A Bike Trip to Remember

So a few months back, before my dad left for Alaska (a post on that to come), while we were driving home to Raymond from Portland, I noticed a path. This path were once train tracks that led from Chehalis to Raymond. I commented at the time I noticed them, that it would be fun to backpack to Chehalis using the trail. Well we didn't go backpacking: we went biking.



Last week I asked my brother if he would be interested in biking to Pe Ell and back with me (Pe Ell is half way to Chehalis). An almost 60 Mile ride round trip. He agreed. Well we started out yesterday morning with the intent of going round trip. We had water, sandwiches, and plan of scheduled stops. We also expected paved paths and some smoother graveled parts (Oxymoron, I know).

About one mile into our trip it changed from pavement to gravel. Within the next mile it became half-dollar sized rocks. The amount, size, and thickness of the gravel controlled our speed and about five miles into the trip we both realized that we were not going to make it all 60 miles. We decided to change to just reaching Pe Ell and then we'd have our mom come pick us up. Again, we changed our minds.

We reached a point in the trail when we decided to call our mom. The path had turned to grass and fist sized rocks. We walked about two miles, and across two bridges that we probably shouldn't have crossed, when the path once again ran beside the highway and we called our mom.


We had gone 20 miles.


After carrying the bikes up the side of a hill to the road (actually Garrison, my brother, carried the bikes), we waited for our mom to bring the truck and get us.


It was a great ride that my brother and I enjoyed. I had pushed myself to the limit of what I was physically able to do. And I had done something I didn't think I would actually do even when I imagined my self backpacking the same stretch. As pained as I am from the workout, I'm very glad I was able to spend the time with my brother and finish something I doubted I would do.




I had had doubts, even the night before we left, that I would do it. That we would even actually do the planned ride. In a way, it was like a dream come true. So thank you, Garrison. Thanks for being so kind along the path, for putting up with me, and for just caring.

Nicole