Was that Moose? No. Elk.

Today was a dress rehearsal. Short ride to shore for wheel dip then back to hotel to get ready for Orientation meeting. Weather was perfect when Matt and I pulled away from the hotel at 8:30. We decided to head our early to do a shakedown of our bikes since their re-assembly yesterday - without being in a group of other riders, thereby reducing risk of last minute mishap.

The term beautiful doesn't begin to describe the weather.  Cool (low 60's), mildly breezy, sunny skies randomly dotted with white puffy clouds. I had the route downloaded to my bike's computer (Garmin) by Judy from ABB tour operator. Also kept paper cue sheet as back-up. Good idea it turns out. Started rolling at 8:30 following alerts displayed on the Garmin. This new tool was pretty cool for first 5 or 6 miles until I was told I was off course - which I wasn't - verified by checking with good old paper cue sheet clipped to handle bars.

Abandoning the high tech approach for paper, Matt and I forged ahead when off on the shoulder coming out of a ravine three "Those are not deer" looking animals were ambling towards our path of travel. I thought they looked like juvenile Moose. They were about adult deer sized and had a more plodding than skittish demeanor than deer. Moving on past that discovery, we found an Elk crossing sign. Conclusion, those were Elk, perhaps female perhaps juveniles due to lack of antlers. Admittedly I'm not a Ranger Rick.

Got to shore at mile 15 (really a short ride!), removed shoes and socks and padded through the the sand to dip wheels in the Pacific and take a few snaps. Family was playing giant game of bocci on the low-tide plain, some jeeps off in the distance riding on the hard sand as well. Nice, rural, naturalized, family park, this Fort Stevens, and quite a contrast to the built up beach off Manhattan Beach near Los Angeles we saw last year.

After drying feet and getting back on our bikes, we tried to follow the cue sheet directions in reverse as we were only given directions out to the beach and not reverse directions . How hard can that be? Not hard but we got off course and ended taking another bridge back with pretty heavy traffic. Now I know why they sent us over the other bridge. Although the route we took back shaved off 5 miles, I would have preferred the more bucolic and less busy route we ended taking. But the weather was so awesome, it didn't really matter. Almost wanted to re-do the ride. Almost.

Heading down to Orientation now. We start real serious riding tomorrow...great beginning today.