San Juan Islands

No matter how you slice it, the San Juan Islands are simply stunning. These islands tucked away in the far northwestern corner of the United States are just a stones throw away from Vancover Island, Canada. These steep and hilly islands are a biker’s paradise (or hell if you tend to shy away from hills). All the big bicycle touring companies feature the San Juan’s in their line-up, as do those big beautiful coffee table books showcasing the best cycling routes in the world. These islands rain less than mainland Washington State and are a bit cooler in summer, so why not jump on a ferry and see what’s just over the hill or hidden inside a salty cove.

Orcas Island

Our first stop is Orcas Island. This island is where I first got the idea to bike tour about 30 years ago. It was born from wanting to go out to the islands and not wanting to wait in a ferry line with my car. Back in the day, I would park my car at the marina in Anacortes for a long weekend, pull my bike off the rack, put on my backpack with a clean T-shirt, an extra pair of underwear, a box of cookies, and some trail mix and off I went. It was hard. I usually spend the second day recuperating and gearing up for the ride back to the car the following day. Nevertheless, I loved it and continued this tradition almost every summer with some alterations over the years, like a bike rack and second-hand panniers.

It was also hard this year with a fully loaded bike. Riding up to Moran State Park is no joke, but so worth it once you get there. Dana and I camped two nights at the hiker/biker site. We shared the tucked away camp ground with a lively group of boys out to doing some volunteer work in the park. We spent our second day riding to the lovely hamlet of Olga and then to Rosario Resort for dinner before the climb back to the camp site and much needed tent time.

San Juan Island

We ended up staying three nights at San Juan Island County Campground. Arguably, the best campsite in the world. Okay, maybe a stretch, but certainly a tiny patch of paradise on the Haro Straight separating the San Juans from Vancover Island. Every evening the sunset is a community affair. Residents from San Juan as well as bike and car campers all descend on the grassy knoll overlooking the straight to watch the nightly spectacle. No two sunsets are the same so each is worthy of attention and awe.

The other delights on San Juan Island are watching the Orcas cruise by with their beautiful black fins gliding in and out of the water as they search for food in the Salish Sea. Between the camp ground and LimeKiln State Park we saw at least twenty Orcas slipping through the water with their extended kin looking for a tasty Harbor Seal or yummy salmon. In the morning, as I sat and sipped my coffee, I was lucky to see Harbor Seals play and splash as they tried to entice the opposite sex with their acrobatic moves. I tell ya, some of those seals had it going on!

Lopez Island

We stayed two nights on Lopez Island knowing it was going to rain. This was the best island to have a real rest day knowing that Spencer Spit campground is only about 4 miles into town on a route that only has two hills and minimal sweat.

In addition, the hiker/biker site has a stellar community shelter where we could hunker down for meals and wait out the rain. We were lucky to have another biker join us for much of the time that we “sheltered in place.” The three of us managed to while away the hours in conversation as the rain refilled the underground aquifers and gave the thirsty giant Evergreen trees a good watering.

Showers

The other beauty of Lopez Island are the community showers. During my bike ride in Bolivia, I had a shower almost everyday. Here, in the San Juan Islands, I didn’t “officially” bath for five days. I think that’s a record. The hiker/biker campsites typically do not have showers. I sort of bathed in the salt water on San Juan Island and used wipes to take off the sunscreen and layers of dirt that cling to the sunscreen, but it’s obviously a far cry from a full-fledged shower. Thankfully, the small community of Lopez offers community showers. Surprisingly, it wasn’t just us bike bums who were using it, but also folks in Sprinter Vans and kids who just swam in the sea. This shower saved me and allowed me to be able to spend another night with myself in the tent. Thank you Lopez Island residents. You rock!

The adventure continues but with a new twist. Now, due to wild fires east, we are heading up to Bellingham and into Canada. This is definitely a different type of ride. It’s both weird and kinda cool not having a solid plan. I’ll let you know where we go next as soon as I know!

Tally-ho,

Denise