Anacortes to Kitsap Memorial SP, WA - 69 miles

Up at 6:30, a lovely breakfast with Terri, and an early start for a long day ahead. It was a very good thing that I didn't know what was ahead of me. A little way into the day, I began a system of classification for hills. One of my new categories is the "BYHOH" (bust yo heart out hill). Deception Pass was incredible and I wish I had had a week to hike the paths and enjoy the views, but I enjoyed watching the water swirl menacingly below rugged cliffs edged with pines. When I think of Washington, this is it. As I climbed Monkey Hill Road (is it just me, or do all the road names on Whidbey Island have or should have the word "hill" in them??) I heard a lot of shooting and was a little alarmed until I saw the sign for "Greene's Gun Shop". The cows along the way gave me some seriously inquiring looks. I think the neon yellow rain covers on my panniers intrigued them! Whidbey Island = HILLS. I seemed to go up and up and hardly ever down. I'd climb a steep knoll only to find another up just around the corner, or the summit would turn into a flat stretch. Camille did her best, but she just plain doesn't like carrying that extra 50-60 lbs. of gear. Some of it may be going home shortly... Finally a real downhill right before the Keystone Ferry that would take me to Port Townsend! The ferry ride was fun, but very chilly. Once on the other side, I found more hills, but finally a bit of reward on these! I was exhausted and thought about stopping at Oak Bay, but didn't like the looks of it, so kept going and arrived at the Hood Canal Bridge about 7pm. That was one of the more scary things that I've done in recent years. There was no shoulder for a lot of it, and it was grated and slippery with hardly any railing on the narrow ledge that I was trying to fit myself and my bike onto. As trucks passed me with inches to spare, I would be sucked into their draft and have to pull back towards the watery edge. My legs were already rubbery and ready to give out, but I finally made it over and biked the last miles to Kitsap Memorial State Park. This was not a very fun day, and though exhausted way beyond my limits, thanked God for it all.