Kitsap Color Classic 2021
After riding 22 miles on Friday and 52 miles yesterday, I was already pretty tired when I woke up to get ready for the Kitsap Color Classic. But, I was determined to get as many miles in as possible before the weather turned ugly for the season.
A new bike friend, Cari, rode her bike from Capitol Hill to my place to catch a ride to the Edmonds ferry dock. When we arrived, there were a lot of cyclists already waiting for the 8:50 am ferry to Kingston.
Once they had us line up in the holding area, I couldn’t believe how many riders/bikes there were…the line stretched the entire length of the holding area on the pier! We had to wait until they loaded some cars before they allowed us to board. We had to ride up to the upper car deck to park our bikes (I used my kickstand, but most bikes don’t have one and they were laid on the ground).
When we got to Kingston, we had to wait until the cars unloaded before we could take off. Soon, we were on our way to do the entire Poulsbo and Hansville loops.
As I started the ride, my thighs were hollering at me since they hadn’t recuperated from the rides the past couple of days. I pushed through it and before I knew it, I was in Hansville where we took a quick break.
After leaving Hansville, we road on the Hood Canal Road where I had to face the steep hill and sharp turn that caused my bike accident on July 10th. I braked hard and went down the hill at around 10 mph and didn’t stop until I was around the turn and up the other hill. Then I stopped to take some photos of the place that still causes me nightmares.
Riding along the rural roads was bad enough with the vehicle traffic, but riding along Hwy 104 on a narrow shoulder was nerve-wracking! I just focused on the road ahead and prayed that I didn’t get hit! I thought that would be the biggest hill, but I was mistaken. The Little Boston Rd. had a massive hill and I didn’t think I’d make it to the top! My legs were screaming and I was out of breath when I reached the top!
The next stop was in Port Gamble. The gray skies gave way to a blue sky and it was sunny and warm, so I ditched my rain jacket. I also talked to a group of Navy vets who were riding together (I really need to get an Air Force Vet jersey for myself).
After Port Gamble, I rode on to Poulsbo. When I arrived, the sky got even darker and the winds were really picking up. I ate a banana and drank half a bottle of water before pressing on for the second half of the ride.
The second half of the ride was a blur. I was riding really fast to beat the rain (I felt at least three drops) and got separated from Cari. I sent her a text that we would meet up at the ferry.
I got to Kingston and decided to get a coffee, sit down and relax until Cari arrived. Within five minutes, my plans changed. The rain started and it didn’t just start with a drizzle…it was a deluge! I ended up ditching the coffee and heading to the meager overhang near the bike holding area. By the time they loaded us onto the ferry, we were all drenched! Yes, I had my rain jacket on and my upper torso was dry, but my legs, hands (gloves) and head were soaked. Two weeks in a row of getting sopping wet!
Once off the ferry, it was another half mile to my parked car, so I get even wetter riding to it and then loading up my car. Cari got lost coming off the ferry, but eventually found the car. Since it was raining so hard, I didn’t have the heart to make her ride her bike home from my place, so I took her to Capitol Hill and dropped her off.
Back home, I unloaded my bike and left everything but my batteries in the trunk. Then it was time to soak in the tub with some post workout bath salts.
I still can’t believe that I rode a total of 128 miles over three days. Plus, I hit my goal of 2000 miles three months ahead of schedule!
