The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Rain Shadow Ride - WA North Olympic Peninsula July 2026

July 7th to July 13th

Ride Director: Patricia Olson
Ride Co-Director: Tennis Olson
Report by: Susan Lowery

Trish and Tennis organized a fixed base trip out of their summer hometown Sequim. For many of us escaping 90 plus degree temperatures was delightful. It is called the Rainshadow Ride because Sequim is in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains. It can be cloudy but receives a tiny fraction of the rain the western part of the peninsula gets. We had no rain on our trip.

Tennis and Trish could ride the routes and check out road quality and give the history on interesting sights. We had the choice of three remote start rides and five or so rides which started from our hotel. A car was necessary - I would recommend a minivan for any couple not driving to the start. The hotel provided space to keep our bikes, a good breakfast and was across the street from the Discovery bike path.

We visited lavender farms, a Native American cultural center with beautiful totems and information center, wildlife centers and Trollhaven - a home with amazing carvings and art. Because they are locals Trish and Tennis could recommend other activities as well such as hikes, good restaurants and possibilities for other rides for those of us staying after the trip. Local knowledge is a big bonus for any ride. Perhaps the highlight was riding up Hurricane Ridge an eighteen mile climb with 4800 ft of vertical culminating in a breathtaking view of the Olympic range. The leaders checked the weather and picked the best day for that ride. However riding along Lake Crescent on a lovely bike path, cruising by the ocean with views of the San Juan islands and visiting Port Townsend were also great. Many more great riding days can be added by cycling the San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Victoria on Vancouver Island and more. We all appreciated the hard work going into a self directed tour. They did a wonderful and thorough job organizing and getting us to meet other members we did not know. I would recommend this trip to anyone.