Trip Details:
This was one of those fall days where the sun was out but the
temperature was a bit on the chilly side. The ride I planned would
take me over the Narrows Bridges, the length of Fox Island, Purdy
and through Gig Harbor. There was very little wind so the ride over
the Bridges was smooth with a great view of the water. Once on the
other side I turned off and went under the Bridges to the other
side. As I road west on 25th St. parallel to Wollochet Bay I was
treated to several spectacular views of the Bay. The fall colors
under the bright sunlight were amazing to say the least. This ride
produced countless great views of the South Sound waters. One of
which was the ride over the Fox Island bride as I crossed above Hale
Passage. I haven't ridden Fox Island before and I really enjoyed it.
It's small but scenic with several areas where I was looking over
the water from atop bluffs and cliffs. I purposely planned to head
down a couple dead ends just to see if I would get a great view and
that is exactly what I found at the end of each. The little bit of
back tracking was well worth it. Some of the roads were very narrow
and steep. These should be avoided during extremely cold conditions
as the moisture and shade would more then likely produce black ice.
I stopped at the Fox Island Historical Museum for some pictures.
It's nothing fancy just a small building with a cabin and Totem pole
to the right of it.
As I ventured further on I came upon Kopachuck State Park. Allot
of fall colors in this area. The park was deserted with the
exception of one guy walking his dog. This is a good place to stop
and rest for large groups of riders as there is plenty of parking.
As I road up Kopachuck road I made the mistake of riding the loop
around Raft Island. Don't get me wrong, the view is spectacular. I
road across a small bridge with water on both sides but once I
started around the Island, I was tenderized by speed bumps every
1,000 feet or so. No joke! The folks on this island, were extremely
anal about the count of speed bumps. Half way around the short loop
I was done! I felt like I had ridden over hundreds of speed bumps
when the actual number was probably 30 or so. Like I said.. Avoid
this area like the plague! After those bumps I was pretty jazzed
when I saw the bridge and knew I was out of there.
As I road the 6.6 mile to from Raft Island to Purdy I weaved
through evergreens and several different leafed trees that seem to
explode with brilliant colors when the sun hit them. It was getting
later in the day and the sun was popping in and out of a haze above.
As always the the ride over the Purdy bridge and spit was very
scenic. The water was like glass on the North side and slightly
rippled on the South. I made my way through Purdy and soon I was
riding South West parallel to hwy 16. As I turned onto Burley-Olalla
rd I came to the hwy 16 crossing. This is one of the more dangerous
stretched of highway do to the fact that there are many roads
that intersect hwy 16 and in all cases you have to quickly cross the
highway to a concrete median only to wait for the next break in
traffic to quickly cross to the other side. You may want to alter
the this route and cross via a over pass. Once I crossed the
highway I made my way to Peacock Hill Rd that lead me into the
Northwest end of Gig Harbor. I never get tired of riding through Gig
Harbor as it's one of the coolest little towns that wraps around the
Harbor. The streets are always filled with people who too seem to
enjoy the quaint small town atmosphere. At the opposite end is a
small Tavern named the Tides Tavern. It's been there for ever and
has some of the best Pizza, Sandwiches, Fish & Chips and Clam
Chowder you find in the south sound. They have a nice wood deck
right on the water and is a great place to stop for food. As I
passed by I could smell the food grilling and was half tempted to
stop in. If it wasn't so late in the day I would have done just
that. I made my way back up to hwy 16 and into the toll island.
Paying to cross is something I'm still trying to get used to. A
quick stop and $3.00 later I was heading east over the new Narrows
bridge. The new bridge is really nice with 4 lanes and very smooth
surface. I guess the $3.00 is worth it. Once on the other side I
took the Jackson street exit to head home. All in all, this little
82 mile route was packed with scenic views of the South Puget Sound
waters, several small lakes, view of the Olympics and four scenic
bridges crossings. This time of year the fall colors are a welcomed
added bonus.
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