The Women's Motorcycle Club had a spectacular ride to Hurricane Ridge on Saturday, July 14th. Under Jackie Marie's capable and inspired leadership, our group enjoyed views of beaches, meadows, foothills and eventually the entire Olympic Mountain range. Joining Jackie Marie on this ride were Josepha, Wanda, Lisa, Elsa, Stephanie and Stephanie's friend Monica (welcome!).

We began from our usual meeting place at Starbucks across from Lynnwood Cycle Barn. On our way to the Edmonds/Kingston ferry, Jackie Marie surprised us with a detour through Meadowdale, then through the Talbot Park neighborhood and down Olympic View Drive. The itinerary would take us on several of these fun side roads.

Our group made up only about half of the motorcycles boarding the ferry that morning. There was some nice socializing on the dock with the other riders. The day was off to a good start.

After disembarking in Kingston, the group wound through Port Gamble and and over the Hood Canal Bridge. A right turn onto Paradise Bay Road brought us through Port Ludlow, with some very nice water views as we navigated some curvy roads. The group continued through green pasture land and woods as we followed Larsen Lake Road, Center Road, and Eaglemount Road. This was a much more scenic way to get to Highway 101 than just beelining west on 104.

After a break at the 7 Cedars Casino, we decided to take a lunch in Sequim. Lisa and Josepha recalled a place they'd been to before, and were able to drive right to it. The Oak Table Cafe was excellent and very busy. Despite the crowd, our food arrived quickly. (I recommend the Eggs Benedict - the hollandaise was exceptional.) We ate, stopped for gas, and we were back on the road to Hurricane Ridge in good time.

The first five miles of Heart of the Hills Parkway is relatively mellow. Once past the ranger station at milepost 5, however, the curves and the incline both start and you are in for some fun. The pavement was pretty good, with only a few asphalt patches and small gravelly spots in some corners. There are no guardrails, but the lanes are wide enough for comfort. It is particularly awe-inspiring to ride around a blind hairpin turn and look through the curve, past the outside lane, and into nothing but sky. There are plenty of these views on the way up. Each rider took the road at her pace.

Once at the top, we all agreed that the road was not as challenging as we had anticipated. The view, however, exceeded our expectations, being bright, vast and immense. Green hills radiated from our vantage point, ending in sharp, snow-capped mountain peaks. The wildflowers bloomed in many colors. A lone doe wandered around, looking tired of having her picture taken by phone-pointing tourists. Several of us bought snacks and t-shirts in the gift shop. (Note: they have chocolate and ice cream bars.)








A few souls walked north and took in the view over Sequim Bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Stunning! The heat was also stunner, an unexpected 80 degrees. The leather tends to get a bit sweaty under those circumstances, but it was easily endured given the visual feast before us.

The ride down was easy and peaceful. We pit-stopped in Port Angeles and then headed for the ferry. No detours this time, as we were trying to make a particular boat. We made it. We all thanked Jackie Marie for choosing an extraordinary route that gave us so much nice country to ride through. A truly wonderful day.