So I kinda didn't update this blog as I traveled down the west coast. The main reason was the lack of libraries in the small ocean side towns I cycled through. Another reason was with all the climbing along the coast (after making it across the country) my legs were sore and I was taking my time completing the 60-70 miles a day I was doing, and sitting in a library trying to update a backlog of days didn't sound appealing. The west coast was my "bonus" ride that I thought was going to be a wind down ride, which turned out to be chuck full of climbing!
So, how was the west coast? Awesome scenery, some of the best of the trip! But the roads! Oh, the roads... lots of traffic and no shoulders! If I was going to get hit by a car at any point on this trip, it would have been the west coast.
But the sights, from the ocean views to the giant redwood forests to crossing the golden gate bridge, it was awesome. And I loved the convenient state parks all along the coast, $5 hiker/biker sites and most had showers. I started getting used to this ease of camping.
I also met a whole bunch of friends along the way. The west coast route was by far the most popular route of the trip, every night the hiker / biker sites would be full of 5-15 bikers, and you would see the same people almost every night in sections where there were state parks every 60 or so miles, which was a good distance to cover for a day.
Alas, all good things have to come to an end. By the time I hit San Francisco I could tell I needed an extended rest off the bike, my knees were telling me they wanted more than a token day off every two weeks or so. Plus, my friends from home were planning on doing a cycling tour around Lake Champlain in a week's time which I really wanted to join them on.
My good friend Jose who lives in San Jose drove down to Santa Cruz and picked me up on day 82. We went back to his place and I hung out with him and his family for the weekend while I packed up my bike. I flew out on Sunday evening and arrived in Syracuse, NY, Monday around noon!
All in all, 82 days & 5,340 miles! It was an epic adventure! At times I questioned if I would make it, but I met so many great people along the way, some hosted me, some rode with me. I will remember this trip for as long as I live. What should I do next?
Seaside, OR to Santa Cruz, CA
Friday, August 31, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
DAY 69 - REST DAY IN SEASIDE
Ahhhh, the joys of sleeping in! When I finally got out of bed, the two guys in the RV were gone, they left early to get to a festival in Portland where one of the guys wanted to sell his bicycle-themed jewelry he made the day before (he had some skills!) Neil was gone somewhere too, so it was me and the hitchhiker just hanging out.
I ate some breakfast and hung out, eventually Neil showed up for a few minutes before heading out again, not to be back till tomorrow. He told us to just make ourselves at home and just to lock up when we left. A little while after the hitchhiker left too, to find a ride to Astoria, leaving me all alone in Neil's house!
Around lunch time I hit up the Subway down the street, and then came back and did what I haven't been able to do in a long time - took a midday nap! When I awoke I pulled out the Pacific coast maps and started plotting out my rides, something I never did more than a day or two in advance before, but since I need to at some point purchase a plane ticket back, I need to figure out about when I'll be in San Francisco.
That took a long time as I would go back and forth between looking at the map, the elevation profile, see if any warmshowers people were nearby my stopping points, and found alternate places to camp if those fell through. One nice thing along the coast is all the state parks have $5 hiker/biker sites that do not need reservations, which is very awesome, I could just go from state park to state park if I want to!
It started getting late, so I updated the backlog of days on my blog and talked to my mom, and decided midnight was a good time to stop what I was doing and turn in for the night.
For tomorrow, I ride again!
I ate some breakfast and hung out, eventually Neil showed up for a few minutes before heading out again, not to be back till tomorrow. He told us to just make ourselves at home and just to lock up when we left. A little while after the hitchhiker left too, to find a ride to Astoria, leaving me all alone in Neil's house!
Around lunch time I hit up the Subway down the street, and then came back and did what I haven't been able to do in a long time - took a midday nap! When I awoke I pulled out the Pacific coast maps and started plotting out my rides, something I never did more than a day or two in advance before, but since I need to at some point purchase a plane ticket back, I need to figure out about when I'll be in San Francisco.
That took a long time as I would go back and forth between looking at the map, the elevation profile, see if any warmshowers people were nearby my stopping points, and found alternate places to camp if those fell through. One nice thing along the coast is all the state parks have $5 hiker/biker sites that do not need reservations, which is very awesome, I could just go from state park to state park if I want to!
It started getting late, so I updated the backlog of days on my blog and talked to my mom, and decided midnight was a good time to stop what I was doing and turn in for the night.
For tomorrow, I ride again!
DAY 68 - THE PACIFIC OCEAN
I woke up to a cool, damp, and foggy morning. No one had bothered me in my "unofficial" camp site, which was nice, and I packed up, ate a PB&J bagel, and left. Sadly, it looks like my cycle computer died last night, the wheel sensor stopped working, so I no longer get a speed reading or distance, but cadence still works. From here on out till I get a new one, all daily distances I record will be based off the ACA map segments, which should be pretty close.
I ended up biking in the fog all morning to Astoria. I made sure to turn on my flashing tail light, which I really haven't been using unless I'm riding at dusk or night. I also ended up wearing my windbreaker which usually get shed very quickly as I heat up, but it was cool enough to keep it on, even half-zipped. As I cycled I was surrounded by damp forest filled with tall pine trees and smaller vegetation like ferns between them.
Before I knew it I was coming down into Astoria and the town definitely had a foggy coastal fishing town vibe to it. The traffic was a bit congested around the peninsula that was the town, and I kept wondering where this end point will be, when will I hit the Pacific? Well, as it turns out, Astoria is kind technically still in the Columbia River, as you can still see the Washington shore on the other side of the water.
Looking at the map, I would have to push on to Seaside if I wanted to get to a beach with a full ocean view. The route between Astoria and Seaside goes back into the hills a bit, taking me on a windy rural road, aptly named the "Lewis & Clark Rd" with little traffic and a small but decent climb.
Once I made it to the top, I was treated to a fast windy downhill into Seaside. I jumped onto the I-101, the coastal highway which runs down to California, and I immediately noticed - lots of traffic. I was told to expect it, but as I entered Seaside, I started moving faster than the traffic, it was the slow moving kind you'd expect to see in any tourist town.
I would be staying with a warmshowers host tonight in town, Neil, who lives between I-101 and the Pacific, so I decided to check in with him before I went for my official dip in the ocean. I found his house pretty easily and was greeted by 2 guys there who were touring the west coast in an old but working RV and another guy who was hitchhiking, but Neil was out somewhere running errands.
After introducing myself and chatting for a while, the sun had come out and I wanted to finally hit the Pacific so I left the house and traveled maybe 100 yards to the beach. Let me tell you, riding a fully loaded touring bike in the sand worked for all of 5 seconds, and even pushing it was hard work, the tires just dig right into the sand.
I probably looked out of place on the beach populated by people in swimwear, but I didn't care. I pushed my bike out until the waves licked the tires... and I made it! Mission Completed! 4,447 miles from Ithaca, NY to the Pacific ocean in Seaside, OR!
I beamed with pride looking at the open ocean, and then remembered that I should probably get some pictures! I asked a woman nearby and once she heard how far I've gone she gladly agreed to help me. After that was all said and done, I just leaned on my bike's top tube and looked into the ocean for about 20 minutes.
My trip, which seemed very daunting the first couple weeks out, was completed. All those times I thought that it might be too much, too big to do, was done. I remember cycling through the corn fields of Indiana, wondering if I'd be able to make it through the winds of Kansas; in the Kansas heat, sweating, wondering how I would get over the passes of Colorado; crossing into Wyoming, hearing stories of crazy winds and snow in Montana and if I'd be able to get through it all... and I did.
Afterward, I cycled back to Neil's house where I hung out with the guys until Neil came back and then I introduced myself. Right off the bat I could tell Neil was the type of guy who was very generous with what he had and spent a lot of his time helping other people out. He loved having people at his house, and offered his cabin up in eastern Oregon to any of us that would be passing though.
Eventually it was getting later and everyone else was still up in the dining room chatting while I excused myself to get some much needed sleep. Neil said he was going to drive some kids to a track meet in Eugene tomorrow, but I should feel free to spend an extra day at his place if I wanted. I thanked him and told him a rest day sounded awesome...
It would give me a chance to sleep in, catch up on some things... and plan my trip to San Francisco! That's right, this bike trip just got extended! I picked up the Pacific coast route maps at the ACA headquarters in Missoula in case I got to the coast and decided to tack on another 800 miles! Might as well, everyone and their brother has been telling me that the Pacific coast is beautiful to bike, and hell, I'm already out here, let's do this!
Start: Gnat Creek Campground, OR
End: Seaside, OR
Distance: 40 miles
I ended up biking in the fog all morning to Astoria. I made sure to turn on my flashing tail light, which I really haven't been using unless I'm riding at dusk or night. I also ended up wearing my windbreaker which usually get shed very quickly as I heat up, but it was cool enough to keep it on, even half-zipped. As I cycled I was surrounded by damp forest filled with tall pine trees and smaller vegetation like ferns between them.
Before I knew it I was coming down into Astoria and the town definitely had a foggy coastal fishing town vibe to it. The traffic was a bit congested around the peninsula that was the town, and I kept wondering where this end point will be, when will I hit the Pacific? Well, as it turns out, Astoria is kind technically still in the Columbia River, as you can still see the Washington shore on the other side of the water.
Looking at the map, I would have to push on to Seaside if I wanted to get to a beach with a full ocean view. The route between Astoria and Seaside goes back into the hills a bit, taking me on a windy rural road, aptly named the "Lewis & Clark Rd" with little traffic and a small but decent climb.
Once I made it to the top, I was treated to a fast windy downhill into Seaside. I jumped onto the I-101, the coastal highway which runs down to California, and I immediately noticed - lots of traffic. I was told to expect it, but as I entered Seaside, I started moving faster than the traffic, it was the slow moving kind you'd expect to see in any tourist town.
I would be staying with a warmshowers host tonight in town, Neil, who lives between I-101 and the Pacific, so I decided to check in with him before I went for my official dip in the ocean. I found his house pretty easily and was greeted by 2 guys there who were touring the west coast in an old but working RV and another guy who was hitchhiking, but Neil was out somewhere running errands.
After introducing myself and chatting for a while, the sun had come out and I wanted to finally hit the Pacific so I left the house and traveled maybe 100 yards to the beach. Let me tell you, riding a fully loaded touring bike in the sand worked for all of 5 seconds, and even pushing it was hard work, the tires just dig right into the sand.
I probably looked out of place on the beach populated by people in swimwear, but I didn't care. I pushed my bike out until the waves licked the tires... and I made it! Mission Completed! 4,447 miles from Ithaca, NY to the Pacific ocean in Seaside, OR!
I beamed with pride looking at the open ocean, and then remembered that I should probably get some pictures! I asked a woman nearby and once she heard how far I've gone she gladly agreed to help me. After that was all said and done, I just leaned on my bike's top tube and looked into the ocean for about 20 minutes.
My trip, which seemed very daunting the first couple weeks out, was completed. All those times I thought that it might be too much, too big to do, was done. I remember cycling through the corn fields of Indiana, wondering if I'd be able to make it through the winds of Kansas; in the Kansas heat, sweating, wondering how I would get over the passes of Colorado; crossing into Wyoming, hearing stories of crazy winds and snow in Montana and if I'd be able to get through it all... and I did.
Afterward, I cycled back to Neil's house where I hung out with the guys until Neil came back and then I introduced myself. Right off the bat I could tell Neil was the type of guy who was very generous with what he had and spent a lot of his time helping other people out. He loved having people at his house, and offered his cabin up in eastern Oregon to any of us that would be passing though.
Eventually it was getting later and everyone else was still up in the dining room chatting while I excused myself to get some much needed sleep. Neil said he was going to drive some kids to a track meet in Eugene tomorrow, but I should feel free to spend an extra day at his place if I wanted. I thanked him and told him a rest day sounded awesome...
It would give me a chance to sleep in, catch up on some things... and plan my trip to San Francisco! That's right, this bike trip just got extended! I picked up the Pacific coast route maps at the ACA headquarters in Missoula in case I got to the coast and decided to tack on another 800 miles! Might as well, everyone and their brother has been telling me that the Pacific coast is beautiful to bike, and hell, I'm already out here, let's do this!
Start: Gnat Creek Campground, OR
End: Seaside, OR
Distance: 40 miles
Sunday, August 19, 2012
DAY 67 - GETTING CLOSE
I woke up today feeling a little blah, probably due to the beer and going to bed late. I half thought of just hanging out in Portland for another day, but got my self up and ready to ride.
The route out of Portland left the Columbia River for long sections and I found myself in more of a pine forest type setting. By noon it was getting hot again as I had to climb up a steep grade bluff. About half way up I stopped to take a picture in a pull out and from behind I met another cyclist, Will, who was sporting a backpack on a wide rear rack and a round plastic bear box looking container on his front rack. We rode up the rest of the hill together and talked along the way. He had been out 80 days from Wisconsin but had stopped in a couple places for a few weeks. He was into lightweight backpacking before cycling, so he was just using all the same gear, just on the bike. He was cycling with his girlfriend, but she wanted to go one way and he wanted to go another so they split up a week ago and were meeting back up today in Clatskanie.
We rode to there, where he and his girlfriend were going to spend the night with a local Buddhist monk from warmshowers. I thought that was really cool but he lived 4 miles outside town and I just wanted to press on towards the coast as it was only about 4pm. I wished Will a safe ride and parted ways.
I rode another 15 miles and over the last big hill towards Astoria and stopped at the Gnat Creek campground. This was a very small campground that was a popular spot for fishing and as I made my way in I only saw 3 campsites (online it said they had 6), all of which were taken. I thought the other 3 sites might be up this gravel road at the end of the parking lot, but after following it for a good mile and a half, it turned out to be just a logging road. So back I went, and with it getting dark, I just threw up my tent in this grassy area between two of the campsites (I was still a good 30 feet from either campsite so I felt that I wasn't annoying anyone) and payed my $5 fee for campsite "threeve", finally ate the can of chili I had been carrying for a good week, and went to bed.
The pacific coast awaits me tomorrow!
Start: Portland, OR
End: Gnat Creek Campground, OR
Distance: 74.12 miles
The route out of Portland left the Columbia River for long sections and I found myself in more of a pine forest type setting. By noon it was getting hot again as I had to climb up a steep grade bluff. About half way up I stopped to take a picture in a pull out and from behind I met another cyclist, Will, who was sporting a backpack on a wide rear rack and a round plastic bear box looking container on his front rack. We rode up the rest of the hill together and talked along the way. He had been out 80 days from Wisconsin but had stopped in a couple places for a few weeks. He was into lightweight backpacking before cycling, so he was just using all the same gear, just on the bike. He was cycling with his girlfriend, but she wanted to go one way and he wanted to go another so they split up a week ago and were meeting back up today in Clatskanie.
We rode to there, where he and his girlfriend were going to spend the night with a local Buddhist monk from warmshowers. I thought that was really cool but he lived 4 miles outside town and I just wanted to press on towards the coast as it was only about 4pm. I wished Will a safe ride and parted ways.
I rode another 15 miles and over the last big hill towards Astoria and stopped at the Gnat Creek campground. This was a very small campground that was a popular spot for fishing and as I made my way in I only saw 3 campsites (online it said they had 6), all of which were taken. I thought the other 3 sites might be up this gravel road at the end of the parking lot, but after following it for a good mile and a half, it turned out to be just a logging road. So back I went, and with it getting dark, I just threw up my tent in this grassy area between two of the campsites (I was still a good 30 feet from either campsite so I felt that I wasn't annoying anyone) and payed my $5 fee for campsite "threeve", finally ate the can of chili I had been carrying for a good week, and went to bed.
The pacific coast awaits me tomorrow!
Start: Portland, OR
End: Gnat Creek Campground, OR
Distance: 74.12 miles
DAY 66 - PORTLAND, OREGON!
I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of wind when I set out this morning! I was hoping to get to Portland early enough to see some of the city and maybe meet up with my friend Jess, who I just remembered lives in Portland last night, about the same time the first warmshowers host I contacted for Portland replied that I was welcome at his house which was only 3 blocks off the route.
The day was filled with wonderful scenery, I think the Columbia River canyon just gets better the closer you get to Portland. Another bluff to climb, but the rest of the day was pretty easy. I got to go through a number of narrow tunnels, each had a button before it for cyclists to press which lit up a light warning drivers that bicycles were in the tunnels, since they had no shoulders.
As I neared Portland the traffic increased and I got into urban biking mode. The route diverts to a bike path that then goes up onto the 205 bridge, sticking cyclists and foot traffic between the two sides of traffic in the center of the bridge. About half way across I stopped and took a picture of the Oregon sign and kept on going.
On the Portland side I rode along another bike path along the river, then onto streets, most of which had bike lanes! I noticed a lot of other cyclists out and about as I passed the university and eventually found my host's house. My host, Ethan, wasn't home yet but one of his roommates, Rob, let me in and showed me around. Both Ethan and Rob were very cool people, the house had a cool style and vibe going. Ethan came home and we chatted for a bit while he watered his garden he was keeping out back. He hadn't had a car for 3+ years and biked to work, but work had moved him to a location about 20 miles away, so he was biking 40 miles/day and while it was ok during the summer, he was dreading winter. He told me I was welcome to spend an extra day to two there if I wanted to check out the city, which would be fun, but I'm so close to the pacific coast, I think I'll just keep going.
I had been trading texts with Jess throughout the day and we had decided to meet downtown at the Rouge Ale Distillery downtown, about 7 miles away. I asked both Rob and Ethan if they would like to come out with me but they were busy, so I unloaded the bike and enjoyed the unladen speed as I biked downtown. I arrived a little after 8pm and Jess showed up not soon after. It had been a couple years since last time we saw each other, so we caught up over some beers and dinner. Before I knew it, it was 11:30pm and we both needed to get going.
I was still a little buzzed as it seems alcohol hits me harder on this trip than normal. I had an interesting time riding back to Ethan's, the roads were pretty empty and I enjoyed a night ride under the streetlights.
When I got back to the house, the back door was left unlocked for me, and I walked in to a quiet house, everyone was already asleep, so I got ready for bed and passed out in the extra room!
Start: West Roosevelt, WA
End: Portland, OR
Distance: 96.29 miles
The day was filled with wonderful scenery, I think the Columbia River canyon just gets better the closer you get to Portland. Another bluff to climb, but the rest of the day was pretty easy. I got to go through a number of narrow tunnels, each had a button before it for cyclists to press which lit up a light warning drivers that bicycles were in the tunnels, since they had no shoulders.
As I neared Portland the traffic increased and I got into urban biking mode. The route diverts to a bike path that then goes up onto the 205 bridge, sticking cyclists and foot traffic between the two sides of traffic in the center of the bridge. About half way across I stopped and took a picture of the Oregon sign and kept on going.
On the Portland side I rode along another bike path along the river, then onto streets, most of which had bike lanes! I noticed a lot of other cyclists out and about as I passed the university and eventually found my host's house. My host, Ethan, wasn't home yet but one of his roommates, Rob, let me in and showed me around. Both Ethan and Rob were very cool people, the house had a cool style and vibe going. Ethan came home and we chatted for a bit while he watered his garden he was keeping out back. He hadn't had a car for 3+ years and biked to work, but work had moved him to a location about 20 miles away, so he was biking 40 miles/day and while it was ok during the summer, he was dreading winter. He told me I was welcome to spend an extra day to two there if I wanted to check out the city, which would be fun, but I'm so close to the pacific coast, I think I'll just keep going.
I had been trading texts with Jess throughout the day and we had decided to meet downtown at the Rouge Ale Distillery downtown, about 7 miles away. I asked both Rob and Ethan if they would like to come out with me but they were busy, so I unloaded the bike and enjoyed the unladen speed as I biked downtown. I arrived a little after 8pm and Jess showed up not soon after. It had been a couple years since last time we saw each other, so we caught up over some beers and dinner. Before I knew it, it was 11:30pm and we both needed to get going.
I was still a little buzzed as it seems alcohol hits me harder on this trip than normal. I had an interesting time riding back to Ethan's, the roads were pretty empty and I enjoyed a night ride under the streetlights.
When I got back to the house, the back door was left unlocked for me, and I walked in to a quiet house, everyone was already asleep, so I got ready for bed and passed out in the extra room!
Start: West Roosevelt, WA
End: Portland, OR
Distance: 96.29 miles
DAY 65 - ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE DAYS
I woke up and it was already windy out. I exited my tent and while I was packing stuff up one of the wind surfers told me it was going to be a windy day all day today and that I should just hang out till tomorrow, but such is the life of a touring cyclist, I don't get to pick my days, I get to ride though it all... well, mostly, I'll be honest, if it was something crazy like 45 mph winds, I would have just stayed put.
The theme of today was just a constant headwind, from morning till night. There wasn't much I could do but just keep pedaling. At least the canyon scenery was great and it was mostly flat except for a 750 foot bluff I had to climb. I was on the side of the river with less services, and was a little concerned when the few services on the map turned out to be either out of business or way down the bluff near the water, meaning I'd have to go down and then re-climb this bluff, something I was not really wanting to do.
A little bit after noon, on top of the bluff I found a pavilion along side the road and stopped to eat some lunch in it's shade. It was getting hot again, but at least the headwind helped keep me a little cooler. While eating I had finished up all the water in my water bottles, and found out that I should have changed the water in my reserve bottles because there were some interesting things floating in them.
Since it was still some distance to the next service that may or may not be there, I had to once again go knocking on the door of one of the few houses along the route. I was very happy that they allowed me use of their hose and I filled up on water and continued my ride.
A couple hours later as I had descended and was getting close to a legit town, a man in a work van stopped ahead of me and came out to greet me. It turns out he was also a cyclist and had done a bunch of tours and was a warmshowers host in Portland. He offered me more water and then a place to stay when I got to Portland if I need it. I love that there are people like this out there.
After a full day of fighting the wind, I made it to Bingen and went looking for the hostel, which was a re-purposed old elementary school. $19 got me a bunk there for the night. I took a much needed shower and then did some exploring around the place as it was just interesting, lockers still lined the hall walls and the gym was open for anyone who wanted to use it. Before I knew it, it was 10pm, lights out time in the bunk rooms, and I fell fast asleep, enjoying another night in a bed!
Start: West Roosevelt, WA
End: Bingen, WA
Distance: 69.52 miles
The theme of today was just a constant headwind, from morning till night. There wasn't much I could do but just keep pedaling. At least the canyon scenery was great and it was mostly flat except for a 750 foot bluff I had to climb. I was on the side of the river with less services, and was a little concerned when the few services on the map turned out to be either out of business or way down the bluff near the water, meaning I'd have to go down and then re-climb this bluff, something I was not really wanting to do.
A little bit after noon, on top of the bluff I found a pavilion along side the road and stopped to eat some lunch in it's shade. It was getting hot again, but at least the headwind helped keep me a little cooler. While eating I had finished up all the water in my water bottles, and found out that I should have changed the water in my reserve bottles because there were some interesting things floating in them.
Since it was still some distance to the next service that may or may not be there, I had to once again go knocking on the door of one of the few houses along the route. I was very happy that they allowed me use of their hose and I filled up on water and continued my ride.
A couple hours later as I had descended and was getting close to a legit town, a man in a work van stopped ahead of me and came out to greet me. It turns out he was also a cyclist and had done a bunch of tours and was a warmshowers host in Portland. He offered me more water and then a place to stay when I got to Portland if I need it. I love that there are people like this out there.
After a full day of fighting the wind, I made it to Bingen and went looking for the hostel, which was a re-purposed old elementary school. $19 got me a bunk there for the night. I took a much needed shower and then did some exploring around the place as it was just interesting, lockers still lined the hall walls and the gym was open for anyone who wanted to use it. Before I knew it, it was 10pm, lights out time in the bunk rooms, and I fell fast asleep, enjoying another night in a bed!
Start: West Roosevelt, WA
End: Bingen, WA
Distance: 69.52 miles
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