Hwy 101

Aug 29

As promised, we headed north on Hwy 101 and met many, many cyclists headed south.  Going south, in fact, is by a very wide margin the more popular direction of travel.  Something about the advantage of some prevailing wind patterns.  I said, 'If I can survive the hairdryer-south-wind in Kansas, I can take a little cool breeze from the pacific."  As it turns out, the winds are a little more variable than the spooky-story-tellers predicted and we have had 3 days of pedaling in south or west wind. It's a good thing too, because we've been a little distracted by the scenery.

We have taken liberal advantage of the plentiful state parks/campgrounds (with showers!) that have hiker/biker sites.  These are walk/ride in only sites that are reserved, usually at a respectable distance, and typically grassy so they can be pretty posh.  There are picnic tables and showers also. <thumb up>

Last night we got to the campground kinda late (6:30p) and found that one of the yurts had become available so we palmed over $40 and spent our first night in a yurt.

It was about 16' round with lots of natural light which was great.  It was also very sound permeable, which was not.  I fail to see why anyone would find it desirable or necessary to bring a Pomeranian camping...even car camping.
ETA: Unless they (Pomeranians) are emergency food or a sacrfice in case a larger, meaner dog/bear/person goes on the attack.

The Pacific at last

Aug 25

We left Eugene early headed 80 miles to Florence. Our goal was to arrive and we'd figure out the details of seeing the Pacific later.  At about 5:30, I stopped to take a picture of the city welcome sign. there was a little old lady sitting at the bus stop next to the sign who said, "where you comin' from?". I told her we were just arriving at the Pacific from Yorktown, VA and her response was:  "Go north and see Sea Lion Cave".  Just what I needed: directions to do more.  That's okay though, because we're headed north anyway.

Aug 26

We slept in at a noisy motel situated at the intersection of hwy 126 and hwy 101...chosen for its easy location.  About lunch time, we took off for Harbor Vista Park where we would finally see the Pacific.  It's about a quarter mile of loose sand between the parking area and the water edge, so Betty had to wait but I got my feet wet.

We skipped around and high fived and took photos.

Before long the fog off the headland moved on land and settled into a misty but steady rain.  We pedaled the 4 miles back to town and took up residence in a motel with a jacuzzi...yum.  This would be the first rain we've pedaled in since  Illinois!

Tomorrow we head north in a rare case of south wind.  It's four days of riding to Astoria, then 90 miles more to Portland.  Along the way, there are multiple campgrounds with showers and small but service-rich seaside towns.

Calling all fellow travelers

On our stop in Eugene, I picked up a flyer asking for survey regarding bicycling in Oregon.  If you bicycled in oregon in 2011 or 2012...they want to hear from you.
Go to RideOregonRide.com/survey

Plan B

Aug 24

Woke up this morning with clouds in my head and "lead legs" .  It's an 80 mile journey so not an insubstantial physical effort.   SO, we'll remain in Eugene on Friday and drink more water, eat more fruit, work out a plan and head for the coast on Saturday.

As always, wish us luck.

The Oregon of my dreams.

Aug 23

I didn't realize that 2/3rds of Oregon is just like the rest of the western states...brown, dry and dry.  I was told many times that most of the state is "high desert"...even though I had really figured it out myself already.













Anyway, all is forgiven because we have finally made it over the beautiful Cascade range and have settled for the night in the guest apartment of local cyclists that we happened to meet at a hardware store while purchasing alcohol for the camp stove.

Eugene is a pretty nice town with a busy extensive greenway system and cyclists everywhere.  I like it.  It's interesting for me because my paternal grandparents lived in Eugene when I was just a pig-tailed mountain kid.  They  moved to Reno in  my teen years and I don't see now why...but I'm sure they had their reasons.

Tomorrow we head off as early as possible for an 80  mile assault on Florence and the Pacific Ocean.  If you don't already know, the Oregon coast is not like the North Carolina coast.  There is no Piedmont that slips quietly and peacefully downward for 100 or so miles to a sandy, warm coast.   Our trip will feature wooded hills almost all the way.  Wish us luck.

Oregon...nothing new to report.

Aug 18

Nothing new to report.  Oregon started as Idaho ended...brown, bumpy, a little too hot.  It will get better.  Here are some pictures to tide you over. 

 

Our ride into Baker City passed the official Oregon Trail monument...photo  bombed by a club rider.

 

New kicks for Betty in Baker City.  They are 1.25 instead of 1.5 and I can feel the loss of cushion but also some increase in efficiency.  Thank you, Justin and Sam for keeping me rolling the last 20 hot, dry and hot miles into Baker City.

 

A welcome station just east of town.  A little tacky but had the virtue of shade.

 

Riding through fossil country and stopped to do a little roadside "fossiking" at a promising location.  Sam found a leaf print in the hardened volcanic ash. 

Tomorrow we ride a short day to have time to stop and explore the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument and visitor center. Then on to Mitchell.

In Idaho

August 12

Having completed our rites at the ACA headquarters, we turned our bikers south (south!) to pass along the 'backside' of the Bitterroot range and on toward Idaho.

Up to Chief Joseph Pass and into Idaho on a hot day.  A hot day in the mountains always means afternoon showers and down the other side was accompanied by a lightening show...followed by much helicopter action as the lightening almost always starts a fire somewhere.

At the Idaho visitors center, we met some friendly and curious folks on a historical bus tour.  They were retracing the steps of Lewis & Clark, or as least as much as could be from a tour bus.  Their destination for the day was Lochsa Lodge.  What a coincidence! that was our destination too!  So, as we coasted down the beautiful valley toward the Lochsa river, I was thinking of this large bus full of history buffs and wondering if they'd gobbled up all of the little log cabins that the Lodge offers.  They had.

Fortunately, the storm had passed with little rain and we settled in our tent behind the very, very small store.  We bought showers for $5 (includes towel and a small bar of soap) and skipped the $25.00 lodge meals in favor of eating food that we had carried up the pass.

The next day, we pedaled beside the Lochsa river all day and stopped several times to swim.  The waterway is beautiful and the river was so clear we could see the rocks on the bottom from pretty high on the road.  It was a clear day and a starry night sky looked eminent so we camped again; this time we stayed at a campground in Lowell which had crappy showers but good company (and a pool that we didn't use because we had splashed our 66 mile way there.

Saturday was more river...this time up and over a pass and down the other side on a shockingly steep and curvy (blessedly empty) backroad to White Bird, ID where we stopped for burger (no bun) and fries. then on to the Salmon River to follow it upstream for 56 for hot but splashy miles to Riggins.

Riggins has a grand bridge and is really just a dot on the map in grand scheme of things but apparently a really BIG deal in the paddling world.  Such a big deal, infact, that in a town whose population is 400+ there are 7 (no lie) motels and 3 campgrounds.  We got the last tent site in the whole place and were happy to have it...it overlooked a roaring curve in the Salmon River.

Today was a short day up to a high valley town called New Meadows.  It is on the way to a nice lake (read: lots of big trucks pulling big boats). It's other claim to fame is that it sits halfway between the equator and the north pole.

Montana....not Wyoming.

Aug 6

Over the past several days, we have relived some of our least favorite parts of other states.  Allow me to sum it up as concisely as possible:  1. brown, 2. dry, 3. too warm during the day, 4. sagebrush.

I have repeatedly referred to Wyoming as "Kansas with a view" and Montana continued the legacy but without the benefit of wide shoulders and National Parks.  The exception to this has been the Bitterroot Mountains.  In addition to having a plentitude of double letters in the name, they are also quite lovely.  Like the Tetons but with a more relaxed, mature look.

I also found Montanans to be much like Coloradans...that is to say, in a hurry to get somewhere distant to do something extremely (!) important and seriously irritated that I should dare to be using the road at a slower speed.  Luckily, there are so few people, that passing is a relatively safe affair.

When we arrived in Missoula (pop 59,000) yesterday evening (6:30pm !) we stopped at the grocery and were greeted in the parking lot by an older, very eager, cycling couple who immediately asked, "How's Montana treating you?" with the expectant smile of one who lives in a cycling crazed town.  Sam and I exchanged an urgent and calculating look...tell the truth or be nice?....we opted for nice.

"They've been okay...."<slightly distressed look> hurridly I added, "but Wyoming is hard to beat."  This was meant to smooth over the distress, but with a knitted brow the husband asked,  "How so?" so, of course, I mentioned Wyoming's wide shoulders and scenery and services and failed to say that Montana drivers rival Kentucky drivers for poor skill and that the shoulders that do exist are too rough and some of the towns smell like Kansas (as in, not good).  Still, Montana does know how to set up coffee houses and this may be their redemption.  Also, Dillon MT is home to the very, very tasty and, now, much loved Taco Bus.

Today is the day we went to cyclo-touring mecca.  I refer, of course, to Adventure Cycling Association World Headquarters...note that World bit.  We had our photos taken (twice), were presented with a free bandana in one of five colors, drank a free (tepid) diet coke and had our bikes weighed.  This was the shocking part.

It even looks like a temple.

We had been presented with a photo waiver/ survey which, among other things, asked us to estimate our bikes weight.  I guessed 70, Sam guessed 75 lbs.  In actuality, mine weighed 80 (OMG!) and Sam's weighed in at a supremely plump 100 lbs! (Double OMG!)

Sam executes his rites by submitting to photographing.

And what do you think we did about this?  We went to the health food store and bought more food because the next three days of riding features very widely spaced services but fabulous scenery as we head along the Lochsa River toward Grangeville, Idaho.