Revisiting our plans

Day 4 was...a mix.

We had a minor setback in the morning when the patch Zac had put on his front tire didn't take. Fortunately, there was a bike shop half a mile from where we were having breakfast. We got him a new tube and tire (the gal at the bike shop pulled glass out of his tire. He figured it was time for a new one!) and were on our way only about an hour behind schedule.

There was thankfully no headwind this time, so the morning was pretty smooth sailing. Well, as much as it could be since there were, you know, hills. I'm pleased to report that for the most part, the gorilla was downgraded to somewhere between a chimpanzee and an orangutan. (sorry for all the simian metaphors, but I like 'em. I hope you've gotten used to my rating scale!). The sun was shining, but the air was a cool 65/68, so we were comfortable! We pushed on for a few hours, determined to cover as much ground as possible before stopping for lunch.

The promise of a bed, a shower, and a Great Dane kept me going. Zac had emailed Cas and Ian, a couple in Bremerton who hosts Warm Showers bikers. They mentioned their Great Dane James in their profile...and come hell or high water, I was going to make it to Bremerton!

Unfortunately, the hills started catch up with me shortly before lunch. The orangutan was growing again, and I could tell Zac was getting frustrated. I don't blame him. It's no fun to have to stop at the top of almost every significant hill and wait for me to either walk up it, or watch me pedaling furiously in a low gear and barely covering any ground. Side note? I now know how hamsters in wheels feel...

But we made it to lunch, refueled and rested for a bit.

Our spirits were low. I cried. It happens. Even the alphabet backwards in FRENCH didn't do the trick.

But then we met some highschoolers selling cupcakes on a street corner as a fundraiser. We bought a couple cupcakes, struggled over one more hill...and then the landscape flattened out. We (well, I....) could move at a decent clip again. We covered miles in the time it took us to traverse one hill.

When we texted Cas to let her know we were about an hour away, she responded that she would have dinner ready for us when we got there! ...Have I mentioned Cas and Ian are AWESOME?

We made it to Bremerton around 7.30, tired, grubby, and hungry. But they fed us AMAZING homemade Indian food, I got to cuddle with a Great Dane, and we sat around swapping stories and chatting for a few hours.

Zac and I had also decided that day 5 was going to be a rest day. Earlier than anticipated, but our bodies, minds, and spirits needed it desperately. Our hosts were gracious enough to allow us to impose upon their hospitality for one more night, so we spent day 5 watching a movie, walking around downtown Bremerton, doing laundry, and most importantly - resting our aching muscles.

We're on the train to Portland now. We decided that it was more important to enjoy this trip than barrel through for the sake of doing exactly what we said we would. Portland is something we both had our hearts set on and there's no reason to skip it! So we're gonna hang out in, go dancing, explore the used bookstore that covers an entire city block and get back on the trail on the 17th!

(I also feel the need to comment on how wonderfully patient and caring Zac has been through all of this. He hates seeing me struggle and lets me set my pace, rest when I need to, reminds me to drink water, and manages to coax a smile out of me even through tears)