September 23
68mi/109km
1700ft/520m elevation gain
We woke up to a wet morning. I’m not sure if it actually rained or if it was just foggy and misty out, but everything was a little wet. Mornings like this make me glad I didn’t wake up in a tent. We left with a hotel reservation for tonight already booked, to avoid any last minute scrambling.
It was 40mi/65km south on highway 101 to Aberdeen, a town whose claim to fame is being the birthplace of Kurt Cobain. We listened to some Nirvana to get into the spirit. It was a chilly morning but the sun was shining and the riding was easy. We got to Aberdeen in time for lunch, and wanting to be cheap we stuck with Subway.
We left highway 101 and turned west on highway 12. The shoulder was unpleasant and full of debris, but soon enough we were following surface streets that paralleled the highway. The afternoon was warm and the scenery was bucolic. We saw farms, cows, horses, sheep, and even a donkey. We passed through Montesano and arrived in Elma just after 4pm. This gave us enough time to do laundry before dinner.
Rain has been looming in the forecast, but it’s only supposed to last from tomorrow afternoon through the following morning. Given that our options tomorrow are either a very short or a very long day, we’re opting for a short day, so we can check in before it rains and stay dry. We are unlikely to do any more camping until we get to Oregon, so it looks like we’re going to have a shower every day for the entire state of Washington!
