One Option

I've been catching myself thinking about throwing a run up into the hills again.  Nothing fancy.  No vendors, no live bands, no prizes.  Just a run truck, and a few bikes heading out into the backwoods somewhere just to hang out and chill.  If we want music, just a ghetto blaster and a few CDs should do the trick.  

All meeting up someplace in the city, and heading out from there.  I know places out on the Peninsula and up around Hood Canal.  As well as a few spots here in the Cascade Mountains that we could roll up into and enjoy.  The only catch with all the free spots I know, is they're also catch as catch can.  So someone would have to go up ahead of time and make sure the place isnt taken.  Then take it for ourselves.

Some of the really cool fee places I know, I have already looked into, and most of them are already taken for the whole summer already.  I did say they were really cool, right?  I'll figure something out, I am sure.  Especially if its just a small handful of bikes, maybe up to 10 or so.  The hardest part is where to start, and where to go.

Here is just one of the possibilities; a run up to the Dosewallips River on the Olympic Peninsula, and camping in the dispersed (and free) camping at the base of Mt Jupiter.  All but the last half mile to a mile of it is paved road, and it is fairly remote.  So we wouldn't have people bothering us, or getting bothered by us as we hang out and enjoy ourselves.  

For this run, we would all meet up in the Tacoma area.  Now just follow along wiht me, I'm just sort of playing this by ear as I roll out what I am thinking.  Not making any plans, just giving an idea or two of just one of the places we could go.  After we meet up, we'd grab some breakfast, and make sure the run truck has everything loaded and secured.  Personally, I was thinking of meeting up at the Tower Lanes on 6th Avenue.  It has a large parking lot, good food, and its handy to Hwy 16 when we head out.

We'd probably roll out the back side of Highland Hill and get on Hwy 16 from Pearl St.  It's a lot easier, and has less lights than going down 6th Ave to Bridgeport Wy and trying to get on the highway.  Once on 16, we'll cross the Narrows Bridge.  No toll going westbound so we won't even have to slow down, and won't have to pay to cross the bridge.  The plan is  to not come back on 16, so we wouldn't be paying no toll anyway.  
From Tacoma to Purdy is about the only streth of freeway we'd be on during the way out.  When we get to Purdy, we'd turn left and cross the bridge.  Since we'd only be about 20-30 minutes out from breakfast, I don't think we'd make a stop at the Floatation Device.  (But that could always be an option)  After we cross the Purdy Spit, we'd either stay on Hwy 302, and go around Dead Man's Curve, or we could take Goldman Rd and snake up the shortcut hook back up with 302 down the road a mile or so.  From that point, we'd stay on 302's two lane road, and follow it through to it's junction with Highway 3.

302 has some nice scenery to it as it twists through the forest.  A lot of sweepers, with a few "S" curves thrown into the mix.  The last few miles of it are along the shore of Case Inlets "North Bay".  But the views from here are just an appetizer for what is yet to come along the way.  

After we would turn right onto Highway 3, we won't be staying on Highway 3 for long, just a few miles.  Just long enough to roll into Belfair and top off the fuel tanks, and  maybe get the road dust washed out of our mouths with a quick, cold beverage at the Hideaway.  Then it's back south on Hwy 3 again for a mile or so to Hwy 106.  We'll swing right off of 3 and onto 106, and here is where the twists become  abit more pleasing, and the scenery begins to improve as we ride along the bottom of Hood Canal.

For the next half hour or so, we'll be riding along the south shore of Hood Canal.  Getting some swet views of the water and the Olympic mountains.  I know, the water front is getting and has been crowded with waterside homes for decades, but it is still a really good road to ride, and the scenery is tough to beat.  Besides, now we are getting down to the home stretch.

When we reach US 101, we turn right and head north.  Passing through Potlatch, Hoodsport, and Eldon as we twist our way up along the west side of Hood Canal.  With the Olympic mountains rising up on our left side, and the Hood Canal on our right. We keep going on up to Brinnon.  

When we reach Brinnon, we'd pull off at the Geoduck for smoe more cold beverages, and maybe a bite to eat.  Even though we are less than 10 miles from where we'll be making camp.  We may as well begin to relax, and enjoy ourselves a bit.  From the Geoduck, we'll ride north another mile or so to the Dosewallips River Rd, and turn left.  We ride down the river road, and climb up the hill and follow the road back to the river again.  At about the 6 mile point the road veers to the right, but there is a dirt road on the left.  We take the dirt road, and ride back down to the river.  After crossing the bridge, we take the dirt road on the left, and find a campsite to call our own for the weekend.

Once camp is made, we can spend time enjoying the roads around the area of Brinnon and Quilcene.  There are some sweet roads, and rides to take.  We could party up in Quilcene at the Whistling Oyster, or in Brinnon at the Geoduck.  Or just hang out along the river at camp.

After the run, we'd just ehad south on 101.  Not swinging back onto 106, but passing through Shelton, and into Olympia.  Maybe stopping for a cold beverage before everyone heading their own way again.  Between Shelton and Olympia is the only other section of freeway we'd have to ride.  But it is still riding through a fairly pretty area, so it's not too bad.  It's a bit over a 150 mile run from Tacoma to the camp spot, and back to Olympia.  Plus however far anyone rides to Tacoma, and back home.  

Like I said, this is just one of the places I know, and enjoy riding to and camping, and where we used to party quite a bit.  So this is just one of the options I have been toying with for an overnight, old style, run  for a good time.  I'll have to post more soon and maybe I'll put one of them together, and just have a blast with it.

Catch you on the road sometime...