Sea to Sound: A Ride for Everyone
A Ride for Everyone
On a cool morning in the Olympic Peninsula rainforest, about 150 people gathered for something that looked a little different from a typical bike ride. There were bicycles, handcycles, adaptive bikes, manual wheelchairs and power wheelchairs—all preparing to travel the route together.
For me, Sea to Sound was more than an organized ride. It was my first time participating, and an opportunity to experience parts of the Olympic Peninsula that had become much harder for me to reach.
Organized by Ian’s Ride, Sea to Sound is built around a simple idea: getting outside should be possible for more people.
A Ride, Not a Race
My day started early. I parked at the finish point around 7 a.m., then joined other participants on an accessible shuttle to the starting area. Bikes and mobility equipment traveled with us on trailers.
I was nervous when we arrived, but that feeling disappeared quickly.
People weren’t focused on who was fastest. We moved along at roughly five or six miles per hour, talking, stopping and experiencing the route together. It felt less like a competition and more like a community moving through the Peninsula.
That mattered to me.
As my mobility has changed, getting out into nature has become more difficult. Sea to Sound gave me an opportunity to reconnect with something I had been missing—the simple experience of being outside, traveling through the landscape and sharing it with other people.
When the Battery Hit Zero
On the second day, about a mile before a checkpoint, my wheelchair battery reached zero.
A volunteer stayed with me and offered to help push if necessary. Eventually, a portable charger was brought out, giving me enough power to continue and rejoin the ride.
It could have been the moment that ended my day. Instead, it became one of the moments I remember most.
Nobody made it a big deal. People simply helped.
That spirit seemed to be everywhere—from volunteers and participants to medical-equipment companies, local restaurants and other community supporters who helped make the event possible.
Experiencing the Peninsula Together
The weather wasn’t always cooperative. There was cold and rain, particularly on the first day, and by the finish I was physically tired.
But I also felt fortunate.
Sea to Sound demonstrated what can happen when an outdoor experience is designed with different kinds of participants in mind. Accessibility wasn’t treated as something separate from the event. People using different equipment and moving in different ways were simply part of the same experience.
For someone whose disability has increasingly limited access to nature, that was powerful.
The Olympic Peninsula is known for wild places—forests, mountains, water and long stretches of open landscape. Sea to Sound reminded me that experiencing those places doesn’t have to look the same for everyone.
Sometimes the most memorable journey isn’t about how quickly you get somewhere.
It’s about getting the opportunity to go.
About Ian’s Ride
Sea to Sound is organized by Ian’s Ride, a nonprofit working to make outdoor recreation more accessible for people of all abilities. The event is made possible through the work of volunteers, community partners and supporters who help create an experience where more people can get outside and participate.