June 30

Today was a short ride of just 24 miles and a climb of about 1000 feet from Eatonville to Ashford.  Most of the climb was early as we passed the LaGrange and Adler Lake Dams of 274 and 285 feet each in height.  We had a late breakfast in Elbe in an old railroad dining car that has been converted into a restaurant as part of the Mt Rainier Scenic Railroad.  It was sort of fun and a good spot for rail fans to catch some railroad history. 

Although the forecast was for clearing weather, we had intermittent rain, some of it fairly hard so it was nice to stop around noon, take a good hot shower and do some laundry. 

We still haven’t seen Rainier and now we are really too close to get a good view even if the clouds lift.  The forecast for tomorrow is promising and also for Saturday so maybe we will get some nice weather when we get to Paradise.  In Ashford there was a Baptist church called Faith Baptist with the slogan, “To get to Paradise you have to go by Faith” which I thought was clever. 

Tomorrow will be our last day of the official Ride for Rehab.  We probably won’t have any internet at Paradise or for a few days thereafter so the final report will be a while. 

For those of you who have committed to give to the Foundation for PMR, I thank you and The Foundation will put any monies collected toward good use supporting research and researchers in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.  Contact the Foundation at FoundationforPMR.org

Today’s ride was 24 miles and total so far is 1437.  Tomorrow should be less than 25 more miles.

Our ride has been a wonderful experience and other than some of the troubles early on with steep and repeated climbs and with the roads that were closed because of snow, it has been a blast.  We look forward to another similar experience in the future. 

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Elbe WA
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June 29

Today was a relatively short day travelling from Enumclaw to Eatonville for a distance of 38 miles.  We had intermittent bike trails available along old rail beds and they were nice, especially from Buckley to Orting.  We then took Oreville Road south which had a gentle uphill climb and we were doing great until we tried a shortcut on what were “straight” roads on our map.  Unfortunately the first ¾ miles of that was nearly straight up hill at about a 12% grade which made both of us have to walk.  I don’t know whether Oreville also had a similar climb as we did stay pretty much up on top once we got there until we got to Kapowsin then slowly down hill to get to Eatonville except for a relatively steep climb into Eatonville. 

 

This town is pretty much at the base of Rainier and I suspect has some great views of the mountain but it is too cloudy and overcast to know for sure as the ceiling is about 2000 feet and we are at about 1200 feet.   

 

It is a nice town and we had a good lunch at a small café/bakery that had delicious food.  We plan to rest the rest of today and have another short day tomorrow to get to Ashford which is just a few miles from the park entrance.  Then we climb from 2000 feet at the entrance up to 5400 feet at Paradise Inn. That will be the official end of our ride for this year though we do expect our grandson will ride us into the ground when we visit him in Minnesota in about 10 days.  At 10, he may be the strongest biker in the family at this time. 

 

No new pictures today as it is just too cloudy to get any good ones.  If the skies clear, we will get a picture of Rainier. 

 

Today’s ride 38 miles, total for the trip so far 1413.

June 28

This was our longest day yet at just over 68 miles but was relatively flat.  We went from Snohomish to Enemuclaw.  A lot of this was along bike trails, first a trail along the Sammamish River then another along Lake Sammamish.  The first was paved and was great, the second is a hard gravel surface.  We also had a few miles along Rt 18 which was a busy divided highway and very noisey but it had a great shoulder. 

 

The weather was better than expected with no rain but became hot with a temp of at least 79 at one sign we passed. 

 

This will make the next two days relatively short for us and then the long climb up to Paradise Lodge in Mt Rainier Park. 

 

Unfortunately there were low clouds so we did not get the great views of Mt Rainier we would have liked as we rode south. 

 

Total today, 68, tot for the trip so far,1374

June 27

Today was a very pleasant 53 miles from LaConnor to Snohomish.  About 1/3 of it was on the Centenial Bike Trail which is a multiuse rail trail that starts north of Arlington and currently ends in Snohimish.  It is a well done trail in excellent condition and there is active work to complete a northern section and a small portion in the middle that is not yet completed.  The trail is in great shape and would be a fun trail for riders of any ability.

 

We have now finally left “shoreline” or sea level activity.  Literally since Florence Oregon, we have been at or very close to sea level most of the time and constantly in contact with some coastline or portion of the greater Puget Sound area. 

 

We are still trying to piece together the remainder of the route from here to Mt Rainier but getting help from several sources and it looks like it won’t be too bad.  We are just trying to avoid the heavy traffic and industrial areas surrounding the greater Seattle and Tacoma areas. 

 

We are feeling great and today was really a fun ride and hopefully the next couple of days will be as well.  Weather for tomorrow is a bit of a question mark but that may just mean a shorter ride for that day.   

 

Don’t forget, any of you who have been following and plan to give to the Foundation for PMR, we have just 4 more days of riding left and will finish with somewhat under 1500 total miles I expect.  Now is the time to complete your pledges at <FoundationforPMR.org>

 

   

June 26, Day 28

Today was a low key day.  We began with a leisurely breakfast then a ferry ride to Lopez Island.  We toured around Lopez (carrying our full  loads).  It is a much less tourist oriented island and is mostly farm land.  It is pretty and the ride on the ferry is also beautiful as it courses between the islands. 

 

We then caught the 2:30 ferry to Anacortes and rode another 20 0r so miles to LaConnor WA.  Total riding for the day was just 38 miles and total so far for the trip is 1253. 

 

As we approached Anacortes, we had good views of the Cascade mountains and of Mt Baker all of which are covered with snow. 

 

Riding today was low key and relatively flat with just one short but very steep hill on Lopez that was a bit of a surprise. 

 

We now have less than one week to go and will finish next Friday at Mt Rainier Park.

 

We are feeling good and with the past two days being relatively light we are feeling strong.  The next couple of days should also be fairly easy riding but Friday will be a big climb of about 5000 feet of elevation gain up to Paradise Lodge.  It will be fun to finish on top. 

June 25

Today was spent circling San Juan Island.  It was a beautiful ride and we had the pleasure of being joined by Kim and Jim Rice who we met on the Ferry yesterday and who live on the Island part time. 

 

The weather was near perfect with only a few drops of rain as we headed to the south end of the island.  The scenery is great and I can see why this is such a popular place for tourists and bikers. 

 

Our total ride was 47 miles and our overall total is now up to 1213 miles. 

 

Tomorrow we catch a morning ferry to Lopez Island to do some biking there then another ferry to Anacortes as we begin our travels back south and east toward the eventual end point at Mt Rainier National Park next Friday. 

 

 

June 22

Quilcene to Victoria

 

We biked 53 miles and bucked a pretty good head wind for a good part of the ride making it feel longer.  We did pick up the Olympic Discovery Bike trail shortly before we got to Sequim.  This is a very nice bike trail that is easy to follow but has some very sharp turns and some very steep ups and downs in some places.  I had some minor mechanical problems with my front derailleur lever but we were able to do a temporary fix on the road and got a replacement part when we reached Port Angeles.  We made the 12:40 Ferry and arrived in Victoria about 3 PM and got directly into our hotel.  The weather on this side of the sound is much nicer than what we left in Port Angeles.

 

We are both a bit tired from 27 straight days of riding and my spend the next 24 hours on foot but this is a bike friendly city so we may still explore tomorrow on bikes.  We are here for two days before heading back to the San Juan Islands for the next two days. 

 

Total ride today 53 miles and for the trip so far 1014.   

June23

Not sure what happened to yesterday’s entry.  I did write one.  We traveled from Quilcene to Port Angeles and took the ferry to Victoria. 

 

Today was a touring day.  We did bike about 21 miles to get to Butchart Gardens which is a fabulous garden park of about 60 acres north of downtown Victoria.  It is beautiful.  We took a city bus back from the gardens to the hotel just to make life easier.  Our weather was surprisingly better today than we expected.  Sunny most of the day with temperatures in the low 60’s. 

 

I drooled over the gardens and the climate that allows them to grow the variety of plants they do.  The site is largely the homestead of the Butchart family and includes an old limestone quarry that was used to make cement which was the source of the family fortune. 

 

Tomorrow we will plan a late start with biking to Sidney to catch a 5:55 PM Ferry to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands where we will spend the next two days. 

 

Victoria is a beautiful city with a great climate with little cold weather and relatively temperate summers. 

June 22 and June 23

I don’t know what happened, I wrote blog entries for both of these days but for some reason they did not post so I am re-doing them.

 

On June 22 we rode from Quilcene to Port Angeles to catch the ferry to Victoria.  Distance was 53 miles bringing the total to 1114.  This was a mostly fun ride and the best part was that we discovered the Olympic Discovery Trail which is a multiuse trail that extends from about Port Townsend westward.  It is “bumpy” with a few very sharp ups and downs but for the most part is a nice break from riding along the road sides. 

 

At one point we came across a doe with three fawns in the trail.  We stopped and she and tow of the fawns went into the woods to oour left but the third continued to run along the trail for about a ¼ mile before going into the woods to the right. 

 

I had some minor mechanical problems with the shifter on my chain ring but managed to make a temporary repair on the road and we replaced a simple missing part as we arrived in Port Angeles. 

The ferry ride was a bit rough due to windy conditions but not bad overall. 

 

Victoria is beautiful and we got to walk around some of the downtown in the afternoon.

 

On June 23 we played tourist and went to the Butchart Gardens which are a beautiful set of gardens set into an old quarry and the grounds of the old Butchart estate.  I was very jealous of the growing season they have here and the variety of plants that they can grow. 

 

To get to the Gardens we rode 21 more miles bringing the total to 1135 but we took the city bus back to the hotel with the bikes on the front.  We had a good dinner at The Flying Otter which is a restaurant right on the waterfront in the harbor and where the seaplanes take off from.  It was fun watching the little water taxis and the seaplanes and other activity at the harbor.

 

Victoria is a very nice city, very bike friendly with a couple of great bike trails we may want to come back and try some other time. 

 

 

 

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Victoria, BC
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June 21

This was a glorious day weather wise with some early morning fog over the Hood Canal that burned off and left us with clear sunny skies. 

 

We biked along the Hood Canal which is really like a fjord  and it the eastern edge of the Olympic Peninsula.  The first 40 miles was rolling with short steep rises and falls and the last few miles went over Mt Walker Pass landing us in the hamlet of Quilcene. 

 

We are staying at the Mt Walker Inn there.  Total ride today was 56 miles and total to date is now 1061. 

 

The owner of the Inn suffered a tractor related injury a year ago and had a short below elbow amputation of her dominant right arm.  She is doing remarkably well overall and was mowing and weedwhacking while we were there but has not been able to get a good working prosthesis due to pain in her stump.  This gave me a chance to play Physiatrist and I have been in contact with a couple of Washington based Physiatrists to see if we can get her set up to see a good physiatrists with a bent toward working with amputees.  Thanks to those I spoke with and I have shared the suggestions with her. 

 

In this day and age, we still don’t seem to totally get the word out about what we do for the public.  When I discussed physiatry with her she had never heard of it yet had surgery at HarborView Hospital in Seattle and had a prosthesis made by a local prosthetic shop called “Cornerstone”. 

 

Our job still has to be to try to get the word out and for all my Physiatric friends, I would point out that perhaps the greatest need is for us to get into the rural and smaller communities to be able to help even more people. 

 

Tomorrow we head to Port Angeles and catch the Ferry to Victoria BC where we plan to take at least one day off from moving forward but may bike around the city.  Mary has told me she plans to sleep in at least one of our two days there. 

 

Along the way today we did catch a good view of a small herd of Elk browsing beside the road. 

 

Mary was impressed to learn that there are giant octopi that live in the Hood Canal but we didn’t see any.  I kept hinting that there was a long tentacle reaching out of the water in her direction. 

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June 21. Mt Walker Inn Quicelene Washington
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June 20

OK, this was a fun day but another long one.  We did 66 miles and now have done a total of 1005 miles.  Travel was from Raymond to Shelton WA. 

The conditions were nice, only about 3 minutes of light sprinkle and almost sunny at times.  Temperatures were perfect for biking in the mid 60’s and the terrain was not too bad with mostly rolling terrain and only a couple of hills of significance early in the day. 

Compared with the rather impoverished areas we have been passing through, the towns today seemed progressively more prosperous.  Elma had very new High School and Middle School buildings.  Shelton is a fairly large town and we were able to do a laundry and had a choice of several restaurants for dinner. 

This is still logging country with several large saw mills along the way and many forests that had been harvested and replanted along the way. 

We are feeling good and seem to be getting a little stronger each day. 

Having hit 65+ miles today again, I would challenge those pledging by the mile to double their pledge for today. 

Remember to check out the Foundation for Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation web site: FoundationforPMR.org

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Rest stop McCleary WA
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June 19 Father's Day

Weather was better today but still damp and rainy part of the time.  We covered 51 miles and the total to date is now 939 after 21 days of riding.  We did speak to a couple of south bound riders today and they are also averaging 40-50 miles per day even with a tail wind pushing them.  Today was our fast average ride at about 14 mph but it was relatively flat and we even had a little tail wind. 

 

Tonight we are in Raymond WA and plan to continue north tomorrow toward Elma or beyond.  This will start to move us back inland a little bit and we will eventually travel up the west side of Puget Sound along the Hood Canal. 

 

It was a fun Father’s day and I got to talk with all three of our kids. 

 

Enjoyed watching Rory McIlroy win the US Golf Open and to do it in such a massive way. 

 

Sorry for no pictures the past couple of days but thanks to son Brian, apparently all of the pictures are now in proper alignment. 

  

Saturday June 18

Today, as expected was a rainy miserable day.  We delayed our departure from Astoria as long as we could to try to time it as we went over the 4.1 mile long bridge but still got caught in a downpour.  The winds were a little intimidating as we climbed to go over the high point which allows ocean going ships to pass under it.  The good news was that because of the weather there was not a lot of traffic on the bridge.  As we crested the top, the far end was lost in the fog but we could see and be seen.  Thank goodness for head lights and tail lights on the bikes.  We rode only to Ilwaco Washington which is at the very bottom of a long peninsula called Long Beach.  We quit our ride about 9:30, took a good hot shower and used the Laundromat   across the street to was and dry our soggy clothes. 

 

The short day gave us an opportunity to catch up on some rest and to watch some of the US Golf Open.  Our total riding today was just 28 miles and total to date is now 888. 

 

Tomorrow, we hope that the weather will be a bit better and we plan to continue on north on Rt 101 with the goal of catching the Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria BC then we plan to tour the San Jaun Islands and Whidby Island as we work our way south and east to eventually meet up with our daughter and son in law from Boise. 

 

 

June 17

Today felt like a long day.  We had three significant climbs of over 700 feet each and covered 58 miles (860 total to date) as we travelled from Lincoln City to Astoria which is the extreme north west corner of Oregon and just a 4 mile bridge from Washington.  We have elected to try to do the bridge early tomorrow, weather permitting. 

 

Along the way we got to observe several of the basalt domes that sit just off the coast and create wonderful sites for shore birds to nest etc.  Also we saw the long stretch of beach at Cannon Beach and had a good morning snack there.  Astoria itself is an old factory town that used to be the home of numerous salmon canning factories most of which have now closed.  There is a great Maritime Museum that celebrates the history of the mouth of the Columbia River as it enters the Pacific here.  There is a very hazardous “bar” that is at the mouth of the river and the seas are very rough where the river meets the ocean,  There are special Bar Pilots who are transported out to the ships as they approach from the ocean and then board the ships to pilot them through the bar and do the same on the way out again.  The transfers can be extremely hazardous because of the rough seas, especially in the winter. 

 

Depending on the weather, we hope to go into Washington tomorrow but probably a short ride.  Our current goal is to travel up the west side of Puget Sound and the Hood Canal to then catch the ferry to Victoria BC, 

 

We are both tired today but otherwise doing well.  I think some of the fatigue relates to riding on very busy roads and with lots of noise from the incessant traffic.  Hopefully it will be a little more relaxed in Washington but we will see.   

Thursday June 16

Thursday June 16, 2011

 

Today began again with rain although the forecast was for clear and sunny.  We had one 4 mile clib of about 800 feet which was really wet.  It was raining, I was sweating and it was going through what really was like a rain forest.  The scenery however was beautiful on the climb. 

 

We then rejoined the coast and took a coastal pathway through Pacific City where there is an enormous rock off shore that we saw again as we arrived in Garibaldi, north of Tillamook.  Once again, we saw some whales spouting near the big rock in Pacific City.  In Tillamook we did the tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  It is a huge farmer’s cooperative that provides cheese for much of the Pacific northwest.    

 

We finished the day about 9 miles north of Tillamook in Garibaldi.  Total distance for the day was 64 miles, total for the trip so far 801. 

 

Forecast is for one more “good” day of weather and we hope to make it to Astoria tomorrow but the weekend forecast is for rain both Saturday and Sunday so we are not sure what we will do then. 

 

With prevailing winds from north to south along the coast, we are seeing many bikers heading south but few going north. 

This was the first day we both had sore butts but I think it was as much the dampness as anything and the fact that we spent about 6 hours in the saddle each of the last two days. 

 

 

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Cape Kiwanda
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June 15, Day 17

This was a day that had a little of everything.  First I have to say our night at the Overleaf was wonderful and to add to it we had a great dinner at a nearby resort called Adobe which had a semicircular dining room that looked out over the ocean.  Tough to take. 

 

As we began today, we had a fair amount of rain and had a couple of similar episodes of rain as the day went on but this was punctuated by moments of sunshine and clouds.  There was some head wind but not bad.  The scenery was great.  The best was at the top of our one big climb today that rose about 600 feet to a bluff called Foulweather Crest that had a spectacular view.  We saw a few whales spouting about ½ mile off shore from that lookout. 

 

We traveled from Yachats to Lincoln City, a total distance of 53 miles and now have a total of 737 miles under our belts. For a relatively long ride for the day, it was one where we both felt strong and felt good throughout the ride.  We saw several other bikers heading south on the same route including one couple on a tandem. 

 

Overall, we continue to have fun and finally feel like we are on vacation and at rest. 

 

 

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Cape Foulweather OR
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June 14, Day 16

This was a short day, just 34 miles and total to date is 685.  We rode from Florence to Yachats and are spending the night in the Overleaf Lodge which was recommended by our daughter Kate.  It is gorgeous and right on the water.  We look out our window at the rolling Pacific. 

 

We began the day with a brief look at some of the huge sand dunes around Florence then began the ride north.  The road is “bumpy” with rising and falling from near sea level to as high as about 500 feet.  There are few flat stretches but the views are great.  Saw some seals and lots of sea birds.  No whales so far but we keep looking. 

 

Weather is good, cloudy, kind of overcast and cool which is good biking weather.  There is an intermittent head wind which does slow us down a little but not too bad. 

 

We did choose to send our camping gear home and hope we will find lodging each night.  This lowered our total weight by about 25 pounds and made the riding just that much easier. 

 

Overall, all is going well and even Mary felt better today with just a short ride and a bit less weight in her packs. 

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Pacific Coast Trail Oregon
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June 13, Day 15

Today was a good ride.  Went from Eugene to Florence which is on the Oregon Coast.  It is a neat old fishing village and we had time to walk around town and enjoy some of the interesting shops.  Unfortunately, because we are carrying everything on our bikes or in “Bob” we really can’t buy much in the way of souvenirs.  The weather was intermittent rain through the day but never hard so it had minimal impact on our riding.  The highest point was Cougar Pass at just 769 feet which was a much more manageable climb.  The most exciting part was a downhill tunnel but fortunately there was little traffic in the tunnel so it wasn’t bad. 

 

I felt very comfortable during the whole ride but Mary is still struggling somewhat with some knee and arm/wrist pain so we may have to go shorter distances for a while. 

 

Once again no pictures so far for today.  This was partly because of the cloudy rainy weather but the next few days sound more promising.  This was like riding through a jungle with huge amounts of moss on the trees and beautiful flowers.  The Rhododendron are just past peak but some still very pretty and there was a lot of Foxglove growing along the side of the road along with some beautiful iris.   

 

Total ride today 64 miles total so far for the trip 650. 

 

Tomorrow we begin going north along the coast and hope to go across the Columbia River at Astoria OR and into Washington in a few days. 

June 12, Day 14

Today we began the day by doing a very pleasant 31 mile ride on the Row River Bike Trail out of Cottage Grove OR.  It was a delightful ride and our last significant ride without packs and gear for a while.  We then drove the 20 miles to Eugene OR and ran into the fact that it was graduation Weekend for Oregon University.  Motel rooms were scarce but we did find one.  We have turned in our car and rode back from the airport to the motel. 

 

As we were doing laundry it began to rain and the forecast for tomorrow is ominous but the rest of the week looks better.  Our plan for the moment is to ride up the Oregon coast and then into Washington with the options of what to do in Washington still up in the air.  We still plan to ride for about two-three more weeks but would like to end the ride sometime around July 4 so we can visit family on our way home in both Idaho and Minnesota. 

 

Total today 43 miles and total to date 586.

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June 12
Lake Dorena OR
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June 11

Today was a fun day.  We rode 37 miles and now have a total of 543 miles.  The ride today was through the Oregon Wine country from Roseburg to Ompqua and back.  Not nearly as fancy or ostentatious as the Napa valley but pretty scenery and gentle rolling hills. 

 

Tonight we are in Cottage Grove OR and plan a trip on a local bike route tomorrow that will cover about 35-36 miles again then on to Eugene where we will turn on our car and begin true bike touring again.  Monday will be about 60 miles over the coast range to get to Florence on the coast then north from there. 

 

Roseburg was an interesting town and Cottage Grove is on the Applegate Trail which was an alternate route for the Oregon Trail and went through the Willamette Valley. 

 

Mary is feeling better today so whatever she had yesterday ws a very temporary episode.   Sorry for no picture of the day today. 

 

Weather is cooperating now.  It was cloudy and overcast during our ride and slowly the sun came out.  Temps have been in the mid sixties to low seventies which is perfect riding weather.   

June 10

This was the shortest ride day yet, just 10 miles along the rim of Crater Lake.  Total now is just over 500 miles. 

 

We drove from Yreka CA to Crater Lake and what a change in climate.  When we were in Napa, it was warm with temperatures close to 90.  As we drove up to Crater Lake we appreciated the reason that some of the roads are still closed.  At about 4000 feet there was snow throughout the woods and alongside the road. Above 5000 feet the snow piles on each side were 8-10 feet on each side and at the brim of the crater, the snow was as high as 20 feet around the parking lots and along the portion of the rim road we could ride.  The lodges at the top are still inundated with snow and they are using temporary entrances through snow tunnels to get into the buildings. 

 

In Lake Placid we had a little over 20 feet of snow this winter and thought that was a lot but Crater Lake had 56 feet, 12 more than their average but 20 feet less than the record of 77 feet. 

 

Tomorrow we hope to take a ride through the Oregon Wine country in the Umpqua valley and then move closer to Eugene.  We plan to turn the car in Sunday evening and then Monday we will ride from Eugene to the Oregon Coast and the town of Florence and then start to ride up the coast with full gear again. 

 

Mary was not feeling her best today but hopes to be back into full strength by tomorrow. 

 

Had a great dinner tonight in Roseburg at a place call Brix 527.  Excellent menu and very enthusiastic staff. 

June 9

Sorry for no update yesterday but we will cover two days of activities today. 

 

Yesterday, June 8 we drove to Yosemite Park then rode bikes around the “loop” within the park and took in the sights. 

 

For those who have not been there, it is a huge canyon like area with massive granite walls on three sides and a lovely meadow and forest floor.  There are several waterfalls falling from high on the walls with Yosemite Falls and Bridal Veil Falls the two largest.  With the heavy snow pack this year and the recent rains, there were running very full.  Several other smaller falls were also very impressive.  We were fortunate to get there early and so the traffic wasn’t too bad in the beginning but by about 1 PM, the traffic became very heavy and we were glad to be leaving. 

 

Total riding for June 8 was 20 miles. 

 

We spent the night in Fairfield CA

 

Today we drove over the hill to Napa and did a 60 mile bike ride around the Napa Valley and we were able to stop at a couple of the Wineries. 

 

We had a good late breakfast called Sarafornia in Calistoga.  We learned that the person who settled Calistoga came originally from Saratoga NY and came up with the name of Sarafornia and Calistoga by combining Saratoga and California.  It made us feel a little like home since we lived for 25 years just 15 miles from Saratoga. 

 

This ride was really fairly easy with minimal elevation change. 

 

Because the area Around Lassen Park is still closed and that is the main way out of the Tahoe and Truckee area, we chose to simply drive north and are spending the night in Yrkea CA.  Plan for tomorrow is to go to Crater Lake and hopefully if the roads are open, to do some riding up there.  Once again, our decision to do some driving appears to have been a smart one.  Part of the Sierra Cascade route passed over a portion of Shasta Lake on Interstate 5 and involved crossing a bridge sharing the highway but with little or no space for a shoulder on the road.  We felt very happy to not have to ride that section. 

 

One of the great views on the way to Yrkea is Mount Shasta which is totally snow covered and it rises well above all of the surrounding peaks.   

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Calistoga, Napa Valley
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June 7

Today is a special day for me.  It would have been the 100th birthday of my father.  He was a wonderful person who helped to shape me into the person I am today and is very badly missed. 

It was also a day when Mary and I both felt that the wisdom we have gained through the years really paid off. 

We began the day with a 26 mile ride to and from our motel in Porterville bringing our total of riding to 416. 

We then drove up the mountains again this time to the Giant Sequoia Forest and Park.  The climb was more than 7000 verticle feet and the road was not great for bikers most of the way.  There was even one section where the road is under construction with just one way traffic allowed through once per hour and I don't believe they would have let us bike through there at all.  On top of that, there was sereve fog (really clouds) in many areas where it was difficult to see even 20 feet in front which wouldn't have been all that bad for a biker going up but would have made us virtually invisible to drivers and palced us at high risk.  Over the years, I have learned that sometimes it is best to listen to the advice you would give others and follow it yourself and this was certainly one of those occasions. 

We enjoyed the huge Sequoias and had a great day.  We did meet our first other bikers on the route.  There was a young couple from Whithorse BC who have been south bound since mid April.  They have also encountered many problems with weather, closed roads etc and have had to make some serious detours.  I think we have made a very wise decision. 

Tomorrow, we will drive to the entrance of Yosemite and hope to ride the loop road through the Park.  This will give us a chance to really feel the Park and take some short hikes to see some of the sights. 

Day 7 June 5

66 miles today, total to date 370miles

 

Well today was interesting.  Because of the weather forecast with more snow for the mountains today and with roads closed in Yosemite and the two passes to the north of Yosemite, we elected to go west and north to Bakersfield and to stay in the San Joachim Valley for a while.   The ride turned out to be very interesting and in some ways very frustrating.  We climbed about 750-800 feet out of Tehachapi and we were following a Google Maps bike route that sent us down a county road. For the first 15 miles things were fine and there was lots of traffic coming toward us so we felt this would work well.  As we descended into a valley and were cruising along near Stallion Acres, we noted a sign that said pavement ends in 5 miles.  Sure enough, after a very steep descent of 500-600 feet the road turns to dirt.  We continued on and it turned out that the entire descent over 14+ miles was on a dirt road with beautiful scenery but very tiring as we had to ride the brakes the whole time and go about 5 miles per hour because of soft spots, sharp turns and occasional rocks and debris in the road.  The first pavement we found was in the valley about 15 miles south and 10 miles east of Bakersfield.  We had some tail wind and much of the north bound riding was fun but we were tired and had already been on the bikes for more than 6 hours by then.  

 

For those of you who have committed to donating to the Foundation for PMR based on our ride, since Mary and I are both 65, we are hoping that any day we go more than 65 miles that the rate per mile would double for that day.  Just a thought. 

 

If you haven’t checked out the Foundation, go to WWW.FoundationforPMR.org. 

 

We are going to do some serious thinking later tonight to plot our next few days but looks like we will basically go north from Here toward Proctor and then Three Rivers and perhaps Squaw Valley.  We are off our route however so we have to plot courses our selves and hope to avoid both heavy traffic and also the long dirt roads we saw today. 

 

Day 7 June 6

Well, today was different.  As I have been saying, weather is iffy in the higher terrain and climbing some of these hills over and over has become tedious.  We made an executive decision.  We want to see Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe and Crater Lake but all of these have either the bike route in or out closed due to snow soooo we elected to rent a car to go up and down to the parks and do some shorter rides each day for one week and then move over to the coast of Oregon and ride north there instead of staying with our original plan.  We still hope to cover over 1000 miles of riding but also get to see some of the parks etc that were on the original agenda. 

 

Today we only rode 20 miles.  6 of them to get to the airport in Bakersfield where we picked up the car and the other 14 as an out an back on part of our original course beginning in Lake Isabella.  The stretch of road we took was very narrow, and very heavily travelled.  It was not fun riding and we were glad we were fully loaded with our gear.  We then drove up through Sequoia Nat’l forest and walked the 100 big trees trail.  Fascinating huge redwood/sequoia trees, some as much as 1500 years old or more.  The descent even by car from there down to Porterville where we are tonight was hair raising.  It was a very twisty and winding road, about 1/3 of the descent shrouded in clouds and fog making it difficult to see even 100 feet so again we were glad we were not trying to do it on the bikes.  There was some snow along the sides of the road and it looked like it had only been open for a week or so. 

 

We had a wonderful dinner at The Bridge restaurant in Springville.  It was an ethnic Chilean American restaurant and the food was delicious.  Almost nothing else in town including the Inn was even open so it was a real treat.  Also caught a beautiful sunset as we came down into Porterville.  

 

Total distance for today by bike just 20 miles, total to date 390.   Today was a good rest after a long and hard first week. 

 

 

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Sequoia NP
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High above Tehachapi
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Day 6 June 4

Today was another good day.  It was cloudy as we crossed the desert and not too hot.  We even had a tail wind some of the time.  Total distance today 55 miles and for the ride 304. 

 

Looking ahead, we have some problems with road closures over Tioga Pass to cross the Sierras and the north side of Yosemite.  The next two passes north of the park are also closed so we may have to make a big detour.  All of this because of snow and ice on the passes.   

 

We are doing a lot of contemplating about how to deal with these issues.  The lower parts of Yosemite are still open and we really want to see the park as we haven’t been there in many years but there may be no good way to bike away from the park that makes sense.  More on this to follow. 

 

We are both feeling a little stronger today and have a bit more energy so maybe we are riding into shape.  We went over Oak Creek Pass at just over 4800 feet and there were hundreds of wind turbines lining the route and the top of the pass.  Now in Tehachpi which is kind of a great little town and they are celebrating the re-opening of their historic train station today.  They had planned to open it last year after reconstruction but it burned down after a fireworks accident so they have re-built it again. 

 

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Crossing the desert
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Day 5 June 3

This was probably our best and easiest day so far.  We began with a climb of about 1000 feet from Wrightwood then took the Big Pine Highway through the Angeles National Forest and through Valyero into Pear Blossom and Little Rock then into Palmdale where we elected to spend the night. 

 

We went from an area with huge trees and high forest down through high Chaparral and into the high desert floor.  The change in the flora was impressive. 

 

We had a late breakfast at Charlie Browns which is a combination gift shop, smoked meat store and restaurant.  It apparently is a local favorite as a local ecommended we make sure to stop there.  It was the focus of today’s photo. 

 

Ride today was just 45 miles and trip total so far ridden is 249. 

 

Tomorrow we will cross the high desert and hopefully do it while it is still cool then begin to climb yet again. 

 

We are still tired but got a chance to do laundry and get some rest this afternoon. 

Day 4, June 2

We are getting very tired.  Not sore, just tired.  Today we began by climbing about 1400 more feet right out of Idyllwild and then had a long descent and gave back more than 4000 feet.  Going down with packs and a trailer is almost as tough as going up so we had to descend slowly.  The scenery was beautiful and we stopped often.  Total riding today was just 44 miles and trip total to date is now up to 207.  With two huge climbs in front of us and with word of a closure of Route 2 through the Angela Crest Highway due to a landslide we opted to take a brief ride to Wrightwood and will take a detour to get to Palmdale tomorrow. 

 

The frustrating thing about this ride is every time you climb up you seem to give back the elevation.  Case in point was to get from Banning/Beaumont to Yucaipa, we had to climb and then descend over 1000 feet and that was just to go over a ridge between the towns that are only about 10 miles apart as the crow flies.  

 

We saw our first snow capped peaks in the distance today and also were standing shoulder to shoulder with some 10,000 foot peaks as we looked down into the valley we had been in just yesterday from 6200 feet.  

 

Sorry again about upside down pictures but for some reason we can’t get into the blog site to make corrections but I will keep working on it.  Tomorrow we should hit our first taste of the high desert.

 

Scenery, both the views and also the flowers have been spectacular.  Lots of plants seem to be at their peak of blooming right now including the Yucca trees which have spikes of flowers sticking up 10 feet in the air. 

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Biker's grub

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Day 4. Coming off South Ridge
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Day 3 June 1

Sorry for such a short update yesterday but we didn’t have an internet connection.  It was a hard day with about 4000 feet of total climb and we were tired at the end.  Stayed in a neat ranch resort in Warner Springs and sort of wish we had time to enjoy some of the activities they offer like glof and horseback riding but sitting in a different saddle didn’t appeal to either of us. 

 

Today was a treat at the start.  We began early and the first 20 miles was largely down hill then we made a right turn and climbed back up everything we gave away and then some.  We topped out at over 5000 feet today and arrived in Idylwild which is a neat little resort town.  Haven’t explored it yet but hope to walk around for dinner etc.  Sorry for any pictures that are upside down.  I will try to correct them as I get a chance. 

 

Weather has been spectacular and the scenery is good.  I love some of these upland valleys ithe the mountains just rising above them.  Saw the Palomar observatory from a distance today at one of our stops. 

 

Distance today, 61, Total so far 160. 

 

 

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Climbing out of Aguanga
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