PC_Day13

Day 13

Friday, 11 June 2004
North Bend, OR to Humbug Mountain State Park, OR
68.0 miles, 4h58m, 13.7 mph
Elapsed Time: 7h35m, Max speed: 40.7mph
Total Climbing: 2979ft, Max elevation: 590ft
Total mileage: 751.7

We got a late start because we were watching President Reagan's funeral on TV. Since we are on the west coast we were able to tear ourselves away from the set before 9:30 and hit the road.

The weather was cool--not cool enough to need a jacket, but cool enough to want one. It was overcast but it didn't look like it was going to rain anytime soon. We stopped in the small fishing village of Charleston for our first break.

Life in Charleston goes on, much as it did in the late 20th Century.

After Charleston, the route took us into up onto a ridge line that had been pretty well cleansed of any large trees. The road was not as good as other logging roads we've ridden on, but it was more pleasant than 101. The guy at the bike shop the other day said that the logging companies aren't as good to the earth here in Oregon as they are in Washington. I would have to agree. Much of this land has been clear cut and many areas appear not to have been replanted.

Of course, if the trees were still there there would be no view.

Eventually we returned to US101 and rode into a cute little town called Bandon. We had lunch at a bakery. JT bought a big sticky bun that he carried with him for the rest of the day. JT's camera started acting up so he stopped at the Radio Shack for a new battery. But it turns out the problem is most likely related to sand exposure during our day in the dune country among the sand people, of whom we will not speak.

Downtown Bandon. The Radio Shack is on the right...somewhere.

By the way, I have heard that people have responded to the bird naming challenge. The results will be announced tomorrow when I will once again have Internet access. By the time you read this it will be tomorrow, and today will be yesterday.

After lunch something strange happened. The sky turned a funny blue color and the temperature increased. At first we were alarmed, but then half-forgotten memories of riding in British Columbia came back. It was sunny!

Distrustful of this "sunshine," Bob keeps his jacket on.

I should mention here that while in Florence I spent $100 on a new rain jacket. My old one basically did nothing to keep me dry. I have not been struck by a drop of moisture since that purchase. I hope that the cycling gods have been satisfied by my financial sacrifice, and the jacket shall remain unneeded.

Once the sun came out, the coast suddenly looked much prettier. So we started taking pictures of rocks.

This one is called "Face Rock." I don't know why.

These rocks don't have names. Let's call them George.

We returned to US101 and started flying along. The road was rolling and we had an awesome tailwind. We flew into Langlois (no idea how to pronounce it) and stopped for a snack. JT called his folks and I called Linda from a pay phone. "Can you hear me now?" No. Our Verizon phones don't seem to work in this little corner of Oregon. If you try to make a call you are transferred to the "Roaming America Network" or some such entity. Then a voice tells you to punch in the number you're trying to call. So you do. Then it tells you again. I think they charge you for this little game. So it's pay phones until further notice.

Here's proof that we had a tailwind.

While we sat at Langlois a couple on heavily loaded touring bikes went by. We caught up with them a few minutes after we restarted, but there was no time to say more than "Hi." Later, they caught back up with us when we stopped at Port Orford for food to take to the campground. They were European, probably German or Dutch, and were on a three week tour to Crescent City and back to Portland. They were also camping at Humbug Mountain that night.

The last few miles to the campground were stunning. This must be the kind of stuff we have been missing because of the rain.

That's Humbug Mountain.

There was already a German couple in another Hiker/Biker campsite at the campground when we got there, and the couple we met on the road got there a little after we finished setting up. It is possible that we may speak to them and find out where they're going and where they're from, but I wouldn't count on it. It's getting cold.

Our campsite in the shade.

Tomorrow we're riding about 50 miles along the coast to Brookings. It should be spectacular. That will be our last full day in Oregon.

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