I woke at dawn on Thursday the 5th of September and made it back down to the highway plus a few more miles before a heavy rain rolled in. I pitched my hammock, being sore in the joints and tired still from the two prior days, and slept for a while until the rain passed. My legs feeling better(ish) after this, I moved on the last 8 miles or so to Hood Canal Bridge.
Just prior to crossing, I stopped at a little coffee kiosk called Olympic Gateway Espresso. It was being run by a fellow named Steve and his friend whom he was training, a young woman named Sam. They served me up a pretty solid breakfast burrito full of eggs, cheese, and sausage, and a really, really tasty cup of fresh ground local coffee. Steve told me about his husband Chris, who is in the military, and how they got married in that big Seattle ceremony the day gay marriage was finally legalized in Washington State. Said they were among the first twenty couples. They charged me a small $6.00 for the food and drink and then threw in a really big, and completely free, fruit smoothie for dessert.
I was limping and sore again, but I made it across Hood Canal Bridge, which is over a mile long and made of floating concrete. Then I went about another mile and a half to Port Gamble. I was feeling pretty beat by then, and now my left hip, in addition to my knees was giving off a dull ache.
I was already feeling hungry again, so I stopped at a place called Mike's BBQ. Mike was in, so I said to him and the young lady working there: "Hello, I just walked here from the coast, and I've developed a slight limp and a powerful hunger." I said it mostly by way of explanation, being embarrassed a bit that I couldn't walk quite right. The result was the statement started off a great conversation.
The BBQ sauce is great there and so is the slaw and beans. The smoked sausage I ordered was a little dry for my tastes but seasoned well. The giant rib Mike threw in for free, though, may be the best BBQ rib I have ever had. I've certainly never had better. The sweet tea flowed like a river.
Mike runs a clean joint (often giving a sanitary elbow bump in leu of shaking hands while he is working) and he told me about the town's history.
He told me about how it was a company town built for logging. He told me about the mills and the shipping and showed me an historic picture or two hanging on his walls. He told me a bit about the ecological cleanup of the area and how they had to do a "spill" cleanup in the basement of the old mortuary because of all the embalming fluid from the many deaths brought about in the old and dangerous mill workings.
I also bumped into Leonard again, the fellow who made me chowder the day before. He was there for a Birthday Party.
By the time I left it was getting close to sundown, but I had attained a full stomach and a good rest there, and the next 7 miles seemed to fly by.
All-in-all I made about 25 miles that day, due in no small part to Steve of Olympic Gateway Espresso and especially Mike of Mike's BBQ. You guys really helped keep me going.
I was about 3 miles from Suquamish Dock and looking forward to a day of sailing. I was on time and had made 70 miles in three days. Maybe not a speed record compared to many, but a fair piece when your joints are already sore to begin with.
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