And so the Great Cycle Adventure has officially begun

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Hello!

I have grabbed a few minutes on a computer so am taking the chance to write a quick entry.

Everything is going great guns here in Washington State! Tonight I am camping in Cathalmet, a small town in southern Washington (we are drawing very near to the Oregon border now) and we are camping right on the banks of the Columbia River. As I look out of my tent door I can see the water lapping only a few feet away, and I am betting there will be a beautiful sunset to watch tonight.

After the initial sniffing around of other people's gear that everyone was inevitably doing, and the wondering who is going to be the fastest/slowest, the group has now settled into a smoothly-running rhythm. I am really warming to these 14 people and feel quite content with the idea of spending the next 5 weeks with them (I can't believe one week has passed already!).

The cycling has been amazing. I am feeling fit and robust, and my legs are noticeably bigger than they were! Well, I have noticed, anyway - other people might not have done! I am knocking around happily in the middle of the group and can choose to cycle on my own, or ride with other people by steaming forward for a bit or dropping back. I love this sense of freedom to do whatever I like. Really, all we have to do is get to the next campsite in time for dinner at around 6pm (or earlier if we are the ones actually cooking it!) and until then, the day is ours. The sunshine has been plentiful and I am glowing with all the fresh air.

My tent is a haven and I feel very cosy as I pull down the zip at the end of each day and spend a bit of time writing my journal and reading my book before snuggling into my warm sleeping bag for the night. I have had some very good sleeps there, which is just what is needed after all the cycling. I think we have done somewhere near 60 miles a day for the last 7 days or so - I lose count! What I do know is that there is one more day of cycling left before we have our first day off, so I will certainly be resting my legs on that day before the action continues.

I have even swum in the sea once - it was COLD! I think it must be the coldest water I have ever swum in, and I have swum in some chilly water!

I will have to describe more about the cycling next time, and the cooking, and the outdoor life, and the people I am with, and the scenery, and all the rest of it, as I am already out of time now. But the good news is, I am having a wonderful time.

More soon! xxx

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Photos

A view of our first campsite
With my tent in the foreground

Here I am about to set off
with fully loaded bike

An evening meal
at the campsite

My first Pacific sunset
The Olympic mountains in the distance, complete with crescent moon above

Comments

[Peter Murphy]

Surviving...
Glad to hear you're managing to cope with it all. And I'm amazed by how small you've managed to pack everything you need. -- Peter x