Wednesday, June 6, 2012-Say Goodbye to the Pacific

The day started with the sun shining but 45 degrees. I rode out of the state park and turned south to face a climb first thing in the morning. Oh, Lovely! It turned out to be a 3.5 mile climb at a speedy 6 mph that went from sea level to 839 feet. It was a lovely cool morning among the evergreens and bubbling creeks and the view from the top was wonderful. Even better was the 3.5 mile decent down the other side.  I was feeling rather sluggish today, even though I knew it was going to only be a 58 mile ride. We called on Tuesday evening to make reservations at the Wandering Spirit RV park in Grand Ronde, OR. I had to say goodbye to the Pacific Ocean, as I was now head East toward the Cascade Mountain Range. The next climb came on Old Scenic Highway 101 which again was very lovely but another long climb. In the middle of the climb a fellow came up behind me and we road together for the next 8 miles or so. His name was Belthazar and he was on a cross country ride also, but had set his own agenda based on places he wanted to see and planned to take a more Northerly route. He was an English teacher in the New England states area, but he grew up living at the foot of the Alps. He was a very pleasant fellow and I appreciated the company! We parted company as he was continuing a little further down the coast to see Crater Lake, then head to Yellowstone NP. The day included more close encounters with the logging truck monsters and lots of motorist who don’t feel the need to move over for cyclists. The campground is nice, and we were able to do a little laundry and had a big pot of chicken stew. It always tastes better when you can eat outside! The leg muscles are a little sore, but not unbearable. Tomorrow is a 70+ mileage day and we have reservations in Harrisburg, OR.

 This is the hill I had to climb and once you get to what appears to be the top, there is another turn, keep climbing, then another turn, keep climbing, and so on.

 ...and this is where I have been, looking behind you give a sense of accomplishment.

                                            One of the last views of the Pacific Ocean.

 The bike was taking a rest by the sign descibing the Old Scenic Highway 101

 Balthazar before we parted company. He flew to Washington State, then purchased a bike and all his gear. He was telling me about riding in Europe to include the Alps.

                               ....Shhh, the little guy must have been very tired as I stopped for a break and he did not even wake up. Shocking!!

The trees are huge in Oregon, which explains the logging operation. This one I found to be interesting as it was covered with moss on the lower section. The forest is very dense.