Oregon Coast Bicycle Ride - Day 1

November 1, 2012

                I started out late.  It wasn’t until 3 o’clock in the afternoon that I crossed the Washington/Oregon state line in the middle of the Astoria Bridge that spanned the Columbia River.  I had 3 short hours of light to get as far south as I could pedal.  The bridge, 4 miles long with a large hump near its end to allow the passing of large sea vessels, was my first difficult climb that then descended into the town of Astoria.

                The shaded hills facing the river were speckled with quaint houses and dressed with many shades of green from the colorful flora.  My way turned east and into the sun.  Crossing a bridge into Young’s Bay I felt the wind full on my face and the high sun shining through the pillows of clouds that drifted in thickly from the ocean.

                Immediately I made a wrong turn.  The riding became easy and I felt the wind at my back pushing me swiftly down the road and I was amazed at the speed each pedal gained.  After 10 minutes I realized that my route should take me south, into the gusts and squalls of the sea, and not with them.  I stopped, turned around, and rode back the way I came losing 40 minutes.  Passing over several hills and roads with narrow shoulders I came back to the 101 going south and came into Seaside.

                The sun was quickly sinking and by the time I finished dinner at a diner the sun had disappeared behind some dark clouds on the horizon.  Riding south I came to the first campground I intended to stay at and found the entrance locked and the first of the raindrops fell on my face.  The campgrounds were closed for the winter and so I rode on into the darkness of the night.

                I quickly realized my danger as the traffic did not decrease as the light diminished and though I had reflectors and a headlamp to see my way this did not lessen my fear.  I turned aside at the first clearing in the trees which were thick on either side of the road and hid my bike in the bushes.  Pushing into the woods I found a small place suitable for camp and hung my rain fly in the trees then a hammock my friend Riley had given me for my journey to keep off the soaking ground.

                It quickly became cold and I woke often in the night either hearing some shaking in the bushes near my camp or my shivering overcame my dreamless sleep.