Olympic Peninsular 2 or 3 days

Any recommendations for a 2 or 3 day loop camping trip on the Olympic
Peninsular ?

Thanks.

Michael Tissington wrote:
Any recommendations for a 2 or 3 day loop camping trip on the Olympic
Peninsular ?

I did 3 days tent camping by CAR this past summer on the Olympic
Peninsular with wife, and 2 adult-age kids.

First of all, I am thinking of the entire OP; you may well be
considering only a fraction of it.

If you are thinking about a loop around the entire OP, it's simply too
hard to do this by bicycle. The grades are steep, often nonexistent
shoulders, tourist drivers (not good) all over the place.
Worst-of-all, those huge zooming logging trucks don't waste any time
rounding the bends even as the roads get narrow.

The OP contains one of the most beautiful National Parks anywhere, but
one town bills itself as the "Logging Capital of the World", with
clear-cuts as far as the eye can see. The OP beauty is outstanding,
but uneven.

You could also face a variety of climate conditions - foggy/rainy cold
coastland, hot desert-like conditions, rainforest (although it was
disappointingly dry for us) and altitude effects. You might regard
such variation to be attractive (I wouldn't disagree).

One of the OP's most jaw-dropping sites is Hurricane Ridge - brutally
uphill practically all the way, then you are going to want to leave
your bike and walk on the asphalted interpretive trail with its great
views - not to be missed, but I doubt that a normal cyclist can handle
it. But hey some folks do! try this link:

http://www.ride4areason.org/ride/rid...ne_ridge.shtml

DRIFTING OFF-TOPIC
Want to consider a couple of completely different alternatives to the
OP in Wash State?

1. Mt St HELENS I saw a roadie make his way uphill (all the way) to Mt.
St Helen's - paved shoulders practically for the whole 52-mile route
(one way), with easy access to a amenities along the way. This guy was
toting the absolute minimum (jersey pockets only, no panniers) and was
making good time. Very impressive. My wife and I would stop the car
and look at the views, and then pass him up. Then stop again, and then
pass him up again. . . and again. He didn't need to stop and look, he
had great views 100% of the time, and he was a machine. He was also
very safe on a well-engineered road. I would like to come back someday
and do this myself.

2. NORTH CASCADES I a saw couple different cyclists ride fully-loaded,
with trailers, through the North Cascades NP. These guys were
trudging, it didn't look pretty. The road seems mostly OK, although
there's at least one narrow, dark tunnel that has special caution sign
for bikes. If you can tolerate mountain landscape, this route seems
otherwise bike-capable, with multiple camping spots. My cell phone
didn't work for much of this route. It's ridiculously brutal terrain,
not sure I would do this. Then again, doing ridiculuos things has its
own appeal. If you come in from the West, the municipality of Winthrop
would be a real trip with its Disneyesque "old west" theme.

That's my report: Hope you find this useful and that others will chip
in for you too.

Dayton Capri