Adventures after the NWLoop

Since I returned home in September, I have continued to ride as much as possible. It is now November and the weather has remained warm. I spend a lot of time riding alone, confidence found during my adventures on the NW Loop trip. I can change a tire and clean my bike, something I struggled at before the trip.

I took a beautiful 50 mile trip from my house to the Lake Road which parallels Lake Ontario to Durant Eastman Park. The park is loaded with beautiful trails. I had my lunch there and rode back. Later in the week three of my friends rode on our Erie Canal path to the city of Newark, NY and back, about 33 miles. Pictured here are l-r Sue S., me, Sue L., Dawn.

Astoria to Portland, OR (August 29, Saturday)

We woke up to a dreary day with a fine mist falling; not too promising for our 100 mile day! My riding partner, Anne, had taken a tumble on her bike the day before and wasn't sure if she would be riding. As I headed down to breakfast I was pleased to see she was dressed in her bike clothes. She said she was ready to go but I could tell she wasn't quite her old self. We had ridden every single mile of this trip and I know she wanted to finish.

We left about 6:45 AM with lights blinking for visibility in the drizzle. After heading out of the hotel on to a busy commuter road with a slippery steel bridge we all walked over, the traffic became less and the climbing began.

Around mile eight, we started to come upon the first runners of the "Hood to the Coast" relay race that had started at Mt. Hood the day before. There were about 12,000 runners, in teams of twelve. They ran for 4-8 mile legs before another member of the relay took over at the designated check point. They would end the event in the town of Seaside, on the coast. They were running toward us so auto traffic behind us was non existent. This was great, however, we moved slowly to avoid the runners and other people at their check points and feed stations. Their support vehicles were on the opposite side of the road decorated with paint, blowup mannequins, balloons, and bells and whistles. They moved slowly in the opposite direction from us. Still, between the runners, their support vehicles, the rain, and the potholes in the road, it kept us alert. We met our sag wagon at mile 21 and enjoyed some homemade cookies. She was doing her best to keep up with us with all the obstacles.

Most of the runners were congratulating us once they found out where we had been, others wondered why our event was scheduled on the same day, not knowing it was the end of a 30 day tour. We were encouraging the runners too.

We were also climbing between a 3-7% grade at times then a 6% downhill again with the runners and potholes and rain. I never took my camera out for pictures because of the rain. We got pretty wet and cold for a while but then the sun came out and warmed us up. We had runners until around mile 40. The terrain flattened out for about twenty miles. Round mile 57.9 we entered the Scapoose/Vernonia HWY toward St. Helens. Around mile 64 we started a pretty good climb which at times reached the 7% grade. A steep 6%, three mile descent followed and the sun began to dry the road. The trailer and van, pulling out luggage, kitchen, and those who decided to sag in, was coming up behind me. Since I had a clear view ahead I decided to let the bike go, which was almost 32 miles/hour - fast for me; but this allowed the van to get by me easier.

Anne was doing great, even though she kept saying," you don't have to wait for me." I really wasn't that much faster then her and no one needed to be out alone for so many miles.

As the sun continued to heat us up, we had one last chance to enjoy the scenery before turning onto HWY 30 toward Portland. The road had a wide, fairly debris free shoulder to ride on. As we got to the outskirts of Portland at mile 90 the traffic really picked up. Closer to downtown, we over took Barb S. who was riding alone. The road now had less of a shoulder so we stuck together for the last miles in. Once we got to downtown Portland we had a nice bike lane but lots of street turns and traffic - car, trolley, and other bikes to contend with. We arrived at our hotel to find Ken, and Barb's family waiting for us. Barb had to go around the block one more time because her grandchildren had been in the bathroom at the time of her arrival. She did the big entry one more time for them!

So I did it, every single mile! I had a great time and saw parts of the country I have never scene before. Sometimes the beauty brought tears to my eyes. I learned a lot about my bike and how to clean and fix it. I hope to never have to experience I-84 again but have managed to survive lumber trucks and camper trucks and stiff head and crosswinds. I still prefer going uphill to down, but I am getting better at the downhill. I will have to cut back on eating though! My God is an awesome God that showed me some of His finest works and kept me safe throughout. And to my friends and family; thanks for all your support and prayers.

Today's stats: 102.07 miles, 7hrs. 23 min., fastest speed 31.9, avg. 13.8, we climbed 3,578'

Total miles for the entire trip: 1491.6, total climbing was over 55,000'

Later in the evening we had a wonderful banquet and said our good byes to those leaving for early flights. Ken picked me up on Sunday and we spent the day in Portland. Sunday night we headed to my sister's house in Salem to spend a couple of days with her family. We will be heading to Rochester on September 2. See many of you then!

Mannzanita to Astoria, OR

The sun broke out late yesterday to end our rest day with a beautiful sunset. We said goodbye to Karina who had to fly back to Boston early. She is a Professor at a college in Boston which was starting school on Monday. She felt she needed time to get organized. She was our youngest rider at 44. L-R Me, Carolyn, Vicky, Karina, Karen

This morning, however, dawned gloomy with a 40 percent chance of rain. I packed my raincoat this time and headed out of our hotel. We immediately started a three mile climb which got us all warmed up! We stopped at some scenic lookouts with wonderful views of the Oregon coast. At mile 7.8 we came to a tunnel where we pressed a button which started lights flashing. This indicated to cars that bicycles were in the tunnel. Four of us went in together. It was wet in there and we were moving downhill, so we were going pretty quick.

We went through the town of Cannon Beach. It was a very trendy place with wonderful shops and eateries. Just outside of town we had a good view of Haystack rock which is 235' high. It is the third highest coastal monolith in the world.

We were on HWY 101 again and had a three mile climb of 6-7%. At mile 22 we turned onto a bike path at the town of Seaside. Seaside reminded me of Mertle Beach. The bike path was between the ocean and the town. You had to go slow to meander between the pedestrians. Seaside had tents and services set up on the beach as they are the finish line for a running relay race that started yesterday at Mt. Hood. 12,000 runners are involved and we should see some of them tomorrow.

Once out of Seaside we worked our way to the Lewis and Clark Road. We started on the Lewis and Clark route and we are finishing on parts of it as well. The road had a 5-7% climb but then became a series of dips and turns and descents, a lot of fun!

This was at mile 32 and it began to rain lightly. We wanted to get to Fort Clastsop at mile 37 before the rain got too heavy. Fort Clastsop was built by Lewis and Clark as a place for them to overwinter. They named the fort after the local Indian tribe, the Clatsop. The Clatsop were very friendly and traded with Lewis and Clark. They helped them survive the winter months.

By the time we were ready to leave the fort it was raining pretty steady. There were four of us left: Anne, Karen, Barb S., and myself. We put on all our warm clothes and rain gear and headed out onto HWY 101 toward Astoria. We only had about seven miles to go. Of coarse the road traffic became heavier a we got closer to Astoria and the shoulder was full of gravel. At mile 39 we had a narrow bridge to go over which also had a button to push to warn of bicycles on the bridge. We followed signs to HWY 202 then back to HWY 101 and a roundabout to head into Astoria proper. We pulled in very drenched and thankful to be safe.

My room wasn't ready so I hosed my bike down and dried her off.

The rain stopped and Anne decided to ride her bike on the bike trail that goes along the Columbia River. I decided I wanted to dry everything out for tomorrow, so opted out of the adventure. She slipped on the trolley rails that follow the path and crashed, breaking her sunglasses which put a nice gash in the side of her head and taking a chunk of finger nail out of her thumb. Anne will see how she feels in the morning and determine if she can ride tomorrow. I would really miss riding our last day together, but we will see how she feels in the morning.

The city of Astoria is very interesting. The city sits near the mouth of the Columbia River. My roommate tonight, Clark and I and Penny took the trolley for $1 to see the sites. The trolley conductor talked about the canning industry, the salmon fishing, John J. Astor and his buildings and homes, and other businesses. Astoria is the place where fish sticks were invented and well as imitation crab.

We are staying at the at the Holiday Inn Express and have a beautiful view of the Columbia River. Stats: 46.54 miles, 3hrs. 54 min., fastest time 29.5, avg. 11.9 total miles as far as I can tell is 1314.51.

Neskowin to Manzanita, OR (Wed. August 26)

After a 7:30 AM breakfast, late for us, but a reason to wait for some of the fog to lift - we headed out again onto HWY 101. Immediately, we had gorgeous views of the ocean. At mile 6.6 we left the highway on Brooten Road towards Pacific City. The day was very clear and at Pacific City, Haystack Rock was totally in view. After several pictures, Anne and I headed up some short, but steep inclines on our way down the coast. At mile 9.5 we followed the signs for the 3 Capes Route which we stayed on for several miles. The views were breathtaking, the climbs were steep, 7-9%, and the road was rough - lots of potholes. At the top of a climb at mile 21.6 was Cape Lookout, beautiful view. At mile 29 we entered HWY 131 and 3 Capes scenic Route toward Oceanside.

Anne and I took a short detour into Oceanside, then started a 2 mile, 4-9% climb and 1/2 mile 9-11% climb. followed by a steep short descent which was tricky because of the bad road conditions. At mile 34, Anne, Barb, Mary, and Kathie went into Cape Meares State Park to see the lighthouse. The views from Cape Meares were the best of the day. Of coarse no one else wanted to ride down to the lighthouse because it was going to be a 70 mile day and a steep climb back out, which in places I was in my granny gears! It was worth the extra miles to me.

Once back on the road we had to negotiate some more very rough road but it was better than HWY 131 and HWY 101 which we picked up at mile 44. These are designated bike routes but the shoulders are bad, if there is a shoulder. It is littered with gravel and glass and the traffic does not slow down. At mile 45 we stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Visitor Center, had ice cream, and took the cheese making tour. I remember doing this many years ago with our families when Seth and Matthew were little guys! Back on HWY 101 we struggled along with a headwind . We were glad to see the Miami River Road, newly chip sealed, but no traffic!

We stayed on this road until mile 65, it was a nice break and we could look around a bit. At the bottom of a nice descent we turned onto HWY 53, also a descent road before going back onto HWY 101 toward Nehalem.

At mile 68 in Nehalem we turned onto H Street, a busy street, and looked at a steep incline. We thought we were done with this nonsense for the day. Our legs were tired but we worked our way to the top and soon came to the charming town of Manzanita, where our Sunset Surf Motel awaited us right across the road from the beach. We will be here two nights before heading for Astoria on Friday and Portland on Saturday! Today's stats: 73.1 miles, 5hrs. 46 min., fastest 30.1, avg. 12.6 Patty asked how many miles I have gone total. I will work on adding this up today. We are suppose to be riding 1450 miles, but with all the side trips I know it will be more. My roommate is Nancy from North Carolina.

Corvallis to Neskowin, OR (August 25, Tuesday)

The forecast was for 10% chance of rain so I did not bring my rain gear. Apparently we rode through the 10% because it misted on us for the first two hours of our ride and got us damp and cold. We had left early because it was going to be an 80 mile day. The ride started out on busy HWY 99, but we had huge shoulders which helped us keep out of the rain spray from the trucks. As we got farther away from Corvallis, the traffic was less. We crossed HWY 99 at mile 14.2 and entered Helmick Rd. and Helmick State Park for our first sag and bathroom stop. It was good to get off our bikes and warm up a bit.

After a few more country roads we were on a bike path that paralleled HWY 99 for 5.5 miles. When the bike path ended we were back on HWY 99 for .5 miles before heading onto HWY 22, a very busy road. The wind was picking up and the rain was beginning to dissipate but the traffic was heavy going to the Oregon coast. At mile 44, HWY 18 also joined the mess and we stayed on the dual HWY's until mile 48 when Anne, Hillie, and I exited at the Spirit Mountain Casino for a break and lunch. There was a little store before the casino where we got some chocolate milk to go with the peanut butter and jelly sandwich we had packed for the day. After a nice rest and refueling of our bodies, we headed back on what became just HWY 18 as the two roads split.

We were also climbing a lot as we had to go over the Coastal Range to get to the Pacific Ocean. At mile 52 we began a 6% grade climb to Murphy Summit - 780', nothing like the mountains we had been climbing, but still respectable. A 5% climb followed and finally at mile 70 we were able to exit the busy HWY 18 onto the Old Scenic HWY 101. We had to climb 4-6% grade but there was no traffic and the scenery was beautiful, lush pine trees with moss on them, ferns, and water trickling from somewhere higher up. At the top we had a seven mile descent which we took slowly because of the wet, moss covered road.

At mile 79 we entered HWY 101, the main road, which of coarse had more traffic but better shoulders. We took that into Neskowin to the Blue Neskowin Resort. It was a very stressful day because of the road conditions and I had a 3rd floor condo. After dragging my bike and luggage up the stairs, no elevators, I was blessed with a beautiful view of the ocean and a balcony to sit on to watch the activities. Of coarse I went to the beach after unpacking. In the pictures, you are looking at Proposal Rock, which has trails on it. You have to know when the tides are right so you can get off of it in time. Couples go there so the guys can propose to their girls. Last month, however, a couple were on the ocean side and the young man was proposing to his bride to be. A rogue wave came along and washed her off the rock. She has never been found, very sad.

Stats: 82.92 miles, 5hrs. 57 min., fastest 36.2, avg. 13.9 We climbed 3100' heading to the coast! My roommate: Karen from Minnesota.

Eugene to Corvallis, Oregon

We started riding at 8:30 AM today, late for us. The ride was short, just over 40 miles. We wanted to avoid the chilly temperatures and Monday morning traffic. Once we left the congestion of Eugene behind, we turned onto LaSalle and 3rd Street and Peoria Road with light traffic and beautiful views of farms and pastures. Today was flat riding, so different from what we have been doing. We past fields freshly turned over, soil very fine and without rocks in it. Sheep were grazing, lambs were running to the barn for breakfast. There were blueberry, pear, apple, and hazelnut trees. The Mennonite school was being cleaned for the upcoming school year and little girls in long pink dresses played on the swing sets. Every yard seemed to be lovingly tended with manicured lawns and lots of flowers and vegetable gardens.

We had a slight headwind but my friend Mary and I moved along and soon found ourselves on the road away from the rest of the pack. We only needed one sag stop to refill our water bottles and follow the Willamette River into Corvallis, home of the Oregon State Beavers. We stopped for lunch and then rode along the Willamette River on a bike and pedestrian path. We took the path to where the college was located, saw there big football stadium, and looped back to our EconoLodge Rodeway Inn for the night. Tomorrow is a long day 80 miles so I am resting up for our trek toward the coast. Today's stats:47.52 miles, 3hrs. 33min., fastest 22 miles, avg. 13.4

Blue River to Eugene, OR

Today dawned sunny but cool again, around 49 degrees. After our usual breakfast of oatmeal, eggs, and bagels; we bundled up and headed out. Hwy 126 followed the McKenzie River for a while and had a huge shoulder. That soon faded to a tiny shoulder and rough road with an increase in the traffic. At mile 21, we came upon a covered bridge. This particular area had several covered bridges. This seemed strange since I only think of covered bridges in New England!

At mile 35 we got off of Hwy 126 onto Camp Creek Rd. This was a nice country road with light traffic. This became the Old Mohawk Rd. which then became Hill Rd. Large beautiful homes dotted the area, probably people who worked in Eugene. We saw several groves of Filbert (Hazelnut) trees, but there wasn't any nuts on the trees that I could see.

We headed onto Coburg Rd., a very busy main drag into Eugene. It had a bike lane which helped. Our hotel, The Red Lion Inn, was on this road. Since we arrived at 10:30 AM, our rooms were not ready so we road the the REI store and looked around. There were four of us: Kathie, Anne, Elizabeth, and Mary. We found a local veggie place and had a nice breakfast again. Elizabeth and Mary went to see if their rooms wee ready and Anne and I found the "River Trail" and rode along the Willamette River for awhile before heading to our rooms. Tonight, Jackie, from Womantours, will be joining us for the remainder of the trip. Today's stats: 61.75 miles, 4hrs. 14min., fastest 30.8, avg. 14.5. We head north tomorrow and start our trek toward the coast. Only five riding days left!