Day 10: To Neah Bay

As an East Coaster who hails from Washington, D.C., it never ceases to amaze me that I am officially in the “other” Washington. Every day on Drift West, I pedal further and further north than I have ever been on the West Coast. It’s an exhilarating feeling, to think that every day is further than I’ve ever gone – and yet, there’s still a remarkable amount of adventure yet to be had on this trip, with this wonderful group of humans.

Today, I opened my eyes in a packed tent in the Hoh Rainforest, in a secluded campsite with a canopy of mossy trees and a lingering smell of campfire. This definitely served as a strong [4 a.m.] wakeup call that I am indeed no longer in the District of Columbia – I am quite literally on the opposite side of the contiguous United States.

I had the privilege of spending today with a fellow Tarheel and a new forever friend – Duncan Hales. As sweeps, we are responsible for shepherding all the riders from our campsite to Neah Bay, Washington – making sure every keeps their momentum and most importantly, stays safe.

To say that today was incredible is an understatement. Since the moment we took off from Cottonwood Campground, Duncan and I felt the magic that is the Pacific Northwest. The sun was shining, the roads were friendly, each hill and each curve was an amazing reminder that we are ALIVE and lucky to be here, pedaling across this region.

We stopped in Forks, Washington – the home of the fictional Twilight series – and took an obligatory picture with Bella Swann’s truck. We sipped the most delicious coffee at the outdoors outfitters on our way out of town, shared a donut while giggling with our fellow riders, and pulled into lunch with a scenic backdrop of rolling hills and towering pine trees.

Post-lunch – there were a few hills that definitely worked off the PB&J sandwiches and multiple handfuls of Frosted Flakes and slobs of Nutella. But at the top – the most magical downhill carried us all the way to Clallam Bay.

Duncan and I paused to catch our breath right at the top of another hill, and by the strangest coincidence, ran into a woman I met during our team hike through the Hoh Rainforest. Ushi was on a similar journey – roadtripping from Baltimore to the West Coast and back – and as we sipped coffee together with Clallam Bay in the backdrop, talking about our respective adventures, I couldn’t help but smile to think how Bike and Build continues to curate the most magical, timely, aligned experiences both within and outside our little team.

The last ten miles into Neah Bay were perhaps the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever witnessed. Victoria Island to our right, seals popping their heads in the Bay, a few intense uphills – but every pedal stroke, every mile, led us to even more incomprehensible beauty.

More to come – but I think it’s safe to say that I’m starting to get a preference for THIS Washington. :)

-Maddy Merril, Me2SB'15, DW'22