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Olympic Peninsula - Elwha "bike-pack" ride & hike

July 5, 2020 (Morning)

Exercise Type: Bike

Weather: 70s-60s, nice

Comments:
The idea today was to bike-pack: to bike/hike our bikes up the closed (and at times trail-detoured, washed out paved) road up the Elwha River to a hot springs/remote campsite.

Slept well, then spent the AM trying to patch CA's tubeless tire. When we realized we needed a high-pressure pump, we drove all the way into Port Angeles, only to find all the stores closed. BUT, we were able to put a tube in, so that was that.

After a few stops, we drove to the Madison Falls TH to park, eat and pack up...which all took FOREVER.

We didn't leave 'til like...4:30? Rode with JAMMED full packs. It's nuts how much shit accumulates when you're only backpacking!

Rode 0.6 miles, then had to hike a long up-and-over detour of the major Elwha River wash-out -- commonplace since the dam removal. It's pretty badass, but a tough detour.

Unfortunately: my ankle felt crappy. I'm not sure why. Is it that it's not healed? Or that it's just muscle- and joint stiff? Either way, it wasn't good. We hiked 0.8 mile (and 300+ feet) then got on the bikes.

It was another couple miles to get to the old dam site. About then, especially because of my ankle, we realized that going another 7 miles by bike, then 3 by foot and getting there bike dark - only to have to vacate super-early and drive home - wasn't in the cards.

We biked maybe another kilo of straight-uphill forest road...then turned back.

Thankfully not all was lost: we had dinner and made a fire at a washed out former campground right on the river. We didn't even touch our camp gear; instead, we hung out there 'til nearly dark, then bike/hiked back to the van!

Pretty dang fun. And not miserable!

About 8 mi/30min of biking + 1.6 mi/40min of hiking