Monday 01 October 2007

Being members of Adventure Cycling for a few years now, it was with the excitement of a pilgrim on that special trek that we left our cheap, cheerful and very comfortable motel and rode through the streets of Missoula and up to the front of the AC Headquarters. Adventure cycling is the National, non-profit cycling body of the American cyclist. Stepping through the front door complete with handlebars to open the door with, we were immediately and warmly greeted like long lost friends.

Adventure Cycling is located in an old church in Missoula and the space is limited for the staff, the inside of the building is not only an office space, cycle touring store, cartographers workspace, cyclists lounge and all sorts of use space, it is also a museum and photo gallery dedicated to the bicycle and bicyclist. All around the walls are photo's of cyclists that have come through the place over the years whilst on their adventures, as well as other notable cycling memorabilia, including some older, well loved bicycles. Everywhere you look, on the tops of partitions and false ceilings are other bikes, plaques telling the bikes history and usually a photo of it in action.

We had our photo taken and placed on the wall of all the cyclists that had come through this year, ours being the last one of many, and noting the lateness of the season it will probably remain that way. Greg Siple, one of the Co-founders finished his meeting and then came and spent some time with us, eventually taking us around to his studio and taking our pictures for the portrait gallery for posterity. As Greg said, "in 100 years you won't be here, but the photo will and other adventurers will be looking at it- and wondering about your adventure".

During our visit we also took the opportunity to change out some of our equipment, in particular our Arkel panniers. The panniers are good as panniers, but even with the rain covers, they panniers were getting wet and thereby causing us a few problems. So after carrying out a test pack on our existing set of Ortliebs we bought some new Ortleib panniers and donated our old, heavy and non-waterproof Arkel's to Adventure Cycling and anyone they might want to give them to. Noting the wet weather of the US West Coast we are glad to have totally waterproof panniers before we get there.

After our visit to the home of cycling in the USA we were about to go in search of some transport to get us to the West Coast, and thereby give us the weather window back that we were looking for when we tried to get on the train in Whitefish. Just as we started to ride the weather closed in and we decided to go back to the motel, book another night and then take a taxi to where we were heading - U-Haul. Having ridden from the Arctic to the Pacific and with the Northern winter right behind us we are heading for somewhere warmer to commence the Pacific to the Atlantic leg. Not long after we arrived at U-Haul we were driving out of the parking lot in the only vehicle they had available, a 17' pantec truck. So, for the same price as the food we would have bought for the trip to Portland, we had a truck to load our gear into, 4 days to get there and a mileage allowance of 620 miles to cover the 568 mile trip to Portland.

Missoula MT.

Tuesday 2 October 2007

Packing our gear up and getting it loaded and secured in the vast cavern of the truck we hit the road. Stopping to fill the tank was a painful experience in the price of fuel, and I was sure that there was hole in the bottom of the fuel tank.

Eventually leaving Missoula we drove 316 miles,leaving Montana, passing through Idaho and eventually arriving in Walla Walla in Washington State.

We are heading for Portland Oregon where we intend staying with some Warm Showers people before we recommence our ride by heading off towards the coast.

It looks like we have found our weather window away from the cold- the rain however might be another story.

Wednesday 3 October 2007

Not sure where to stay, where things were and how to get out of Portland we decided that as we were members of Warm Showers that we would try and stay with a local, so having contacted them prior we arrived at the home of Terry and Mary Owen. Arriving in our U-Haul truck after following Terry's magnificent directions, we were warmly welcomed and shown around their beautiful home. Terry & Mary had to go out for a bit so left us to our own devices for a while, but upon their return we got to know each other and spent a very pleasant evening chatting. Bed tonight was a really nice gobble up bed that was so warm and comfortable we could have stayed in it forever.

Portland

Thursday 4 October 2007

After a wonderful sleep we spent the day running errands, washing, shopping, etc, the first job being to clean and return the U-Haul truck. With the truck returned the rest of the day was spent fault finding the solar panel and arranging for it to be returned under warranty, checking and packing the trikes, website maintenance and of course chatting and spending time with our hosts. After our evening meal we spent some time watching slide shows of each others photo's before we flopped back into that wonderful gobble up bed. - We couldn't have picked more wonderful hosts to stay with.

Portland

Friday 5 October 2007

Leaving Terry & Mary's place with Terry leading the way on his bike, we zig zagged through the neighbourhood and eventually arrived at the main highway we would follow to the coast. Terry left us to our own devices and started back up the hills to home. We were riding along the highway where the "strip shopping" is located, miles and miles of shops selling every conceivable item made. We stopped in a large Fred Myer supermarket to use the toilet and when I came out I found Joanne chatting with a local cop, who had come over for a chat while staking out a car believed to have been driven by a drunk driver.

We continued to ride through suburbs and around lunchtime stopped to pick up some supplies. While Joanne was inside enjoying some retail therapy I had a nice chat with a few people who just came up to me and wanted to know what was going on, their jaws hitting the ground when I told them where we had started the trip from. Shopping over we rode off to the Post Office to send our solar panel back for warranty work before filling our fuel tanks with lunch and riding on. Leaving the suburbs we were riding through farmland area, the open paddocks with the occasional house and lighter traffic, the sky still blue but large clouds starting to form. Arriving in Gales Creek we stopped outside of the small store to use the portaloo outside (most small towns do not have public toilets) and then continued on until we arrived at Highway 6.

Highway 6 was our road to the coast but before we could see the sea, or feel the sand of the Pacific Ocean in between our toes, we had to cover some kilometres, and of course some of that was uphill. Riding uphill through the forest were passing trees with moss growing on all of the branches making them look like weird wooden statues, lots of ferns and moss in an area that was pretty well jungle and by the looks of it certainly almost always very moist.

We eventually arrived at the turnoff to the campground before we dropped down into the Forest via the mile long dirt road, arriving at the campground next to Gales Creek. Setting up camp in one of the hiker/biker sites was easy as other than the camp host we were the only campers there. The last rays of the sun had left the forest floor and we could feel the sweat from today's labour cooling our clothes and us at the same time. So with the forest canopy and trees blocking the last of the days sun we started to cook our evening meal while we watched the forest transform from day to night. Quickly cleaning and packing up we dived back into the tent where we were glad of its warmth and protection from the cold that was descending on us.

Today's Stats

From: Portland OR

To: Gales Ck

Ride Time:
3 hrs 50 min's

Distance:
56.44 km's

Av Speed:
14.6 km/h

Max Speed:
44.5 km/h

Max Altitude:
258m

Av Climb: 2 %

Max Climb: 11 %

Weather: 7-15 deg C. Sunny.

Camp Location:

N: 45°38'34.4 "

W: 123°21'41.4 "

Saturday 6 October 2007

I would never have known how dark an Oregon forest could be if my bladder hadn't woken me and asked to be relieved. Waking up fully, I was surprised at how dark it was, a darkness so deep and enveloping that it was scary, the forest around us totally quiet adding to the mood. Reluctantly I crawled out of our warm comfortable sleeping bag, put the headlamp and thongs on and left the safety and comfort of our cocoon. Leaving the darkness and cold behind I crawled back into the tent and sleeping bag briefly reflecting on how long it has been since I had experienced that type of darkness and how different that is to the 24 hours of daylight that we experienced in the arctic.

Quickly regaining sleep and all too quickly morning came, the deep darkness replaced by a lighter sky and the forest floor coming into focus and life. Leaving the tent again the cool of the morning greeted us as we packed up and prepared for another day on the road. Climbing out of the campsite we arrived at the road to find foggy conditions which quickly turned into rain.

We were again climbing and this time we were climbing into the clouds and rain that were covering the mountains. The more we climbed the more the rain fell, the hill's gradient ensuring that we were working hard in the cold damp air, long columns of breath being expelled and making us look like a steam train chugging its way up the hill.

Five kilometres on and we had reached the summit and what followed was 30 kilometres of downhill as the road ran through the forest, the road windy and tight in places and following a river, in general very pleasant riding - except for the rain. Despite being rugged up in our wet weather gear we were warm and dry, and with the downhill, making good time. Stopping at a roadside rest area for an early lunch we managed to get out of the rain under the roof of a small information booth while the rain continued to fall.

Arriving in the town of Tillamook and with the rain getting heavier we went in search of the Tourist Information Centre. 1 and 3/4 miles later we found the building on the Northern approaches to town and the sign on the door that said "Closed". Two other cyclists there were also looking for assistance but like us, they had to do with the pamphlets left outside. With the rain continuing to fall we were riding back to the main part of town when I went to dodge a large rock and accidentally ran over it puncturing my rear tyre. Luckily for us there was a small town map with a largish roof over the top nearby which was just perfect for keeping us out of the rain while we effected repairs. A few kilometres later we were booking into a motel, the lady giving us an old towel to wipe everything down and then allowing us to put the trikes inside in their industrial laundry room to keep them safe and out of the weather.

Today's Stats

From: Gales Ck

To: Tillamook

Ride Time:
3 hrs 51 min's

Distance:
64.7  km's

Av Speed:
16.8 km/h

Max Speed:
46.9 km/h

Max Altitude:
1216 m

Av Climb: 3 %

Max Climb: 8 %

Weather: 6-11 deg C.

Camp Location:

N: 45°27'30.9 "

W: 123°50'38.2 "

Sunday 7 October 2007

Filling us with joy, the local man told us "We get around 100 inches of rain here", as we sat on the porch of the store at Sandlake, and judging from this mornings ride from Tillamook, they were having a good addition to the years total.

We had left our motel room with plenty of water falling from the sky and made our way to the coast, sighting the Pacific Ocean for the second time this trip, this time at Netarts Bay. Our trip to the ocean from Tillamook was only around 10 kilometres but it was not that easy a trip. Continual rain, a few hills and then Joanne ran over some glass and punctured her front right tyre. So there we were, standing in the rain on the side of the road with vehicles whizzing by and adding their spray to that already falling from the sky, trying to keep the tools and the punctured wheel dry and all the time wondering if we were having fun yet? The glass had left a sizeable hole in both the tyre and the tube, the tyre still serviceable but the tube was a goner, so using our only spare front wheel tube, we effected the repairs and got back on our way.

Riding along the waterfront we were being set on by mother nature, the wind blowing its heart out ensuring that the buckets of rain falling from the sky stung our exposed skin and eyes causing us to blink often and view the world like watching an old movie. The rough surface of the road ensuring that we were using plenty of energy as we fought it and the elements and making us wonder when the last time the road was maintained. The ocean, covered in white caps was a beautiful sight, its energy and wildness captivating, but not enough to take our minds off of the task at hand. A few people were out in their boats, challenged as much as we were by the weather and collecting their crab pots.

Eventually leaving the oceanside we began climbing and climbing, the forest shielding us from the ocean spray and wind, but with the roar of the sea still audible we knew we were not out of its grasp just yet. We were following the Three Capes Scenic route as we climbed up into the Cape Lookout State Park, the canopy of trees at times thick enough to block the satellite reception to our GPS. Up and up we climbed, the road and surroundings reminiscent of the black spur in Australia, winding its way up and over the cape, the forest darkening our day the further we went and making us thankful for our rear flashing lights. Faint glimpses of light through the trees reminding us of the weather outside of the forest.

Stopping for a rest at Anderson's lookout we were able to view where we had come from and the ocean as it pounded the thin sliver of sand between it and Netarts Bay.

Before long we arrived at the summit where we could see the wind blowing sheets of rain up the hill like a snow storm and into which we were headed. With legs that were begging for a rest we stopped and used the portaloo at the trailhead car park and then slipped down the hill directly into the storm as it was blown up the roadway. The downhill was a good run, winding its way down the hill towards Sandlake, the road, wind blown and damaged by tree routes was slippery and challenging to ride. Using all of our experience we negotiated the downhill as quickly as we could, arriving in the small location of Sandlake and slightly better weather.

The store in Sandlake sat in the middle of nowhere, its location being just that, a location. Pulling into the car park we quickly went inside to see what hot food they had available to cheer us up. Food obtained we were sitting on the front porch with the wind whistling through we devoured our microwave burrito meal, coffee and chocolate bar while chatting with the locals about our trip, and the woes of the USA - guns, illegal immigrants, the North American Indian problems and of course, the weather. They were nice people, so friendly and happy to sit and chat as the weather continued to pound the area. 100 inches of rain per year - hmmm.

Riding off into the wind we said goodbye and started off to cover the 8 miles, or so they said, to Pacific City where we hoped to find a nice, cheap motel. The riding was slightly easier but the wind and rain continued. We were reasonable warm and dry inside our storm clothing and generating enough body eat to remain that way for quite some time. Back along the coast again and pounded by the wind and rain we climbed a small headland where we could see the wide, deserted beach as it stretched up and down the Oregon coast, Cape Kiwanda and its huge monolithic rock sitting out in the sea ahead.

Quickly passing through Cape Kiwanda, its small shopping centre surrounded by oceanside holiday units and homes we were soon at Pacific City, a 1,000 strong town and the small motel that Joanne had picked for us. Booking in we were given a nice room and another, an old office, for our trikes. So for the second night in a row, our trikes, like us, will be staying indoors out of the inhospitable weather. Pity the Wi-fi didn't work though. We have found that many places here have Wi-fi except when the weather is bad and then the whole thing goes on the blink.

Today's Stats

From: Tillamook

To: Pacific City

Ride Time:
3 hrs 35 min's

Distance:
45.1 km's

Av Speed:
12.6 km/h

Max Speed:
59.8 km/h

Max Altitude:
256m

Av Climb:  %

Max Climb:  %

Weather: deg C.

Camp Location:

N45 12 01.5 W123 57 40.1

N: 45°12'01.5 "

W: 123°57'40.1 "

Previous Page    Next Page