June 2010
NoCal
June 29, 2010 - 8:34am | Melvix
Cristy putting Lance Armstrong to shame.
The first ten or twelve miles from Crescent City through the redwoods were the definition of harrowing. No shoulder, tight curves, heavy fog, traffic.
Equipment note! We got rid of our camping equipment in Bandon, Oregon. We just weren't using it. Every night we asked ourselves this question: Should we ride an extra 5 to 10 miles down this steep road to see if there's a campsite available so that we can stand around and make dinner in the freezing wind, or should we get a motel room in town?
It was amazing how much nicer it was to ride without it.
Trees of Creepy Talking Paul Bunyan Statue Mystery, Klamath.
Lionel the brachiosaur, who we picked up outside Klamath.
Trinidad.
Greetings from the Oregon Coast
June 23, 2010 - 5:02pm | Cristy 
It's not raining and I am starting to get the hang of this!
We are a little more than halfway! I can't believe it. I get up each day and ride down the coast, and am up to 50 mile days. That I can get out there and do the hills and do long days--cool! It feels good to be going along and just ticking off the miles. There are things I like: great views at the top of a hill, fast downhills with a smooth shoulder, some sun/some clouds for the not too hot rides. There are some things that are not as cool: heavy traffic, pot holes and huge bumps, people yelling from pick-up trucks, weird narrow bridges, and tunnels (not a fan!) There are some things that are downright scary: log trucks, passing cars coming at you on narrow roads, ocean cliffs with no guard rails!
I wrestled the camera from Dagwood for a photo of him.
We have not yet seen any whales. Dagwood may demand a rebate of some sort if Oregon fails to produce its highly promoted whales.
Tomorrow we shoot for a 60 mile ride from Bandon to GoldBeach. Pray for tailwinds!
O-ree-gon country
June 15, 2010 - 10:40pm | Melvix
On the bridge in Cathlamet.
Adios, Washington.
Fun times on the Puget Island ferry.
Hola, Oregon!
Oh my.
Snacktime!
Action shot
June 14, 2010 - 9:08am | Melvix
Down along the Cowlitz River, I think. It was an excellent day for riding. Really pretty.
Update from the Road
June 12, 2010 - 11:32pm | Cristy
We are now 332 miles into our tour. I would like to go on and on about something: positive mental attitudes, mastering hill anxiety, how being on the road is liberating, etc. These are all things on my mind but I am tired. This is hard. You really have to keep your focus and keep your mind right. Worrying about hills in advance is counter-productive and really un-Zen. Being in the moment is the best thing to do and the best part of being on the road.
And, June 11th was the 6 month anniversary of my neck dissection and I spent it cycling through Washington catching glimpses of Mt. Rainier and watching a pair of eagles flying together over a meadow.
Homework
June 12, 2010 - 8:27pm | MelvixMy interest in doing blog posts is pretty much at its nadir. It's like doing homework. I'd rather have a beer, dinner, another beer, then bed. That said, we're having a good time and today we got sunburns because the sun finally came out.
Here is a picture of Cristy, our friend Pat and I taken this morning in Chehalis, Washington.
Chehalis and Centralia: Driven through them a million times, never really saw the towns until yesterday. Pat gave us a great tour around the area. The ride from Elma to Chehalis was easily the best day yet, partly becuase it didn't rain, partly because it was so pretty and partly because it was flat.
Ok, that's all for now.
Biking around Puget Sound
June 7, 2010 - 10:04am | Cristy
We are on the road! Getting out of Canada was not too scenic but biking through the border was interesting. We basically got personal service and did not even have to get in line! We biked through Bellingham but can't prove it as the camera battery was low. Once we left Bellingham and started biking around Puget Sound things have been gorgeous, if a bit rainy. We camped outside of Anacortes with a tame deer that came begging, squirrels that tried to get into the food and loud ravens.
Washington Park in Anacortes
We stopped in Coupeville, second oldest town in Washington, and had fresh mussels at Toby's, an old tavern filled with moose heads, skulls and all sorts of old stuff.
Deception Pass
