Hills on top of Hills!

First off, I want to apologize for the delay in blog posts. The last few nights, I haven’t had any internet connection, so I’ve been forced to withhold from posting my writings. Do not fret. I’m back. Plus, you’re getting three for one today since I’m going to recap the past three days of riding. What a deal! You can’t pass that up.

Sunday started early in the morning, as I left to start riding, I had yet to find a place to stay in Coos Bay. Not a big deal. A lot of mornings start that way. Luckily for me, I realized that there were some additional Warmshowers hosts about 25 miles past Coos Bay, in Bandon, Oregon. I pounced on the opportunity. Thankfully Amy and Steve offered to host me on such short notice, which was incredibly nice of them. I knew by 8:30 AM that I’d be staying with them, so I was ready for the extra miles. Previously, I was excited about the prospect of back to back short days of 50 miles. However, with this change in plans, it meant that I’d be riding 75 on Sunday, and then have a short ride to Port Orford on Monday. No biggie. I’m down for it.

The ride started pretty well. Had a small tailwind, and begin making my time. My achilles were sore to begin the ride, but loosened up as I traveled onward. After a few miles in, the pain was very minimal. Which is a huge relief. I’ve been taking special care of them the past few days, and to finally see some progress is a big deal. Believe it or not, the rides are a lot more enjoyable when there is no excruciating pain every pedal stroke.

As I was riding along, about 5-10 miles outside of Florence, I saw a car in a ditch. Now this ditch was steep. Thus the truck had flipped over on it’s side, and it looked like it had been pulling a trailer as well. I had to turn around and check things out. I saw that there were still tire marks in the mud, and the brush was still folded over. Was someone in there? Unconscious? Did this happen overnight? I knew that there was no way for the cars to see down into the ditch from the roadway. I, of course, had to climb down through about 20 yards of brush and thorns to inspect the situation and make sure nobody was in the car. Thankfully, the truck was empty. Whoever was in their must have walked away. I’m not sure if the accident was reported, because I felt it was odd to leave the truck there. It definitely startled me. In the end, it seems as if nobody was hurt, which was the most important thing.

I continued onward on my trek to Bandon, Oregon. The ride wasn’t as gorgeous as the previous day. Mostly because Highway 101 was inland. I only got a few views of the ocean in the distance during the entire ride. Unfortunately, I still had a number of tough climbs. These climbs seemed to last forever. Just a gradual incline. I think when building these roads the construction equipment must have been powered by Energizer. These hills just keep going, and going, and going. I always make it to the top. Slowly, but surely, I do. The downhills are fun, but I’d much rather have a nice tailwind, and flat ground on a ride.

I felt Bandon, Oregon had a few things in common with my hometown of Wisconsin Rapids. First, I was very surprised to see cranberry marshes. I saw quite a few cranberry marshes, mostly affiliated with Ocean Spray. In Central Wisconsin, where I’m from, cranberries are a staple crop. Secondly, Bandon Crossings golf course is a world class golf and lodging get away. People from around the world travel to experience the course. Coincidentally, the owner and creator of Bandon Crossings is currently in the process of building a course just south of Wisconsin Rapids.

I biked the few miles off of 101 to get to Amy and Steve’s house for the night. They have a lovely, newly renovated home. Steve, with his humurous personality, kept me entertained throughout the evening. Reminiscing how he picked up a hitchhiker back in 1972 from Portage, WI. While also stating that his two years living in New Berlin, WI were more than enough. Amy on the other hand, much like myself, spent time living in Kenya. For us, it was an opportunity to talk about the country we care for deeply. Not many people know the cities of Kenya, or the different cultural customs. Thus, when you find someone who knows all about Kenya, that typically dominates the conversation. From matatus to chapati, we talked about everything Kenyan. Kenya believe it? Don’t worry. I’ll keep my day job.

Steve also drove me around the golf course. I was pretty interested in it, since the one near Wisconsin Rapids should be opening next year. The course has 72 holes, and multiple lodging for everyone who stays. It was gorgeous. A perfect evening, with a setting sun, green grass, and the waves of the ocean. Between the gorgeous views, excellent food, and world class golf, anyone who visited seemed to enjoy their stay. The owner apparently makes a million dollars a year just on his wine profits. Maybe B4B should do a wine fundraiser?

I woke up on Monday to some early morning chai a kenyan tea staple. It hit the spot, along with some cereal, and I set out on the road. I knew Port Orford was about 31 miles away, so it should be a simple ride. Practically a day off. Steve and Amy told me of a state campground just south of Port Orford, that a lot of people stay at. I decided to stay there for the night, and with a wind from the south, it was a good day to only have a few miles. In the end, I set up camp at Humbug Mountain State Park. Yes. I too, believe they should have Scrooge as their mascot. However, I’ve heard it’s not the best place to camp over Christmas. Just not much holiday spirit.

I was able to set up camp before the rain, and even was able to venture down to the beach to get some pictures of myself. Usually, I don’t have time, nor want to deal with setting up my tripod, focusing the camera, and then running to try and snap a picture. However, I gave it a shot. Didn’t turn out too bad! I’ll probably try taking some more along the rest of the route. I’ve also met a few other campers in the campground. A couple from Australia and Seattle, as well as Pam, a bicycle tourer who previously went across the United States. This time around, Pam was in her camper, but talked with me about my ride when she saw my tent pitched. She even brought over some granola bars, an apple and orange! That kind of generousity from complete strangers is unbelievable. I’m continually impressed by how nice people are in this world we live in.

The remainder of the evening was working to set up a tarp for my campground neighbors of Becca and Peter. Peter, the Australian, and Becca, had managed to lock the keys in the car, so they decided to spend their time waiting for Triple A to arrive by setting up a tarp. After many unsuccessful attempts we finally got the tarp set up, just in time for it to stop raining. Fortunately, or unfortunately, it started raining again shortly later. We huddled around the campfire to stay warm. The last warmth I would see for the night.

The rains came. And they poured throughout the night. I even woke up to sleet and ice on my rain fly. Awful. I spent the night huddled in my sleeping bag, using my breath to stay warm once again. I slept, but I didn’t sleep well. They should start calling me the postman, because nor wind, nor rain, nor sleet can stop me from getting the miles in.

The morning ride was pretty chilly, and wet. For the first time, I put on my gloves to keep my hands warm. It must have been sleeping in the cold, because I just had a slow start. My pace was not good. However, as the temperature warmed so did my muscles and my pace picked up throughout the day. The hills of the Pacific Northwest never seem to end. For essentially the first fifty miles of today’s ride, it all felt as if it was either uphills or downhills. No flatland. Nothing even close to it. Of course, it does give you magnficent views of the rocky shorelines. However, flat ground every once in a while would be wonderful.

For lunch, I stopped in the small town of Brookings, Oregon to meet with another stranger soon to be friend for lunch! Laurie heard about Biking for Baseball and my endeavor through a mutual friend, and decided that she had to take me out to lunch. She treated me to a delicious Mexican meal, which was really just what I needed to make it the last 27 miles of riding to Crescent City. Once again, the generosity of people continues to amaze me.

I pulled into Crescent City around 5PM, as it was a long day of riding. Those hills really took a toll on me. Luckily, my warmshowers host Katie, immediately welcomed me with open arms. She has hosted over 328 people in one year. That’s insane. Way to go Katie! She utlizes the kitchen and lounge area of her local church and put it to good use. I’m incredibly impressed with her kindness. She even told me the best places to stop for some tourist activities!

For me, California will be my new home for the next few weeks as I bike the state in it’s entirety. It’ll be a fun adventure. Though, a touring cyclist drinking a whole lot of water won’t help much with this drought. Either way, I’m excited to enter a new state. You treated me well Oregon!

Day 8
Daily Mileage: 77.8 miles
Total Mileage: 553 miles

 

PS Sorry about the lack of photos. I have more to add! However my internet connection is not cooperating.