Coastal Oregon, Entering California!

June 12-13

The last two days were not terribly scenic, since we were not by the ocean. But I imagine they will help me appreciate the coast all the more once we get back to it. The worst part about it was my expectations. I turned every corner thinking there would be a miraculous view of the ocean. Perhaps I should have studied a map to know that we would be inland, but nonetheless, my expectations dampened my mood.

The day from Florence to Coos Bay was slightly more interesting in that Anna and I were sweeping (the last two riders each day, making sure everyone is okay and wielding a cell phone). We stopped in a thrift store before we even left Florence to buy matching red outfits. I'd like to think that pictures of us will never hit the internet, but I'm sure it will inevitably happen. The cool part about these costumes is that we were actually able to wear them while riding--over our bike shorts and team jerseys. We got quite the reaction from our team as we strolled in to the mini golf place in which we found them. Rather than joining in, Anna and I each decided to make a call or two, posing for the occasional picture.

June 14, 2009

A stunning ride today from Port Orford to Brookings, OR. It certainly rivaled, but in my mind, did not exceed, the beauty of the ride recently from Newport to Florence, OR. But really, why compare? I should mention that after recently buying 33 postcards from Oregon, I already sent them all out! I was very methodical about it, and had gone through the trouble of collecting addresses and printing labels to make sure everyone got one, and that I didn't send out too many duplicates. Only about 67 more to go! It felt good to actually mail them out from Oregon, rather than in California.

Our pod stopped only once today in the morning; we were certainly trucking! I had really wanted to ride with Carly, since it had been some time since we had ridden together. Also in the group was Anna, Eva, and Rachel. We left poor Rachel behind for a bit, unable to keep up with out rigorous pace. I did feel badly about leaving her behind, but we never let her out of our sight. The downhill around Humbug Mountain was spectacular--both the grade and the view.

Later on, having remembered seeing a beautiful postcard picture of Cape Sebastian, I demanded that we stop and see it. The only problem was that, directly on the heels of climbing a major hill, this one was not long, but particularly steep. The others waited while I went to scope it out. Realizing it wasn't as beautiful a view as I had hoped, Carly was already up the hill before I could go back down and warn the others it wasn't worth the climb. I tried calling both Rachel and Anna (the other two Americans in the group), but both of their phones were off. One good quote did come out of all this, from the mouth of Eva, and to be repeated by many: "Wow, this view sucks!" Honestly, though, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, since it was indeed quite beautiful, though limited in scope. You could see the ocean for probably twenty miles, since we were so high up, and you couldn't tell where the line was drawn between the sea and the sky.

June 15, 2009

Our first picture spot today was in front of the sign that reads, "Welcome to California" in a fancy, appealing fashion. To be honest, the scenery that immediately followed was anything but a step above that of Oregon. I know I will miss Oregon greatly, but I trust that California will be beautiful in its own way. To be honest, I'm not really sure what to expect.

I was not a big fan of the freeway on which we found ourselves, nor the houses that immediately blocked what was likely a gorgeous view of the ocean once we crossed the state line. The rocks in the ocean were there, but they didn't seem nearly as beautiful--perhaps because of California's seemingly low vantage point from which to view the rocks.

Lunch today was at a beautiful beach in Crescent City--the first California beach I had ever seen in person! Since Ben needed to go to a bike shop, Anna and I ditched him, as well as Graham and Patrick, leaving lunch as they were arriving. The hills to follow were monstrous in scope. Manageable because they were gradual, I actually found them to be satisfying in some strange way. Not to mention the scenery--we were entering into a redwood forest, with tall trees on either side!

The forests literally took my breath away. Again and again. Anna decided to stop once in the middle of a downhill, though I was not quite sure why. Usually she goes slower than me downhill, and even brakes sometimes. But this time I was going slow, trying to take in the sight of all the tall trees I could. At any rate, I stopped just in front of her and asker her why she had stopped. Rather than responding, she made a listening gesture to me and smiled. Silence. Utter and complete silence. Now on a secluded road through a national forest, hardly any cars went by, and there was no motion, no sign of life other than the forest itself. It was one of the most incredible experiences ever for me. I just felt bad for Anna, whose silence I had ruined by the squeak of my front disc brake.

A bit later, I laughed out loud when I saw a sign that said "Big Tree" and pointed to the left. To my eyes, it was one of the smaller redwoods in the forest (perhaps only 2,000 years old!). I soon learned that the arrow pointed to some sort of establishment and not any individual tree. Oh well. I was not the only one who thought it was funny.

At the foot of the forest was our campsite for the night: Elk Prairie Campground. I actually saw my first elk there, though it felt artificial since it was in a field marked, "wild elk habitat," i.e. open field. It didn't really look like an elk because it had no horns, but it certainly was one.