4/2/12 - Victoria to Fairholm Campground, WA

I got up around 7 after sleeping off and on for a few hours.  My stomach was really bothering me with sharp pains through the night, waking me several times.  Chances are some of the food I ate the night before came into contact with shrimp.  I left Chris and James' around 8:15 and headed toward the harbour.  Spent some time riding around and admiring the Parliament Building prior to boarding the 10:30 Coho Ferry to Port Angeles, WA.

I rode out of Port Angeles onto Hwy 101 around 12:30.  There were mostly rolling hills for about 15 miles with some moderate climbs, after which the descent to Crescent Lake in Olympic National Park was a welcome relief.  The lake was beautiful and provided many places to rest and admire the scenery.  It was formed by a glacier and has a handful of mountains that rise up along its shores. 

Crescent Lake

I took a break from the saddle to hike a few miles to see Marymere Falls, also within the N.P. 

I made it to Fairholm Campground, located along the west shore of Crescent Lake, around 5pm.  The park was closed until Memorial Day Weekend but I was able to ride in and camp.  It was interesting to see how much the forest takes over in just a few months, with the roads nearly covered in branches and leaves.  Unfortunately the bathrooms were locked and there was no running water.  I set up camp and slept about 12 hours. 

Fairholm Campground

My thoughts on Canada: everyone I interacted with was very friendly and welcoming.  They were intelligent, gregarious and opinionated.  They seemed to be happy with they government and the way things were being run (something I was not used to seeing).  They were worldly and had positive perspectives, even with the issues they felt needed to be addressed.  Other than the people, some of the things I noticed in Vancouver and Victoria included very clean streets, no homeless people, flashing green lights, very courteous drivers and a strong cycling community that was out in numbers, rain or shine.
Ride stats: 40 miles