CYCLING FROM CANADA TO CENTRAL OREGON
It was a bit
unceremonious as my lovely wife (and cycling domestique) left us at a gas
station parking lot just a stone’s throw from the Canadian border. And we felt
a brief sense of abandonment as we watched her drive swiftly to the freeway
onramp heading back toward Seattle. That didn’t last long as Lee and I felt in
total control of our destiny again, with nothing to do but pedal our bikes for
hours and arrive at our destination before dark.
This was
part two of our west coast adventure. In 2015, Lee and I, friends since high
school, along with our 3rd Musketeer, Rob, plotted to ride the
entire west coast in three segments. That year the three of us rode from the
Golden Gate Bridge to San Diego, some 650 miles later. It was a perfect trip –
California coastline, surf, beach cities, and bronzed beach bodies to keep our attention.
Our approach was light and fast – typically 100 miles per day on our
lightweight road bikes, with full gear support from the very supportive Mrs. J.
We even threw in one 200 mile day, starting at 4am by headlamp, riding through
Malibu, Newport Beach, and eventually to Rob’s Jacuzzi and refrigerator in San
Clemente.
But this was
2016, and part two begins at the Canadian border today, and ends at the central
Oregon coast some 600 miles away. The demands of life and a career prevented
Rob from joining us this year, so we Two Musketeers looked around the gas
station for a road that would lead us, well, south! But not before exploring
the Canadian border, which was literally 100 yards behind the gas station at “Peace
Arch Park”. A big arch between the north and southbound lanes of I5 signifies
the friendship of our two countries, and a few border markers make a great
backdrop for photos. And now, it’s time to ride!
We’re north
of Seattle, on the coastline of the straits and bays between Washington and Vancouver
Island. We didn’t plan to “island hop”, as is common bicycle recreation here,
but one island and a ferry was mandatory. So we rode along the coast and on to
Whidbey Island, where we could take the ferry to Port Townsend, our destination
for the day.
The details
of riding include scenery, hills, and very long, flat stretches of smooth road with
a nice shoulder. These flat stretches are where we can pedal hard and fast,
take turns in front to create a draft, then rotate to the back to rest in the
draft. We rotate “leads” every two minutes or so. This fast-paced coordination
is really fun, and requires some focus to stay about 24” behind the wheel of
the leader. We cover a mile in about three minutes. We like this!
The
Washington coast is shallow, and we pass oyster beds, and oyster farms
everywhere. There are huge piles of crushed oyster shells waiting for disposal.
Not at all like the beaches of Southern California. And people just seem to
live on the beach. Modest homes and an occasional double-wide – far from the
exclusive coast neighborhoods of California.
We’ve mapped
out the ride in general, but we don’t really know what to expect until we get
there. A little help from Google Maps shows us alternate local roads, and we
almost always choose the road closest to the water (except residential roads).
It seems every choice we make is perfect – smooth riding and beautiful scenery.
We see F-16’s landing at the military base on Whidbey Island, and arrive at the
ferry by late afternoon. Arriving at our motel in Port Townsend, Mrs. J has
prepared a cheese and meat spread for us, and our first tasting in our week
long assignment to taste-test Italian Prosecco’s (sparkling wines). It’s a perfect way to end our first day on the
road.
Each day we
spend about 7 hours in the saddle. Through Olympic National Park we see the
beauty of the Olympic Peninsula, but we are distracted by the unending parade
of logging trucks. Lee starts counting, and we are passed by over 50 of them on
day two, on our way to Forks, WA. Another beautiful day for riding, until mile
60 when it begins to rain. It’s a warm, steady rain, so we just continue to
ride, until it eventually downpours to the point we put on our lightweight
windbreakers to stay warm (but not dry). It’s kind of fun riding in the rain,
but we work to avoid the painted lines on the road which become very, very
slick.
Mrs. J (her
name is Pam, by the way) calls me around 1:00, sort of asking if the motel I
booked might look like a crack house. I explained that the photos weren’t so
nice, but a crack house? It was the only motel available on Hotels.com when I
booked it. We agreed to take the loss if Pam could find a more suitable motel
that met her comfort standards. The new hotel was pretty basic, but no
crack-heads here.
The Prosecco
ritual became something we all looked forward to. And, by the way, our favorite
was Zonin Prosecco, available at Trader Joe’s. But something about drinking a
sparkling wine after 100 miles in the saddle just makes it so much more
refreshing.
The last 4
miles into Astoria, our entry into Oregon, was on a long, narrow bridge.
Bridges are windy, and tricky riding, and this one ascends about 600 feet in
the last half-mile. And Lee thinks we should go faster. I stick to his wheel,
our speed increases, as does my heart rate that shows on my monitor. The last
100 yards my legs and lungs are burning, Lee is still accelerating, but knowing
it’s the end of the ride and we’re just minutes away from our next bubbly makes
it worth the extra effort. And it is, as our room overhangs the water in the
marina, and we can see in profile just how steep that bridge is. And tonight a
special toast to Rob, who should be with us, and we miss him, especially
tonight.
Oregon roads
are much smoother than Washington chip-seal roads. And Oregon coastal cities
are more charming and “beachy” in a way we like. There is still a lot of oyster
shucking going on, so I start ordering the local fare at dinner each evening.
Oysters in a shot glass with vodka is a good way to go.
A tail wind helped
us for the next couple of hundred miles, which makes for really, really
enjoyable riding. But nothing helped so much as a wonderful partnership of
riding adventure between Lee and I. Friends since high school, and roommates in
the 80’s, we have a lot of history to discuss. It’s fun to recall “back then” when
we were young, optimistic, very naive, and had no idea how our lives would turn
out. We both acknowledge that in a lot of ways things are better than we might
have hoped for. These rides give us time to talk a lot – about why we
ride (an ongoing conversation), the major choices in our lives that led us to
where we are, people in our lives that have made a difference, and plans on how
we want to spend the next 20 years! We
finish each day with a lot of gratitude: for our good health, our lasting
friendship, and our remarkable families. I love riding with Lee!
