NW Loop - grand finale

Perhaps I didn't really want it to end which is why I have been tardy with this post. That may be over thinking things a bit.
You know the phrase ' saving the best till last'. Does it apply to the steepest incline on the ride? Week, that's what we had this morning - a short stretch of 20% in definitely the steepest hill we've done. We ride up to the aptly named Skyline Boulevard with stunning views along the way, then some beautiful undulations along the top.

 A couple more short steep bits and then down down down, across the St Johns Bridge and a coffee stop is in order. We finish up riding through some industrial areas coming out to a bike path which takes us across the final bridge to the hotel for a welcome shower and lunch.

Crossing St Johns Bridge

 Before the afternoon is out we have dined  on Cubano sandwiches and to stones while my new fenders are fitted to the bike. They are magnificent and I cannot resist a matching bottle holder. We trek over to join a few others at a hotel and restaurant in an old school building. It still had that old school feeling in the halls, I did not see any of the rooms but the old school yard has been wonderfully converted to an outdoor restaurant area including huge outdoor fireplace and chimney that I regret not photographing.
Back to the hotel for dinner, preceded by a trivia quiz conducted by the women known and loved as 'The Dutch'.  How little we remembered, how much we have taken in. Hilarity ensues.

Standing tall with the other Marys

Dinner, a few remarks, a couple of glasses of wine in the bar and we still retire early.
Next day breakfast farewells as the group disbands and we reenter our former existences with plans already in place for the next ride........... for me that's only a few weeks away in South Oz.

NW Loop Day 28 - long run

Awesome days ride, not many pictures today, QM told me we couldn't take any as we had to keep going. We always had a long day ahead of us.

The weather is better than last time, I might just make all 140km today. If I do it will be down to my cycling buddies and peanut butter. Almost all the snack food we see, both sweet and savory, contains peanut butter and I am convinced it is what keeps us going.
Of course we start with a climb, after all today we are crossing the  coastal range and heading east towards Portland. Fooled by a good descent I think we have crossed over, but no there is more climbing to come. The long steady low grade climb of the afternoon is not as bad as the shorter steeper pinches just too far from the preceding downhill to roll up.

Each day we are told that our travels on back roads will mean quiet traffic, and each day we find that the light traffic includes heavy logging trucks which, whether empty or full, are driven by men on a mission. I've already described my worst encounter with one so you get the picture.
They cannot however take away the enjoyment of riding through forests and this abounds today. Pine, fir, aspen - all different, all beautiful in their own way. Some trees are moss covered  which gives one the feeling you are riding through a Tolkien landscape rather than being evidence of a very damp winter.

We did make a brief stop at a wildlife viewing areas ( party of a wildlife refuge) but no sign of the elk taking refuge there. A couple of deer that morning can no longer elicit the excitement of earlier in the ride. Speaking of wildlife I am happy to report no sightings of live snakes throughout the tour, something I dreaded after seeing rattlesnake pictures in an account of the same ride by a participant in the same tour a few years ago. Phew!
Today also there are no 'services' along the route - that is no coffee, no general store, nothing much at all. Riders carry a variety of snack food, sandwiches and water, topping up at 'sag' stops throughout the ride. Both vehicles stay out today and we know there will be pizza for dinner as P has cooked her last meal.
QM and I hope for a brew pub as we come into town but we are again on the outskirts and we don't have the energy to ride past the motel in search of one. A well deserved ale from the van cooler is enjoyed sitting in the shade on the motel front lawn calling greetings to other riders coming and going.

NW Loop Day 27 - river mouth

I shall start at the end today. We embed up in Astoria, where the Columbia River flows to the sea. It is a port town and boasts the longest continuous truss bridge in America. I have not crossed it. I did however ride across the smaller bridge to Warrenton as I had to go to a particular shop on that side. It was a windy ride, head wind out so tail wind back - it's not a ride I'd like to do too often. (I didn't take the photo either).

Earlier in the day we rode through a tunnel which had a button for cyclists to push as they entered. This turned on flashing lights and warned motorists that cyclists are in the tunnel and the speed limit is reduced accordingly. I was about halfway when I heard a large truck enter without slowing at all. I got as far over as I could hoping I did not crash into the low wall as there was really nowhere I could go. The noise filled the tunnel completely and I was terrified, truly terrified. The logging truck thundered by, shooting out of the tunnel and headed on up the hill. I don't know if he even saw me with my own lights flashing but he certainly did not care.

It wasn't all bad though as we rode the coast, had great coffee at a place called Insomnia in Cannons Beach, a very appealing seaside resort town and saw some wonderful views of fog, the ocean, trees, and more. We climbed quite a bit too, over 3000feet.

No brew pub today.. Will have to fix that tomorrow. Not many more chances, as only two days remain on the road.

NW Loop Day 26- rest

Rest day - the day all cycle tourists look forward to, even those who acknowledge they chose to get on the bike day after day after day....
We are in Manzanita, a small coastal town with a wonderful beach. There may not be a plethora of breakfast cafes or a lot to do at first glance but if one is moving around slowly (as is the wont for most of us on a rest day) it doesn't take a lot to fill in the day.
Starting with a pedicure is my favoured option, followed by breakfast with fellow travelers before we saunter down the main street. Stopping in each and every shop is obligatory on a day like today, even if one buys nothing. The shoes didn't fit.
Made it to the other end in time to turn around and go to lunch at the MUDD DOG for a Chicago hot dog with allegedly hot sauce.. Delicious.
Incredible as it may seem a highlight today was the brave and daring Polar Plunge at 4.00pm ..  Four women, myself included, were mad enough to run into the icy waters of the Pacific Ocean and douse themselves briefly before running back to shore, hot showers and/or the warmer motel pool. Nuts? Yes. Fun? YES.

Two Aussies, one Dutch, one American survive the plunge

Almost as much fun as the picnic on the beach which was disturbed by wind and sand, fortunately after we had almost finished eating. A later move to the sanctuary of the motel room balcony for cups of tea/coffee, filled by another couple of cyclists dropping in for a nightcap and the day is finally done.
I think everyone feels sad that the ride is ending, while at the same time feeling that we have been on the road a long time and home will be good to see again.

NWLoop Day 25 - on the road again

Not even a night sleeping on a dreadful pull out couch could keep me down today - and it was a dreadful bed. I was so tired I slept anyway. To my great relief my tyre was still up so I was confident about riding again. Our briefing included the information that we were riding some of the most stunningly scenic country of the ride. We have heard that before and so far it proved true each time.
The road is the Three Capes Scenic Route but the road to the third cape is in such a state of disrepair that it is closed. The first two however are worth the climb to see the view of the ocean.

Fog is interesting along this coast as it rolls in and out during the day, sitting often in a thin line hugging the coast so that the ocean is clear beyond it. It does not follow the coastline as closely as The Great Ocean Road at home, but riders get glimpses along the way which also takes us through some wonderful forest sections.

We join the highway for a while, confirming again that it was a good decision yesterday to avoid it, and head to the game Tillamook cheese factory for some ice cream. This is a great barn of a place overrun with tourists so we don't stay long.

Off the highway again and a stretch of more scenic backroad, one can never have too much, before the last few miles on the main road again. We have had dire warnings about the final short but steep hill just before the end and there it was as we turned a corner. We headed up and as I heard a huge truck change down gears at the bend in the hill I feared there was more hill around it. Happily not so, the dreaded and feared steep climb was much shorter than anticipated and it transpired that the anticipation was the worst part.
Manzanita, the prospect of a rest day, and a motel on the breakfront - what more could one ask? A fire on the beach after dinner? Make it so, number one... Marshmallows included?  Of course. A beautiful end to another good day.

It is hard to believe that there are only three more days of riding.. The end seemed so very far away when we set out and now it rushes toward us.

NW Loop Day 24 - no treats

Got off to a good start, then only a few miles out heard an ominous sound. Sure enough when we stopped L saw the giant nail sticking right out of my rear tyre. No problem, we changed it and headed off again. As the support vehicle passed by I signaled that all was well. We had arranged to meet up in Dallas (not the...) to get a lift through part of the route today along a busy highway.

3 miles to go, rear tyre starts going fffft, fffft a little too regularly. Another flat in the same tyre. Damn and blast. L located the tiny sharp thing in the tyre - nothing to do with the last one.  I couldn't get it out so I tried with my ear ring to gouge it out and when enough was exposed removed it with the only thing handy, my teeth. It worked, but the new spare tube didn't so after patching the first one we put the bike back together only to find it was flat again.  Double damn.
While we waited for the support car to arrive we were fortunate that the hall we stopped at was open and we were able to use the bathroom. The man there, who rides a Cannondale, had just put fresh wax on the hall floor. I told him I thought it a beautiful floor and looked good for dancing and he told me that the hall was just about to fall down about 25 years ago when a local woman bought it and refurbished it. It is now used by various local groups for a while range of things. On Friday nights there is a music session and singalong, people bring mandolins, banjos and fiddles and they have a great time. I laughed at the thought that this was another thing missed by a day or two.

So that was that, rescued by the sag and delivered to the van at the next rest stop. All momentum and enthusiasm was lost and I went straight to the hotel, did washing, had coffee, a quick bite, a glass of wine and dinner before a good night's sleep.
As we drove along I was grateful not to be riding on the highway as the traffic was awful and the road shoulder not great. I was however sorry to miss what was a particularly scenic section of the highway. The state forest section of the highway was pretty good to look at so that was small compensation.
The accommodation was at the beach in Neskowin, a place so small I had trouble finding it on a map. It was wonderful to sit in the sun overlooking the beach instead of sitting in the car park which was in the shade and cooling down fast. There was fog when we arrived, but it burnt off for the evening only to return the next day.

NW Loop Day 23 - treats

Turned out this was a day of treats. We knew it was going to be a flat road, no hills but we had to keep pedaling as the headwind picked up during the morning.
First treat was the Country Bakery, a Mennonite bakery along our way.

Delicious Lemon slices, cinnamon rolls and sticky buns.  As a baker myself I appreciated the very light dough and the deft touch with which they were made. All eaten in a delightful garden before we pressed on.
Second treat, lunch at the Block 15 brew pub, recommended by the local bike shop. Weirdly they didn't serve a BLT so I fell back on the pulled pork sandwich which was messy but good to eat.
Third and final treat - a rider from a former tour invited everyone to dinner on their farm. That was a very pleasant change from sitting in a circle of plastic chairs in the motel car park. We drove out to their own lakeside party shed and dined on delicious chicken, corn (recipe to follow), salad, etc with homemade peach, blackberry and homegrown blueberry pie.

  A wonderful end to a pretty good day.

Corn had husks and silks removed and was stacked in an ice chest/cooler/esky and boiling water pitted over it, lid closed and left for 30 mins. It was perfectly cooked - too easy for words.

NW Loop Day 22

I am having a wonderful time, I keep saying that to people and it is true. I am in with a marvelous group of people, well supported, traveling through splendid country and fit and well. What could be better?  I miss home and everyone, but I know that the end is coming and I will have the tell of catching up with them soon. In the meantime... Back on the road.
Yesterday was another short ride into Springfield, which is just across the river from a large university town, Eugene. I am so used to country roads, towns and motels that it seemed a shame to hit the big smoke - less shade, big shopping mall, busy roads - so after lunch I walked to a bank and then had a nap instead of seeing the sights.
Getting here was different. Another covered bridge, past a couple of hydro power stations, and once more through some scenic farming areas. I cannot get enough of that.

M, on the other hand, has had enough flat tyres to last her a lifetime. Having said at the order that she has never had a flat on the road she has now had at least six. Swapping a tyre didn't help yesterday as she had two on the road, finally so frustrated by them she got a lift to the nearest bike shop to replace all tyres and tubes.
We stopped by the roadside to eat deliciously sun warmed ripe blackberries, something I would never do at home as they are always sprayed with herbicides. Her they appreciated them fully and it is good. It was also a timely stop part way up a hill which actually no longer counts as a hill after the climbs we have done.
We have a treat in store tomorrow - but more of that anon.

NWLoop Day 21 - lava.

Mckenzie Pass. Is just about all we've talked about the last few days. It will be the most challenging ride with some spectacular and surprising scenery. So it was with some trepidation we attended the briefing after breakfast this morning. All headed out in warmer gear than we have worn to date as not only is the morning the coolest we have had, but we are climbing to over 5000 ft with a lengthy descent on the other side.
I thought the landscape was odd in the blue basin, but nothing prepared me for today. The climb was not as bad as we thought (they never are), but it was a decent effort nonetheless. After a few miles, quite a few miles, we turned a corner and were confronted with the most amazing view I think I have ever seen. It was an extraordinary expanse of rock ... of lava rock. It seemed to go as far as the eyes could see, but probably didn't as we could see mountains behind it. We rode through a cutting in it and alongside it for quite a long time. I am not sure anything I say would describe it well so .....

The view from the summit was great, in the observatory the were a series of little windows each of which have the viewer a look at an individual peak - very cool. Then we came down, and down, and down some more. It was cool coming down so at the bottom we congregated in a large patch of sun to remove a couple of layers ready for the last few miles.

On arrival a handful of us extended our ride a couple of miles and I saw my first covered bridge which was great. 

We found a beautiful road alongside the river to the bridge, which was rebuilt in the 60s and restored about 20 years ago. A small thing, but I was very excited to see it. We are in a tiny place, Rainbow, with virtually no Wi-Fi, no phone coverage so there will be a rush of entries when we get back into a more technologically advanced civilization.
Something is making me sneeze. Goodbye

NW Loop Day 20 - restful

Rest day again, in Sisters this time - named for The Sisters mountains overlooking the town. 

Sisters is definitely a tourist town with plenty of shops to trawl through. Before we can start that though we have to go to The Sisters Coffee Company where they do their own roasting. Delicious coffee, two days in a row now.  That's more than I expected if I had listened to some people. 

  We are in the middle of a seismic area and there is talk that one of The Sisters could blow at any time. Not on our watch I hope.
Breakfast in town, wandering around not quite aimlessly through clothing, gift and thrift shops until it's time for lunch at the local wine bar.
Worn out by all this activity we repair to the motel for a restful afternoon by the pool until it's time for pre-dinner drinks and off to a restaurant downtown for a special meal.
Eight of us elected to go to the winery degustation dinner at 'Jen's Garden', wines from a particular winery matched with several courses of delicious food.  We agreed that those who had chosen not to join us had made a serious mistake

NW Loop Day 19 - heading for a rest

This was one of those days when everyone on the tour was excited by the prospect of a day's rest after a couple of shorter days riding through the Oregon landscape.

Heading out with the promise of coffee halfway to our destination we are all encouraged by a cool morning's ride with yet more wonderful scenery. Fortunately for us all one of the troupe had already researched the good coffee shop in Redmond - on which we descended en masse. The Green Plow handled it beautifully supplying us with the best coffee I've had since leaving Melbourne capped by delicious pastries. If you are passing through, STOP and enjoy it.

Onwards we go riding towards mountains topped with snow, the Three Sisters.  Keeping them in view we cruise straight to lunch (after all a rider has to keep her energy up) at the local brewery before checking into the hotel for a couple of nights.

A swim, laundry done, a massage, dinner and learning a new game which T assures us is not gambling though we all needed to bring three quarters to the table. Actually we elected to play sitting around under the pine trees with bits of pine cones instead of coins. It was hilarious.

Finally settling in with Iron Man 2 while I catch up with a few chores before a restful day off.

Can you tell this was a frivolous day?

NW Loop Day 18 - wheeeeeeee

Actually started today with steep short climb up the other motel driveway to breakfast. The group was split overnight between the two lodgings in town. The A group joined the B group for meals.

 Last night we were led to believe that we would start climbing as soon as we left so it was with some pleasure that we ride the first few miles down to the start of the climb.  The long slog climb.
We rode through a burnt section of the forest, still smelling of charred wood and too soon after it to see any sign of regrowth shoots on any of the trees.  I was I thought eerily silent until I heard and saw a few birds in amongst the trees, that was a heartening sound. The fire area was reminiscent of Black Saturday (2009) at home as the swathe the fire cut through the forest and hills was clear to see.

It was a relief to achieve the summit today as the weather was warming up a bit. Downhill a bit to our rest stop where a case that hit a deer had been waiting since late last night for help as the radiator and grille were badly damaged.
Downhill again for miles and miles into farming country passing the first wheat field we had seen for quite some time. It is all beautiful country.

Lunch, then a walk a mile to downtown Prineville which was somewhat disappointing as it has very  shops and those open were pretty ordinary. The Museum was good, set up in an old bank building expanded into the adjacent property.
I was again  of home, particularly Northern Victoria, by the very dry hot hot air as we walked there and back. We returned through a  lovely park, headed to Starbucks for something cold, and i came back to the hotel for a refreshing swim. I am very grateful for the number of places with pools we have stayed in.

NW Loop Day 17 - fossils

Fossils abound in a particular areas of Oregon known as the John Day Fossil Beds, and a wide areas surrounding the fossil beds. The total area is around 20000 square miles or 51800 square kilometers.  To make sure we could do more than just see the Palaeontology Center L and I got a lift with a few others to the Center. After viewing the film about the beds and examining the exhibits we rode a few miles down the road and then walked into an area known as The Blue Basin. I know the vision won't do it justice. It was so alien, so blue, so extraordinary that it is difficult to describe.

We then got back on the road, again smoky from local fires and rode through some amazingly beautiful country, through a basalt gorge to more open country with an uphill struggle to the local shoe tree where we abandoned the bikes and got a lift into town. Good decision, had enough of dry mouth coughing fit the day.

Tonight we are in Mitchell which is a tiny town and looks pretty rundown. It is another town now bypassed by the highway which loses its young people to bigger towns and cannot sustain its own local businesses. Surprisingly those businesses include two cafes. I had lunch at the Little Pine cafe next door to the hotel and it was delicious, cold beer and BLT of the first order.
A quick and through town, a chat on the hotel verandah, a walk across the highway to one of Patty's marvelous dinners and the day is done. Bed by eight is becoming an ingrained practice.

NW Loop Day 16 - high

Big day, high day. I woke feeling fine, had a cup of tea, felt awful, and began to wonder if I'd ride at all today. After a little breakfast I felt a little better and decided to start and see how I went. It mug be altitude, might be not enough fluids, fortunately didn't seem to be "something I ate".  As I went along I felt better and so the day went well.

That is, if you think going well includes three mile high passes and a headwind. Climbing started as soon as we left Baker City, not step but steady. In fact there was very little steep climbing all day, just a lot of uphill. A few of us formed a peleton this morning which helped get us going.
What one gets with mountain passes of course is a great view and today was no exception. We rode through some stunning country including pine forest that smelt wonderful as we went along.

N was our sag today and was certainly a welcome sight along the way, as was " the van" which alternated with the sag car to support us. N did a great job keeping that watermelon cool.
In the midst of all this steady cycling we stopped at the Austin House cafe for ice cream - surely that would be the best fuel for the final climb. Must be, as we made it.

At the top L and I arranged to end our ride and meet N at the coffee shop in Prairie City. The prospect of another 13 miles in the headwind on the flat was just too daunting, not to mention how my knees were starting to protest. Thought better off not pushing on and preserved them for another day. On the way down we stored to enjoy the view and the intriguing wagon shaped information bay.

So really it was just another day with climbs, views, ice-cream and a good nights sleep at the end. We are however, back in fire territory so a smokey day ahead of us tomorrow.