90 miles from Cape Lookout to just south of Waldsport OR. Furthest I ever went in a day. Our last 20 miles included about a 15 mph tailwind so that we averaged 20-25 mph for the last hour. I surprised myself. Felt pretty good.
I’m offering this recap now because we are rising early for an 80 mile day to Coos Bay, where we will rent a car to drive 100 miles to Cheshire OR where my grandparents used to live. Grandpa was a Christmas tree farmer, so I have many good memories of our summer visits. My uncle has been working on the house since grandpa died a few years ago. I have not stayed in that house for decades! It will be full of memories.
A few memories from today:
• riding with a strong tailwind for much of the second half of the ride.
• eating a wild salmonberry at the top of Slab Crick hill on the old 101. I’d love to say it was sweet, but it really tasted unripe or like dirty water. (See image below).
• experiencing a different level of hungry as I’m burning 1000s of calories a day. Late in the afternoon, I could feel a powerbar go straight to energy as I was hiting a wall
• Riding a stretch of the old 101 where for 1 1/2 hours we saw a total of only 4 cars. At the top of one grade, we met a man from the Netherlands who was finishing a cross-country solo ride that began in Virginia Beach, VA and will end up near where we started yesterday.
• finding a bike shop (to fix my dad’s broken spokes) and a little fish stand (to feed our craving for fresh fish n chips) within a half block of each other, and having the shop guy stay late to help us.
• starting today’s ride with a 2.5 mile hill that rises 1000 feet, then coasting down the other side a speeds reaching 40+ mph.
• taking a side route just before Newport OR that included the cool view below.
• camping last night at Cape Lookout (below)
What a gift this trip is!
Love getting your updates, Alan! Be safe; have fun!