Thick Fog

When I left Orick, CA. this morning the fog had shrouded the wholle area. I thought I would bike out of it after a while. However, after 47 miles of biking, the fog never lifted. At points, I only had about 35 yards of visibility. All I could do was strap on my lights, hug the shoulder as far to the right as possible, and keep peddling. Well, I guess I could have stayed put, but fog is common to this area and who knows how long I would have to wait. Anyway, the biking was uneventful today. I could not see any viewpoints and therefore I did not take any side trips. I am now in Eureka, CA. staying at a KOA campground. I think I am fairly close to 1,300-1,400 total miles so far. I passed through the towns of Trinidad and Arcata today. Humboldt University is in Arcata. There are numerous Victorian homes in this area. Hopefully, I will be able to get some pictures tomorrow as I leave Eureka. Tomorrow ai will bike through the "avenue of the giants", a huge redwood forested area. I think there is a redwood tree you can drive a car through that is supposed to very, very old (they say, 400 BC. Oh, I forgot to tell you, 2 days ago I biked through the segolilly capital of the world. I guess 90 percent of all sego Lilly bulbs come from this California farmland. All else is well with me. I am enjoying the adventure. Jerry

I conquered the hills

Got up this morning, filled my belly full of pancakes and went to attack the mountains. They were definitely long and steep. The climbs were exhausting but the descents were exhilarating. I basically drew my strength from the giant redwoods lining the roads, got into a rhythm of peddling and just kept moving. My pace on the steepest part was 3.8 mph, which is just a little faster than a walking pace. I completed 40 miles today and I am in Orick CA., a very small town of about 480 people. On my way, I biked through Elk Prarie State Park. I spotted a group of elk and stopped and watched them for a long time. I have a pair of binoculars with me. Thre were 5 big bulls, 4 spikes, and 12-15 cows. It was fun to watch them play and eat. One big bull was trying to come on to the cows, but they would have nothing to do with him. He bugled a couple of times, but the ladies were not impressed. Met a couple today who have been bicycling for 6 years. They met in Montana 6 years ago and they have been on the road ever since. They looked like they were in their mid 50's. He takes odd jobs from time to time to help finance their lifestyle. They basically live in a tent. They bathe in the rivers, and they simply replace their gear when it wears out. What do you think Kim? Does that appeal to you? (lol). The redwoods are magnificent. They average about 300 feet tall. The real big ones are about 370 feet high. They are inspiring. I think of their centuries of spreading their roots deep in mother earth while branching upward into the heavens, inch by inch. If they could speak, I think their wisdom would astound us. It is Saturday and I will be taking a rest day tomorrow, so you will not hear from me until Monday evening, as long as I am in an area with Internet service. Until then, stay happy. Jerry

Sunny day

It was a beautiful, sunny day. I biked 42 miles today and stopped in Crescent City CA. I stopped just short of the set of steep mountain ranges. I am staying in a campground right at the base of the Crescent mountains. Tomorrow, I will attack them with fresh legs. Because the visibility was so good today, I really enjoyed biking along the coast. At one point, I saw hundreds of seals and sea lions sunning on the rocks. I also saw thousand of birds nesting on huge rocks just off the coast. I also saw 5 golden eagles today. That was awesome. Tomorrow I also enter the giant redwood tree areas of Northern California. For the next several days I will get to bike amongst the giants. I am really looking forward to the fabulous redwood forests. I have only seen them in books, and it will be a real treat for me to see them up close and personal. As I said earlier, "God's creations speak to me". To ponder their intelligences and to know that they work into God's plan of justice is just incredible to me. The forecast is for more good weather the next 5 days. Hope that holds true. That's it for now. Jerry

headwinds

Encountered some stiff headwinds today. Not only do they slow you down, but the fatigue factor is significant. That, along with several challenging hills, made for a hard day. Biked 62 miles to Brookings, the Southernmost city in Oregon. I will cross the California border fairly early tomorrow morning. And then, more hills. The Northern California hills are the highest and steepest on the West Coast. I am a little intimidated as I read about them. They say there are bicycle saddlebags on the side of the steepest roads. I think that is folklore, but it underscores the challenge ahead of me. After fighting the headwinds and hills today, I asked myself for the first time, "What the heck am I doing out here?" Kim is going to meet me around San Francisco a little over a week from now. We are then going up the Oregon Coast together by car, head over to Portland and then drop down into Boise to see our daughter Tawnie and her family before heading home. So, it looks like I am going to cut my tour a little short so that Kim and I can spend some time together out here. She has always wanted to see the Oregon Coast. No rain the last three days. It's been great and I have finally witnessed the beauty of this wonderful place. Well, wish me luck on the big hills tomorrow. Jerry

Had a pretty good spill

Have not had Internet connection the past two days. Have been in the coastal mountainess areas areas. I will bring you up-to- date: On Monday morning I was into my ride about an hor when it started to rain. I was on a rough , narrow shoulder going about 12 mph when the shoulder shifted to a different level. My front wheel caught the rise and with the slippery conditions, I went down hard on my left side into the traffic lane. I skidded several feet, hurried off the roadway and tried to collect myself. A motorist who witnesses the affair stopped and asked if I was Okay. I said I thought I was. I was just so grateful that it was early in the morning with little traffic on the roads. I got back on my bike, and after the adrenalin wore off, I noticed some pain down my left side. I pulled over and discovered that I had scraped up my left elbow, left knee, and left hip pretty good. I wrapped holes in my rain jacket and rain pants, and in my riding glove. I am sure without this layer of clothing, things could have been much worse. I am humbled about how vulnerable we all are each day. I thank the Lord every day for each breath of life that He sustains. Things have been fine since, except for some left shoulder pain, which is not severe, just nagging. I finally got a little sun on Tuesday, and more sun today. I have seen some incredible scenery, along with may sea lions. I have walked on the beach every night contemplating things of eternity, and missing family and friends. On Monday I biked 67 miles, on Tuesday I biked 79 miles, and today I left early and have biked 66 miles. The towns I have passed through are: Pacific City, Neskowin, Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Waldport, Yachats, Glenada,Gardiner, Reedsport, Winchester Bay, Nort Bend, Coos Bay, Charlston, Bandon, and I presently in Port Orford. Tomorrow I will pass through Gold Beach and end in Brookings, the Southern most Oregon City. On Friday I will cross the California Border and continue my route down the Coast. Loving the sights and sounds and the smells. The campgrounds I have been staying in have been very nice, most havi g hot showers. I biked along with several otter bikers the last couple of days. One from Denver, two from Austria, one from Texas, one from Ohio, and one from Florida, all really nice people. Still haven't run into any old duffers like myself. It's good to be back in touch. Hope you are all well and happy. God bless. Jerry

Hills and more Rain

It rained most of the night, but when I woke up it had stopped. I was able to fix my breakfast and load up my gear while the sun was coming up. Did I say "Sun"! It lasted for 1hour and then it was gone. And then it started to rain and it did not let up all day. I got totally soaked. My skin is all wrinkled. I don't think it will ever be smooth again. I had 3 long hills today. Very steep. They definitely challenged my capacity and endurance. One of the hills would rival our own Apine Loop. I biked 48 miles today, but I was on the bike for almost 7 hours, because of the snail pace going up the mountain passes. Speaking of snails, they are everywhere here, and little frogs too. They get up on the roadway and get splattered. I am speaking of hundreds of slugs and frogs - one of the results of such a wet climate I guess. I am in Lincoln City OR. I passed some great scenery today and managed to get a few pictures. The fog was not as heavy today. There were a lot of suffers out even though it was raining hard. Tomorrow is Sunday and I will be taking a day of much needed rest. Jerry

Sitting at the Ocean

Writing tonight from the Pacific Ocean, listening to the methodical rolls of the waves as they break on the beach - the smell of salt water, sand and sea weed. I am at cape lookout state park near Tellamook, Oregon. Tellemook is known for it's cheese. I visited the cheese factory today and toured the facility and operation. It was really interesting, but best of all I got to sample about 6 kinds of cheese. Oh so good. Washington and Oregon also depend on a strong logging industry to support their economy. Huge logging trucks frequent the roads. These drivers are the most courteous to bikers. The smell of fresh cut wood at the lumber yards is yummy. The arroma of saw dust is delicious to the smell. Biked around 48 miles today. The day started out wet again. I was soaked by noon. It then broke for a while. I was able to get my tent up when it wasn' raining. It is raining again now. I am sitting under a canopy. Looks like I will be fixing dinner in the rain. It is still quite foggy. The forecast is for more of the same through the weekend. I am just going to have to tolerate being damp for awhile. The temperature is about 58 right now. It gets down to about 50-52 at night. I have an idea! I think I will bring my cooking gear to this canopy area. It is about 100 yards from my sleeping area. Okay, I think I will go and do that. Until next time, Jerry