9/19/14 - Garaibaldi

Rear Tire after 622 miles (now on the front)

9/19/14 - Garibaldi

I got off to a rough start this morning.  After packing up, as I went to head out things didn't feel right.  I looked back abd my rear tire was flat.  When I took off the wheel to repair the flat I was astonded to see that the tread pattern on the rear tire was completly worn off after 620 miles.  To even things out I decided I needed to rotate the tires, so now I had to remove both wheels and tires.  With the front wheel off I found the front bearings had come out of adjustment.  So add digging out the cone wrenches to adjust the bearings.  And just to make it more interesting, I could not find the cause of the original flat.

But everything is back together with the old rear tire and tube up in front where I can keep an eye on them.  I was planning to have breakfast in Garibaldi, but it turned out to be lunch instead!

One good point was as I was pushing the bike up to a good place to do the repairs a lady walked up and said "Hello Kerry."  It turned out she was one of the county people that collet the camground fees.  She told me she owed me some money, because they only charge $20 for hiker/bikers.  So my $32 campsite was actualy only $20 and I got $12 back.

9/18/14 - Seaside to Barview Campground (Garibaldi)

The Rugged Oregon Coast

9/18/14 - Seaside to Barview Campground (Garibaldi) (40 miles)
Trip miles 622

Some serious climbing today.  Three hills for a toatl of 1,800 feet.  Did OK though.  I think my legs are getting used to this.  Some great views from the tops of those hills.  There is no more heavy climing until I'm South of Neskowin (about 50 miles). 

Had to go through an uphill tunnel at Arch Cape.  They have a button you push that set off flashing lights notifing motorist that there is a bicyclist in the tunnel and speed is reduced to 30 mph.  It's still pretty scary slowly cranking your way uphil as the traffic roars by you, much of it was going a lot faster than 30 mph!

Barview is a county campground and I expected the normal $10 or so for a hiker/biker site, a little more if they don't have hiker/biker sites.  Not so here, $32 for a basic campsite.  I was tempted to continue my ride int Garibaldi to check on a motel, but I didn't.

The Haystack by Cannon Beach

Getting Ready to Enter the Tunnel

The $32 Campsite

Barview Campground Beach

9/17/14 - Astoria to Seaside

I got to remember to take those knee braces off before someone takes my picture!

9/17/14 - Astoria to Seaside (20.5 miles)
Trip miles 582

Not much mileage today.  I got a late start from Astoria (updating blog).  When I got to Seaside I was able to complete my "North (Oregon) Coast Craft Beer Trail" requirement (8 breweries) and collect my official souvenir pint glass!  While at the tourism center (the pint glass distributor) the lady there gave me some ideas of things to see while in Seaside, so I hung around a bit.  While riding down the "Promenade", the equivalent of San Diego's boardwalk, I met a guy on a cruiser that invited me to spend the night in his back yard.  Since it was already raining lightly, I accepted.  This allowed me to have supper at one of the local restaurants, "Dundee's Bar & Grill" instead of cooking supper in the dark and rain.

Tomorrow, continuing South.

Seaside, the end of the Lewis & Clark Trail.
They made salt here to preserve food for
their trip back.

The Seaside Beach

Heading to the beach, Seaside, Oregon

9/16/14 - Astoria

In front of the Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria, OR

9/16/14 - Astoria (9.5 miles)

Changed rooms in the motel to get a 1st floor room (makes it a lot easier with the bike).  Sent a package home with some souveniers and some unneeded equipment.  I really don't have that much unneed stuff this trip unless you count the tools and spare parts.  That's the stuff you may not need at all, or can make the difference between walking or riding to the next town in the event of a mechanical problem.

Visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum and the Lightship Columbia.  I don't think I would have liked to have been stationed on a ship like that.  I would have spent more time at the museum, but they kicked me out because they wanted to go home!

The Lightship Columbia

Early Salmon fishing boat

The camera's level!  Crossing the bar under rough conditions

9/15/14 Gnat Creek Campground to Astoria

The route so far - Vancouver, BC, Canada to Astoria, OR, USA

9/15/14 Gnat Creek Campground to Astoria (27 miles)
Trip total 551 miles

The ride to Astoria was pretty uneventful, other than I had used up all my water for the previous evenings meal.  Fortunatly there was only one relatively short hill before I got to Knappa, where I had breakfast and filled my water bottles up.

In Astoria is Pier 39, which used to be a Bumble Bee cannery.  It's now a resturant, canvas shop, laundermat, and cannery museum.  So I got to poke around the,very casual, museum while I did my laundry.

I'm going to spend tomorrow in Astoria so that I can visit their maritime museum here (more boats).

9/14/14 Welcome to Oregon - Longview, WA to Gnat Creek Campground, OR

The Picture Says it All

9/14/14 Welcome to Oregon - Longview, WA to Gnat Creek Campground, OR (33 miles)
525 Trip Miles

West to Astoria!  Well not quite since I'm still 19 miles short.  The ride across the Lewis and Clark Bridge was still a pretty good climb, and there was a lot of traffic, but there was a good sholder all the way.  There were two climbs today, Rainier Pass and Clatsop Crest for a total of 1,420 feet.

Gnat Creek Campground was the last one before Astoria so I figured I'd stop here.  There are only three sites, and they were all taken.  However, one couple invited me to share their site and I accepted.  I didn't think to get any groceries at Westport, so supper consited of my emergency rations, Ramon noodles with tuna fish and fine aged water (vintage earlier that afternoon)!

Tomorrow I will be in Astoria.  I may spend the night there so I can get some laundry done.

Kerry

The Oregon Border

Where the Forest Ends Up

On a Boat to ???

So much for a flat ride along the river

9/13/14 Castle Rock to Longview (19 miles)

"Drift" Fishing on the Cowlitz River.
They motor upstream, then drift down with the current.

9/13/14 Castle Rock to Longview (19 miles)
Trip Total 492 miles

No problems last night.  Camping like that does remind you how convenient it is to have a real sink and a table.

I had camped near the castle Rock Bike Skills Park.  It's an off-road skills park with all kinds of challenges.  By the time I was ready to pull out they were setting up for "Bike Blowout 2014".  This was basically an off-road skills event for kids.  I deferred trying to take my loaded Miyata over any of the course!

Went to breakfast at Lacey's Cafe.  It wasn't very busy, but I don't know why.  The food was good, the prices reasonable, and the owner friendly.  I guess I was hungry.  After having an eggs, sausage, and hash browns breakfast, I then ordered a French Toast breakfast!

The cafe owner told me that the Adventure Cyclist route out of Castle rock was quite hilly.  Since I wanted to go to Longview she suggested another route that paralleled I-5, Pleasant Hill Road.  It was really a good route with minimal traffic.

In Longview I attempted to find a bike shop that could help me resolve the clicking noise coming from my bottom bracket area.  One shop I couldn't find (they went out of business).  I convinced the second shop to loan me a used set of pedals and was able to prove the pedals weren't the problem, but they couldn't do any more.  At the third, Bob's Bike Shop, the manager, Genece Cooper, was kind enough to set aside other work to take a look at my bike.  After removing my cranks she discovered that the fixed-cup side of my cartridge bottom bracket had worked loose.  Some grease and re-torquing of the bottom bracket and all my clicking noises seem to be cured!  Thank you Genece!

Since it was close to 5 by the time we finished with the bike repair I decided to spend the night in Longview, so another night of luxury (relatively) in a motel.  Two people here in Longview have said the Adventure Cyclist route to Astoria is very busy with truck traffic and has suggested I cross over to Oregon on the bridge here in Longview.  So tomorrow I will be taking their advice and heading into Oregon by way of the Lewis and Clark Bridge.

Kerry