan de Fuca strait along this stretch of highway and Juan se Fuca Island is clearly visible across ther strait. Reminds me of the Straits of Mackinac.
Before you reach Neah Bay, you enter the Makah Indian Resevation and the signs indicate that you need to purchase an annual recreational usage permit from any of the available places in Neah Bay. I ignored these signs as I was only sightseeing, but did stop on the way out to inquire if I needed a permit.
I followed the road and signs thru town. This peninsula is like a volcano in that it has a high central structure and you go around it rather than over it. From all the maps that I've studied, I would have thought that I was going on the northern route around the peak, but the road led me south and I approached the Cape from that direction. About 5-6 miles out of town, I came across the Makah Tibal Center surrounded by fencing (why??). Soon after that, the pavement abruptly ended with absolutely no warning - one minute it's pavement, the next minute it's hard pack and potholes.
So, my beloved Tigress becomes an 800# dirt bike....
After about 5 miles, the road simply ends. You can't see the ocean bacause you're surrounded by trees - large trees - lots of trees - and an outhouse. One medium sized sign points to a trail and simply says "Cape Flattery". Okay, I thought to myself, here we go...The sign at the trailhead says the new trail is "only" 1/2 mile long and will require "moderate" stress climbing stairs and slopes -bullshit! It was very okay going down, but pretty tough going up.
I gathered up cameras, keys, etc., and headed down the trail in full gear. I didn't want to leave my 'stich on the bike ( I really didn't want to leave my bike there either, but didn't have much choice -a trials bike would have had some problems on this trail). To my good furtune, it was a pretty nice day. It had rained all day the day before, but today was relatively warm and the sun was peeking thru the clouds on occasion. Temps were in the high 50s - great for walking.
I unzipped the 'stitch about 1/2 way down the trail and started thinkng that the trip back was gonna be tough. There were one or two short side trails leading to small decks with great photo ops of the coast or the sea caves next to the Cape. I estimated that it was a 200-300' elevation drop from the trail head to the end - and you're still 100' above the sea.
At the end of the trail is a circular deck with an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean, Tatoosh Island and lighthouse just west of the Cape, the sea caves around, Juan de Fuca Strait and Island - beautiful! On top of that, I'm at the westernmost point in the continental US: 124* 43.601" I stripped off the 'stitch jacket and the fleece shirt because I was "perspiring" and just basked in the glow of the moment. It was wonderful to reach a point that you have been dreaming about for a couple of years and it was worth the time to enjoy it.
Took some more pictures of the vista, some document photos and regrettably got ready to leave. I knew I wasn't going to be able to wear the 'stitch back up the hill (or the fleece for that matter), so I got myself ready for the walk uphill and started putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes I took breaks every 50'; other times I could walk further, but it took me some time to retrace my steps.
It was a real relief to see my bike again as I gratefully threw my gear onto TIgress. After another "rest stop", I got my gear back on, mounted the steed and prepared to take off. Tigress startted as usual with the touch of a button. Third extreme corner covered.
About a mile down the road I looked at the trip logs - they were zeroed out! OMG - I left the PIAA light on the whole time I was walking the trail!!! Then I started shaking - what would I have done if I had been gone longer and the battery was completely dead??? Who knows how many people come up to this remote spot on the planet or how often?? Thank you Lord!!
Got back to Neah Bay and stopped at the c-store for water and an energy bar. I asked about the usage permit and the gal said "Don't worry about it..." so I didn't (It's $10 per vehicle) and headed down the road, very satisifed with myself at having reached one of the very far points of the US.
I spent the next four hours on some of the finest motorcycling roads in the country - Hwy 112/113 from Neah Bay to Port Angeles. I could go on and on about this road - it was that incredible!
The gods must have been with me because I arrived at Pt Townsend just as the ferry was getting ready to leave. Paid $4.70 for the passage and went up to the passengers cabin. Promptly fell asleep; the deckhand woke me up to tell me that we had arrived - I was holding up traffic. Hustled down to Tigress, got on and got out. Pulled off on land and got everything stowed again.
The other end of the ferry ride is Whidbey Island and It's pretty good size - I must have spent an hour getting from the ferry landing to the mainland and I-5 going north. Looking at the map, I can see Blaine, WA on the same page as Whidbey Is. (a good thing...) and guessed that it was only about 40 miles away.
I got off at the wrong exit in Blaine, but zoomed in on the GPS and got myself reoriented. I found the correct exit, got gas and a phone number at the Union76 station and headed for the post office. I needed a picture of Tigress in front of a structure with the name on it. The post office didn't look good, but the City Hall sign was great. As I was lining up the shot (it was my very last Polaroid shot) a gentleman came up and asked if I wanted him to photograph me with my bike. I took the Polaroid and gave him my digital camera. He did a great job and the photo turned out well. I checked, double checked and triple checked the paperwork, sealed the envelope and dropped into the mail slot about 2000 hours. Yippee!! I did it!!!
Went back down to Bellingham and found a Days Inn, recently converted from a Ramada, but it worked for me.
On to the Cascade and Rocky Mountains next!!
Later,
Mike
I left the motel at Forks, WA (Forks Motel, nice place) about 0800 ready to head for Cape Flattery, apparently the westernmost point in the US. I had about 120 miles of gas in the tank, but looking at the map I wasn't certain that was going to be enough, so I stopped in Clallam Bay and filled up - glad I did, because gas stations here are few and far between.
I'm a little tense at this point, not knowing what is coming and expecting that this is going to be a pretty remote area. Little did I know how remote it was actually going to be.
The road from Clallam Bay to Neah Bay runs along the coastline and was FANTASTIC in both directions - twists, turns, ups, downs - a virtual roller coaster and tremendous on the bike. One sign warned of slides and washouts and the road shows it - cracks where the surface can't support the roadway and cliffs overhanging the roadway which will sometime come down. Occasionally the road dips down to the water level and there are pulloffs where people stop and have lunch, etc. This is actually the Juan de Fuca strait along this stretch of highway and Juan se Fuca Island is clearly visible across ther strait. Reminds me of the Straits of Mackinac.
Before you reach Neah Bay, you enter the Makah Indian Resevation and the signs indicate that you need to purchase an annual recreational usage permit from any of the available places in Neah Bay. I ignored these signs as I was only sightseeing, but did stop on the way out to inquire if I needed a permit.
I followed the road and signs thru town. This peninsula is like a volcano in that it has a high central structure and you go around it rather than over it. From all the maps that I've studied, I would have thought that I was going on the northern route around the peak, but the road led me south and I approached the Cape from that direction. About 5-6 miles out of town, I came across the Makah Tibal Center surrounded by fencing (why??). Soon after that, the pavement abruptly ended with absolutely no warning - one minute it's pavement, the next minute it's hard pack and potholes.
So, my beloved Tigress becomes an 800# dirt bike....
After about 5 miles, the road simply ends. You can't see the ocean bacause you're surrounded by trees - large trees - lots of trees - and an outhouse. One medium sized sign points to a trail and simply says "Cape Flattery". Okay, I thought to myself, here we go...The sign at the trailhead says the new trail is "only" 1/2 mile long and will require "moderate" stress climbing stairs and slopes -bullshit! It was very okay going down, but pretty tough going up.
I gathered up cameras, keys, etc., and headed down the trail in full gear. I didn't want to leave my 'stich on the bike ( I really didn't want to leave my bike there either, but didn't have much choice -a trials bike would have had some problems on this trail). To my good furtune, it was a pretty nice day. It had rained all day the day before, but today was relatively warm and the sun was peeking thru the clouds on occasion. Temps were in the high 50s - great for walking.
I unzipped the 'stitch about 1/2 way down the trail and started thinkng that the trip back was gonna be tough. There were one or two short side trails leading to small decks with great photo ops of the coast or the sea caves next to the Cape. I estimated that it was a 200-300' elevation drop from the trail head to the end - and you're still 100' above the sea.
At the end of the trail is a circular deck with an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean, Tatoosh Island and lighthouse just west of the Cape, the sea caves around, Juan de Fuca Strait and Island - beautiful! On top of that, I'm at the westernmost point in the continental US: 124* 43.601" I stripped off the 'stitch jacket and the fleece shirt because I was "perspiring" and just basked in the glow of the moment. It was wonderful to reach a point that you have been dreaming about for a couple of years and it was worth the time to enjoy it.
Took some more pictures of the vista, some document photos and regrettably got ready to leave. I knew I wasn't going to be able to wear the 'stitch back up the hill (or the fleece for that matter), so I got myself ready for the walk uphill and started putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes I took breaks every 50'; other times I could walk further, but it took me some time to retrace my steps.
It was a real relief to see my bike again as I gratefully threw my gear onto TIgress. After another "rest stop", I got my gear back on, mounted the steed and prepared to take off. Tigress startted as usual with the touch of a button. Third extreme corner covered.
About a mile down the road I looked at the trip logs - they were zeroed out! OMG - I left the PIAA light on the whole time I was walking the trail!!! Then I started shaking - what would I have done if I had been gone longer and the battery was completely dead??? Who knows how many people come up to this remote spot on the planet or how often?? Thank you Lord!!
Got back to Neah Bay and stopped at the c-store for water and an energy bar. I asked about the usage permit and the gal said "Don't worry about it..." so I didn't (It's $10 per vehicle) and headed down the road, very satisifed with myself at having reached one of the very far points of the US.
I spent the next four hours on some of the finest motorcycling roads in the country - Hwy 112/113 from Neah Bay to Port Angeles. I could go on and on about this road - it was that incredible!
The gods must have been with me because I arrived at Pt Townsend just as the ferry was getting ready to leave. Paid $4.70 for the passage and went up to the passengers cabin. Promptly fell asleep; the deckhand woke me up to tell me that we had arrived - I was holding up traffic. Hustled down to Tigress, got on and got out. Pulled off on land and got everything stowed again.
The other end of the ferry ride is Whidbey Island and It's pretty good size - I must have spent an hour getting from the ferry landing to the mainland and I-5 going north. Looking at the map, I can see Blaine, WA on the same page as Whidbey Is. (a good thing...) and guessed that it was only about 40 miles away.
I got off at the wrong exit in Blaine, but zoomed in on the GPS and got myself reoriented. I found the correct exit, got gas and a phone number at the Union76 station and headed for the post office. I needed a picture of Tigress in front of a structure with the name on it. The post office didn't look good, but the City Hall sign was great. As I was lining up the shot (it was my very last Polaroid shot) a gentleman came up and asked if I wanted him to photograph me with my bike. I took the Polaroid and gave him my digital camera. He did a great job and the photo turned out well. I checked, double checked and triple checked the paperwork, sealed the envelope and dropped into the mail slot about 2000 hours. Yippee!! I did it!!!
Went back down to Bellingham and found a Days Inn, recently converted from a Ramada, but it worked for me.
On to the Cascade and Rocky Mountains next!!
Later,
Mike
