Pacific Northwest Trek: "Best of" Video

On Teen Treks, at the end of each day, our groups talk together about what went well that day, what could have been better, their goals for the next day or for the whole trip, and so on, and they give props to each other for helping make the trip fantastic.  Maybe someone did something really silly that cracked everyone up at lunch; maybe someone found a great spot to swim or hike; maybe someone helped a fellow Trekker fix a flat tire and get back on the road.  Leader David made a video looking at the whole Pacific Northwest Trek through that frame -- and you have to watch it, all the way to the end.  This is exactly what Teen Treks is all about!

Pacific Northwest Trek Packs Fun Into its Last Days

Trekker Anna tells us about the Pacific Northwest Trek's jam-packed last couple days together --

On Friday, July 11, we woke up to the sad realization that we would only have three more days of biking together, and the even more devastating idea that the coming night would be our last one of camping (sob!). To take our minds away from these dreary thoughts, we decided to explore the old fort on the campground where we were staying in Port Townsend. So we broke down Tent City, packed up our gear, and headed off to the bunkers.

We first explored an area near the beach, wandering into dim rooms and imagining how the huge cannon-like weapons must have looked. We made our way over to the lighthouse, then to Artillery Hill. We soon discovered the pitch-black tunnels in the bunkers there, and, guided only by Monique's phone flashlight, crept through them into even darker rooms. After Russell and Dan decided to act like young boys (yelling and jumping out at every dark term), Sarafina and Sunny ventured back to comfortable daylight with screams and roars no longer echoing through the tunnels.

The biking was very nice, with hills that would previously have been frustrating now only slowing us down a little -- until we hit The Hill. Now, you must understand, The Hill was like no other hill we had encountered. Monique's guesstimation was that it was a 12% grade, meaning that it looked like a wall of tar. It was impossible to build up momentum, the day was hot, and we had already taken a 3-mile detour. Only Monique, David, and I made it up without stopping.

Shortly after The Hill, we discovered that the closest food store was an extra 6 miles from the campsite. So we had our second gas station meal of the trip, eaten in camp after setting up another Tent City in our final campsite. We ate a dessert of canned peaches and oreos on the beach, and Russell improved his shell-skipping skills. We found a playground and made each other dizzy on spinning rides, climbed on a pirate ship, and got stuck on slides before bedding down for our last night of camping.

Saturday, June 12: Our last day of biking! With the one and only Dan as the one and only point, we had what may have been our easiest day, with only 20 miles on the road. We finished our last ferry ride by dancing to Pharrell's "Happy" (playing in our heads) and being cheered on by strangers before returning to the Green Tortoise Hostel in Seattle.

We unloaded our gear, showered, and rode over to the Pinball Museum, happening on a Chinese Dragon Festival right outside. The boys and Monique stayed inside the dim, air-conditioned room to play, while the other girls ventured outside to get bubble tea and explore the festival. Then the effects of biking hit, and Sunny and Sarafina had their first bouts of dehydration. So instead of biking an extra 5 miles to dinner, we returned to the hostel for Pedialyte (termed "expedialyte" by Sunny), and then bussed over to West Seattle for a seafood dinner, encountering another festival right outside the restaurant. Back at the hostel, we threw in our laundry and went to bed, leaving it to our two wonderful leaders to separate the cold-water-wash-only and then to pick up the rest. We all fell asleep immediately.

Today, we woke up to our last full day together: Sunny's birthday! Once everyone was up, we broke down and boxed our bikes, then turned to the TV to watch the World Cup Final. Shortly thereafter, we had our tarot cards read and then went on a walking tour of Seattle's Underground City, built after a fire in order to help with the sewage system in the city. As it turns out, a whole 33-square-block area of Seattle is actually built over a pre-existing first level of the city, destroyed in the fire and rebuilt in time for the Gold Rush.

We returned to the hostel and explored more of Pike Place Market, then reassembled for Free Taco Night at the Green Tortoise, followed by a birthday celebration.

Although we are all looking forward to sleeping in beds and being clean (after our nightly highs, lows, and props of course), we are all upset to think that this will be our last night together, and that in the morning we'll each depart for different destinations and the rest of our summers.

Pacific Northwest Trek Asks, What Do Trekkers Think About?

Leader David asked the Pacific Northwest Trekkers what they think about when they're biking.  As the video shows, there are as many answers to that question as there are Trekkers riding bikes!  Everyone's personalities really shine in this piece -- give it a watch!

Pacific Northwest Trek Sets Up "Tent City" at Port Townsend

Russell, one of the Pacific Northwest Trekkers, has a thoughtful (and pun-full) post for us:

I am writing this blog from tent city, reflecting upon our day of intensity.

After starting the day with a "late" wake-up time of 7:30, everyone was energized and ready to roll. We breezed through most of the 32 miles of the day, with the last mile providing a smallish hill. We had plenty of time to think during the ride.

We cruised into Fort Warden state park around 3:30. Monique managed to get a seaside campsite. After tossing our stuff, we went to the bay to go kayaking and SUPing (stand up paddle boarding).

Dan, Monique, and I took the paddle boards out first, while David and Teddy opted for kayaks. Our first expedition resulted in Dan falling into the frigid northern waters five times. We lost track of time in the wide ocean, staying out for fifty minutes.

When we returned, the second group of Anna, Sunny, and Serafina stayed out for about the same amount of time. Getting back to camp, we set up a glorious tent city (where all tents are connected by a tarp-covered "courtyard.") We prepared and ate our delicious dinner of summer curry, then went outside to watch the sunset and practice our Scottish caber tosses. Two days until we return to Seattle!

 Could you ask for a more perfect evening on the ocean?

The Pacific Northwest group will have one more night camping out, in Kitsap State Park, before returning to Seattle for a couple days in one of America's most bike-friendly cities.

Pacific Northwest Trek Summits Hurricane Ridge

The Pacific Northwest Trekkers biked up to the top of Hurricane Ridge -- a 12.5 route that climbed a full mile, vertically.  Along the way, they saw wildlife including deer and marmots, and lots of colorful alpine flowers.  From the summit, they had a stunning view out over the snow-capped Olympic Mountains.

After a hike, some snacks, and ice cream, they got to cruise back down the ridge, averaging 25 miles per hour.   Back at their campsite, they took a well-deserved siesta and closed out the night by cooking dinner together and playing games.

Pacific Northwest Trek Gets to Know Victoria, BC

Trekker Sunny has an update for us on the Pacific Northwest Trek's travels through Canada:

The longest day for the Pacific Northwest Trekkers ended us up in Victoria, BC, Canada. We biked 63 miles on roadways, horse paths, and everything in between, finally arriving at Hostelling International Victoria where we made quality quesadillas in the kitchen. We ended our day with an evening constitutional through the lively downtown. We stumbled upon a music festival on the water where we saw the closing act of the one and only Shaggy!

The next day we visited the Royal BC Museum and then saw the Pride parade as it bounced by outside. We went to lunch at a barbeque placed called Pig. The rest of the day, we spent exploring the city. For dinner, we got pizza and ate in the hostel, and then watched a movie together in the tv room. We then finished out the night playing cards. Writing this, we are on a ferry on the way to our next adventure on the Olympic Peninsula.

 

What a view!

Our Pacific Northwest Trekkers return to the US today for two days in beautiful Olympic National Park.

Pacific Northwest Trek Goes International

Trekker Teddy has an update for us from Vancouver:

Yesterday we traversed the border into Canada, covering 45 miles as we traveled into Vancouver.  Along the way, a stranger, Tracey from New Westminster, BC, talked to us about our trip and bought each of us gift cards to help us on our way.  We also received plenty of directions from other people on how to navigate the streets and bike paths to reach Hosteling-International of downtown Vancouver.  For dinner, we treated ourselves to sushi, teriyaki, and udon noodles at a Japanese restaurant.

Today, we slept in a bit since we weren't traveling far.  We went to Granville Island and explored the shops, which ranged from a public market full of fresh food to a store selling dragon-related items.  We also bought a challah since it's Friday! After heading to McDonald's for lunch to spend some of the gift cards we received, we headed to a beach at Stanley Park.  While it was cloudier than we'd expected, we enjoyed our time there, attempting to solve a crossword puzzle and burying Dan and Russell in the sand.

Tomorrow we will tackle our longest mileage day as we head to Victoria, BC!

Huge thanks to good Samaritan Tracey, wherever you are! 


Here's Monique putting the finishing touches (or handfuls?) on burying Dan and Russell in the sand:

And redheaded Trekker Anna, who knows karate, found a very appropriately labeled package of "Ginja-Ninja Ginger Beer":

We hope it was tasty, and we hope Canada continues to be a lot of fun for our Trekkers!

Pacific Northwest Trek Climbs Mount Constitution

Our Pacific Northwest Trekkers had a big day -- or at least some big hills -- and they really rose to it!  Here's how Dan described day 5:

Break Day! After biking 25 miles yesterday, with the MOST ANNOYING HILL, we made it to Moran State Park on Orcus Island (part of the San Juan Islands), surprisingly in one piece. After setting up tents and eating delicious sloppy joes and brownies, we sat around the campfire and told stories of our childhoods: gerbils in RC cars, purposely lighting hair on fire, and accidentally calling 911 on a fake firefly cell phone. 

David made a great video capturing the bikers' reactions to that all-capsed MOST ANNOYING HILL:

More from Dan:

Today, we woke up late, and the guys made the most delicious breakfast we've had: eggs and bacon! Then, we biked up to a hiking trail (on a somewhat less annoying, but still pretty annoying, hill). We hiked up this steep mountain to get to the summit. There, we ate lunch, climbed up a castle tower, and enjoyed a wonderful scenic view that included Mt. Baker.

In addition to sloppy joes, our Pacific Northwest Trekkers got to enjoy another campfire classic, s'mores:

Tomorrow, they'll be crossing into Canada, making their trek officially an international adventure!

Pacific Northwest Trek Reaches Deception Pass

One of our Trekkers, Sarafina, describes the group's day: 

On this fine Saturday in the Pacific Northwest, our group of eight trekkers made their way across Whidbey Island from South Whidbey State Park to Deception Pass State Park. Along the way, we passed valleys full of wildflowers, barns, and animals, backed by views of the Puget Sound.

We stopped for lunch in the town of Oak Harbor and had scrumptious strawberry rhubarb pie from a local market as a dessert. After that, we continued on to Deception Pass State Park and upon our arrival, experienced a brief sun rain shower. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach skipping stones and relaxing.

Russell tried out a new bike.

The group had a great time biking around beautiful Whidbey Island.

Leader Monique showed everyone how it's done: skipping stones on the shore of the Puget Sound.

 

Next, it's on to Orcus Island and Moran State Park!

First Day in the Pacific Northwest

Our Pacific Northwest Trekkers are on their way, getting to know each other, exploring Seattle, and getting pumped to bike up the Puget Sound and, eventually, into Vancouver, British Columbia.

Last night, the teens assembled bikes at the Green Tortoise Hostel:

Leader David Suitts says the hostel is "a paradise for bike tourists. Bikes line the walls and we've already met two other groups touring the west coast."  They're across the street from Pike Place Market, a foodie's dream with samples galore and tons going on.

Seattle isn't just a great city, but a great, bike-friendly city, and our Trekkers are having a fantastic time seeing it on two wheels!