San Juan Biking

The July weather was looking nice, so we were naturally itching to get out again. With much of the mountains still covered in snow, we opted for our first-ever bike camping trip together ... to the beautiful San Juan Islands.

Conceptually, it seemed like a pretty small change from backpacking ... just putting the gear we typically used onto our bikes. And then just pedaling a little harder and going a little slower. We needed a few little items to make it work ... plus Tom had an emergency replacement of his rear wheel (brake rim failure) the day before we left! But the weather forecast continuing to look good, off we drove to the Anacortes Ferry Terminal, parked, rode our loaded bikes onto the ferry, and chilled as we weaved around various islands, finally reaching our selected destination - Lopez Island.

We picked Lopez since it's the least hilly of the islands, and kept it to a single night ... to see how we adapted to this type of activity. Upon arrival, we quickly learned that "least hilly" is way different than "flat" ... as we slogged up a big steep hill. But, we made a bee-line for Spencer Spit State Park, where we were able to score one of the first-come-first-served hiker/biker campsites (not sure what we would have done if they were full, but that's why we went mid-week). We quickly set up camp, and headed off for some riding and exploring. Over the 2 days, we biked over much of the island. Our "destinations" were Shark Reef Sanctuary and Agate Beach/Iceberg Point. At Shark Reef Sanctuary, we took a short walk to watch the surf, birds, and seals. Agate Beach was pretty, but small. Iceberg Point was awesome. We sat and watched seals (moms and pups) swimming and sunning. Big views across the water to the Olympic Mountains. We enjoyed an evening stroll around Spencer Spit, as well as a couple of stops in Lopez Village for some pre-ride bakery action and some post-ride ice cream. Both quite good!

A late afternoon ferry got us back to Anacortes in time for dinner. Adrift is a great restaurant, but was totally packed (45 min wait), due to it being Sushi Night. Fortunately we snagged a couple of stools at the counter with no wait, and enjoyed a nice dinner and desert.

The island riding was mostly on little traveled narrow roads. Very rural, with lots of farms, etc., and occasional views out over the water. All total, we rode about 50 miles, about 30-35 with a full load. It was slower going, but manageable. Quite a fun time, and a great way to explore the island.