Day 14 Hoh Oxbow to Kalaloch campground

Day 14 from Hoh Oxbow to Kalaloch campground

One thing that I didn’t mention in the last entry was Sharon’s close call.  At the end of the night, Sharon was taking Bird for her nightly constitutional before we all went to sleep.  It had been a fairly long walk, and as they were returning, I saw her headlamp approaching when suddenly *poof* the light drops about 5 – 6 feet.  I quickly went over thinking that she had tripped, but in fact, she fell in a hole.  Luckily, she was completely uninjured.  Looking at the hole the next morning, I’m not quite sure how:

The hole that mom fell into

We were moving faster, at least until I tried to pump up one of my front tires.  I had just gotten it up to pressure and was unscrewing the Presta adapter when there’s a loud whoosh.  Apparently the adapted had attached itself too securely to part of the valve of the inner tube, and when I went to unscrew it, out came the center of the valve!  I never knew that presta valves were screwed together in such a way.  So I changed the tube (first tube change due to disassembly of valve, rather than puncture – who’d have guessed?)  So then I went to inflate the tire with a new tube in it, and I can’t get the adapter to seal.  I try all three of the adapters that I have and none of them will make a good seal.  At this point, envisioning ride back to Forks to buy new adapters, I take another, closer, look at my pump.  I was sure when I got it that the pump would work with both Schrader and Presta valves, but I couldn’t make the switchover before.  Then I realized that there was a second piece that had to come out of the pump and get flipped over.  Once I did that, the pump worked on the Presta valves.  Huzzah!  Now I don’t need the stupid adapters (that I keep losing) anymore.

With the maintenance difficulties (user error) we didn’t get moving until 1PM, but that’s still earlier than before.  Perhaps an AM departure is achievable soon…

Heading out from the campsite, the ride is nice, but with a headwind.  There are a couple of places where the road parallels the Hoh river – requiring another photo of the river:

Another picture of the Hoh river

There are always a few interesting sites by the side of the road – when I first saw this sign, I thought that the second M was a P, but the name was still bad enough that I had to take a picture:

You'll have to insert your own joke here

As I rode along, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped, then I saw the sign which told me that I was about to be at the ocean:

Almost at the ocean

Then, there were no more trees … just water forming the horizon.  I stopped at Ruby Beach (the first beach on 101 from the direction that I was going. 

The information and warning signs at the beach were actually rather interesting, for example:

Remember - if you feel the earth move - head for high ground

The beach is mainly a rock and driftwood beach, with a few outcroppings where the headlands have eroded away.  I find these neat, and you can always find images hidden in them if you look.  From this perspective this one reminds me of a contemplative gorilla:

Is this the Gorilla Thinker?

From another perspective, however:

Trevor - this one's for you

Since it is at the mouth of a river, there are huge numbers of river rocks, which many people stack.  This was the best stack that I saw:

The best rock stack

The parking lot also provided some entertainment, as this was parked there: 

A fun vehicle

This side made me think of Crumbs comics:

This is very reminiscent of R. Crumb to me

These people ended up in the same campground that we did as well...

After Sharon caught up and explored the beach with Bird, we headed to Big Cedar Tree (which has no top)

Matthew at Big Cedar Tree

When they said big, they meant it - See Sharon, Bird and bike for scale - and the tree is topless

We finally arrived at Kalaloch campsite in time to get one of the two or three last campsites.  Not the greatest campsite, but actually pretty nice for being wedged between the bathroom, the dumpsters and 101.  Lots of people couldn't even get campsites

Our campsite at Kalaloch Campground

Stats:
distance: 21 miles
avg. speed: 8.6 mph
top speed: 38.9 mph