Read the Signs! 7-11-08

Monday:
Silverdale - Elma
76 miles, 5:46 on bike, 13 mph avg speed

So I left Grandi's and looked for a back way to Gorst, the oasis in the desert. Olivia left me at the end of the driveway. I went down a road that said "dead end", just because I thought it would get me there. Lesson #1, read the signs. A friendly old lady with her dog helped me to find the city on a hill and I was on my way to Shelton. Things were looking good as a driver went out of his way to yield to me. He must have been a biker.

I stopped in Allyn for lunch and sneaked ahead of a huge line of cars backed up at a Construction site. Not too exciting, but somewhere along the line I thought of a name for my other bike, the white "Mistral". I like to introduce it to other bikes as "Mistrial - you know, O.J. Simpson?" I figure Bronco Blanco is a clever name for that bike. Get it?

I got on to Shelton and couldn't resist the Ultimate Redneck store. I've wanted a safety orange construction shirt for a while now and I figured it would be good for visibility. Then I road my bike for an eternity.

Leaving my bike at a bus stop while I went to the convenience store was a bad idea. I met a talkative (sp?) guy with a lot of crystal in his eyes. Crazy angry crack eyes. No more bus stops for me.

At 62 miles my legs died. I was pretty stoked to finally get to McCleary. Then someone told me there wasn't a camp site for 12 miles. Yay for adventures! At mile 6 I realized this bike trip was a great idea. I saw a sign for "Disc Golf and Hostel" in Elma. Sweet! A combo made in heaven. I ended up playing disc golf with a bunch of nice strangers, who gave me a few tips, and the owner (Jay) took me to the grocery store. Needs met.

Image - a hole at the disc golf course.