Sometime in the middle of the night a storm had rolled in. The rain drops fell hard upon my rainfly and the wind whistled mockingly between the trees. You couldn't even hear the nearby creek anymore. Although I had gone to sleep early, I decided to sleep in. I just wasn't ready to face what was waiting for me outside my cozy little cocoon.
A little after 7am I finally decided to get up and get my stuff together. Before I could even get out of my tent I found that some forest prankster must have taken my shoes and waded around in the creek with them all night. As I poured the water out from them I made a mental note not to leave them hanging from that part of my tent overnight again...especially if there's a chance of rain. I decided that barefoot was the best way to go as I tried to pack up my stuff.
The rain was coming down hard, and the canopy above only seemed to gather the drops and make the bigger before sending them down onto my head. I was able to pack up fairly fast because of this and was ready to go by 7:45. I debated trying to stick around and wait out the storm, but I thought that maybe I could get out of it sooner by heading south.
Pedaling was a chore this morning. The rain came down hard, and as I headed down the hill the drops felt like shards of glass hitting my face at 30mph. This, in combination with finding out the hard way that my brakes are all but useless in a downpour like this, kept me from moving too fast. Not to mention the few times that I almost came to standstill while heading downhill due to the strength of the headwind. As I traversed the vertical cliffs on two wheels it was very sobering experience
to realize the only thing that lies between me and instant disaster is an unlucky gust of wind (or a crazy driver pulling a 5th wheel).
I couldn't handle the inclement weather much longer. By 8:30 I started looking for shelter. I started rolling through every wayside I passed by, but all roads continued to leave me exposed to elements. A little after 9am I pulled into Washburne State Park and acting as my savior i saw before me a large bathroom with running water, electricity and nobody around. I wheeled my bike inside, put on some dry clothes and tried to dry off. While I was there I charged my phone and made some breakfast as I waited for the weather outside to subside.
Maybe an hour later I stepped outside to find the downpour and changed to a drizzle and the gusts of wind to just a breeze. I was back on the road and could actually enjoy some of the breathtaking views this time.
About 9 miles outside of Florence 101 cuts away from the coast and heads east. There's a place there that allows you one last chance to see the ocean for a while and overlooks miles of sand dunes. The view from there reminded me for no reason in particular, except for it's stillness, of the badlands in South Dakota.
Hill after hill I was certain that on the other side was the town of Florence. When I finally did arrive there I rode past a place advertising laundry and showers. Being wet as a whale from the morning rain I couldn't help but take that offer. While I waited for my wash I started talking to an old-timer named Bill. At first I took Bill for homeless, but soon realized he was just a rugged old man that had lived a rough and interesting life. He told me that he had cycled the Oregon coast about 5 times and he seemed to have lived just about everywhere in the US. He told me about some gems that I should see along the coast, and was really a wealth of information when it came to finding a place to stay for the night.
Bill had spent the better part of the 90's picking a place on a map, moving there, finding short term work, and after a month or two heading some place else. Now that he was getting older he found that Florence was a fine place for him to settle down...at least for now. At least to some degree I could understand his wanderlust and that's probably why we chatted for so long. Before he left he gave me a guide map of cycling the coast with every place to stay along the way as well as a list of places to see all the way down to Crescent City. His biggest recommendation was Harris Beach near Brookings. It's his favorite on the coast, and A place I'll definitely be stopping at.
I enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the laundromat and when I noticed it was three o'clock I knew I had to get back on my bike and ride. From Florence I rode the 22 miles to Reedsport almost non-stop. The ride was wonderful. The trees along this route grow close together and I encountered several lakes. If it wasn't for the occasional view of sand dunes on my right I would have thought I was on my way to Mt Hood or in some landlocked forest somewhere else.
Across the Umpqua river before reaching Reedsport is a town called Gardiner. Gardiner reminded me of an old west ghost town with 1970's facelift. I'm not sure about the history of this place but it seemed to me like it was built around a booming industry, like a paper mill or power plant, which eventually shut down and now all the buildings are falling apart and for sale and just a few people are sticking around. Probably because they got no place else to go.
In Reedsport I'm half ashamed to admit that I ate some fast food while I planned where I was heading to camp. The night was coming fast, and as I ate the rain started to come down hard. I saw a spot on the map about 5 miles away in Winchester Bay and I aimed to make it there by 7:30.
Winchester Bay gives me a good vibe. There's not any tall buildings here, but there's a big harbor and a lot of trees. I rode around semi-lost looking for the campground I spotted on my map, and being that I couldn't read any signs in the dark I took a chance and headed up a hill. Before I knew it I had reached the Umpqua River Lighthouse. The lighthouse is truly a magical place at night. I tried to capture it in a picture, but I couldn't get it to translate. Beams of white and red light shine out from the top of the lighthouse and reflect onto the surrounding trees, like one of those spinning shadow lamps you'd find in a child's room. The lighthouse overlooks sand dunes, the ocean and the mouth of the Umpqua River. Although it was hard to make out in the dark, I could tell it was a marvelous view. I'm going to return tomorrow on my way out of town to see if it's as spectacular in the daytime. I feel like the lighthouse is probably often overlooked by people traveling the coast, but from what I've seen tonight is a must see.
Just a little farther up the hill lies the state campground. This place is quite the gem. There's a large hiker/biker area, yurts, rv parking, and regular campsites as well. I was alone in the hiker/biker section and most of the park was empty also. The rain had let up which made setting up camp in the dark a cinch. I enjoyed a long warm shower and put on my clean camp pajamas and enjoyed the silence from my little cocoon.
Progress: 50 miles
Random roadside debris: a fully inflated basketball
-D
http://www.trackmytour.com/b5k7d
How many shoes does one bring on an excursion like this? One of my few pet peeves in life is wearing wet socks so already I'd be on a ticket back home :( On a happier note, you've been to the Badlands too? Wow Dal! I loved that place. There was something so amazing in the "nothingness" that had surrounded me there. I was blown away by the 360 degree views of flat land, sky, and 5 rainstorms in the far distances. I even got to experience unobstructed lightning that blew up the sky! Sooo rad!! Stay warm (and dry!!!)
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