Today I arrived in Lowell ID as planned, but something was amiss. The ride today was awesome, 50 miles and pretty much downhill the entire way. The start of the descent was on steep alpine style switchbacks before following the Clearwater River. The Clearwater River does exactly what it says on the tin.
Clearwater!
While cycling along the Clearwater River, I stopped to take several photos. I noticed that visibility was getting worse. This 'mist' wasn't thick enough to affect cycling, but did take the edge off a few of my photos. Since arriving in Lowell, I have learnt that this 'mist' is in fact smoke from some big wildfires that are raging...... Problem!
There are mountains in the background, believe it or not!
The fires are raging a long way from here, and pose no threat to me. They do pose a threat to my plans. As it stands the road I am due to cycle tomorrow is open, but all campsites are shut for 70 miles and there are reports of the smoke being so thick in places it hurts to breath! The plan is simple, I will cycle on as planned and see how I get on with the smoke. But if it gets thick, I'll be hitching a ride in a pick-up again. I have met up with a few fellow cyclists too, so will at least have a second opinion to help stop me soldiering on when I shouldn't. The worst bit? I did my washing yesterday, now it will all smell of BBQ!
When planning this trip, one of the most frequent comments I got was about keeping safe from Bears. To prepare myself for the big America Bears, I did some weight training and I am pretty sure I could win a wrestling match if it came to it (joke).
No real relevance, it just made me laugh
In practise, I have not seen a bear. I have not seen a Cougar or a Rattlesnake or anything else dangerous. If things stay that way, I will get to Miami a happy man! I have had the pleasure of seeing a Bald Eagle, Vultures, Deer and Foxes from afar. The smaller animals are harder to spot.
Not my picture, but it looked like this
As a cyclist you move a lot slower than a car and roadside animals react differently. I have seen many animals i.e. Herons, Frogs, Chipmunks that will happily sit at the roadside. They are so familiar with cars that they don't budge an inch as they drive past; but along comes a cyclist and they're off. This makes them particularly easy to spot. Sadly this is true of dogs too, but I have had no dog attacks since Neah Bay! The one nuisance animal is a surprise to me; the Butterfly. Like other animals mentioned, they seem sit on the roadside sunning themselves on the white lines. When I come along they take flight. The problem is the butterflies tend to fly straight into me. Many an American Butterfly has been left with a sore head after me ploughing into it at 20mph. But they hurt me too!
Today I have endured the toughest day so far on the bike. Today’s ride involved three mountain passes back to back, but the reason it was such hard work was my broken night of sleep last night.
I ended up in the Oxbow Restaurant and Saloon last night, eating a USA sized portion of prime ribs to replace the calories I burnt.
Normally when I tell people of the journey I attempting, the reaction is ‘you’re doing what!?!?’, but last night the reaction was more ‘meh, we had the goat guy in here last week’. So I was naturally interested to hear about the goat guy. It turns out, some nutter is walking from Seattle to New York …….with a Goat! Find out more here http://www.needle2square.com/
A couple of beers (literally a couple!) were consumed and I had a great night learning all about The Great Lebowski; but I got back to my campsite and sleep eluded me.
The lack of sleep combined with the tough route, meant that I was in a whole world of pain today. At the end of the day, as planned, I reached Baker City (the ride was fantastic though, despite the pain). Exhausted as I was, I went straight to a motel; not something I plan to do often, but you need to treat yourself at times and I knew a night in a tent just wouldn’t do tonight!
Tomorrow I should reach the border with Idaho; that milestone is not just my third state, but also my first ever cycle through a time zone (my previous big rides have always been south-north).
That concludes my visit to Oregon, but what a place Oregon has been. The scenery has gone from coastal, to forest, to desert, to prairie, to gorge. The people have been fantastic; everyone is interested in the journey and people have been so generous, either buying me beer, gifting me a penknife or giving me meals.
As the trip progresses I am noticing a daily swing in my mood. Cycle touring is a rollercoaster of emotional peaks and troughs, but strangely on this trip I seem to be having a daily cycle! I am always in a good mood at breakfast, I normally have a coffee and something to eat before packing up and hitting the road. My mood remains good* until about 1-2pm when I try and stop for lunch (where facilities allow). For reasons I can't explain, my mood seems to drop in the afternoon and I cycle along feeling like a bit of a fragile emotional wreck. However, this mood seems to pass after about an hour! My mood in the evening tends to be great, especially once the tent is put up, a shower is had and food is on the go.
I have cycled enough to know that you have low points and if you keep going they pass, I have just never noticed it as a daily cycle (excuse pun). *Subject to weather / road conditions!
So last night, I was tired and weary after a day in the saddle (my usual state around 5-6pm!) and I set about finding a campsite in McKenzie Bridge, OR. McKenzie Bridge was the last place to stay before taking on McKenzie Pass.
The view from McKenzie Pass
The were loads of campsites in the area, but I pressed onto McKenzie Bridge passing by many of them. The first campsite I stopped in (Paradise) looked nice enough, but was $20 with no showers...... to call a campsite Paradise, this is surely a pre-requisite. Anyway, I pushed onto the next site safe in the knowledge I still had a few options. The next 'campsite' I tried was Camp Yale. When entering Camp Yale it soon became apparent that is was an RV park with no tent in sight; undeterred I asked a few of the ladies around the site. So after asking about camping, I was offered a patch of grass next to an RV. Before I knew it, I was sat with 22 people with a plate of food on my lap and a glass of wine in my hand! It turns out the people in the RV park were all friends; they took me in and looked after me for the night. I had a great time getting to know everyone, although I'd be in trouble if I was tested on their names. In the morning I was made breakfast and given lunch for the day (which was very welcome at the top of McKenzie Pass)! It was a fantastic experience, and a special thank you to Kay and Carl who invited me into their RV for breakfast, I am a bit of fan of RVs so it was fantastic to dine inside one. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture; but for my UK readers: it was about the same size as my flat!
The folks at Camp Yale (and me)
I will be popping into RV parks and looking lost a bit more often as this trip continues!
Having cycled from Vancouver to Florence along the Pacific coastline it is now time to turn left and head inland. The Pacific Coast was not what I expected. When planning this trip, I made a point of not finding out too much about the scenary that awaited me. I have to be honest, I expected the Pacific Coast to be a bit like baywatch..........which it wasn't!
Lake Quinalt
The coast offered a mixture of beautiful inland and coastal scenary, but in many places you end up counting down the miles as there is so little to look at, although the numerous logging trucks ensure you are never too deep in your thoughts. I met some great people while travelling down the coast, but I must say a big thank you to my new mate Clifford. We ended up cycling together for four days, having met on my first day on the Pacific Coast. I was having difficulty with my stove and Clifford turned up with his alcohol stoves and saved the day, making tea morning and night (and cooking food). Cheers Clifford, your company was appreciated.
Clifford, no big red dog
Mark, Lyn and Luke
One other unexpected thing; the coast was cold. A daily mist decends, bringing temperatures down to a UK type climate. I have cycled in a jacket every morning since arriving. I am now 60 miles inland and the temperatures have rocketed (34 Deg C today!). Bring on the cycling tan!
Tomorrow I will leave Washington and enter Oregon, a big
moment for me as it will be my first state completed.
The first week has been a great week. I have met a travelling companion, a 60yr old
veteran called Clifford. I never expected
to be travelling with a guy like Clifford, but it has been great fun. He has taught me all about travelling and
camping in the US and offered me some great much needed advice on how to cross
bridges!! I think I am a bit too quick
cyclist for him; was worried I’d finished him off yesterday.
I have had one issue in my first week, my stove. I am having a nightmare with it and not been
able to cook or MAKE COFFEE! Luckily
Clifford has been here with his trusty alcohol stove to cook us dinner and make
tea.
The cycling has been a mixture of great scenary and big
roads. Washington has been much sparser
than I expected. When I imagined cycling
the pacific coast, I figured it would all be like Baywatch. It’s not.
The coast is deserted, the key features have been woodland and the
Olympic National Park.
The roads are big and roomy, although the logging trucks
keep you awake and on your toes!
Highlights
The people! Everyone says hello and chats, it is great!
Nature - I have seen a
bald headed eagle, a chipmunk and a wood pecker
Low lights
Aberdeen; the
birthplace of Kurt Cobain…..not even a mention of him!
Nature - Mosquitoes
and camping in the same sight as a wood pecker
So I am sat writing this in a camp ground, just outside
Raymond, WA. I am sat with three other
cyclists. Clifford and German couple
Bruno and Sandra. Bruno is entertaining
us with his Ukelele, playing a mixture of hits and originals (currently 50
Cent). The music is certainly making the
mosquito eating more bearable.
Today me and Holly hitch hiked. Not the original plan, but when you are told by other cyclists and local 'do not cycle the Astoria Bridge', you would be a fool to ignore it! So me and Clifford hitched a ride in pick-up trucks. I was driven by a guy called Pete, who casually dropped into the conversation that his wife's niece had committed suicide on that same bridge this morning. Quite a sombre ride. Turns out Clifford's ride was a lady who was crossing to Astoria to see her new born first grand child. Ironic, but it wasn't enough to lift my mood. So thanks to Pete for the lift, I can't believe you offered despite the events in your family. My thoughts are with you at this time.
I've never seen the Pacific Ocean before, so I recorded this little video to record the moment I first saw it. The peninsular in Neah Bay was unrideable, so it wasn't till a few days later I had my glimpse!
So today I reached the start line of the ‘Corner to Corner’
journey, Neah Bay. I have had a great
time in the states since I arrived on Friday.
I was met from the ferry by Jim, a rotary club member who
lived in Sequim, just down the road from Port Angeles where my ferry
docked. Jim was a great help, offering
to drive me to the nearest supermarket so I could get a US SIM card for my
phone……..simple. Well, it seems that SIM
cards are not quite as common in the USA as they are in the UK, it took us a
couple of hours to find a SIM and I still don’t have it working! Sorry Jim.
He did inform me that I had saved him from some yard work, which helped
appease my guilt.
In the evening I camped a mere 18 miles west of Port
Angeles, (due to having spent most my day catching up with home and trying to
activate SIM cards). When I arrived at
the campsite, it was deserted, but I was soon joined by an American family (of
eight!) who invited me over to join their camp fire. I had a cracking time learning about the
differences between the UK and the USA, although I am still a bit puzzled on
the Super Bowl!
Next stop was Sekiu.
A small little fishing village whose population will be decimated when
all the monster RVs move out! My camping
spot is a treat, up the hill overlooking the bay (see pic), the only problem
was there were no other campers so I took time to catch up with correspondence
and plan a few days of cycling.
My first few nights in the USA have been great, last night
two ladies asked about my trip while I was pitching my tent; they returned 20
minutes later with food and drink supplies to keep me going, even throwing in a
can of beer!
Having ticked off Neah Bay I will head south, back to
civilisation; it’s all a bit quiet around the Northwest corner!!
I’m now in the USA having completed my transit through
Canada. It seemed such a shame to pass
through Vancouver in under 24hrs, but it is not a pleasant experience exploring
a city with all your possessions packed up on your bike and the very nature of
this trip will mean that I won’t be able to stop and explore every place I have
seen.
In the few hours I was in Vancouver, I met my cousin and
some old friends for a catch up, it was great to see some friendly faces to
ease me in gently.
Next stop was Victoria, over on Vancouver Island. I had a day off in Victoria so a little time
to explore, do some essentials (i.e. laundry) and catch up with some more old
friends (all this socialising is pretty tiring, so looking forward to a bit of
rest on the bike!)
I am here to cycle the USA, but it has been great seeing a
glimpse of Canada. It seems a great laid
back place, and definitely now on my “to-do list”.
Train (bigger than I'm used too!)
View from the Ferry
Victoria Harbour
So here I am (Friday) in the USA, Port Angeles WA to be
exact. I plan to hit the start line
(Neah Bay) on Sunday, so have a very leisurely schedule over the weekend as
it’s only 80
miles from here. I hope to take time to sort some essentials
(i.e. a US SIM card) and catch up with people at home, the time difference and
lack of an affordable phone have made it very difficult until now.
Canada was great, but I can’t wait to get started now. Yes, there’s a long way to go, but I am
finding just concentrating on the next few days is the best way of thinking
about things, the scale of this journey is still a bit beyond my comprehension!
I decided to start the journey at ShelterBox HQ in Helston,
Cornwall. The visit to ShelterBox
offered a chance for me to see first-hand what work ShelterBox do. The plan was then to cycle from Helston to
Reading, picking up a few friends upon the way, before then catching my flight
to Vancouver.
I cycled from Lizard to Bristol with my mate Paul, my
cycling buddy. The plan was then to pick
up a few more people for the weekend ride from Bristol to Reading.
Day 1 – Lizard to
Liskeard
The day started wet.
Having camped the night before in Lizard we were faced with a 10mile
cycle to Helston in the pouring rain. We
arrived at ShelterBox HQ dripping wet, handing over some damp soggy cheques for over £1,000 from recent fundraising events.
Boxhall in front of the Boxwall!
Fundraising Officer Laura showed us round ShelterBox HQ, where
all the boxes are packed before being distributed globally.
We were shown around ShelterBox HQ and given details of the
work they do and the equipment they send out.
Rather than try and do it justice with typing, I think this video about
ShelterBox says everything better than I could; if you have three minutes,
please watch it. It puts into context
where your generous donations have gone and why I am doing this.
When planning the trip, it was suggested to me that I could
take a ShelterBox tent for the journey.
I now understand what a ridiculous suggestions this was; a single ShelterBox
tent weighs the same as my bike and kit combined (32kg)!
The day was tough cycling.
I used to live on the border of Devon and Cornwall, but I admit I had
forgotten just how hilly Cornwall is! We
climbed many hills with jackets and over shoes coming off and on due to
changeable weather and over heating up hills.
After a long day in the saddle, we arrived at our planned
campsite to find it was up for sale (and thus closed)! As it was late and there were no alternative
campsites for another 10 miles we decided to cut our losses and stay in a
B&B in Liskeard. Not the best start
for my adventure, I’ll admit. There will
always be times when I will stay in Hostels/B&Bs/Motels, but I would always
prefer them to be planned than a get out of jail card.
Day 2 - Liskeard to Uffculme
We rose early to start the second day. We had our full English breakfast at the
B&B and set about conquering some hills.
We knew it would be a tough day; finishing off Cornwall, before climbing
up over Dartmoor to Exeter. I knew what
to expect though, as I had previously completed this ride in 2009 with comedian
Dave Gorman.
All I remember from the day was climbing hills and
rain. We managed to camp and find a
small weather window to assemble the tents in.
However, we were to discover both our tents were wet from camping in
Lizard!
A pint of Skinners later in the neighbouring pub and the
world seemed a nice place once again.
Day 3 - Uffculme to Bristol
I had arranged to stop by the Taunton Leisure shop in
Taunton on my way through. Taunton
Leisure have sponsored my trip, supplying me with a lightweight Easton Kilo 2p
tent and it seemed appropriate to stop by and meet the team.
Day 3 saw Paul and I start the day separately. I had arranged to meet Jon and Simon from
Taunton Leisure in Wellington and, as per usual, we were running late! As I was ready first I sped on to meet Jon
and Simon with Paul planning to meet me at Taunton Leisure.
The ride into Taunton was fantastic, sticking to quiet
country roads and I had a good chat to Jon and Simon who were both keen
cyclists. The visit to Taunton Leisure
was cracking, I felt like a celebrity! I
chatted with the staff about the trip and posed with Holly for loads of pictures
and was treated to coffee and croissants.
Unfortunately for Paul he arrived, having got lost, just as the coffee
and croissants were finished!
We had quite a frustrating day on the bike, losing time
navigating through both Taunton and Bridgwater……all the frustrations
disappeared with lunch at Rich’s Cider Farm.
A pint of medium and a three cheese ploughmans in the sun was a
fantastic lunch. That evening was my
last at home before leaving for the states.
Day 4 – Bristol to
Pewsey
The cycle started at Bristol Temple Meads. A group of 7 of us had arranged to ride
together, this was originally 15 until people started looking at the weather
forecast!! It turns out the weather
forecast was wrong, we had a glorious day!
Paul had planned a route for us, but the day started with a mutiny as
everyone realised it took in some of the huge hills of Bath…..a democratic vote
ensued and it was agreed to take the canal path to Bradford on Avon to avoid
the hills.
The canal path was a bit muddy and bumpy and made a right
mess of all the bikes. The joke was on
me as I had lent two friends bikes and Kelly my girlfriend was there too;
therefore I am sure I will end up cleaning four of the seven bike used on that
canal path!
At the end of the day, everyone was knackered and I was
forced to keep a low profile. I had
originaslly told everyone the ride would be an easy 40 miles. The final mileage was 54 miles with a lot of
cyclists disgruntled about the rate of tax they paid!
The shame! All of my team get off to push up a hill.
Day 5 – Pewsey to
Reading
A shaky start saw us riding in a torrential downpour. Having been raining heavily since 3am, we
were prepared for the worst! However
about 45mins into the day the rain stopped and we ended up cycling in glorious
sunshine again.
le Peleton
The highlight of the day was Rob crashing his bike and
landing face first in the mud. I say his
bike, it was my bike that I had lent him, but I am pleased to report she was
not harmed in the incident!
On to the USA
Next stop Gatwick Airport for my flight. I am sad to be leaving my friends and family
behind, especially after such an enjoyable 5 days, but the states are awaiting!
There is an unwritten rule of cycle touring, always add tax.
Let me explain, cycling tax is the extra bit you add to your predicted distance before setting out, for example if you think a journey will be a distance of 50 miles, you should add tax and prepare for a journey of 55 miles.
There are two reasons you add tax.
Cycling tax prepares you mentally for a longer journey than the one you are facing. With this mental preparation, a finish 5 miles before you were prepared for is an uplifting experience. Every mile over your expected distance is a depressing too!
You get lost.
The reason I mention this? I got taxed on my prologue ride!
The plan was to cycle to Lizard to meet Gents, my companion for the ride to Reading. Some somewhat half arsed map reading ensued and I followed the road marked, thinking it would join up.
So imagine my shock when I hit this sign!
ARGH!
It was already 7pm and I had just added about 8-9 miles to my 25mile journey!
A bit if investigation ensued and I discovered there was a coastal foot path, so to avoid the addition 8-9 miles I was forced to break two of my personal rules:
•NEVER push a bike up a hill (it’s OK to stop and rest, but NEVER push the bike!)
•Do not get your bike near sand.
So an eventful prologue, I hope the rest of the tour doesn’t see any more wrong turns on my part!
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