Last post

All,
   thank you for reading. However I am finding it very tough to cycle and journal. Most entries take an hour to write when I figure in writing, editing, and searching for WiFi locations. Unfortunately I have underestimated the rigors of this ride and started out in very poor condition as compared to previous long tours. These make it tough for me to find time to enjoy the country I travel through.
    To compensate I will not be writing with an regularity for the rest of this trip if at all. Sorry to let everyone down. However my thoguht is what is the point of journaling if I don't have the time to seek out interesting things to journal about?
  Sincerly,
--Tim

9/6/2008 I saw cheese, and fish, and shore, and mist, and woods, and....

Four Winds Motel, Depoe Bay, OR
Miles Today: 71
Miles Done: 550
Miles Left: 1277

I got an early start today hitting the road by about 8:30 AM. However the first 7 miles was backtracking to the cheese factory I saw on the way through Tillamook. I am glad I did. The exhibit was a bit corny and the videos had a bit a pushy spin but being the fan of cheese I am I was thrilled to see the process of it being made. The factory had a elevated glassed in room that looked out over the factory floor. I was in awe of the 40 lb blocks of cheese that came in on a conveyor belt from the aging room. The had literally over a million pounds of cheese aging in the near by buildings. Aw...... I already had a load of cheese so I didn't buy any but I was happy just to see it. I ran into the American couple coming in to the exhibit just as I was wrapping up and heading out.
The morning had low clouds of mist that I climbed into as I ascended the the lush green treed in roads east of Tillamook. I elected to take a bypass route that avoided Oceanside as I had been hearing from bikers for day that it was a unpleasent and dangerous strech of road. If I had not I would have hugged the low shore.
After the bypass I did hug the shore. The shore flowed the contours of misty capes along the ocean. I heard the sounds of waves and could see the the rocky cliffs to my side, feel the stiff wind in my face, and see the waves angrily crash against the sharp rocky shore. It was beautiful.
Then I climbed again.The sun had finally burned off the fog and I enjoyed the warmth of the sun at last. As I descended from that climb I passed by a long dune that ran along the road. There dozens of people ran back and forth on the sand in poorly muffled gas
vehicles (bikes, buggies, etc). Other than that the dunes were beautiful with tall reedy grasses and pine trees growing out of dips in the sand.
The tide was out and I saw numerous groups trudging through mucky tidal flats digging for clams and oysters. I took a break and climbed down to the mud though since I don't have boots I stayed near the edge to keep my feet dry. I saw countless holes in the mud where clams drew in and out water to breath and feed. I also saw barnacles adhered to the stones on the shore. Since I couldn't explore much I could not see much more. I had hoped to catch sight of a crab.
In Pacific City I stopped for pizza and salad for lunch. I had been looking for pizza by the slice for days and never seemed to find anyplace that sold it so I finally paid 8 bucks for 8 inch pizza. It was good pizza but I think a bit expensive.
Back on the road I followed the shore. At one point I came across a Salmon Hatchery which a neat to look at. Also the had a small pond of Rainbow Trout, some as big as my arm! In Neskwin I barrowed some WiFi from a closed coffee shop to call ahead for rooms for the night. All the paces I called we over $120 per night being "resorts" finally I found a motel and that set me up for my goal for the night.
The wind had picked up and and the mist has started to gather back up making it much cooler. I put on a wind vest to stay warm and went on my way. The route sent me of highway 101 onto "Old Senic Highway 101". This was a fablous road. The surface was not great and there was a lot of climbing but minus the first mile the 10 miles of the side road were almost devoid of cars making for a very relaxing ride. I could spare some of my precious attention to scenery and the simple joys of pedaling rather then focusing on staying to the right.
I descended and made surpriseing time along the shore toward Depoe Bay. I wish I had not made the reservation as I am sure I could have made it to the next campground 5 miles farther. However the weather was cold so I was not sad to get inside and take a warm bath.
I finished listening to Michale Crichton's "Prey" I would say it was a OK book. I found my self seeing a lot of me in the main character, also an out of work programmer. Crichton did a great job making the book an action packed and suspenseful novel. The ending was great. However in then I am not sure why I didn't like the book more. I say it worth the read but not a must read.

9/5/2008 Motivational Problem

Big Barn Marina, Tillamook, OR
Miles Today: 52
Miles Done: 489
Miles Left: 1338

Today was a very late start, about 1 PM. I got up nice and early, around 7AM but I seemed to get bogged down in lots of little things; calling home, journaling, packing, chatting with people. I never seemed to be able to get out the door. My original goal for the day was Cape Lookout which would have put me at around 60 miles for the day, my minimum goal for most days. As a result of my late start I have about 10 miles I have to make up if I am to stay on schedule.
On the up side since I left so late I had the opportunity to make some quesidillas on a the gas stove so I ate well for lunch. Also given how short my day was I managed to see a lot.
First I meet two separate couples who were headed on the same route as I. I meet them both in the hard climbing near Cannon Beach. The first couple I met while I was overtaking them on a long and exhausting climb. They were doing the US west coast and seemed a very friendly pair. They had a trailer with them to haul their gear but one of the welds on it had broken so all it could carry was a small backpack, they had the gear heaped up on the tail of one of their bikes to make up for the missing capacity. We cycled together for a while on the narrow shoulder of the road while the busy traffic rushed by our left sides. After a while I pulled ahead. Later in a notch between climbs I meet a French couple who were not just doing the west coast but were biking from Alaska to Argentina. That just boggles my mind. They had already been out for 3 months. They we very friendly and we chatted while they ate a huge lunch and I my snack. After a while I had to pull myself away if I was to have any chance a making miles for the day. The climbs had slowed me down quite a bit.
The route meandered near the shore during the climbs and I took frequent short breaks at lookouts to rest and take in the sunny day. Seabirds perched themselves at every lookout adding to the views of the ocean. I suppose the climbs acted as a balance to my urge to hurry making sure I took the time to enjoy the weather and views.
The route then turned inland where I presented with a quiet road with another serious climb though not as bad as the one earlier in the day. I worked my up and over and descended back towards the ocean. Finally I reached Tillamook which you might recognize from the cheese brand which is made here. It needed to stop to get some food and when I was done it was getting towards 7PM. I calculated the mileage to the next campground at about 10 miles. That left me very little safety room. If I should get lost or a flat tire I would be rolling in just around or after dark. I decided that with sun so low on the horizon I should take the site in hand and I pulled over at friendly RV campground just east of Tillamook. They have a nice grassy patch for me to pitch my tarp and a shower house but no picnic table. Still I am pleased I made it this far and I have plenty of time to relax. I think tomorrow I will take the opportunity to backtrack 3 miles and check out the cheese factory.

9/4/2008 Getting interesting.

Hosteling International Hostel in Seaside, OR
Miles Today: 67
Miles Done: 413
Miles Left: 1404

Today was not a fast day but it was a good day. I got miles done and got to take some time to relax too. However it started a bit unpleasantly. At 2:45 AM I woke to sound of loud country music. I assumed it was an alarm clock. It continued for at least 10 minutes before the discourteous owner turned it off. Being that I was awake and annoyed I decided to take a bathroom break before closing my eyes. I crawled out from under my tarp and walk along the Columbia River towards the bath house. As I did so I saw the safety lights of 2 very large ships on the darkness. One of them was moving at what I would call a respectable rate but not fast. The rate I am used to large ships going. The other, which was much bigger, I assumed was a barge and it was hauling butt. It moved quickly along the river in a impressive fashion, now that I think of it probably because it was heading down stream. What was more remarkable than it's speed was the smoke stack. It towered above the main cabin by 30 feet and from it a dim stream of glowing crimson embers emerged and trailed slowly off to the water stern of the ship. I can only imagine it was burning coal because I do not think diesel would make embers.
I suppose the loud music was to be thanked as I would not have seen that boat without it. When I awoke again I found a clusters of small boats in the river and the shore was lined with dozens of fishing poles. Salmon season is just starting and it looks like everyone was to get in on the action.
I packed up and head out.The my route flowed along the bank of the Columbia river to near it's mouth. The road was smooth allowing me to move more easily and I made good time. I crossed a bridge to Puget Island and made a quick stop outside the library to get my emails but since I didn't have much battery life left on my laptop I didn't stay long. At the south side of the Island I meet up with a ferry to cross the Columbia. My timing was just right so I rolled right on to the waiting ship and five minutes later we were off on the short journey. That is not to imply the Columbia is a small river, it appears to be nearly as wide as the Mississippi where I crossed though I have never seen the Mississippi south of Illinois so I am sure it gets bigger.
On the other side I entered Oregon for the first time. I pedaled though quite farm land and flood plains. A ways up the river I reached Astoria at the mouth of the river. I took my first pleasure break of the trip when I stopped by the Astoria Maratime Museum. It was a very nice museum detailing the history of the local area. I saw examples of old boats that were once used for fishing and read about the people who used to catch and can the fish. I saw pictures of how bountiful the Salmon harvest once was, it seemed limitless, and how it has declined since. The museum is located by the shore and they had an old lighthouse boat moored that one could climb in and see the quarters people used to live in. I was small but looked very comfy. The ship featured a bright light on a tall mast and they would anchor on the mouth of the river as a light signal where no island existed.
The trail circumnavigated the town and crossed a couple bridges. Next I reached the green wooded flat of Lewis and Clark National Park as it hugged the shore of the lazy Lewis and Clark River. After that the terrain changed dramatically turning into long exhausting climbs and fast descents through the steep hills inland. Disturbingly, several miles went through a clear cut section of woods. It was not just the trees had been clear cut but they, in most cases, have be torn from the ground in the process leaving the ground as a carpet of jumbled stumps and root balls.
After that a long decent brought into Seaside which I checked into the hostel after a little searching. I got the shower I needed from last night. I saved some money by making a Knorr/Lipton rice side dish among all the other residents who were making stir frys of fresh veggies. I was just too tired to got shopping so I settled on my crude highly processed dinner for simplicities sake.
The people here are fablously varied from all places and where had great wide ranging conversations on the likes of bio diesel production to cooking Italian food.

9/3/2008 I did it!

County Line Park
Miles Today: 76
Miles Done: 362
Miles Left: 1465

Today was the longest day yet of my trip. I did 76 miles total because it was left with a tough choice. There was about a 30 miles gap between places to camp, 20 to little or 10 to many. I decided to go long and as the day rolled on I assumed I was going to arrive fairly late. However the end of today was much faster along the fast flat road near the river. I am getting ahead of myself however.
The day started fairly normally with me pushing off around 10. I climbed and and ascended many long and tough descents. My legs are getting a bit stronger but hurt a bit more too. I am not sure what that means. My shoulder however is almost completely healed. It was seriously troubling me so I am very relieved to be free of the pain as it was near constant before.
In Castle Rock I stopped by the library to get online. I could not talk in the library but I updated my journals and check my email before heading across the street to the grocery to replenish my dwindling supply of food. I try not to carry much food so that I don't have to haul it up and down the hills. As a result I have to shop most days.
I cycled along numerous steep climbs and descents through wooded back roads working my way mostly south until is the later afternoon I reached the Columbia River. It is quite a river to behold with what looks like a broad swift current and numerous backwaters as I came up to it. However I made a wrong turn as as a result I started heading the wrong way initially along the river. After a couple miles I realized my error and with the help of some pedestrians I got back on track. I was annoyed for my mistake so late in the day but the road the I was on was a fast one and I made great time. Along the way I stopped a couple of times. First there was house selling fresh eggs and I bought half a dozen for breakfast. Later an elevated roadbed paralleled the road I was on. It appeared to be abandoned. At one portion where the slope of the riverbank to my right right was steep the engineers had to build a bridge/roadbed along it face to allow it to continue and some rather large trees were growing on top of that roadbed. I was quite a site to behold.
I am at the County Line park which is perched a narrow patch of sand between the river and the road. As a result traffic is rumbling 30 feet away from my campsite making for a noisy place to spend the night. However a couple sites over there were a couple of Australians how were also riding the coast, they had started in San Diego. We talked a bit but I got distracted by the nearing dark and so I hurried back to set up camp. The trees here are not at all right for my hammock so I pitched my tarp instead. As a result I will likely sleep much warmer tonight. Also the sand of the ground should be easy on the back. Oh, also this park has a bathroom but now shower. :(

9/2/2008 Getting better

Just outside Centralia
Miles Today: 67
Miles Done: 291
Miles Left: 1536

Today I got my start at 11AM. That may not sound like much but I have generally not gotten out until near noon most days. I still haven't completely worked out my morning routine. Part of it is due to the fact that I have been unpacking my bike completely at night. I need to organize to the point that I don't need to unpack the bike tools and like when I pull into camp.
The roads out of town quickly became hilly and a meandered through what I can only assume is cottage country. The road was quiet and and curved this way and that to run near small lakes with closely spaced driveways leading to boat ramps and houses near the shore. Occasionally I would come across a intersection named after someones wife or a family name. At one intersection I was at the meeting of "Dog Gone" and "Bear Trap" roads.
Along this stretch I came across a couple of other tourers. I was astonished at the volume of gear they carried, my whole load easily would have occupied their front wheel and they carried twice that on the rear. They were friendly and were heading to north Dakota. They had previously covered most of what I was to do. They encouraged me with statements that the route my map is having me take through Washington was rather dull but that Oregon would be an explosion of views soon enough. We departed ways I made surprisingly swift progress through the rest of the day.
I took several short breaks to rest my right arm which is very sore. I think I hurt it carrying my bike up the river bank yesterday. One of these breaks put me next to a large collection of blackberry bush. I have been passing blackberries frequently for the trip but I have only picked a few. This time I took the break to eat at least a pint of them. They were perfectly ripe and some, heated by the sun, had a exquisite sweet warm flavor that normally in only found in hot pie.
Just before my stopping place for the day I came across a large fruit stand by the rode and took another break to buy and consume a peach, nectarine, and refreshing slice of watermelon.
I was very pleased to be done by 6 PM today! I had all the time in the world to clean up. Also since I was at a RV park there was washer and dryer which I desperately needed. Hand washing may help keep me from reeking but there is only so much I can do. The laundry however required quarters so I unloaded and set up my site before doing the 5 mile round trip to get change and a quick hot dinner.
My bike performed perfectly minus a creak that appears to be coming from the cleats in my shoes. I think these "Egg Beater" pedals wear their cleats much faster than the ones I am used to. However I had no failures or flats today.
Today was just about perfect, weather was nice, I have a comfy place for the night, and I have clean clothes. What more could I want?
Oh, I finished a book called "Getting to Yes" which is a book on negotiation. I recommend it. It has a very easy to read tone. Despite some worries it might contain what I would consider manipulative or doggy material it was pleasantly principled and respectable in it's content.

9/1/2008 Bridge out!

Shelton Inn, Shelton WA
Miles Today: 67
Miles Done: 231
Miles Left: 1596

Last night was really cold. I found my self roused many times by cold spots in my hammock though I still seemed to have gotten a good nights sleep. The slow leak in my rear tire caused it to flatten overnight so I filled it while doing my morning checks. I got out the road and almost immediately I ran into another biker. We stopped and talked for few minutes. His bike looked like it would float off if he wasn't sitting on it. I know when this trip is over and I strip all the gear off my bike I will feel like a rocket to but for now I had to haul all my gear. While we were talking he looked at my map and suggested a better route, one with more to look at and less traffic. I asked him about bike shops just in case he might know a place open on Labor Day. He asked why and I told him about my lack of spare parts. He took pity on me and gave me a spare tube. I offered to mail him a thank you gift but he refused. Thank you whoever you are!
The route he suggested was certainly more interesting than most of what I had ridden too. It had nice views along quite roads and led me straight by a coffee shop with free WiFi. There I took in a few sweets and relaxed into journaling and made some phone calls.
After a long break I got back on the road. I was doing great until I came across a missing bridge. Some bikers on the far side shouted that the water was crossable. They didn't have 45 lbs of gear strapped to their bike though so it took me about 10 minutes of huffing and puffing to get everything across.
In Silverdale I was surprised to come across a open bike shop. I
excited bought my replacement parts, go some srub at Taco Bell, and got
back on the road.
I was doing fine until I reached the Bremerton. There somewhere I got off route. Unfortunately I could not find a person who knew enough about their town to tell me anything except on how to get to the expressway. Finally I found a sign for a road on my map. Unfortunately without warning that road feed into the expressway. One feature of expressways is fences they put on then to keep for people walking on or off so it was a mile or so until I could find a way out. Luck would have it that the road I managed to get to was exactly the road I was looking for and from that point on I managed to stay on route.
It was another a late day but that was not a problem as I am staying at a motel. There is a long strech here with no campsites. As a result I have the choice of doing a 30 mile day and camping or going a little over 60 and motel. I have been just barely keeping up with my miles goals so I elected to pay more and go long. As a result I have a comfy bed and got to eat decidedly OK Mexican food though it is far better than any I have had in Canada. Also I have WiFi so I and been able to catch up on some of my email.
Tomorrow I will try for another long day to make it a campground.

8/31/2008 Bad bike day

Kitsap State Park
Miles Today: 60
Miles Done: 167
Miles Left: 1660

Today was a rough day. As mentioned in the title, my bike did not do me proud today.
The day started out, after a cold night, as a cool overcast morning. I got up, ate, and packed. I headed down to the bath house to shower before I headed out. After I was done showering and was putting the final touches on my packing the troubles began. In the morning I am in the habit of giving my bike a once over, feeling for the tire pressure and assessing the truesness of the wheels. As I was doing this I noticed a flaw in my tire, a small hole in the sidewall where the tube was starting to squeeze through. I knew that as I rode the tube would squeeze out the small hole forming a boil of sorts until the tube rubbed against something or thinned to the point of popping. I pulled off my rear wheel and started to go to work. I carry a spare tire to replaced worn out ones and mounted that. Since the tire was new it had yet to streatch out and mounting was a pinful and slow experiance. I kept the tube as it was still holding air when I pulled it off before. Then I pumped it up and got it pressure. As I pulled off the pump from the valve I heard the tel-tale sound of escaping air but not from the pump. I pulled the tire off again and examined the tube. Normaly I can patch any sort of hole up to about a centimeter in size. However this hole as where the value joined the tube. There is no way to patch that as it not smooth and not all made of rubber. As a result I had to throw that tube out and put a spare on. However that was the last spare I had oweing to the fact that I had lost my other spare due to another failure near the valve. Also my spare was a tube I replaced earlier because it has a very slow leak, one that takes 2-3 hours to notice.
All assembled I finally hit the road but I was worried. I now had no spare tires or tubes. It was Sunday so if another vale failure occurred I would have to wait until I could find an open bikes shop. To compound this Monday is Labor Day meaning I might have to wait two days.
After these two valve failures in a short period I am starting to think my bike tubes didn't like the long storage durung last year. Normally I replace all my tubes every year or two from normal wear and tear. I guess I should replace them regardless of their wear.
I got started with my ride for the day. As I rode I noticed my crank was lose and so I stopped to tighten that up. In a short while I made it to a ferry crossing. The schedule had boats coming and going every 45 minutes or so. After I paid my fare I wandered off to a nearby restaurant. Sitting in the parking lot I found a open access point and just picked up my email when I saw the boat coming in. I hurried by to the dock and loaded my bike. Helpfully the boat had ropes to lash my bike to banister so the it wouldn't get thrown on the waves. At the end of the ride I arrived in Port Townsend, a perfect little tourist town. I checked the bike shop and found closed for the holiday as expected. I did find a store that sold small backpacks. These are one of those very light weight bags that pack down to nothing but can hold a few books once you unpack from it's small pouch. It will releive me from the annoyance of hauling a bike pannier with my laptop, cash, maps, etc every time I want to got into a shop.
I started out of Port Townsend in the clear warm day along the shore of the bay. Then an irritating click on my drive train started bugging me. I had heard it yesterday and I assumed it was something like a piece of gunck knocking things out of alignment and ignored it as it was in gears I wasn't using much. Now it was constant as it was in the gear I needed. I stopped just out of town and put my bike in the grass to investigate. After a couple minutes I discovered the cause, a bent tooth on a front chain ring. Chain ring is the name to gears attached to the right pedal of a bike. I had to partially disassemble my front drive train to permit my pliers access to the bent tooth. The metal they are made of is very brittle and so when I tried to correct the bend and it broke off I was not surprised. Fortunately a missing tooth of few won't cause any problems on bike. I put everything back together I was back on my way.
I have not written much about what I have looking at along the way. It was not my intention but like hikers who complain they only see the trail as a biker I have generally only seen the road. I do look up from time but rarely I have seen much remarkable. The terrain is mostly rural feilds with small towns and occasinially limited views of a bay.
The day ended with a crossing of the Hood Bridge, a narrow affair with no shoulders, only two lanes, and fast traffic. I lie, in some spots there was room for a bike but for a sizable section I had to walk along narrow curb while I walked my bike in the road. Fortunately I made it and about 45 minutes later I was hanging my hammock.
After finishing "All the President's Men" (thumbs up) I am now listening to a book called "Scourge" which is a book detailing the history of small-pox. It is mostly a historical account of the disese's impact on the world but that is more fascinating than I have ever imagined.

8/30/2008 Long day

Deception Point State Park
60 miles today
110 Miles down

I woke up rested after have slept cold though the night. I am glad I brought my hammock but I am beginning to think I should have brought more insulation for the bottom. Still it is far more comfortable than sleeping on the hard and rocky ground found in the campsites I have been in.
Given how hard this tour has been I am feeling surprisingly good. Still I wish I had trained more in prep. In all the tours I have done in the past I think I may have had to stop twice on a climb, even in the Adirondack Mountains, but I find myself stopping several times a day, often more than once on a single climb.
A couple people, Russel and Karen, came by my campsite today. Russel is from Australia and is exploring the area and I assume Karen is a friend joining him for a stretch. Tell told me about a a nature program down at the beach that was happening in about 20 minutes. I hurriedly packed up and headed down to the beach to meet them.
There we all got a quick lesson on how to responsibly explore and then set lose. I had never been in a tide pool and the experience was simply amazing. I have never seen anyplace more full of life. Every surface was crusted with living things! Immediately obvious were mussels and barnacles. Looking more closely I learned about limpets, chitons, and saw more critters that I have yet to identify. Lifting up rocks showed even more life below. Thousands of tiny crabs could be found everywhere, most the size of my finger nails though some bigger. Finally the last thing I found was clams who stuck out large fleshy feet to feed on the water lapping over them. When I touched one it responded by sucking it's foot in and squirting a jet of water at me in the process. The depressing thing about my exploration was there was so much life growing everywhere that even though I chose my steps carefully I new every last one was likely causing peril to something unseen.
The sea gulls were also neat to watch. As I sat I saw them pick up mussels and fly a short distance in the air then drop them on rocks in an effort to crack the shells.
After that I started on my day late but not upset. It was worth every minute. As I worked my way away from the park I ran into another cycling couple, this time local who gave me a recommendation that put me near the water. It was a nice gentle route with rolling hills that ran me along the shore or a river. On the muddy sores of the river I saw a majestic Heron stalking it's prey. I watched it for a few seconds and before I could get my camera out it got spoked and flew on down the river.
Later I passed a feild where someone had a large radio controlled plane. They are doing all sorts of stunts that made me fear for the plane.
In Bellingham I found a marine supply store where finally I bought some fuel for my stove. It was beautiful city with lots fo cute stores. I stopped by the library to get grab my email and upload my journal entries. After that I caught the bike trail that meandered along the shore. It eveantually ended up on a causeway that parrelled the shore for what felt like half a mile or more. I got a good view of the horizon and bay before me.
The day ended with a hour of chilled biking. Road construction redirected the bike route over steep hills and then I had to cross couple very narrow bridges. Fortunaly Washinton State law sets aside a few campsites for bikers at every state park so even though it was almost dark there was still a biker site for me.
All in all today was good day, I made good miles, the morning rocked, and I found a good place to sleep. I look forward to getting and earlier start tomorrow though so I can set up camp before dark.
Oh, also I got no flats today!!