Home again, and a culture shock - as expected. It's time to start my new job, and it's time to move to my new condo. A side effect of moving to a new area is a chance to learn some new biking routes close to home, and to take some more "mystery rides". I'll use that to keep me busy and biking until I plan my next adventure.
When I checked in for my flight I was told that there was a chance that the bike wouldn't be on the same plane with me. I was taking a small commuter flight from Crescent City to San Francisco, and the flight was full. The airline staff told me that if the bike case didn't fit that they would send it on a later flight, deliver it to my house, and waive the $75 excess baggage fee. I was almost sorry that the bike and I did end up traveling together since it would have been nice to beat the bike fee - but I was happy to see the bike when I arrived at Logan Airport in Boston!
As I read back over my journal, I see a couple of themes to this trip - hills, rain, and fog - and beautiful scenery. There was definitely a lot of rain and fog, but I'd do the trip again in an instant. I've done my share of riding in the rain before this trip. In fact, last year I did a lot of my training rides in the rain. That was a first for me - it used to be that if it was raining that I wouldn't start out. But when I was getting ready for my Rocky Mountain tour I quickly realized that if I didn't train in the rain I wouldn't get any riding in at all - the sign of a very wet spring! This time my training rides were dry, but my tour was wet.
I also spent more nights in hotels than I'd planned, but again, I don't second guess my decisions on any of those nights. In an ideal world, I would have preferred more nights camping.
Friday, July 30, 1999
Monday, July 26, 1999
Brookings, OR to Crescent City, CA
My last riding day was a relatively short one, Brookings to Crescent City, and a little further south toward the redwoods. Another pretty ride. I ran into major construction on the road south of Crescent City and decided that I didn't want to spend time on the road with lines of cars for what seemed like miles, so I headed back to Crescent City, which was the planned end point of my trip. I did notice an interesting change in the road as I crossed from Oregon to California. Oregon appears to be much more biker-friendly than California. The size and condition of the shoulder changed drastically between the states. I know that Oregon has done alot of work on the coast route, and it is really noticeable.
I arrived a day earlier than planned, which isn't really too bad considering that I didn't know how far I'd be traveling each day. I was able to change my last night hotel reservation and my flight home to a day earlier, so I'll be headed back to New England tomorrow. It's going to be hard to adjust not only to not being on the bike every day, but also to dealing with buying and selling my home and starting a new job.
I checked into the hotel and picked up my bike case from the manager (I had asked when I made the reservation if they would be willing to accept and hold a package for me, and they said yes.) I cleaned the bike, and as usual couldn't get the pedals off. One of these days I'm going to figure that out! So - I found a bike shop in town and wandered over to get some help from the mechanic. I also found a gas station that would accept fuel, since I can't take the remaining fuel on the plane tomorrow. Had a nice dinner, then went for a walk along the beach and out to the lighthouse. There were signs in town showing how far the water came in the 1964 tsunami. This town must have been pretty much wiped out then.
It's time for me to go back to the world where I have to work to support myself - but it's also time to start dreaming of the next bike trip. I wonder where that will be?
I arrived a day earlier than planned, which isn't really too bad considering that I didn't know how far I'd be traveling each day. I was able to change my last night hotel reservation and my flight home to a day earlier, so I'll be headed back to New England tomorrow. It's going to be hard to adjust not only to not being on the bike every day, but also to dealing with buying and selling my home and starting a new job.
I checked into the hotel and picked up my bike case from the manager (I had asked when I made the reservation if they would be willing to accept and hold a package for me, and they said yes.) I cleaned the bike, and as usual couldn't get the pedals off. One of these days I'm going to figure that out! So - I found a bike shop in town and wandered over to get some help from the mechanic. I also found a gas station that would accept fuel, since I can't take the remaining fuel on the plane tomorrow. Had a nice dinner, then went for a walk along the beach and out to the lighthouse. There were signs in town showing how far the water came in the 1964 tsunami. This town must have been pretty much wiped out then.
It's time for me to go back to the world where I have to work to support myself - but it's also time to start dreaming of the next bike trip. I wonder where that will be?
Sunday, July 25, 1999
Langlois to Brookings
I finally spoke with Cathy. The offer on the condo looks good!
The KOA has a pancake breakfast every morning - 1 huge pancake, sausage, and coffee for $2.25. It's nice to have someone else cook breakfast once in a while.
I'm glad I stopped at the KOA last night. It turns out that Cape Blanco where I was considering staying wouldn't have shortened today any for me. It's 5 miles south of where I stayed, but there is an additional 5 miles out to the tip of the cape.
It was an unbelievable day - bright sunshine all day long. In fact, there were stars out last night when I got up for my at least once a night trip to the bathroom!
It was quite hilly today, as expected. But not as expected - the big hill was after Gold Beach, not before. I met 2 riders from Switzerland before the hills and leapfrogged with them several times. Another rider from Europe caught up with me on a later hill. I had seen him several days earlier at a rest stop - riding with no helmet and very little gear. He scared the shit out of me - snuck up on me, but didn't pass, and was riding close enough to cause both of us to crash if I had to stop unexpectedly. I don't mind drafting if the other rider is a good rider, but I had my doubts about him. I finally pulled out into the driving lane and he pulled up next to me. He was making me nervous because he was swerving and trying to talk. I think he was tired of riding alone. But at that point in the day (60 miles in) I needed my concentration on the road. I stopped to rest at the top of the hill, and he continued on with the couple from Switzerland. I was actually relieved that he didn't stop at the same campground - the first rider I've met who I didn't want to spend the evening with! I would have enjoyed talking with the Swiss couple some more though. They started riding in New York, and are heading for San Francisco.
It was another very windy day. The wind hit at Gold Beach, and I was very happy to be heading south. I had a hard time just standing up when I wasn't riding - I think I could have been pedaling hard and standing still if I'd been headed north. The tailwind gave me a welcome push.
I stopped to watch some windsurfers for a while.
Ended the day at the state park in Brookings. Another tree-covered site, and again in walking distance to the beach. This time the beach was more rocky, with lots of folks climbing on the rocks.
The KOA has a pancake breakfast every morning - 1 huge pancake, sausage, and coffee for $2.25. It's nice to have someone else cook breakfast once in a while.
I'm glad I stopped at the KOA last night. It turns out that Cape Blanco where I was considering staying wouldn't have shortened today any for me. It's 5 miles south of where I stayed, but there is an additional 5 miles out to the tip of the cape.
It was an unbelievable day - bright sunshine all day long. In fact, there were stars out last night when I got up for my at least once a night trip to the bathroom!
It was quite hilly today, as expected. But not as expected - the big hill was after Gold Beach, not before. I met 2 riders from Switzerland before the hills and leapfrogged with them several times. Another rider from Europe caught up with me on a later hill. I had seen him several days earlier at a rest stop - riding with no helmet and very little gear. He scared the shit out of me - snuck up on me, but didn't pass, and was riding close enough to cause both of us to crash if I had to stop unexpectedly. I don't mind drafting if the other rider is a good rider, but I had my doubts about him. I finally pulled out into the driving lane and he pulled up next to me. He was making me nervous because he was swerving and trying to talk. I think he was tired of riding alone. But at that point in the day (60 miles in) I needed my concentration on the road. I stopped to rest at the top of the hill, and he continued on with the couple from Switzerland. I was actually relieved that he didn't stop at the same campground - the first rider I've met who I didn't want to spend the evening with! I would have enjoyed talking with the Swiss couple some more though. They started riding in New York, and are heading for San Francisco.
It was another very windy day. The wind hit at Gold Beach, and I was very happy to be heading south. I had a hard time just standing up when I wasn't riding - I think I could have been pedaling hard and standing still if I'd been headed north. The tailwind gave me a welcome push.
I stopped to watch some windsurfers for a while.
Ended the day at the state park in Brookings. Another tree-covered site, and again in walking distance to the beach. This time the beach was more rocky, with lots of folks climbing on the rocks.
Saturday, July 24, 1999
North Bend to Langlois
Well, I did it again - took the scenic route instead of the highway. You'd think that I'd learn. There were major hills and no traffic, but the scenery wasn't too exciting either. I figured out on my trip last year that alot of the scenic routes are in the trees, or that they at least don't give you as scenic a view as you want. Sometimes you have to put up with a little traffic to get the views. If I ever ride the Oregon Coast again I think I'll stick to the highway between North Bend and Bandon. (And by the way the highway is not what I think of as a highway. It's still a 2-lane road!)
I took the scenic route out of Bandon too - but that one was a good choice, running right next to the water with several state parks along the way.
Stopping in North Bend last night was a good idea. It turns out that the two campgrounds that I was aiming for were totally off the route - and for some reason I didn't realize that. I would have ended up riding all the way to Bandon, which would have been a 75 mile day. And I don't think that would have made me too happy.
It was a nice ride today once I finished the monster hills. They were short steep hills, and I find the longer gradual hills easier to deal with. One of these days I'm going to turn into a good hill climber. I'm getting better as I continue to ride, but I'm still a slow climber. Sometimes I think I'm crawling up the hills.
Bandon was a nice little town. I found a bakery/deli, restocked on bagels, and had soup and fresh bread for lunch. Yum. One of my lunch neighbors told me that Bandon is in the sun belt. It's situated in such a way on the coast that it has sun when towns north and south are still in the fog. I considered just hanging out here today but decided to push on so I have a chance of hitting the redwoods too. My destination for tomorrow is somewhat up in the air. Gold Beach is really too close. It may just be a long day. There's a state park in Brookings, which is only 30 miles from Crescent City. I'm thinking maybe I could overshoot Crescent City by 20 to 25 miles, get into Redwoods National Park, then ride back on Tuesday. I'll have to see how I feel tomorrow. Brookings is 65 miles from here, and there's what looks to be a major climb between here and Gold Beach. I would like to get to Brookings though - I'd like to have one more night camping in a beach park.
The campground I'm in tonight - a KOA - is in the middle of no where, but I don't really care since the sun is out, and has been since about noon. And I've got a sunny spot to sit in for a while. Nice, after a gloomy and drizzly start to the day.
Message from Cathy (my real estate agent) - she's waiting for an offer on the condo from another broker. I'll try to reach her once more tonight, then again in the morning. She didn't know what the offer would be when she left the message. I hope it's workable. As much as I've tried not to think about it, the condo sale has been in the back of my mind. It would be great to have it settled.
I took the scenic route out of Bandon too - but that one was a good choice, running right next to the water with several state parks along the way.
Stopping in North Bend last night was a good idea. It turns out that the two campgrounds that I was aiming for were totally off the route - and for some reason I didn't realize that. I would have ended up riding all the way to Bandon, which would have been a 75 mile day. And I don't think that would have made me too happy.
It was a nice ride today once I finished the monster hills. They were short steep hills, and I find the longer gradual hills easier to deal with. One of these days I'm going to turn into a good hill climber. I'm getting better as I continue to ride, but I'm still a slow climber. Sometimes I think I'm crawling up the hills.
Bandon was a nice little town. I found a bakery/deli, restocked on bagels, and had soup and fresh bread for lunch. Yum. One of my lunch neighbors told me that Bandon is in the sun belt. It's situated in such a way on the coast that it has sun when towns north and south are still in the fog. I considered just hanging out here today but decided to push on so I have a chance of hitting the redwoods too. My destination for tomorrow is somewhat up in the air. Gold Beach is really too close. It may just be a long day. There's a state park in Brookings, which is only 30 miles from Crescent City. I'm thinking maybe I could overshoot Crescent City by 20 to 25 miles, get into Redwoods National Park, then ride back on Tuesday. I'll have to see how I feel tomorrow. Brookings is 65 miles from here, and there's what looks to be a major climb between here and Gold Beach. I would like to get to Brookings though - I'd like to have one more night camping in a beach park.
The campground I'm in tonight - a KOA - is in the middle of no where, but I don't really care since the sun is out, and has been since about noon. And I've got a sunny spot to sit in for a while. Nice, after a gloomy and drizzly start to the day.
Message from Cathy (my real estate agent) - she's waiting for an offer on the condo from another broker. I'll try to reach her once more tonight, then again in the morning. She didn't know what the offer would be when she left the message. I hope it's workable. As much as I've tried not to think about it, the condo sale has been in the back of my mind. It would be great to have it settled.
Friday, July 23, 1999
Florence to North Bend
It was just a transportation day today, heading inland a bit, with dunes between the road and the ocean. It was a relatively low energy day for me, so I decided to stop in North Bend for a hotel and laundromat.
The scenic route from here starts with some serious hills, and I'd rather tackle them in the morning when I'm fresh - not at the end of the day. It looks like rain, too.
The woman at the Chamber of Commerce office in Reedsport said the road south of Bandon is really pretty. So far, the prettiest stretch was between Newport and Florence.
The scenic route from here starts with some serious hills, and I'd rather tackle them in the morning when I'm fresh - not at the end of the day. It looks like rain, too.
The woman at the Chamber of Commerce office in Reedsport said the road south of Bandon is really pretty. So far, the prettiest stretch was between Newport and Florence.
Wednesday, July 21, 1999
Pacific City to Newport to Florence
I met a couple at the Cape Foulweather viewpoint yesterday, then met up with them again today. He lives in North Bend, and offered me a place to stay there tomorrow. I probably won't take them up on it since they had no idea when they'd get there, but it was nice to get the offer.
It was a beautiful ride today (7/22), but I was still in the fog most of the time. It cleared in a couple of places, but socked right in again. Right now it's drizzling on and off, and it is supposed to do the same tomorrow morning. I don't know how far I'll go tomorrow. The next hiker-biker campsite is at least 60 miles from here. I'll have to see what I feel like tomorrow. I can always opt for a hotel in North Bend or Coos Bay.
The campground at Honeyman State Park is under construction. The hiker-biker site is nicely tucked in the woods, but is a bit of a hike up a steep hill to get to. It's uphill on a narrow trail, so I wound up pushing the loaded bike. Luckily it wasn't too far. As usual, I had some nice companions for the evening, and a nice walk to the beach.
One of my campsite-mates was riding a Bike Friday and pulling his bike case as a trailer. I love my touring bike, but I was intrigued by the Bike Friday. I've seen their ads in biking magazines, but I'd never seen one in person before. There was also a couple who were from the northeast but who had been living in Oregon for a few years because of school. They both said that they were planning to move back to Maine as soon as they graduated. The reason - they wanted blue sky. They said they didn't realize how much the cloudy and foggy days were getting to them until they had a surprise crystal clear day.
It was a beautiful ride today (7/22), but I was still in the fog most of the time. It cleared in a couple of places, but socked right in again. Right now it's drizzling on and off, and it is supposed to do the same tomorrow morning. I don't know how far I'll go tomorrow. The next hiker-biker campsite is at least 60 miles from here. I'll have to see what I feel like tomorrow. I can always opt for a hotel in North Bend or Coos Bay.
The campground at Honeyman State Park is under construction. The hiker-biker site is nicely tucked in the woods, but is a bit of a hike up a steep hill to get to. It's uphill on a narrow trail, so I wound up pushing the loaded bike. Luckily it wasn't too far. As usual, I had some nice companions for the evening, and a nice walk to the beach.
One of my campsite-mates was riding a Bike Friday and pulling his bike case as a trailer. I love my touring bike, but I was intrigued by the Bike Friday. I've seen their ads in biking magazines, but I'd never seen one in person before. There was also a couple who were from the northeast but who had been living in Oregon for a few years because of school. They both said that they were planning to move back to Maine as soon as they graduated. The reason - they wanted blue sky. They said they didn't realize how much the cloudy and foggy days were getting to them until they had a surprise crystal clear day.
Tuesday, July 20, 1999
Newhalem Bay to Pacific City
Cathy - my real estate agent - left me a message this morning. She had a signed agreement, but the buyer backed out. We knew something strange was going on there. Apparently the couple wanted a couple in Easton so their daughter could live at home while going to college, and she had an absolute fit about it. (Who could blame her?) I left Cathy a message telling her to reduce the price to try to get some more activity. I'll admit that I'm getting pretty nervous about it. I was hoping to have it under agreement before I get home - definitely don't want to have to pay to mortgages for any length of time! I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and like I said before, I'm going to try not to worry about it.
It was another mediocre weather day, chilly (low 60's) and gray all day. It wasn't just fog, but clouds threatening rain with some drizzle at times. Not too bad though, at least it wasn't pouring! I opted not to do the 3 Capes Scenic Route. It was supposed to be beautiful, but given the weather I didn't think the hills back there would be worth it for somewhat of a "non-view". The 3 southbound folks I was with last night took that route, and were headed to Cape Lookout State Park. I ended up about 12 to 15 miles south of there - in a private campground at Pacific City / Cape Kiwandah. The Adventure Cycling map is proving quite useful for finding campgrounds even though I'm pretty much ignoring their scenic bypasses and just following the Oregon Coast Bike Route. Surprisingly, even the private campground had a hiker-biker rate of $4.
It's really strange. This campground has domesticated bunnies running all over the place!
It sounds like the weather is going to continue as is for the next few days. Here's hoping for a little bit of sunshine before I leave the Pacific Northwest. I know, it's supposed to be rainy here. And all in all I've been pretty lucky, since most of the heavy rain was during my first week.
It was another mediocre weather day, chilly (low 60's) and gray all day. It wasn't just fog, but clouds threatening rain with some drizzle at times. Not too bad though, at least it wasn't pouring! I opted not to do the 3 Capes Scenic Route. It was supposed to be beautiful, but given the weather I didn't think the hills back there would be worth it for somewhat of a "non-view". The 3 southbound folks I was with last night took that route, and were headed to Cape Lookout State Park. I ended up about 12 to 15 miles south of there - in a private campground at Pacific City / Cape Kiwandah. The Adventure Cycling map is proving quite useful for finding campgrounds even though I'm pretty much ignoring their scenic bypasses and just following the Oregon Coast Bike Route. Surprisingly, even the private campground had a hiker-biker rate of $4.
It's really strange. This campground has domesticated bunnies running all over the place!
It sounds like the weather is going to continue as is for the next few days. Here's hoping for a little bit of sunshine before I leave the Pacific Northwest. I know, it's supposed to be rainy here. And all in all I've been pretty lucky, since most of the heavy rain was during my first week.
Monday, July 19, 1999
Warrenton to Newhalem Bay
What a day!
I had intended to get an early start, but I spent a good chunk of time this morning on the phone with my real estate agent and lawyer. Nothing like trying to sell a condo when you're nowhere near home! I got what I thought was a pretty low offer on the condo, decide to counter it a few thousand dollars higher, splitting the difference between the offer and what I really wanted to get. After a month of showings and no offers I'm afraid to pass this up. There were no phone messages tonight, so I don't know if the counter offer was accepted. I don't want to go lower than that, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will work. There is one potential "gotcha" on the offer - the couple has a house to sell in Acton. They didn't make a contingency offer, but there could be an issue with a bridge loan. Larry is going to write something into the offer letter and P&S where they will forfeit their deposit if they can't get financing because of their other house. I think I've done a good job of not worrying about this stuff so far on my trip, so I'm going to just have to try to get back to that frame of mind and not worry about it now.
I finally started riding at 10:30. Not early, but not a problem either. I rode in fog for a good portion of the day. It started to burn off, but was then back in full force by the town of Seaside. I detoured into the town to see what was there -- turned out to be not much. I backtracked back to route 101, and ran smack into a Nike factory outlet. I stopped and replaced my running shoes with another pair of the same type. I thought I could make it through the trip with my old shoes, but they've been bothering my feet. So I opened my panniers in the parking lot, threw out the old shoes, and threw the new ones into the pack. My feet were happy when I got to camp and had new comfy shoes!
One of the sales people in the store saw my loaded bike and came over to talk. He races in duathalons (run, bike, run) and has done some touring. We had a really nice conversation. My Peter Mooney frame has definitely been starting conversations on this trip - I'll have to remember to tell him. Some of the people who have been attracted to the bike have been more curious about loaded touring in general, but several (mostly people in bike shops and folks like the sales guy at the Nike store) have definitely been interested in the frame.
My next stop was Cannon Beach. It seemed to be a nice town, pretty laid back. Haystack Rock appeared through the fog, so I stopped and walked down to the beach. As soon as I got down to the beach, the rock totally disappeared again. Standing in the middle of all of that fog is somewhat disconcerting.
I met a biking couple from Oregon there. Nice folks, traveling light, no cooking gear. We ended up at the same campground later.
A couple more serious hills... getting to the top gave me an excuse to stop and talk. I met a biker from Portland at the top of one of them, and a woman from Pennsylvania at the top of the next.
I'm camping at Newhalem Bay. If this is any indication of Oregon State Parks, they are pretty incredible. The regular campsites are $19, but the hiker-biker sites are $4. And the showers are free, no more coin-operated showers! There are six of us camped among the trees in the hiker-biker site - all bikers. There is a couple from Switzerland heading north, a couple from Wisconsin, a single guy from Seattle, and me, all headed south. Nice company.
I walked out to the beach after dinner. It's incredibly beautiful - but the marine layer is rolling in again. Here's hoping that I spend less time in the fog tomorrow!
I had intended to get an early start, but I spent a good chunk of time this morning on the phone with my real estate agent and lawyer. Nothing like trying to sell a condo when you're nowhere near home! I got what I thought was a pretty low offer on the condo, decide to counter it a few thousand dollars higher, splitting the difference between the offer and what I really wanted to get. After a month of showings and no offers I'm afraid to pass this up. There were no phone messages tonight, so I don't know if the counter offer was accepted. I don't want to go lower than that, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will work. There is one potential "gotcha" on the offer - the couple has a house to sell in Acton. They didn't make a contingency offer, but there could be an issue with a bridge loan. Larry is going to write something into the offer letter and P&S where they will forfeit their deposit if they can't get financing because of their other house. I think I've done a good job of not worrying about this stuff so far on my trip, so I'm going to just have to try to get back to that frame of mind and not worry about it now.
I finally started riding at 10:30. Not early, but not a problem either. I rode in fog for a good portion of the day. It started to burn off, but was then back in full force by the town of Seaside. I detoured into the town to see what was there -- turned out to be not much. I backtracked back to route 101, and ran smack into a Nike factory outlet. I stopped and replaced my running shoes with another pair of the same type. I thought I could make it through the trip with my old shoes, but they've been bothering my feet. So I opened my panniers in the parking lot, threw out the old shoes, and threw the new ones into the pack. My feet were happy when I got to camp and had new comfy shoes!
One of the sales people in the store saw my loaded bike and came over to talk. He races in duathalons (run, bike, run) and has done some touring. We had a really nice conversation. My Peter Mooney frame has definitely been starting conversations on this trip - I'll have to remember to tell him. Some of the people who have been attracted to the bike have been more curious about loaded touring in general, but several (mostly people in bike shops and folks like the sales guy at the Nike store) have definitely been interested in the frame.
My next stop was Cannon Beach. It seemed to be a nice town, pretty laid back. Haystack Rock appeared through the fog, so I stopped and walked down to the beach. As soon as I got down to the beach, the rock totally disappeared again. Standing in the middle of all of that fog is somewhat disconcerting.
I met a biking couple from Oregon there. Nice folks, traveling light, no cooking gear. We ended up at the same campground later.
A couple more serious hills... getting to the top gave me an excuse to stop and talk. I met a biker from Portland at the top of one of them, and a woman from Pennsylvania at the top of the next.
I'm camping at Newhalem Bay. If this is any indication of Oregon State Parks, they are pretty incredible. The regular campsites are $19, but the hiker-biker sites are $4. And the showers are free, no more coin-operated showers! There are six of us camped among the trees in the hiker-biker site - all bikers. There is a couple from Switzerland heading north, a couple from Wisconsin, a single guy from Seattle, and me, all headed south. Nice company.
I walked out to the beach after dinner. It's incredibly beautiful - but the marine layer is rolling in again. Here's hoping that I spend less time in the fog tomorrow!
Sunday, July 18, 1999
Kelso, WA to Warrenton, OR
Back to the hills...
The first 10 to 15 miles today were relatively flat. Then the hills started again. They were more serious on the Oregon side of the river. I took the very funny ferry across from Puget Island to Westport. I didn't want to ride across the Astoria bridge - according to the woman at the Astoria Visitor Center, it's a hard bridge to drive across, let along bike (4+ miles, no shoulders, very steep section). OK, OK, maybe I'm a bit of a baby - but the ferry was an experience! It's a tiny boat that is supposed to run on a schedule. In reality, it seems to run as soon as it gets back from the other side of the river...
I really wish I had an altimeter with me. I'd love to know the total elevation gain for each day's ride.
Hotel again tonight. I needed to stop. The headwinds got to me, and I felt like I didn't have enough gas to continue on to Fort Stevens. Hopefully I'll be able to camp for the rest of the trip.
The first 10 to 15 miles today were relatively flat. Then the hills started again. They were more serious on the Oregon side of the river. I took the very funny ferry across from Puget Island to Westport. I didn't want to ride across the Astoria bridge - according to the woman at the Astoria Visitor Center, it's a hard bridge to drive across, let along bike (4+ miles, no shoulders, very steep section). OK, OK, maybe I'm a bit of a baby - but the ferry was an experience! It's a tiny boat that is supposed to run on a schedule. In reality, it seems to run as soon as it gets back from the other side of the river...
I really wish I had an altimeter with me. I'd love to know the total elevation gain for each day's ride.
Hotel again tonight. I needed to stop. The headwinds got to me, and I felt like I didn't have enough gas to continue on to Fort Stevens. Hopefully I'll be able to camp for the rest of the trip.
Saturday, July 17, 1999
Rain day in Kelso
As soon as I checked out of the hotel this morning it started to pour. I stood and talked with a couple from Vancouver who were traveling by motorcycle. Then I sat in the hotel lobby for a good hour, talking to the hotel manager and the desk clerk.
Then... I decided to check back into the hotel.
I guess it is time for a rest day, and I just couldn't face starting out in that kind of downpour. Of course as soon as I checked in to the hotel the rain started to ease up. That didn't last long though - the heavy rain continued until 3pm. I definitely made the right decision to stay. I had a relaxing day - reading, resting, and using the hotel's indoor pool. Back to the bike tomorrow...
Then... I decided to check back into the hotel.
I guess it is time for a rest day, and I just couldn't face starting out in that kind of downpour. Of course as soon as I checked in to the hotel the rain started to ease up. That didn't last long though - the heavy rain continued until 3pm. I definitely made the right decision to stay. I had a relaxing day - reading, resting, and using the hotel's indoor pool. Back to the bike tomorrow...
Thursday, July 15, 1999
Shelton to Centralia to Kelso
I spent the past 2 days following numbered roads rather then the Adventure Cycling route. I started from Centralia following the route, but then I backtracked to I-5. The weather was threatening, and I decided I didn't have the right mind set for following narrow winding roads without any services. I-5 actually wasn't bad (and yes, it is legal to bike on the interstate in this section of Washington) - and it was a much easier grade than the scenic route. It was the right decision for me today, but wouldn't be the right decision for someone who was freaked out by fast-moving cars and trucks. And I certainly wouldn't make a habit of it myself!
I tried to camp last night (July 15th). The RV campground in town wouldn't allow any tents. I was going to try the Rotary City Park in Centralia, but they lock the rest rooms from 10pm to 8am, not a good thing not to have access to a bathroom overnight. So it was a hotel yet again.
I talked with a couple of people about different routes into Oregon. I'm going to stick with the ferry at Cathlamet. There is a bridge at Longview that is very steep and high. And there is a bridge at Astoria that is 4.6 miles long, and also steep and high. The bridges are high enough to let ships through... After riding the Whideby Island and Hood Canal bridges, I think I've had enough of major bridges with no space for bicycles - especially since there is a decent alternative.
Camping just hasn't been in the cards the last 2 nights. I rode up to the Mt. St. Helens visitor center. Interesting exhibit, but I wasn't able to actually see the mountain because of the weather conditions. I hoped to camp at the state park near there, but the campground was full. It was raining and chilly when I came out of the visitor center, and I guess I was too lazy to go wandering through the campground to see if there was someone willing to let me share their site. I headed back to Castle Rock, got there at 5, then decided to continue on to Kelso-Longview, another eleven miles, again on I-5. Just as I pulled off of I-5 it absolutely began to pour. I pulled into a Best Western hotel, just dripping. I can't believe how hard it was raining. My shoes were sloshing, and I don't think I'd been in the heavy rain more than five or ten minutes! The desk clerk must have felt bad for me, since she gave me a room with a kitchen at a regular room rate. It was nice not to have to go back out in the rain again tonight. And luckily there was a guest laundry so I could get everything dry! The first thing I did (after getting myself dried off) was a major clean and lube of the bike. It's all ready to go again. I'm so happy that I made the decision last year to get the Ortlieb panniers. Although I was pretty wet, everything in the panniers was still dry!
I tried to camp last night (July 15th). The RV campground in town wouldn't allow any tents. I was going to try the Rotary City Park in Centralia, but they lock the rest rooms from 10pm to 8am, not a good thing not to have access to a bathroom overnight. So it was a hotel yet again.
I talked with a couple of people about different routes into Oregon. I'm going to stick with the ferry at Cathlamet. There is a bridge at Longview that is very steep and high. And there is a bridge at Astoria that is 4.6 miles long, and also steep and high. The bridges are high enough to let ships through... After riding the Whideby Island and Hood Canal bridges, I think I've had enough of major bridges with no space for bicycles - especially since there is a decent alternative.
Camping just hasn't been in the cards the last 2 nights. I rode up to the Mt. St. Helens visitor center. Interesting exhibit, but I wasn't able to actually see the mountain because of the weather conditions. I hoped to camp at the state park near there, but the campground was full. It was raining and chilly when I came out of the visitor center, and I guess I was too lazy to go wandering through the campground to see if there was someone willing to let me share their site. I headed back to Castle Rock, got there at 5, then decided to continue on to Kelso-Longview, another eleven miles, again on I-5. Just as I pulled off of I-5 it absolutely began to pour. I pulled into a Best Western hotel, just dripping. I can't believe how hard it was raining. My shoes were sloshing, and I don't think I'd been in the heavy rain more than five or ten minutes! The desk clerk must have felt bad for me, since she gave me a room with a kitchen at a regular room rate. It was nice not to have to go back out in the rain again tonight. And luckily there was a guest laundry so I could get everything dry! The first thing I did (after getting myself dried off) was a major clean and lube of the bike. It's all ready to go again. I'm so happy that I made the decision last year to get the Ortlieb panniers. Although I was pretty wet, everything in the panniers was still dry!
Wednesday, July 14, 1999
Bremerton to Shelton
It was a short day today. I needed a break after the hills yesterday, but I only got one in terms of mileage, not ease of riding. There were some pretty steep hills getting out of Bremerton, then the terrain moderated. Less hills - but the winds kicked in. I had very strong winds from about Belfair to Shelton, about 23 miles. They were mostly headwinds, but there were some severe sidewinds too. It was especially bad as I came to the top of hills, and there were several times when I came pretty close to getting blown totally off of the road.
There was no place to camp here. The next camping spot appears to be another 20 miles down the road, which was too far for me today. By the looks of things it may need to be a 65 mile day tomorrow to get to a campsite. Here's hoping the wind dies down!
I followed route 3 today - not on the Adventure Cycling map - in search of less hills. It seems that the more scenic route is a lot more hilly.
It's a funky hotel and laundry day. It's too bad there wasn't a private campground around since most of them have washers and dryers. The first hotel I saw looked pretty awful, so I stopped at a convenience store and asked. I was referred to the Shelton Inn (the woman at the convenience store is a friend of the owner) which is also a bit funky - a strip motel in town, but very clean. And it is within walking distance of the laundromat, Safeway, and restaurants, so it will do.
There was no place to camp here. The next camping spot appears to be another 20 miles down the road, which was too far for me today. By the looks of things it may need to be a 65 mile day tomorrow to get to a campsite. Here's hoping the wind dies down!
I followed route 3 today - not on the Adventure Cycling map - in search of less hills. It seems that the more scenic route is a lot more hilly.
It's a funky hotel and laundry day. It's too bad there wasn't a private campground around since most of them have washers and dryers. The first hotel I saw looked pretty awful, so I stopped at a convenience store and asked. I was referred to the Shelton Inn (the woman at the convenience store is a friend of the owner) which is also a bit funky - a strip motel in town, but very clean. And it is within walking distance of the laundromat, Safeway, and restaurants, so it will do.
Tuesday, July 13, 1999
Port Townsend to Bremerton
It's getting harder and harder to keep track of the days...
Ian and I rode together today. He was planning to head south and then circle back up US 101 but had to change his plans because of detours around slides on 101. He's headed to either Bainbridge or Vashon Island tomorrow, and I'll continue south. It was really nice to ride with someone for the day. We pretty much followed the Adventure Cycling map's back roads to keep away from the traffic, but we went out own way once we hit Silverdale. There aren't too many camping spots in this area. We stopped by the Chamber of Commerce in Silverdale and got directions to the state park (which the woman in the office told us was flat, no hills). It was a beautiful route - but the last uphill almost killed me. It was steep and long. But the downhill prior to that was amazing. We were screaming downhill when I looked up and saw Mount Rainier in the distance. Beautiful.
It was a very hilly day today, probably the hilliest so far. It seems that there are pretty severe bluffs leading up from the water - and we were following the coastline for quite a while. I'd seen Puget Sound on maps before, but I'd never really appreciated how many islands and peninsulas there were.
We crossed the Hood Canal this morning on a floating bridge. It was freaky - not because of the floating part, but because it had almost no shoulder, no sidewalk, and metal bridge decks in several places. You definitely had to pay attention to where you were going.
We set up camp, unloaded the bikes, and then rode back out to find a restaurant for dinner. In the process, we ended up riding most of the direct route from the Chamber of Commerce to the campground. I don't regret the route that we took earlier because it was beautiful - but it turns out that the direct route was flat! As usual, it's not a good idea to believe someone who is not a biker when they tell you there are no hills. The route we took from the Chamber of Commerce was definitely hilly!
Ian and I rode together today. He was planning to head south and then circle back up US 101 but had to change his plans because of detours around slides on 101. He's headed to either Bainbridge or Vashon Island tomorrow, and I'll continue south. It was really nice to ride with someone for the day. We pretty much followed the Adventure Cycling map's back roads to keep away from the traffic, but we went out own way once we hit Silverdale. There aren't too many camping spots in this area. We stopped by the Chamber of Commerce in Silverdale and got directions to the state park (which the woman in the office told us was flat, no hills). It was a beautiful route - but the last uphill almost killed me. It was steep and long. But the downhill prior to that was amazing. We were screaming downhill when I looked up and saw Mount Rainier in the distance. Beautiful.
It was a very hilly day today, probably the hilliest so far. It seems that there are pretty severe bluffs leading up from the water - and we were following the coastline for quite a while. I'd seen Puget Sound on maps before, but I'd never really appreciated how many islands and peninsulas there were.
We crossed the Hood Canal this morning on a floating bridge. It was freaky - not because of the floating part, but because it had almost no shoulder, no sidewalk, and metal bridge decks in several places. You definitely had to pay attention to where you were going.
We set up camp, unloaded the bikes, and then rode back out to find a restaurant for dinner. In the process, we ended up riding most of the direct route from the Chamber of Commerce to the campground. I don't regret the route that we took earlier because it was beautiful - but it turns out that the direct route was flat! As usual, it's not a good idea to believe someone who is not a biker when they tell you there are no hills. The route we took from the Chamber of Commerce was definitely hilly!
Monday, July 12, 1999
Ferry & bike... Port Townsend to Sequim loop
I caught the 9:15 ferry. I met a woman who was going to a writer's conference. She offered me a place to stay if I wanted to return to Whideby Island tonight...
I explored Port Townsend, then headed toward Port Angeles. I was planning to do an out-and-back ride, but hadn't decided how far "out" was. Then I met Ian on the road. He's a cyclist from BC who was heading to Port Townsend. We stood on the side of the road and talked for quite a while - until I decided that I was at a good turn-around point, so we headed back to Port Townsend together. The campground at Fort Worden was full, so we ended up at the hostel. We claimed our beds, unloaded the bikes, and then headed back into town for dinner. We had dinner in a nice waterfront restaurant, definitely a good change of pace for me!
Back at the hostel. I surprised one of the men in our room at the hostel. We ended up in a co-ed dorm room, but one of our roommates (and 82-year old man) thought it was the men's dorm. He adjusted though - he had to, since there were 2 women and 4 men in there!
I explored Port Townsend, then headed toward Port Angeles. I was planning to do an out-and-back ride, but hadn't decided how far "out" was. Then I met Ian on the road. He's a cyclist from BC who was heading to Port Townsend. We stood on the side of the road and talked for quite a while - until I decided that I was at a good turn-around point, so we headed back to Port Townsend together. The campground at Fort Worden was full, so we ended up at the hostel. We claimed our beds, unloaded the bikes, and then headed back into town for dinner. We had dinner in a nice waterfront restaurant, definitely a good change of pace for me!
Back at the hostel. I surprised one of the men in our room at the hostel. We ended up in a co-ed dorm room, but one of our roommates (and 82-year old man) thought it was the men's dorm. He adjusted though - he had to, since there were 2 women and 4 men in there!
Sunday, July 11, 1999
Bellingham to Keystone
I definitely overdid it today. I should have stopped at Oak Harbor, but I started around the outside of Whideby Island following the Adventure Cycling maps. I thought it was too early to stop when I was close to Oak Harbor - maybe next time I'll be more sensible. I actually went into Fort Ebey State Park, but I decided to press on to the ferry terminal. I pulled into the campground at Fort Casey State park at about 6:30. As I was heading down from Coupeville I could see the fog rolling in. It's pretty chilly here, too. I just talked to someone who came off the ferry - he said it was hot and sunny in Port Townsend. Oh well - I really needed to stop, and didn't want to deal with finding a place to stay after the ferry ride. Here's hoping some of this fog burns off relatively early!
It was a beautiful riding day today, but a lot harder than I expected. I rode into a headwind all morning, plus it was very hilly all day. Most were short and steep, but there were some not so short hills too. I don't think I ate enough yesterday, so I tried to make up some of the calorie deficit today. I was operating on a bit of a sleep deficit too. One of my roommates snored all night! And not a little snore, more like a freight train! It might be a good idea to carry ear plugs for the nights I end up in a hostel - or for noisy campsites!
The scenery was unbelievable. Cascades to the east, water, Whideby Island, more water, Olympics to the southwest. It was amazing to be on an island in the middle of 2 snow-capped mountain ranges.
It was a beautiful riding day today, but a lot harder than I expected. I rode into a headwind all morning, plus it was very hilly all day. Most were short and steep, but there were some not so short hills too. I don't think I ate enough yesterday, so I tried to make up some of the calorie deficit today. I was operating on a bit of a sleep deficit too. One of my roommates snored all night! And not a little snore, more like a freight train! It might be a good idea to carry ear plugs for the nights I end up in a hostel - or for noisy campsites!
The scenery was unbelievable. Cascades to the east, water, Whideby Island, more water, Olympics to the southwest. It was amazing to be on an island in the middle of 2 snow-capped mountain ranges.
Saturday, July 10, 1999
Drive to Bellingham, then back on the bike!
Time to leave Rainier and get back on my bike. It wasn't a bad drive to Bellingham. Luckily there was no traffic getting through Seattle. There was a big jam coming southbound, so maybe I was just lucky. I stopped at REI on my way through Seattle to pick up a new pair of cycling shorts. I left home with 2 pairs of shorts, one new, and one not so new. It turned out that the not so new shorts weren't in great shape - I thought I looked at them before I left home, but apparently not. It's probably a good thing I'm traveling by bike for the rest of my trip and don't want to add to my load - talk about being like a kid in a candy store! I could have spent a lot of time in the store (I hate shopping in general - except for bike shops and places like REI that sell all the toys that I like!), but I just picked up the shorts and got back on the road.
I had no problem finding the airport in Bellingham to return the rental car. I did have to stare at the Adventure Cycling map and the Avis Bellingham map for a few minutes before I figured out where they intersected. I was barely a mile off of the bike route at the airport. It's nice how things seem to work out.
I stopped at Kulshan Cycles in town to borrow a pump, and had a nice conversation with one of the people there. He actually rode Lolo Pass within the last couple of years too, so we could compare our trips. He agreed that it was a fabulous road too. He also told me about a beautiful road down by Crescent City - my end point for this trip. He said it is dirt, but usually very hard-packed. I may have time to explore there if I don't take too many side trips on the way. I need to look at the Washington maps again to see if an out and back route to see part of the Olympic Peninsula is a reasonable thing to do.
Time for laundry. I stopped at a laundromat in the Fairhaven district and promptly dumped all of my dirty clothes on the sidewalk. I figured they could walk away on their own after 2 days at Mt. Rainier without a shower.
Decision point - where to stay. It was between riding a short distance to a state park south of Bellingham, or staying at a hostel here in town. I opted for the hostel. It was very nice, small, nice hot shower, and very clean. I had dinner at a vegetarian bookstore cafe, then walked down to the Alaska Ferry terminal. Bellingham must be beautiful on a clear day, with the bay on one side and the Cascades on the other. The mountains were pretty much obscured by fog today - I should have been able to see Mt. Baker from here.
So far there isn't much doubt in my mind that I'd like to live out here someday. I'd definitely need to become a better, stronger, faster hill climber on the bike though...
I had no problem finding the airport in Bellingham to return the rental car. I did have to stare at the Adventure Cycling map and the Avis Bellingham map for a few minutes before I figured out where they intersected. I was barely a mile off of the bike route at the airport. It's nice how things seem to work out.
I stopped at Kulshan Cycles in town to borrow a pump, and had a nice conversation with one of the people there. He actually rode Lolo Pass within the last couple of years too, so we could compare our trips. He agreed that it was a fabulous road too. He also told me about a beautiful road down by Crescent City - my end point for this trip. He said it is dirt, but usually very hard-packed. I may have time to explore there if I don't take too many side trips on the way. I need to look at the Washington maps again to see if an out and back route to see part of the Olympic Peninsula is a reasonable thing to do.
Time for laundry. I stopped at a laundromat in the Fairhaven district and promptly dumped all of my dirty clothes on the sidewalk. I figured they could walk away on their own after 2 days at Mt. Rainier without a shower.
Decision point - where to stay. It was between riding a short distance to a state park south of Bellingham, or staying at a hostel here in town. I opted for the hostel. It was very nice, small, nice hot shower, and very clean. I had dinner at a vegetarian bookstore cafe, then walked down to the Alaska Ferry terminal. Bellingham must be beautiful on a clear day, with the bay on one side and the Cascades on the other. The mountains were pretty much obscured by fog today - I should have been able to see Mt. Baker from here.
So far there isn't much doubt in my mind that I'd like to live out here someday. I'd definitely need to become a better, stronger, faster hill climber on the bike though...
Thursday, July 8, 1999
Mt. Rainier hiking days
Thursday I called and extended the rental car for one more day before I headed out. I arrived at Mt. Rainier National Park (http://www.nps.gov/mora/) by about 11am on the 8th.
I had no problem getting a campsite. Apparently the weekends are pretty crowded, but with the recent very rainy weather it hasn't been too bad during the week. I set up camp, then headed to Paradise. (For those of you who haven't been there, Paradise is the location of the main visitor center in the park, located at 5400' of elevation on Mt. Rainier).
The hiking trails are not accessible, and its way too early for the spring flowers - not what I expected at all. There are still eleven feet of snow on the ground at Paradise, and the snow line is still down to 4000'.
I spent some time at the visitor center, then headed back to Longmire to do the Rampart Ridge hike. Very nice, but very much uphill (probably between 1500 and 2000' of elevation gain), through old growth forest. There was a really nice viewpoint on top.
Animals on Thursday - I saw birds, chipmunks, deer, and one bear. The bear was on the side of the road. The deer were on the side of the road and in the middle of the hiking trail.
The campground was in a beautiful location. Just a short walk across the road from the river, and a beautiful view of the mountain. I spent quite a bit of time there after dinner - just sitting, soaking in the view, and watching the effect of the diminishing sunlight on the peak. You could actually see Mount Rainier from inside the campground, but the view from the river was really unrestricted.
An older man pulled into the campground Thursday night with an RV the size of a bus! He drew quite a crowd, since the rest of us were wondering where he was going to get stuck. He was alone, and none of us could figure out why he needed something that large - I guess he wanted all of the comforts of home with him. We were afraid he was going to run his generator all night, but luckily he didn't.
All quiet, went to sleep to the sound of the river.
Friday Today was somewhat of a lazy day. I did a couple of hikes, each shorter than yesterday's, but the total mileage was about the same. I drove over to the east side of the park, but only as far as Box Canyon. I was thinking of going over to Sunrise, but that would have meant at least 4 hours in the car. Since I will probably be driving for 5 hours tomorrow to get up to Bellingham, I decided against the drive today. It's amazing to see the difference on the east side of the park. It's much drier - the mountain and the west side get a lot more moisture.
I spend some time walking in the snow up at Paradise. Definitely not what I expected to see in July. The ranger said that this year's snowfall was the 3rd highest on record. They're figuring that if the weather continues to be good that it will take another three to four weeks for the Paradise meadows to be clear of snow.
There don't seem to be any flat trails around here - I have a feeling that my legs will protest getting back on the bike after two days of hiking abuse!
I had no problem getting a campsite. Apparently the weekends are pretty crowded, but with the recent very rainy weather it hasn't been too bad during the week. I set up camp, then headed to Paradise. (For those of you who haven't been there, Paradise is the location of the main visitor center in the park, located at 5400' of elevation on Mt. Rainier).
The hiking trails are not accessible, and its way too early for the spring flowers - not what I expected at all. There are still eleven feet of snow on the ground at Paradise, and the snow line is still down to 4000'.
I spent some time at the visitor center, then headed back to Longmire to do the Rampart Ridge hike. Very nice, but very much uphill (probably between 1500 and 2000' of elevation gain), through old growth forest. There was a really nice viewpoint on top.
Animals on Thursday - I saw birds, chipmunks, deer, and one bear. The bear was on the side of the road. The deer were on the side of the road and in the middle of the hiking trail.
The campground was in a beautiful location. Just a short walk across the road from the river, and a beautiful view of the mountain. I spent quite a bit of time there after dinner - just sitting, soaking in the view, and watching the effect of the diminishing sunlight on the peak. You could actually see Mount Rainier from inside the campground, but the view from the river was really unrestricted.
An older man pulled into the campground Thursday night with an RV the size of a bus! He drew quite a crowd, since the rest of us were wondering where he was going to get stuck. He was alone, and none of us could figure out why he needed something that large - I guess he wanted all of the comforts of home with him. We were afraid he was going to run his generator all night, but luckily he didn't.
All quiet, went to sleep to the sound of the river.
Friday Today was somewhat of a lazy day. I did a couple of hikes, each shorter than yesterday's, but the total mileage was about the same. I drove over to the east side of the park, but only as far as Box Canyon. I was thinking of going over to Sunrise, but that would have meant at least 4 hours in the car. Since I will probably be driving for 5 hours tomorrow to get up to Bellingham, I decided against the drive today. It's amazing to see the difference on the east side of the park. It's much drier - the mountain and the west side get a lot more moisture.
I spend some time walking in the snow up at Paradise. Definitely not what I expected to see in July. The ranger said that this year's snowfall was the 3rd highest on record. They're figuring that if the weather continues to be good that it will take another three to four weeks for the Paradise meadows to be clear of snow.
There don't seem to be any flat trails around here - I have a feeling that my legs will protest getting back on the bike after two days of hiking abuse!
Wednesday, July 7, 1999
Driving again - Coulee Dam to Puyallup
What a day! I woke up at 5:20 to hear the sprinklers start. But this time I didn't get wet. I stayed in the tent for another hour... It's a good thing that I got moving early today. There was a brilliant blue sky, and it was very windy when I crawled out of the tent. By the time I was taking the tent down it was threatening rain. It was a challenge to get the tent put away without having it blow away.
It was a day of contrasts. Rain to sun to rain to sun to clouds, desert to forest to desert to mountains. The road over Washington Pass was absolutely beautiful. Rainy, with temperatures probably in the 40s (fahrenheit). The snow was still down to the road, and the roads leading into the trailheads near the top of the pass (in North Cascades National Park - http://www.nps.gov/noca/) were still snowed in.
I saw five cyclists today heading west to east. I guess I was really headed across backwards (or the other East to West folks on the Northern Tier Route are still closer to the east coast). The last couple I was were near Diablo. A man and a woman - she really looked like she was struggling, and it was already after noon. Maybe there were only going as far as Ross Lake. They had a long way to go from where I saw them to get to the top of the pass - probably about 30 miles. I still have no regrets about my decision. It was very wet and cold up there.
I thought I could make it all the way to Rainier today, but at 6:00 I realized it was too much. I probably would have been able to drive all of the way if I hadn't stop often today to take pictures, but it is my vacation after all! I was going to circle around to the east of the park, then see if I could find a campsite or hotel room. But a local told me he wasn't sure that the road on that side of the park was open yet. So I headed back to the west. I stopped in Puyallup, and I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Express. I'll head into the park tomorrow. It's supposed to be a nice day. I certainly hope so.
It was a day of contrasts. Rain to sun to rain to sun to clouds, desert to forest to desert to mountains. The road over Washington Pass was absolutely beautiful. Rainy, with temperatures probably in the 40s (fahrenheit). The snow was still down to the road, and the roads leading into the trailheads near the top of the pass (in North Cascades National Park - http://www.nps.gov/noca/) were still snowed in.
I saw five cyclists today heading west to east. I guess I was really headed across backwards (or the other East to West folks on the Northern Tier Route are still closer to the east coast). The last couple I was were near Diablo. A man and a woman - she really looked like she was struggling, and it was already after noon. Maybe there were only going as far as Ross Lake. They had a long way to go from where I saw them to get to the top of the pass - probably about 30 miles. I still have no regrets about my decision. It was very wet and cold up there.
I thought I could make it all the way to Rainier today, but at 6:00 I realized it was too much. I probably would have been able to drive all of the way if I hadn't stop often today to take pictures, but it is my vacation after all! I was going to circle around to the east of the park, then see if I could find a campsite or hotel room. But a local told me he wasn't sure that the road on that side of the park was open yet. So I headed back to the west. I stopped in Puyallup, and I'm staying at the Holiday Inn Express. I'll head into the park tomorrow. It's supposed to be a nice day. I certainly hope so.
Tuesday, July 6, 1999
Wandering around the Coulee Dam area
I woke up at 5:20 this morning when the sprinklers caught me from 2 sides. No leak in the tent - but I did choose another site for tonight. I'd like the tent to be dry when I pack up tomorrow morning. I looked at the six spots around where I set up camp yesterday. It looks like the two on the end were the only 2 of the six that seem to have OK spots for tents. Maybe I should have camped on the lower loop, but I like the view of the lake from the upper loop.
When I moved this morning (to a dry campsite) there were a couple of young families in the area. Unfortunately, when I came back this evening I discovered what I think is 3 (or possibly 4) couples of white-haired folks across from me. You would think that young kids would make more noise than adults, but these folks have been sitting on their lawn chairs talking for the last 2 hours, and their conversation carries. They may not be using loud voices, but it sure sounds like it to me. Too bad I'm not really interested in eavesdropping! I hope this isn't a late-night crowd - I'd like to be able to enjoy the birds and the natural sounds. I'm going to walk down to the beach in a minute, so at least I'll get away for a bit.
I went over to the dam to do a tour this morning. I discovered after waiting for 20 minutes that they weren't running tours of the 3rd powerplant this morning, so I headed over to the pump generating station for that tour. Fascinating. (For some statistics on the dam, see http://www.usbr.gov/power/data/sites/grandcou/grandcou.htm)
I spend the afternoon riding down the side of Banks Lake. Very annoying road surface - tarred, graveled, and rolled. I didn't realize how bad it really was until I was back on smooth road. What a beautiful area! This area of the state looks like it is corrugated.
I stopped at a windmill garden on the outskirts of town. Unfortunately I had to view it from outside the fence, which was locked. I wonder why.
When I moved this morning (to a dry campsite) there were a couple of young families in the area. Unfortunately, when I came back this evening I discovered what I think is 3 (or possibly 4) couples of white-haired folks across from me. You would think that young kids would make more noise than adults, but these folks have been sitting on their lawn chairs talking for the last 2 hours, and their conversation carries. They may not be using loud voices, but it sure sounds like it to me. Too bad I'm not really interested in eavesdropping! I hope this isn't a late-night crowd - I'd like to be able to enjoy the birds and the natural sounds. I'm going to walk down to the beach in a minute, so at least I'll get away for a bit.
I went over to the dam to do a tour this morning. I discovered after waiting for 20 minutes that they weren't running tours of the 3rd powerplant this morning, so I headed over to the pump generating station for that tour. Fascinating. (For some statistics on the dam, see http://www.usbr.gov/power/data/sites/grandcou/grandcou.htm)
I spend the afternoon riding down the side of Banks Lake. Very annoying road surface - tarred, graveled, and rolled. I didn't realize how bad it really was until I was back on smooth road. What a beautiful area! This area of the state looks like it is corrugated.
I stopped at a windmill garden on the outskirts of town. Unfortunately I had to view it from outside the fence, which was locked. I wonder why.
Monday, July 5, 1999
Driving day - Spokane to Coulee Dam
A roundabout way to get to my end point today - but I wanted to drive over Sherman Pass. It would have been a bitchy ride...
It's been an absolutely gorgeous day today. I think it's the first truly nice day so far. It was in the high 60's in Spokane, cooler in the mountains. I'm really glad I changed my plans. It's beautiful here, and I would have missed this section of the state (Coulee Dam area) if I stuck to the bike. The change was amazing. I headed south on route 21 out of Republic, still in the mountains. I cut west across an un-numbered road, and all of a sudden I dropped out of the mountains into the high desert. Grand Coulee Dam is very impressive. It was fascinating to see it from the distance, then to be right there. There is a road across the top of the dam, which allows you to get a different view / perspective. It's interesting looking down the face of the dam!
I got into town too late to tour the dam today, so I will head back there in the morning. I'll probably do the tour, then spend the rest of the day biking. I only paid for one night in the campground, but I'm leaning toward staying tomorrow night and then heading out Wednesday morning. I ended up at Spring Canyon campground in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation area. For information on the recreation area, look at http://www.nps.gov/laro/. No showers, but it is a beautiful site. One of the folks at the site next to me said that one of the private campgrounds down the road has public showers, so I can get a shower there tomorrow. She also warned me about one very odd thing in this campground - a sprinkler system! Luckily she stopped me from putting my tent on the grass. It's set up in a shady spot. I just hope it's far enough from the sprinkler head to prevent me from getting soaked!
There is a laser light show on the spillway of the dam every night at 10. It was highly recommended to me - so I guess tonight won't be my usual early night in the tent.
The weather today was perfect, but there was a major rainstorm up here yesterday. From the forecast I saw before I left Spokane, it sounds like tomorrow will be a good day and Wednesday will be rainy again. We'll see.
The laser light show was worth the late night. They opened the spillway just enough to produce a white background - just two to four inches of water. The sound of the water was amazing, and that wasn't a lot of water! They used the lasers and narration (the narrator was supposed to be the Columbia River) to tell the story of the river and the dam. Very interesting.
It's been an absolutely gorgeous day today. I think it's the first truly nice day so far. It was in the high 60's in Spokane, cooler in the mountains. I'm really glad I changed my plans. It's beautiful here, and I would have missed this section of the state (Coulee Dam area) if I stuck to the bike. The change was amazing. I headed south on route 21 out of Republic, still in the mountains. I cut west across an un-numbered road, and all of a sudden I dropped out of the mountains into the high desert. Grand Coulee Dam is very impressive. It was fascinating to see it from the distance, then to be right there. There is a road across the top of the dam, which allows you to get a different view / perspective. It's interesting looking down the face of the dam!
I got into town too late to tour the dam today, so I will head back there in the morning. I'll probably do the tour, then spend the rest of the day biking. I only paid for one night in the campground, but I'm leaning toward staying tomorrow night and then heading out Wednesday morning. I ended up at Spring Canyon campground in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation area. For information on the recreation area, look at http://www.nps.gov/laro/. No showers, but it is a beautiful site. One of the folks at the site next to me said that one of the private campgrounds down the road has public showers, so I can get a shower there tomorrow. She also warned me about one very odd thing in this campground - a sprinkler system! Luckily she stopped me from putting my tent on the grass. It's set up in a shady spot. I just hope it's far enough from the sprinkler head to prevent me from getting soaked!
There is a laser light show on the spillway of the dam every night at 10. It was highly recommended to me - so I guess tonight won't be my usual early night in the tent.
The weather today was perfect, but there was a major rainstorm up here yesterday. From the forecast I saw before I left Spokane, it sounds like tomorrow will be a good day and Wednesday will be rainy again. We'll see.
The laser light show was worth the late night. They opened the spillway just enough to produce a white background - just two to four inches of water. The sound of the water was amazing, and that wasn't a lot of water! They used the lasers and narration (the narrator was supposed to be the Columbia River) to tell the story of the river and the dam. Very interesting.
Sunday, July 4, 1999
Around Spokane
Staying in Spokane today was definitely a good idea. It felt good to not move on for a change. I called four rental car companies before I came up with a decent price. The first quote from National was for $680! I finally ended up with a car from Avis. They had a $244 fee, with no drop charge. Everyone else was charging at least a $100 drop fee for a one-way rental.
I walked through Riverfront Park this morning. I found REI, and discovered that they were actually open today. I came back to the room and put the new tire on the bike. Then I headed to the airport to pick up the car. I was able to arrange a drop-off in Bellingham, which is north of where I was originally going to hit my southbound bike route. That's much better than trying to get up to Anacortes from SeaTac.
I got back to the hotel just in time for a wild thunderstorm. I had planned to head over to REI at 2 to borrow their floor pump and then go out for a ride, but I waited out the rain and didn't head out until 3. I ran into a cyclist at REI who recommended several books about the area. He was a bit of a "know-it-all", but did help somewhat. I picked up one book of tours in Eastern Washington. I also picked up another long-sleeved shirt. If the weather continues as it has been it will come in handy. And if not, all the better!
I was feeling guilty this morning about bailing on riding across the North Cascades - but then Erin at the front desk told me about a guest who drove over from Seattle last night. He said it was cold, very windy, and very rainy coming over the pass, and he was quite a bit south of where I'd planned to be.
I'm actually pretty excited about my change in plans - I'm planning to get to the North Cascades, Grand Coulee Dam, and Mt. Rainier. I'm supposed to drop the car off on Friday, but I may extend it for a day. The rate they quoted me was a weekly rate, and I'll only have it for five days. I need to figure out how much biking time I need to get from Bellingham, WA to Crescent City, CA to catch my flight home. An extra day at the end would let me get to Redwoods National Park.
I walked through Riverfront Park this morning. I found REI, and discovered that they were actually open today. I came back to the room and put the new tire on the bike. Then I headed to the airport to pick up the car. I was able to arrange a drop-off in Bellingham, which is north of where I was originally going to hit my southbound bike route. That's much better than trying to get up to Anacortes from SeaTac.
I got back to the hotel just in time for a wild thunderstorm. I had planned to head over to REI at 2 to borrow their floor pump and then go out for a ride, but I waited out the rain and didn't head out until 3. I ran into a cyclist at REI who recommended several books about the area. He was a bit of a "know-it-all", but did help somewhat. I picked up one book of tours in Eastern Washington. I also picked up another long-sleeved shirt. If the weather continues as it has been it will come in handy. And if not, all the better!
I was feeling guilty this morning about bailing on riding across the North Cascades - but then Erin at the front desk told me about a guest who drove over from Seattle last night. He said it was cold, very windy, and very rainy coming over the pass, and he was quite a bit south of where I'd planned to be.
I'm actually pretty excited about my change in plans - I'm planning to get to the North Cascades, Grand Coulee Dam, and Mt. Rainier. I'm supposed to drop the car off on Friday, but I may extend it for a day. The rate they quoted me was a weekly rate, and I'll only have it for five days. I need to figure out how much biking time I need to get from Bellingham, WA to Crescent City, CA to catch my flight home. An extra day at the end would let me get to Redwoods National Park.
Saturday, July 3, 1999
Colville to Spokane
I had a hard time getting moving this morning. I kept going back & forth between heading back to Spokane & renting a car, or hanging in Colville to see if the weather changes. I'm not usually this wishy-washy, but I really wanted to ride! It was 38 degrees when I woke up. The forecast was for freezing temperatures tonight down to 4500 feet. So - I decided to head back to Spokane. This is my vacation, and I'm supposed to be having fun. When I thought it through, I realized that I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone, and that there are a couple of places that I'd like to get to that I wouldn't get to on the bike. So, onward to a change in plans!
I rode into a persistent headwind all morning. I stopped in a bakery in Chewalen for lunch and ran into another cyclist there. Bill lives in Spokane, but was in Deer Lake for the weekend. He was finishing his lunch when I walked in, but he offered to wait for me and give me a riding companion as far as Deer Lake. We rode together for the next 17 miles. That was a nice change of pace, and it helped to have someone share the wind! We met a friend of his on the road who is one of the top downhill mountain bike racers in the country. He's out of commission temporarily due to injuries, so he's working in a bike shop right now. I asked him which shop might have touring tires. Bill and his friend both suggested the North Division bike shop in Spokane. I rolled by there five minutes before closing and was able to pick up a new tire. Just what I wanted too, a Continental Top Touring 700x32.
I'm back at the Marriott Courtyard in downtown Spokane. I decided to stay here for 2 nights. I think I need to just sit in one place for a day. Tomorrow's the 4th of July, and there is a festival going on by the river.
Oh, I forgot to mention - Bill was riding a Schwinn cruiser with big gears and aero bars. He said the bike weighed 40 pounds. He has a good road bike too, but he uses the Schwinn to get back in shape for riding. And I'm sure that I slowed him down considerably on the hills!
I rode into a persistent headwind all morning. I stopped in a bakery in Chewalen for lunch and ran into another cyclist there. Bill lives in Spokane, but was in Deer Lake for the weekend. He was finishing his lunch when I walked in, but he offered to wait for me and give me a riding companion as far as Deer Lake. We rode together for the next 17 miles. That was a nice change of pace, and it helped to have someone share the wind! We met a friend of his on the road who is one of the top downhill mountain bike racers in the country. He's out of commission temporarily due to injuries, so he's working in a bike shop right now. I asked him which shop might have touring tires. Bill and his friend both suggested the North Division bike shop in Spokane. I rolled by there five minutes before closing and was able to pick up a new tire. Just what I wanted too, a Continental Top Touring 700x32.
I'm back at the Marriott Courtyard in downtown Spokane. I decided to stay here for 2 nights. I think I need to just sit in one place for a day. Tomorrow's the 4th of July, and there is a festival going on by the river.
Oh, I forgot to mention - Bill was riding a Schwinn cruiser with big gears and aero bars. He said the bike weighed 40 pounds. He has a good road bike too, but he uses the Schwinn to get back in shape for riding. And I'm sure that I slowed him down considerably on the hills!
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