Fort Dick, CA to Big Lagoon SP
64.28 miles
5:06.39 hrs
35.7 max
12.5 avg
The Redwoods are AMAZING! I was hoping to have the opportunity to ride through one of the tree 'tunnels' but they did not exit on the path that we took. Maybe later on in CA there will be one?
The rest of the group is planning on staying in Arcata tomorrow, and the next couple days, until Alex gets his new rim in. I am thinking that I will set off on my own to San Fran so that I can meet back up with them after I spend a couple days exploring the 'golden city'. Originally the group was going to spend a couple days in SF but with the rim delay, they have decided not. By setting off ahead of them then I might have the opportunity to ride with them from San Fran to San Diego... could be fun!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Day 66 - Saturday November 7th
Humbug NP, OR to Fort Dick, CA
71.51 miles
6:04.47 hrs
37.1 max
11.1 avg
Momentous day! I broke the 5000 mile barrier and entered CA! I am SO excited to be this far in the trip. Even though the last few days have been pretty short I am happy with my progress. The landscape out here is gorgeous and the hills prevent a cyclist from just flying through. It is giving me more time to take in the scenery. I can't wait until tomorrows ride through the redwoods!
We stayed in the backyard of a church after talking with the Pastor and his wife. It was nice to have a free place to stay. Although, I can't really complain about paying $3 for a campsite now that we have 4 people in our 'peleton'.
71.51 miles
6:04.47 hrs
37.1 max
11.1 avg
Momentous day! I broke the 5000 mile barrier and entered CA! I am SO excited to be this far in the trip. Even though the last few days have been pretty short I am happy with my progress. The landscape out here is gorgeous and the hills prevent a cyclist from just flying through. It is giving me more time to take in the scenery. I can't wait until tomorrows ride through the redwoods!
We stayed in the backyard of a church after talking with the Pastor and his wife. It was nice to have a free place to stay. Although, I can't really complain about paying $3 for a campsite now that we have 4 people in our 'peleton'.
Day 65 - Friday November 6th
Bandon, OR to Humbug Mountain, OR
33.5 miles
3:??.?? hrs
? max
? avg
With a little misfortune, Alex broke his rim, we only made it 33.5 miles today. I also accidentally deleted my stats for the day before I could write them down. Oh well! It rained a LOT today and I broke another spoke. After spending so much money having bike shops repair my spokes I decided to take things into my own hands and use Matt's tooling to repair this one myself. After changing my own spoke for the first time, I have decided that I will never pay for someone else to change my spoke again! I think I will have to invest in some tooling once I separate from this group of guys.
My knee was hurting pretty bad today but Matt bought some arthritis creme for me... it would be great if it works!
33.5 miles
3:??.?? hrs
? max
? avg
With a little misfortune, Alex broke his rim, we only made it 33.5 miles today. I also accidentally deleted my stats for the day before I could write them down. Oh well! It rained a LOT today and I broke another spoke. After spending so much money having bike shops repair my spokes I decided to take things into my own hands and use Matt's tooling to repair this one myself. After changing my own spoke for the first time, I have decided that I will never pay for someone else to change my spoke again! I think I will have to invest in some tooling once I separate from this group of guys.
My knee was hurting pretty bad today but Matt bought some arthritis creme for me... it would be great if it works!
Day 64 - Thursday November 5th
Sunset Bay NP to Bandon, OR
27.87 miles
2:45.53 hrs
30.4 max
10.0 avg
Can't do much when there are 50+ mph headwinds and your knee is in intense pain. It was very difficult trying to ride portions of this short jaunt with only my left leg. We opted to stay at a RV park in Bandon that allowed us to stay in their ''typhoon shelter'' with a pool table and cable for $5 each! Can't get much better than that! Feels like I am falling farther and farther behind schedule though. Traveling with four guys is hard because everyone seems to have bike trouble at different times and it really slows down the ride.
Paired together we are traveling very slow and spend way too much time at grocery stores but the comedic personalities really make it all worth it. We all seem to have different preferred paces of travel and commonly get separated and have to wait up for each other every 10 miles or so... as you can imagine, not very efficient. Maybe this will change? Probably not.
27.87 miles
2:45.53 hrs
30.4 max
10.0 avg
Can't do much when there are 50+ mph headwinds and your knee is in intense pain. It was very difficult trying to ride portions of this short jaunt with only my left leg. We opted to stay at a RV park in Bandon that allowed us to stay in their ''typhoon shelter'' with a pool table and cable for $5 each! Can't get much better than that! Feels like I am falling farther and farther behind schedule though. Traveling with four guys is hard because everyone seems to have bike trouble at different times and it really slows down the ride.
Paired together we are traveling very slow and spend way too much time at grocery stores but the comedic personalities really make it all worth it. We all seem to have different preferred paces of travel and commonly get separated and have to wait up for each other every 10 miles or so... as you can imagine, not very efficient. Maybe this will change? Probably not.
Day 63 - Wednesday November 4th
CGWNP to Sunset Bay NP
73.27 miles
5:46.02 hrs
36.max
12.6 avg
The morning started off with a cool ride through a rock tunnel. Upon emerging from the opposite side of the tunnel, the sound of a couple thousand seals rang through the air. In a clearing we had a great view of a beach full of at least 4 thousand seals basking in the sun and playing in the surf! It was fun to watch them body surf with such grace!
Once again, great scenery paired with some new found company. It really is easier to travel with company, although it does not allow for much time by yourself to loose yourself in the ride and ponder the what the vast universe has to offer. It is a trade off though because getting to know new people has rewards beyond value.
73.27 miles
5:46.02 hrs
36.max
12.6 avg
The morning started off with a cool ride through a rock tunnel. Upon emerging from the opposite side of the tunnel, the sound of a couple thousand seals rang through the air. In a clearing we had a great view of a beach full of at least 4 thousand seals basking in the sun and playing in the surf! It was fun to watch them body surf with such grace!
Once again, great scenery paired with some new found company. It really is easier to travel with company, although it does not allow for much time by yourself to loose yourself in the ride and ponder the what the vast universe has to offer. It is a trade off though because getting to know new people has rewards beyond value.
Day 62 - Tuesday November 3rd
Lincoln City, OR to Carl G. Washburne SP
62.42 miles
4:37.03 hrs
31.8 max
13.5 avg
The coast is SO beautiful. I could not ask for a better day for riding along the coast! The sun is shinning brightly. I was a little camera happy today and therefore my ride went very slowly. I stopped around every corner to take a picture of the coast... probably a little overkill. A LOT overkill. I just couldn't help myself because I was so happy just to be on 101 traveling down the coast again. I feel like I have lost a bunch of time with the bum knee but the end just feels so near now; even though I am still a couple thousand miles away.
I saw some gray whales frolicking in one of the bays and I had to of spent at least half an hour watching them.
About 2/3 the way through the day I ran into three bikers who were also heading down the coast. Matt, a chap from England, was doing an around the world tour that has taken him 20,000 miles thus far in 18 months! Pretty amazing! If you want to check out his webpage go to www.worldwidebikeride.com to learn about his amazing adventure. His trip makes mine look like a cake walk! I do have to say I am a little jealous. Ok, a LOT jealous! Maybe I will meet up with him later on in his four year journey to explore more of Africa or Europe?!?!?
Alex is traveling from Tacoma, WA down the coast to La Paz where he will meet his girlfriend and fly back home. Nick is joining Alex for a portion of the trip. He plans on going as far as he can towards San Diego and then hitching the train back to Tacoma, WA a couple of days before Thanksgiving.
I am looking forward to having some companionship for the next few days and potentially all the way down to San Diego. We will just have to see how things work out.
62.42 miles
4:37.03 hrs
31.8 max
13.5 avg
The coast is SO beautiful. I could not ask for a better day for riding along the coast! The sun is shinning brightly. I was a little camera happy today and therefore my ride went very slowly. I stopped around every corner to take a picture of the coast... probably a little overkill. A LOT overkill. I just couldn't help myself because I was so happy just to be on 101 traveling down the coast again. I feel like I have lost a bunch of time with the bum knee but the end just feels so near now; even though I am still a couple thousand miles away.
I saw some gray whales frolicking in one of the bays and I had to of spent at least half an hour watching them.
About 2/3 the way through the day I ran into three bikers who were also heading down the coast. Matt, a chap from England, was doing an around the world tour that has taken him 20,000 miles thus far in 18 months! Pretty amazing! If you want to check out his webpage go to www.worldwidebikeride.com to learn about his amazing adventure. His trip makes mine look like a cake walk! I do have to say I am a little jealous. Ok, a LOT jealous! Maybe I will meet up with him later on in his four year journey to explore more of Africa or Europe?!?!?
Alex is traveling from Tacoma, WA down the coast to La Paz where he will meet his girlfriend and fly back home. Nick is joining Alex for a portion of the trip. He plans on going as far as he can towards San Diego and then hitching the train back to Tacoma, WA a couple of days before Thanksgiving.
I am looking forward to having some companionship for the next few days and potentially all the way down to San Diego. We will just have to see how things work out.
Day 61 - Monday Novemeber 2nd
Tigard, OR to Lincoln City, OR
84.89 miles
6:02.27 hrs
41.2 max
14.0 avg
Great day for riding! The scenery was not all that great to the coast but it was fun watching the coastal mountains grow right in front of me. The mountains were my destination marker, giving me ongoing energy to climb them and be at the ocean!
Unfortunately, I did not see the ocean post-climbing the 720' summit but I did find a coupon in the local newspaper for a hotel room at the Historic Anchor Inn. $29 for a room and free hot breakfast was not a bad deal! This place had the best breakfast I have ever eaten at a hotel! If you ever find yourself in this city make sure to stay at the HAI! You won't be disappointed!
84.89 miles
6:02.27 hrs
41.2 max
14.0 avg
Great day for riding! The scenery was not all that great to the coast but it was fun watching the coastal mountains grow right in front of me. The mountains were my destination marker, giving me ongoing energy to climb them and be at the ocean!
Unfortunately, I did not see the ocean post-climbing the 720' summit but I did find a coupon in the local newspaper for a hotel room at the Historic Anchor Inn. $29 for a room and free hot breakfast was not a bad deal! This place had the best breakfast I have ever eaten at a hotel! If you ever find yourself in this city make sure to stay at the HAI! You won't be disappointed!
Sunday November 1st
One more day in Tigard with the Alverez family. It was a pleasure playing with the little girls of this family. They are so cute and fun! Thank you to the Alverez family for putting me up and allowing my leg to heal.
After a test ride, my leg was only at 80.5% and I feel that I should at least be 81% to try and make it to the coast. This day should allow me full recovery... at least for a little while. I went on a pre-test bike ride and was granted the privilege of viewing 4 out of 5 mountains that I wanted to see. Rainier was the only one that was too far away to see! Thank you to the weather gods for this glorious clear day! Luckily tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful too!
After a test ride, my leg was only at 80.5% and I feel that I should at least be 81% to try and make it to the coast. This day should allow me full recovery... at least for a little while. I went on a pre-test bike ride and was granted the privilege of viewing 4 out of 5 mountains that I wanted to see. Rainier was the only one that was too far away to see! Thank you to the weather gods for this glorious clear day! Luckily tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful too!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday October Halloween!
I lay in bed this morning gazing out the window. The bright sun shining down on the leaves across the yard bring thoughts of missfortune. I slowly move my leg back and forth as I experience a dull pain on the medial side of my right calve. Cycling did not seem wise but the thought of putting off my departure for one more day made my stomach tie into a knot. Shortly thereafter my mother called wondering how my knee was doing. After explaining the situation to her she reaffirmed that she did not think it wise to continue to strain it for fear of permanent damage. The ever-wise lady suggested that I stay in Tigard and get some therapy performed on it while I still had a comfortable place to stay.
Taking her advice I began researching my options for Therapy. Since PTs and OTs generally don't work on Saturdays, I opted for a deep tissue massage and boy was it deep! I was in some major pain during the massage and it is very tender post-massage! I have high hopes that it progressively feels better all the way up to tomorrow morning. In the mean time I must go and ice my wounds to promote a speedy recovery!
Happy Halloween!
I am very eager to get back on the road. I have many days of great riding ahead of me once I get to the coast! The weather forecast looks like mostly cloudy for the next 3 days and no rain in sight! Can't ask for much better riding conditions this time of year in the coastal northwest!
Taking her advice I began researching my options for Therapy. Since PTs and OTs generally don't work on Saturdays, I opted for a deep tissue massage and boy was it deep! I was in some major pain during the massage and it is very tender post-massage! I have high hopes that it progressively feels better all the way up to tomorrow morning. In the mean time I must go and ice my wounds to promote a speedy recovery!
Happy Halloween!
I am very eager to get back on the road. I have many days of great riding ahead of me once I get to the coast! The weather forecast looks like mostly cloudy for the next 3 days and no rain in sight! Can't ask for much better riding conditions this time of year in the coastal northwest!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Day 60 - Friday October 30th
Vancouver, WA to Tigard, OR
27.11 miles
2:24.23 hrs
35.8 max
11.2 avg
Yesterday evening I found out that I was missing my camera. I spent all of this morning looking for it. I went through all my stuff with no luck; I was devastated. I lost not only a very nice camera but all the photographs from Mount Vernon, WA to Portland, OR. Since I feel that it is necessary to document the trip, I ended up purchasing another camera, spending way more than I probably should have. I just didn't see any sense in buying a camera that I would never want to use again after the trip, so I opted for a pretty nice camera that I do not like the aesthetics and usability of. If I had the time, I would have purchased the exact camera that I wanted online but being on the road does not allow for such novelty.
As you can imagine, this happening put a damper on my day. The camera incident, paired with the overcast day, my medial leg pain coming back and leaving the comfort of the Donnelly household, made my departure from Vancouver, WA difficult and gloomy. Not to mention I did not get to say a proper goodbye to many of the people here in the Portland area because of our scheduling differences.
On a positive note: I am staying at my friend Jenny's house (a friend from camp Avanti!) and I had the opportunity to meet her lovely family and put her eldest child to bed!
Hopefully tomorrow will bring a better day. Less depressing would be nice!
27.11 miles
2:24.23 hrs
35.8 max
11.2 avg
Yesterday evening I found out that I was missing my camera. I spent all of this morning looking for it. I went through all my stuff with no luck; I was devastated. I lost not only a very nice camera but all the photographs from Mount Vernon, WA to Portland, OR. Since I feel that it is necessary to document the trip, I ended up purchasing another camera, spending way more than I probably should have. I just didn't see any sense in buying a camera that I would never want to use again after the trip, so I opted for a pretty nice camera that I do not like the aesthetics and usability of. If I had the time, I would have purchased the exact camera that I wanted online but being on the road does not allow for such novelty.
As you can imagine, this happening put a damper on my day. The camera incident, paired with the overcast day, my medial leg pain coming back and leaving the comfort of the Donnelly household, made my departure from Vancouver, WA difficult and gloomy. Not to mention I did not get to say a proper goodbye to many of the people here in the Portland area because of our scheduling differences.
On a positive note: I am staying at my friend Jenny's house (a friend from camp Avanti!) and I had the opportunity to meet her lovely family and put her eldest child to bed!
Hopefully tomorrow will bring a better day. Less depressing would be nice!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday October 29th
I woke up this morning all ready to hit the road. Ok, that's a lie. I woke up and had a lot to do so that I could hit the road. After I got everything packed up and ready to go I took the bike out for a spin to test out my leg. The leg felt pretty good for the extent of the 1-2 miles with no noticeable pains. The only pain was the ice cold rain falling on my face and numbing my legs.
After checking the weather for the next few days I decided to stay in Portland for one more day. I am eager to get on my way with the trip but I would really like to leave Portland on a good note during a 'nice' day.
I will use this day to catch up with e-mails, make some phone calls, figure out health insurance, stretch, watch the Yankees and just relax in good company.
After checking the weather for the next few days I decided to stay in Portland for one more day. I am eager to get on my way with the trip but I would really like to leave Portland on a good note during a 'nice' day.
I will use this day to catch up with e-mails, make some phone calls, figure out health insurance, stretch, watch the Yankees and just relax in good company.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday October 26th to Wednesday October 28th
I have spent the last three days exploring Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA.
I have met up with Avanti friends over dinner (thank you for dinner Sharron!), visited the Portland Zoo, Climbed up a to the top of a waterfall while pretending to be from a different country as I said hi to every hiker I passed, Watched the Yankees advance to the World Series, Met Chris's family (Sharron's Husband), been treated to many meals (Thank you to all that cooked!), experienced Voodoo doughnut, purchased a new pair of pants for the trip, played with one of the cutest high energy kids in the world (Joe, Sharron's son), applied to jobs online, went grocery shopping, bought a book at Powells book store, visited Washington Park, socialized, went hot tubbing, received a treatment for my leg from an amazing PT, completed laundry, fixed another broken spoke on my bike, and 'most importantly' caught up on my blog!
Sounds like a great trip to me! The only question left is how will my leg feel tomorrow when I jump back on my bike? Hopefully very well! I will be sad to leave such great company though, my trip to San Fran may be very boring compared to what I have experienced in this lovely city! I still am looking forward to seeing CA though. Come on Redwoods!!! In the mean time... more socializing and enjoying my time with the Donnnelly's.
I have met up with Avanti friends over dinner (thank you for dinner Sharron!), visited the Portland Zoo, Climbed up a to the top of a waterfall while pretending to be from a different country as I said hi to every hiker I passed, Watched the Yankees advance to the World Series, Met Chris's family (Sharron's Husband), been treated to many meals (Thank you to all that cooked!), experienced Voodoo doughnut, purchased a new pair of pants for the trip, played with one of the cutest high energy kids in the world (Joe, Sharron's son), applied to jobs online, went grocery shopping, bought a book at Powells book store, visited Washington Park, socialized, went hot tubbing, received a treatment for my leg from an amazing PT, completed laundry, fixed another broken spoke on my bike, and 'most importantly' caught up on my blog!
Sounds like a great trip to me! The only question left is how will my leg feel tomorrow when I jump back on my bike? Hopefully very well! I will be sad to leave such great company though, my trip to San Fran may be very boring compared to what I have experienced in this lovely city! I still am looking forward to seeing CA though. Come on Redwoods!!! In the mean time... more socializing and enjoying my time with the Donnnelly's.
Day 59 - Sunday October 25th
MONW, WA to Vancouver, WA/Portland, OR
42.9+ miles
3:19.26+ hrs
34.7 max
11.4 avg
Well the mileage and time of riding today are off due to me not resetting the odometer at the beginning of the day so I just listed the mileage recorded after I hit the reset button. This is the first time it has happened but I am not worried because my system records the overall mileage as well so my end calculations will be correct when I end the trip.
Not a great day of riding today. My knee wouldn't stop hurting, I got a flat, it was overcast and it was rainy!
Sharron, in her typical generous form, offered to come pick me up from anywhere if I needed it. At first, there was no way I was not going to allow her to drive out of her way to unnecessarily pick me up, but after I got a flat while climbing up a large hill (900') my right leg froze up and became useless again. I had thought of getting a hotel for that night and just waiting till I could cycle into Portland on my own free will, but after much thought... I decided that it was better to save the money (of potentially a couple hotel nights) and just get a ride to a place where I could heal. So, I gave in and opted to be picked up. I still don't know how I feel about the decision to be helped into Portland but I feel that I will be able to come to terms with it. Maybe I will bike back up there and continue on my way... but if I do that then I should probably ride back up to Seattle and ride over the portion of the trip when I got a lift when my bike was broken and un-ride-able; not going to happen.
It was great to see Sharron again and meet her lovely family! They are SO nice and I can't wait to spend some time in Portland exploring the local area and catching up with Sharron.
42.9+ miles
3:19.26+ hrs
34.7 max
11.4 avg
Well the mileage and time of riding today are off due to me not resetting the odometer at the beginning of the day so I just listed the mileage recorded after I hit the reset button. This is the first time it has happened but I am not worried because my system records the overall mileage as well so my end calculations will be correct when I end the trip.
Not a great day of riding today. My knee wouldn't stop hurting, I got a flat, it was overcast and it was rainy!
Sharron, in her typical generous form, offered to come pick me up from anywhere if I needed it. At first, there was no way I was not going to allow her to drive out of her way to unnecessarily pick me up, but after I got a flat while climbing up a large hill (900') my right leg froze up and became useless again. I had thought of getting a hotel for that night and just waiting till I could cycle into Portland on my own free will, but after much thought... I decided that it was better to save the money (of potentially a couple hotel nights) and just get a ride to a place where I could heal. So, I gave in and opted to be picked up. I still don't know how I feel about the decision to be helped into Portland but I feel that I will be able to come to terms with it. Maybe I will bike back up there and continue on my way... but if I do that then I should probably ride back up to Seattle and ride over the portion of the trip when I got a lift when my bike was broken and un-ride-able; not going to happen.
It was great to see Sharron again and meet her lovely family! They are SO nice and I can't wait to spend some time in Portland exploring the local area and catching up with Sharron.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Day 58 - Saturday October 24th
Hoquiam, WA to Middle of No Where, WA
59.28 miles
4:47.56 hrs
36.7 max
12.7 avg
With a good nights sleep and all my gear dry I had high hopes for my leg. I was not granted such luxury. My leg continued to produce large amounts of sharp pain at times and I continued to cycle using only my left leg for the majority of today's trip. I did find that if I stood up while climbing that I was able to use my right leg. This only lasted for about 2 hours though then I could no longer use it for climbing.
Oh, not to mention the scenery over the past couple days has been gorgeous and it would have been so fun to go over all these rolling hills gazing off at the mountains/large hills if I were 100%! I am having fun with it though, it is all mental at this point. I just have to keep a positive mind frame.
At the end of the trip I heard some loud music coming from a house in the middle of no where. There was a husband and wife outside having a fire and drinking some beers. They waved to me as I slowly glided by and I second back to ask them about camping in the local area. The family offered up their land to me and I spent the night socializing and helping the family set up the new computer that they purchased... fair trade? I thought so considering if they were to hire someone to come in and set up their system it would have cost them about $30 an hour!
59.28 miles
4:47.56 hrs
36.7 max
12.7 avg
With a good nights sleep and all my gear dry I had high hopes for my leg. I was not granted such luxury. My leg continued to produce large amounts of sharp pain at times and I continued to cycle using only my left leg for the majority of today's trip. I did find that if I stood up while climbing that I was able to use my right leg. This only lasted for about 2 hours though then I could no longer use it for climbing.
Oh, not to mention the scenery over the past couple days has been gorgeous and it would have been so fun to go over all these rolling hills gazing off at the mountains/large hills if I were 100%! I am having fun with it though, it is all mental at this point. I just have to keep a positive mind frame.
At the end of the trip I heard some loud music coming from a house in the middle of no where. There was a husband and wife outside having a fire and drinking some beers. They waved to me as I slowly glided by and I second back to ask them about camping in the local area. The family offered up their land to me and I spent the night socializing and helping the family set up the new computer that they purchased... fair trade? I thought so considering if they were to hire someone to come in and set up their system it would have cost them about $30 an hour!
Day 57 - Friday October 23rd
Humptulips, WA to Hoquiam, WA
25.67 miles
2:20.56 hrs
27.1 max
10.9 avg
I woke up i the middle of the night and found a mini lake in my tent. Part of my footprint (tarp under the tent) was sticking out of the rain fly and collected a bunch of water and allowed it to funnel, collect and seep into my tent from underneath. There was nothing I could do to save much of my gear besides fix the footprint and hope that it did not continue to leak in for the rest of the night.
I ate breakfast with my local neighbors at the campsite that morning and got to an early start biking. To top off the morning my leg was in more pain than ever and I ended up riding the 25.67 miles into Hoquiam with my right foot behind me, on the rear rack of my bike as to provide stability and a nice place to rest. With as much pain as I was in and with all my gear wet, I decided to cut my ride really short and get a hotel room. I was able to talk the guy at the econo-lodge down to $45 dollars a night and spent the rest of the day drying my gear out in front of the heater and resting.
25.67 miles
2:20.56 hrs
27.1 max
10.9 avg
I woke up i the middle of the night and found a mini lake in my tent. Part of my footprint (tarp under the tent) was sticking out of the rain fly and collected a bunch of water and allowed it to funnel, collect and seep into my tent from underneath. There was nothing I could do to save much of my gear besides fix the footprint and hope that it did not continue to leak in for the rest of the night.
I ate breakfast with my local neighbors at the campsite that morning and got to an early start biking. To top off the morning my leg was in more pain than ever and I ended up riding the 25.67 miles into Hoquiam with my right foot behind me, on the rear rack of my bike as to provide stability and a nice place to rest. With as much pain as I was in and with all my gear wet, I decided to cut my ride really short and get a hotel room. I was able to talk the guy at the econo-lodge down to $45 dollars a night and spent the rest of the day drying my gear out in front of the heater and resting.
Day 56 - Thursday October 22nd
HOH National Rain Forest, WA to Humptulips, WA
68.13 miles
5:14.07 hrs
29.3 max
12.8 avg
Yes, I did choose today's destination because of the name... immature, but at the time I found it hilarious! I stopped at Ruby Beach for an hour or so and had a great time taking some pictures of the ocean and dipping my feet in the frigid waters! It was very scenic and it felt good to finally be at the ocean with large waves and high cliffs!
My leg is progressively getting worse and at the end of the day I had severe pain running through my leg with each stroke. NOT GOOD! I spent the last 30 miles of the trip pedaling with only my left leg. I almost gave in and purchased a hotel room so that I might allow proper healing but the elevated rates of the motel in Amanda Park convinced me to continue riding to free camping just outside of Humptulips, WA. Good idea? We will find out...
68.13 miles
5:14.07 hrs
29.3 max
12.8 avg
Yes, I did choose today's destination because of the name... immature, but at the time I found it hilarious! I stopped at Ruby Beach for an hour or so and had a great time taking some pictures of the ocean and dipping my feet in the frigid waters! It was very scenic and it felt good to finally be at the ocean with large waves and high cliffs!
My leg is progressively getting worse and at the end of the day I had severe pain running through my leg with each stroke. NOT GOOD! I spent the last 30 miles of the trip pedaling with only my left leg. I almost gave in and purchased a hotel room so that I might allow proper healing but the elevated rates of the motel in Amanda Park convinced me to continue riding to free camping just outside of Humptulips, WA. Good idea? We will find out...
Day 55 - Wednesday October 21st
Port Angeles, WA to HOH Rain Forest, WA
80.86 miles
6:03.07 hrs
30.3 max
13.3 avg
This was the first day that I really got to test my new rain jacket and it was amazing! Great to be fully dry while it was down pouring! I am not complaining about the rain because it really enhances your awareness of the ride and allows your whole body to feel it with every drop that hits your skin/clothes!
The ride around Lake Crescent was AMAZING and I really wish I had someone to share that ride with. The mountain tops were covered by foggy clouds, the lake was clear as glass and it was just gorgeous. During this portion of the trip I thought about Kevin McGinnis's request to do a bike trip in the future and I started planning it out as I rode. Can't wait for that trip and I am not even close to done with my own!
People have started to contact me about potential jobs, of which I have been applying to weekly. Hopefully they can wait a little while to hear back from me and are willing to put off interviews until I am done with the trip?!
At the end of this days journey my right leg started hurting on the lateral side of my knee. It is a dull pain that would be very annoying if it continues. At least it did not last all day! The pain started right after I went through Forks, WA (no, I sadly did not see any vampires!) but I was glad to continue on and make it to HOH where I had free camping!
80.86 miles
6:03.07 hrs
30.3 max
13.3 avg
This was the first day that I really got to test my new rain jacket and it was amazing! Great to be fully dry while it was down pouring! I am not complaining about the rain because it really enhances your awareness of the ride and allows your whole body to feel it with every drop that hits your skin/clothes!
The ride around Lake Crescent was AMAZING and I really wish I had someone to share that ride with. The mountain tops were covered by foggy clouds, the lake was clear as glass and it was just gorgeous. During this portion of the trip I thought about Kevin McGinnis's request to do a bike trip in the future and I started planning it out as I rode. Can't wait for that trip and I am not even close to done with my own!
People have started to contact me about potential jobs, of which I have been applying to weekly. Hopefully they can wait a little while to hear back from me and are willing to put off interviews until I am done with the trip?!
At the end of this days journey my right leg started hurting on the lateral side of my knee. It is a dull pain that would be very annoying if it continues. At least it did not last all day! The pain started right after I went through Forks, WA (no, I sadly did not see any vampires!) but I was glad to continue on and make it to HOH where I had free camping!
Day 54 - Tuesday October 20th
Seattle, WA to Port Angeles, WA
69.29 miles
5:33.49 hrs
33.7 max
12.4 avg
I woke up at 9am today and rushed off to REI. I bought a couple extra stakes for my tent and was tempted to by a new tent all together. I would really like to have a tent of my own anyways and what better of a time to get one when I am going to be able to use it MANY times! In a common shopping fashion I am putting off the purchase until I am fully convinced that I need one.
After REI I wanted to stop by the post office but was running late on time to make the ferry to Bainbridge Island, across the Puget Sound. Fortunately, the ferry was late arriving, for I would have missed it and been delayed in Seattle for another hour or so. The ferry ride was really cool, I enjoyed taking in the scenery without having to do any work! Very relaxing!
I am still worried about my rear wheel even though my chain does not produce as much slack when I stop pedalling as before. I can't believe that I have broken so many spokes! I am going to have to take up all my issues with the assumed responsible parties after my trip. In the mean time I need to concentrate on riding!
With high chances of rain today, fog engulfed Seattle this morning. After crossing 'The Sound', the weather almost cleared up before turning extremely foggy again. I had small glimpses of the mountains around me and the ride ended up being very pleasant! Even more pleasant than the ride was the company that I had found on Couchsurfing.com to put me up for the night. I was given a nice shower, food and some music lessons on the harmonica that I purchased back in the Black Hills! Hopefully I will be able to go back to Port Angeles in the near future, visit my new friends and be well enough versed in Harmonica to have a little jam session!
69.29 miles
5:33.49 hrs
33.7 max
12.4 avg
I woke up at 9am today and rushed off to REI. I bought a couple extra stakes for my tent and was tempted to by a new tent all together. I would really like to have a tent of my own anyways and what better of a time to get one when I am going to be able to use it MANY times! In a common shopping fashion I am putting off the purchase until I am fully convinced that I need one.
After REI I wanted to stop by the post office but was running late on time to make the ferry to Bainbridge Island, across the Puget Sound. Fortunately, the ferry was late arriving, for I would have missed it and been delayed in Seattle for another hour or so. The ferry ride was really cool, I enjoyed taking in the scenery without having to do any work! Very relaxing!
I am still worried about my rear wheel even though my chain does not produce as much slack when I stop pedalling as before. I can't believe that I have broken so many spokes! I am going to have to take up all my issues with the assumed responsible parties after my trip. In the mean time I need to concentrate on riding!
With high chances of rain today, fog engulfed Seattle this morning. After crossing 'The Sound', the weather almost cleared up before turning extremely foggy again. I had small glimpses of the mountains around me and the ride ended up being very pleasant! Even more pleasant than the ride was the company that I had found on Couchsurfing.com to put me up for the night. I was given a nice shower, food and some music lessons on the harmonica that I purchased back in the Black Hills! Hopefully I will be able to go back to Port Angeles in the near future, visit my new friends and be well enough versed in Harmonica to have a little jam session!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday October 19th
I spent the day exploring Seattle. I biked to REI to get my bike fixed, again. It is finally in working order. I need to take the broken spokes up with the bike shop I bought the wheel from. What is it with me and transportation systems? Something negative always seems to happen!
I loved all the coffee shops around town and it was fun to walk around the pike place market! I ran into a couple at the Pike Pub and Brewery and ended up spending the late afternoon together conversing over a beer and a bowl of "non-dairy clam chowda". It was great to connect up with some random people and learn about their lives instead of having the focus always be on me and my trip. Although, I did give them my website and they had a bunch of questions for me.
The evening was spent wondering around the city trying to figure out how I could catch a glimpse of Mt Rainier. I was going to go up in the Space needle but was advised by the ticket salesman that if I wanted to see Rainier it was not going to happen from the space needle with the current weather conditions. So, instead I visited a couple local hotspots and soaked in the Seattle demeanor. The whole time I was wandering around I could not help but constantly think about "Sleepless in Seattle". Flashbacks to the movie kept on popping into my head; I need to watch that movie again!
There are still somethings around Seattle that I would like to do but I don't think that it would be worth sticking around town for another full day just to check them out. I have a feeling that it could be but by not visiting them it will ensure that I make it back out to this area again sometime in the near future! I do really enjoy this area and if it wasn't for the darn weather I would highly consider moving out here. If I love Seattle I can't even imagine how much I am going to love the other cities on the West Coast. Although, I have a feeling that Seattle is probably going to be the most outdoorsy of all of them.
A special thanks to my host this evening for supplying me with a home cooked meal! It was very gracious of you to offer me dinner! Also, thank you for putting me up for the past two days! Your location was perfect and your company even better!
I loved all the coffee shops around town and it was fun to walk around the pike place market! I ran into a couple at the Pike Pub and Brewery and ended up spending the late afternoon together conversing over a beer and a bowl of "non-dairy clam chowda". It was great to connect up with some random people and learn about their lives instead of having the focus always be on me and my trip. Although, I did give them my website and they had a bunch of questions for me.
The evening was spent wondering around the city trying to figure out how I could catch a glimpse of Mt Rainier. I was going to go up in the Space needle but was advised by the ticket salesman that if I wanted to see Rainier it was not going to happen from the space needle with the current weather conditions. So, instead I visited a couple local hotspots and soaked in the Seattle demeanor. The whole time I was wandering around I could not help but constantly think about "Sleepless in Seattle". Flashbacks to the movie kept on popping into my head; I need to watch that movie again!
There are still somethings around Seattle that I would like to do but I don't think that it would be worth sticking around town for another full day just to check them out. I have a feeling that it could be but by not visiting them it will ensure that I make it back out to this area again sometime in the near future! I do really enjoy this area and if it wasn't for the darn weather I would highly consider moving out here. If I love Seattle I can't even imagine how much I am going to love the other cities on the West Coast. Although, I have a feeling that Seattle is probably going to be the most outdoorsy of all of them.
A special thanks to my host this evening for supplying me with a home cooked meal! It was very gracious of you to offer me dinner! Also, thank you for putting me up for the past two days! Your location was perfect and your company even better!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Day 53 - Sunday October 18th
Mount Vernon, WA to Seattle, WA
22.88 miles
2:02.36 hrs
31.8 max
11.2 avg
Today was supposed to be a very long day (95 miles) but turned into a very short day with a little bike trouble. 20 miles into my trip I was climbing a hill and I heard a "pop". I immediately connected the noise with a broken spoke. I looked down at my spokes as I rolled along slowly and did not notice any of them broken. I then contributed the sound to a slip in the gearing; as sometimes I get a "ting" noise when I am changing gears under high tension of the chain. Due to the whobble in my tire from the previous day I decided to stop for lunch and true my wheel.
Once off my bike, with sandwich in hand, I noticed that I actually had 4 broken spokes all on the opposite side of the cassette. To me this meant that the bike shop that I purchased the wheel from did not tighten the spokes properly after receiving the wheel from the manufacturer! I will be taking this up with the bike shop at a later date. Upon realizing that all the bike shops on the island were closed (Sunday!) I immediately proceeded to look up the location of the nearest REI, 40 miles away. Being that I could not safely ride my bike to the store I resorted to old school tactics: I put on my "help me face" and went to the side of the road where I proceeded wave to strangers passing by with my thumb. Now, hitch hiking may be hard enough with only a backpack but imagine the frequency of someone wanting to pick up a hitch hiker with 120 lbs of gear with him! Sue enough, after about 15 min of watching traffic zoom by me and giving me looks of disgust, a nice Reverend picked me up in his minivan and drove me all the way down to Clinton so that I could fetch the ferry over to the mainland. From there I took the bus to the mall where the REI was located. I almost was not allowed on the bus with all my stuff but the bus driver was very understanding of my story and said that I could do it "this one time".
The people at REI fixed my wheel but took about 2 hours to do so. They put a beginner tech on the job and at some point during the process he placed the plastic guard on wrong and it made the cassette catch and spin with the wheel. Nobody could figure out what was wrong with it and they sent me off with an imperfect bike saying that I should bring it down to corporate REI when I got to Seattle and have them look at it. They mentioned that I was covered by REI's insurance policy and therefore if they truly did mess something up in the hub (their current diagnosis was that they tightened the cassette down to hard and ruined the hub) they would give me a replacement wheel for free.
Fortunately, I had a contact in the local area who was willing to come and pick me up and bring me into Seattle from REI. She even treated me to dinner at my favorite restaurant that I have found on my trip thus far. I don't stop at nearly any restaurants while biking but this restaurant is one of my favorite of all times! It is called "........" (I forgot the name but will get it and let you all know later). They make their noodles from scratch, their dumplings from scratch and have amazing green beens!!! Unbelievable food! Thank you Melissa for treating me to that wonderful food and giving me a ride into Seattle! You are a life saver!
22.88 miles
2:02.36 hrs
31.8 max
11.2 avg
Today was supposed to be a very long day (95 miles) but turned into a very short day with a little bike trouble. 20 miles into my trip I was climbing a hill and I heard a "pop". I immediately connected the noise with a broken spoke. I looked down at my spokes as I rolled along slowly and did not notice any of them broken. I then contributed the sound to a slip in the gearing; as sometimes I get a "ting" noise when I am changing gears under high tension of the chain. Due to the whobble in my tire from the previous day I decided to stop for lunch and true my wheel.
Once off my bike, with sandwich in hand, I noticed that I actually had 4 broken spokes all on the opposite side of the cassette. To me this meant that the bike shop that I purchased the wheel from did not tighten the spokes properly after receiving the wheel from the manufacturer! I will be taking this up with the bike shop at a later date. Upon realizing that all the bike shops on the island were closed (Sunday!) I immediately proceeded to look up the location of the nearest REI, 40 miles away. Being that I could not safely ride my bike to the store I resorted to old school tactics: I put on my "help me face" and went to the side of the road where I proceeded wave to strangers passing by with my thumb. Now, hitch hiking may be hard enough with only a backpack but imagine the frequency of someone wanting to pick up a hitch hiker with 120 lbs of gear with him! Sue enough, after about 15 min of watching traffic zoom by me and giving me looks of disgust, a nice Reverend picked me up in his minivan and drove me all the way down to Clinton so that I could fetch the ferry over to the mainland. From there I took the bus to the mall where the REI was located. I almost was not allowed on the bus with all my stuff but the bus driver was very understanding of my story and said that I could do it "this one time".
The people at REI fixed my wheel but took about 2 hours to do so. They put a beginner tech on the job and at some point during the process he placed the plastic guard on wrong and it made the cassette catch and spin with the wheel. Nobody could figure out what was wrong with it and they sent me off with an imperfect bike saying that I should bring it down to corporate REI when I got to Seattle and have them look at it. They mentioned that I was covered by REI's insurance policy and therefore if they truly did mess something up in the hub (their current diagnosis was that they tightened the cassette down to hard and ruined the hub) they would give me a replacement wheel for free.
Fortunately, I had a contact in the local area who was willing to come and pick me up and bring me into Seattle from REI. She even treated me to dinner at my favorite restaurant that I have found on my trip thus far. I don't stop at nearly any restaurants while biking but this restaurant is one of my favorite of all times! It is called "........" (I forgot the name but will get it and let you all know later). They make their noodles from scratch, their dumplings from scratch and have amazing green beens!!! Unbelievable food! Thank you Melissa for treating me to that wonderful food and giving me a ride into Seattle! You are a life saver!
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