Thursday, March 29, 2012

The (Unplanned) Trip to Holly, Washington

A little introduction to what I was doing: I had previously planned to bike to my uncle's house in Bremerton, and leave a note saying "Lucas was here", but I kinda got lost... Here is my story...



I left around 11:30 in the morning, not planning on a trip longer than 3 hours, so all I had brought was a Snickers bar and Powerbar energy gel. I wasn't planning on a survival situation, but it happened to me nonetheless.

I was going to bike up Newberry Hill, but I quickly gave it up for an easier route (Newberry Hill is a steep road that goes up and up). So I found a different route the my mom use to drive when we lived elsewhere. So I went and took Chico way, it follows around until you end up in more urban Bremerton,
 I took this picture at the top of a moderate hill at the end of Chico Way. I can't smile when taking my own picture, it's a curse of mine.  At the end of Chico Way, it merges onto Kitsap Way and to get to the road that leads to my uncles house you have to more or less do a U-turn. So I did a U-turn that would be majorly illegal for a car, but alas I am a little more nimble on a bike. Down the road away there was a road called Holly Road and I was compelled by memory to turn onto it.
 So I followed the road down, it all seemed familiar, except for this sign. I took a water break next to the sign to see how many people would give heed to it. While standing there I tried to imagine want happened to him, but scenes of Final Destination popped in my head... Ewww.
 I then went a little ways up the road leaned my bike against a guard rail, and proceeded to eat my Snickers bar, my only food. Of course I didn't plan on getting lost, I munched on it and took some random pictures.
 Oh yeah, I'm there too. Around this picture it started to rain harder, but luckily it was warm so it was tolerable. I then continued on up Holly Road, still looking familiar, then I saw a road called Rock Quarry Road.
 The road was barred off with I sign saying, "Road closed to motorized vehicles", I then said to myself, "I can go in there! My bike in no way is a motorized vehicle," and proceeded to enter. Down Rock Quarry Road, the road split off into three roads with those barred off with signs saying, "County property do not enter" I then turned around because I didn't want to take too long to get to my uncles house.

 I then surprisingly got to the end of Holly Road. This is when the survival situation commenced. I then attempted to text my mom saying, "I'm lost". She replied with, "If you are getting scared, stop and pray." "Where are you?" "I can come and get you." I of course had bad service, so all of her texts came at once. I said to her "I'm at the intersection of Holly and Seabeck Holly Road" I was thinking she would put it in her GPS and help me find my way. Nooooooop, "Go towards Holly".
This was the only place i had service next to my bike and a stop sign. So I proceeded toward Holly, thinking I would miraculously end up near his house. Nooooop, the further down the road the more I felt lost.

 So being confident that I was possibly going in the right direction, I was in high spirits.








                                                                     Obviously...
 So I experimented with some biking pictures.
 Tried some speed blurs...




                                                     Failed...
 Tried some cool shots...










                                           Too awkward...
 Tried rear view shot...






                               Bad facial expression...
 Tried again...






    No...
 Attempted the speed blur again...




                                                         Success!
  Tried again...




Better!
 Attempted the rear shot once again...




                                                         BEST!
 Tried different angles...




       Good!
 Again...


                                                            Cool!
Shot of the road ahead....



At this time I had cross many miles of treed wilderness, no cell signal or civilization whatsoever. I liked it. It was surprisingly therapeutic. The sound of wind dubbing into my soundtrack of Iron Maiden, and the lack of cars. I was alone, doing what I love, and it felt good.


 Then I reached the end of Seabeck Holly Road. The moment that I saw the fork, I knew I was really lost. Thoughts ran through my head, should I go forward and risk getting even more lost or turn back...
 So with a brain dead look on my face, I pondered.
 While I was pondering, I ate my last ration, the Powerbar energy gel.
 I had also picked up a hitch hiker, I still have no idea how he got on there... Nope, nothing yet.
So after the ponderation, I decided to take a left down the fork in the road. 
 I then read a small the sign that identified this as the Hood Canal. "Holly crap, I am lost!" I exclaimed.
 I then noticed some very odd graffiti...
 Yeah...
 And yes, those are indeed the Olympic Mountains.

 Down the road there was this creepy little trail, and I said, "If they can do it in cyclocross, why can't I?" and I gave it the beans, and went down it and quickly lost interest when I got stuck in some mud. But alas I did not crash at all in the mud.
 Another shot down the hood canal, from the creepy trial.
 Now you might be saying, "But Lucas your pants are dirty! You said you didn't wreck in the mud!" Well this wreck was earlier in the day, I was crossing some train tracks that were not exactly perpendicular to the road and slipped on the rails.

 When I looked up the road I immediately thought of The Wickerman, with Nicholas Cage.
With the creepy road...
 Creepy school... And ultimately creepy small town. As I was biking through town, there was no one whatsoever. it felt like I was being watched...
The biggest problem was, at the end of the Seabeck Holly Road, there was a 4-way intersection, dead end to the left, dead end in front, dead end to the right. I was now annoyed, I had to go all the way back, up steep inclines and constantly fighting the ever increasing rain.

 So on the way back noticed, a baby doll and just about defecated in my cycling shorts. My major question was, who put it there then I though about the new hit show, The River, and if I took it my mom would be taken by a demon child.
 I fought the urge to kick it down...
 So after passing through the intersection where I had been hours before, I suddenly ended up in downtown Seabeck, and it was really a surprise how quick it was.
 Standing on the side of the road I quickly took some pictures.
 Forgot to zoom out....
 There we go!
So I then continued onward down the road and noticed what a pleasant ride it was no hills, ocean view, slight rain; but heck, it's Washington.

 Then I remember where I was, approaching the urban, hill filled coast line...


 But then the unexpected. I saw a beautiful view on the opposite side of the road and wanted a picture so I pulled off to the side and cross the road and
GOT A FLAT. No idea how it happened, it just did. When I was repairing the tube later, it was a small pinhole that ended my journey.
 So I called my mom to have her pick me up, and because of bad service she thought I had gotten into a horrific accident. She quickly got out of work and was calling me and texting me, asking where I was.
 But through the hustle and bustle of no service and bad communication she found me, and it had turned out that I had saved her as well. She was having a bad day and wanted to go home when I saved her with a phone call.
"Hey Luke how's it going?"
"Good..ish, I kinda have a flat."
"YOU WHAT? I'M COMING TO GET YOU! WHERE ARE YOU?"
Thank you mama, for saving me!

2 comments:

  1. Fun story and cool pics. I particularly LOLed at the picture of the last ration. That place back there is so confusing. It was designed by either a madman or a cult. Probably whoever left the doll.

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  2. Favorite part: And so with a brain dead look on my face i pondered lol

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