Day 4: Bremerton, WA to Elma, WA

70 miles

Getting out of Bremerton was a huge challenge as it is a city of hills. I had three walking hills of varying length in the beginning few miles. The terrain was not particularly attractive with no real views. Clear-cutting of forests was evident in many areas. There were many political signs along the way and I noted that the surnames of many candidates were identical to street and town names--the Old Boy Network lives on. This is the first day of the ride that I gained some momentum and rhythm as there were a couple of ten mile stretches that were relatively level or slightly downhill. The weather was overcast and in the high 50's to low 60's, perfect for the amount of climbing we did.

I must have managed this smile before I realized that I left my computer and all electronic hookups in the Bremerton hotel (and it is the only photo of the day due to lack of scenic opportunities).
 

I confirmed my fear at the next SAG stop and began to figure out the logistics of shipping to a future hotel as we move every night. I will not reveal all of the details of the final plan but, upon arriving at tonight's hotel after completing 70 miles of riding, I set out on a three hour roundtrip to retrieve my lifeline to family, friends, and news of the world. I know that many of my readers are hanging on edge waiting for the latest post and I did not want to disappoint. Tomorrow there's no wifi so I'll reconnect in a couple of days.

Almost forgot to mention--I was intentionally run off the road by a car with two post-adolescent males in charge, the passenger sneering at me as I headed to the grassy ditch. A bit later an older pickup driver turning left waited until I reached the top of the hill before quickly making his turn in front of me. Just letting me know I'm riding in their neighborhood.