7/16/04 Mount St Helens WA

After staying with relatives in Salem, I took the train up to Seattle to visit my friends, Ed and Sandi. I met Ed, or EWOS (his trailname) on the Appalachian Trail on our thruhikes in 1998. We traveled most of the AT together. Some of my most memorable moments were on the trail with Ed, even if they were also some of the most grueling. [laugh] Since moving to the Northwest, they have found a love for mountain climbing. The night I arrived, we went straight from the train station to a popular rock climbing area. Needless to say, bike shoes do not make very good bouldering shoes. [smile]

Two days later, after getting outfitted at REI with crampons, ice axe and boots, we headed off Mount St Helens. It was a bit chancy because we had to be up early to get one of the few permits given to climb. It turned out to be a beautiful day and a great hike up. More snow than I imagined in July. What views we had. And as a surprise, we glissaded down the snow as far as we could. Sort of like sledding but without the sled - you just slide down on your butt, using the ice axe as a break. Way too much fun!!!

Taking a rest break on the way up Mt St Helens

Up the snow, but don't slip

Looking down into the crater

Jim, Sandi & Ed on top of Mount St Helens

Ed & Joe take in the view with Sandi looking on

One of my best friends Ed

A rocky climb down

Note: Two months later, Mount St Helens was closed to all climbers because of eruption fears.

"The earthquake swarm that signaled the start of renewed eruptive activity in 2004 began on September 23, just eight days before the first small explosion on October 1 and eighteen days before lava extrusion began on October 11. For the first 2 days, the swarm resembled several others that had occurred beneath the volcano in preceding years."from USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory

It is now open to climbers again.

7/13/04 Kaiser OR

68 miles (3305 total)

Looked like my last day was going to be a repeat of my first day in St Louis two months ago, with dark rain clouds looming overhead.

Headed up through dark forest on a quiet road that climbed slow and steady. Was stopped once by a policeman on his way to work, who warned me that the road up ahead was narrow, winding and with lots of logging truck traffic. He just wanted me to be careful. And even met another couple on this lonely road who were on a three day loop ride out of Portland.

Once over the first climb, the road did join a busier highway, but nothing I couldn't handle. Besides, the truckers were careful when passing and I got out of the way if I could. Over the first mountain range and out of the forest, I could see the clouds thinning. The farther east I traveled, the lighter and warmer it got. Plus traffic increased too, but I now had a shoulder. More climbs, more than I thought there would be as I made my way to Salem, the capital of Oregon.

Are we in Kansas?

Wow, I'm finally here. Got a great pizza for lunch and then went exploring looking for the train station. After visiting with relatives here, I'll take the bike with me as I ride the train up to Seattle to stay with some good friends.

My great aunt Kathy's directions were pretty easy to follow as I found her place in Kaiser, part of the Salem metropolitan area. It was great to see her. I stayed with them in 2001 and it was talks with Kathy that convinced me to continue on that ride when I was ready to give up. My great uncle Frank passed away this year, and Kathy was trying to keep going in a new place in the city. Got a chance to talk to her kids Chris and David, and their brother Steve came by for a visit. Kathy later took me out for pizza at a place their whole family had been going to for years. It was very good to see her. I am so fortunate to have wonderful family everywhere I go it seems.

Tomorrow, I load up on the train for Seattle to visit Ed and Sandi. I met Ed, otherwise known as EWOS, on my Appalachian Trial hike in 1989. We've kept up with each other and I count them as some of my best friends. It will be good to see them. They have surprised me by planning a mountain climbing trip up Mt St Helens we will do in a couple of days. Yippee! After that, I'll ship the bike and fly to Kansas City. Home....

7/12/04 Pacific City OR

55 miles (3237 total)

A great night sleep followed by a glorious morning. Might get hot though. Said goodbye to Laurie and Jeff but I'm sure I'll see them again today along the way.

Jeff & Laurie

Traffic seemed lighter than yesterday but a lot more logging trucks. The winds seemed to shift a lot depending on how close the road was to the sea. Passed Bill and the guys when they stopped to fix a flat. And Laurie and Jeff did catch me because I stopped at Wanda's Cafe in Nehalem for the best french toast I've had this trip with homemade whole wheat bread. Mmm!

Bill and a few of the guys

Got a good tailwind into Tillamock. After some lunch, finally got off the busy Highway 101 and followed another road along the 'Three Capes Route.' Great scenery but it was also some killer climbs that seemed to go on, and on. It was all downhill from Cape Lookout to Sandlake. It sure was a hot afternoon. Saw a few more cyclists heading north on bikes that seemed to have twice as much gear as me.

Staying in Pacific City at the county park where I spent a night during the last trip. In walking distance to the beach, and the RV park next door sells ice cream and hot sandwiches. Talked with a father and daughter for bit but was almost ready to crash early to bed. Tomorrow is my last day and it will be a lot of climbing early. Almost done.

Haystack in Pacific City

7/11/04 Nahalem Bay State Park

67 miles (3182 total)

For once, the weather channel was completely wrong. Instead of cloudy and cool, I awoke to sun and it was promising to be a hot one today. A good thing I didn't try to get all the way to Astoria last night because I ended up doing a lot of climbing today as I got closer to the coast. But still made good time. I was trying hard to get to Fort Clatsop by 11am just in case my relatives made the drive up from Salem to see me finish.

Compared to my visit back in 2001, arriving at Fort Clatsop was anticlimactic. They're using a shuttle system now, so everyone was busy unloading and loading the buses. Not one person seemed curious about the bike or where I'd come from.

Finally made it to Fort Clatsop

Waited a bit then decided to continue on. But the price of admission was good for a free buss pass on the local system, and they had bike racks. So, since my 'Lewis, Clark & Jim' trip was officially over, there was no reason not to get a lift. My bus driver Toni, took me to the limit of his route, to Canon Beach which took 20-miles off my ride. It didn't really save me any time, just wear and tear on the bike and my body.

Riding the coast again was like deja vú, with memories flooding back. I love the views from the cliffs with the beach far below. Had a few people ask about my trip and that made me feel good.

The Pacific Coast

Looks like I'll be staying at the same campgrounds I did on that past trip. Tonight it was back to the hiker/biker site at Nahalem Bay State Park. Later I met scoutmaster Bill and five of his Eagle scouts from Carson City, Nevada, out for a week-long Oregon Coast ride. A good group of teenagers. Hey, the love bikes so they can't be all bad. [smile] After sunset, met Laurie and Jeff who are heading south along the coast on a tandem. We compared notes of other trips we'd taken. They were excited because tomorrow for them looks like a bed and a home-cooked meal with some distant relatives.

7/10/04 Clatskanie OR

62 miles (3114 total)

Met Beth and the two boys, Enzo and Quinn. Joe has been a house-dad while Beth gets her Masters to teach biology. Definitely a family that has a lot of fun together. And said goodbye to Mike who was getting a rental car headed to Seattle before flying to Sacramento to see family. It was great to be riding partners again.

Joe with his boys Enzo & Quinn

Saying goodbye to my friend and tour partner Mike

Off into the wild blue yonder...

Looked like a good day as I rode along the bluffs of the river until I found the St John's Bridge. Ended up begging them to let me cross. Must have worked because I was soon on my way across.

Met tons of riders on the highway. Seems everyone is raining for a big ride next weekend, Seattle-to-Portland. It was a good route because you could ride in a bike lane all the way from Portland to St Helens.

Stopped for lunch and found I had another flat, the story of my life. Decided to make it to Clatskanie and splurge on a hotel room. That way, I only have a 35-mile ride to Fort Clatsop.

Had a few very long climbs and one downhill, but it would have been better without the rain. Once I got to town, the sun broke out and it looked to be another good afternoon.

7/09/04 Portland OR

54 miles (3052 total)

Kind of overcast this morning, about what we expect on this side of the Cascades. Followed the Columbia River Highway all the way to Troutdale. This road must have been amazing in it's day. It goes by these amazing waterfalls with names like Horsetail, Oneonta, Wahkeena, Bridal Veil and Latourell. But the most impressive was Multnomah Falls. Words fail to describe. And folks have been coming here in droves for a hundred years just to see it.

Multnomah Falls

But for Mike and I, the bikes called and we kept heading west up another switchback road to the Vista House. Unfortunately it was being renovated. So, we headed back down the other side.

Vista House has an incredible view

Kind of went overboard at Lyne's Cafe in Troutdale for breakfast. Made our way into Portland via a bike path that followed the river. But once we started into the city, I quickly realized I didn't know where the hell we were.

Got lost across the Willamette River but Tim at Patagonia headed us in the direction of River City Cycles. Still having trouble with slow leaks in the tires. The guys at the shop were great. And the shop was the best I've seen anywhere in the USA.

River City Cycles in Portland

Finally hooked up with Joe Kumaraskie, author of “Metal Cowboy” and “Riding Outside the Lines.” We met through the internet when I was preparing for my 2001 cross-country ride.

He said if I was ever in Portland, I had a place to stay. He told us to meet him at the Lucky Labrador Bar & Grill.

They told us no problem about bringing the bikes into the bar. The place was empty but we were early. Becka behind the bar had biked here from Memphis a few years ago and never left. She bought us our first round.

The big event here was the nightly viewing of highlights of todays Tour de France. Good thing Joe and his friend Jonathan showed up because the bar filled to standing room only as the program opened.

Joe is one high energy guy. During commercial breaks, we got caught up with his life as an writer and my trip. Otherwise, the crowd was on the edge of it's seats till the end of the two hour show. It was so amazing to see a huge room of every type of person you could imagine just to watch a bicycle race. I could definitely get used to this.

Later we all headed over to 'The Farm', a cafe Joe was reviewing for another article. It was dark by the time we headed for Joe's. His wife and kids were already in bed, and Mike and I were just as tired.

7/08/04 Ainsworth State Park OR

70 miles (2998 total)

Last night a youth group camped out under the stars next to us. Looked to be about six leaders and about 30 kids. It was our entertainment watching the group dynamics unfold with individuals trying to fit in at the same time making themselves stand out. Ah, to be young again.

Went to bed to the sounds of the wind pushing the tent and trees around. But this morning, all I could hear were the sea gulls. Kind of exciting starting the day without much of a headwind.

Today was a remake of 'the good, the bad and the ugly'. The 'good' was riding the Historic Columbia River Highway that as originally built solely for pleasure driving back in 1915. It's been replaced by the interstate, but segments remain that are blocked off for non-motorized traffic. What a beautiful road through forests, along cliffs and even one tunnel. The 'bad' was the several segments of interstate we did have to ride. With all the debris on the shoulder, it didn't surprise me to get another flat. The 'ugly' had to be taking the bike up 30 steps to continue on the old highway.

Historic Columbia River Highway

Now, this is a Great bike path!

Just before the Dalles, we had a good view of Mount Hood covered in snow. The people of Hood River sounded more like Californians that from Oregon. Another highlight was climbing up from Rowena to get a spectacular view of the gorge. The wind picked back up in the afternoon, but we were too psyched to let it affect us much.

Finally, some trees to block the winds

High above the Columbia River

At camp, the another youth group next door asked us to be judges of a thrift-store costume contest. They were kids on the last day of their “Wilderness Ventures” trip that included rock climbing and rafting. Good kids.

Kids next door having a little fun

Looking forward to tomorrow's scenery and getting to Portland. Plus, I pass the 3000-mile mark soon. Yippee!

7/07/04 Deschutes River Rec Area

13 miles (2929 total)

All night, the wind seemed to be howling. It never did seem to let up. Even when I woke up, it was blowing as hard as the day before. Not a good sign.

What a great little store in Roosevelt

After stopping in at the store, we headed back out onto the road, only to be met head on by 30mph winds with gusts up to 45mph. It was demoralizing in it's intensity. Mike and I struggled to make any headway, but it was looking to be a long nightmarish day. Biggs was 40-miles away but might as well been 400. It took us an hour to go four miles. At that point, I stuck out my thumb.

Cleve and Matt were the first pickup truck to drive past and they pulled over. They were headed to California for the SuperBike (motorcycle) Championships. Originally they had planned on riding their motorcycles but decided against it because of the winds. Maybe that's why they happily loaded our bikes into the back to give us a lift 30-miles into Biggs. Our spirits definitely went up.

Road Angels Matt & Cleve

At Biggs, we got something to eat before heading the 7-miles further to the state park. Even that short distance was tough work, struggling to keep the bike going. Sometimes I felt that walking the bike might be easier.

Met Lisa and Becky with their little boy Sam as they were breaking camp. They were headed back to Portland a day early and said we could have their paid spot. Cool.

The wind is still howling and the sun is out as we rest our weary bones here at this nice park. Worried that tomorrow could be a repeat of today. If we can get past Hood River, the winds should die down a bit they say. I hope so.

7/06/04 Roosevelt WA

55 miles (2916 total)

Almost too many mosquitoes out as evening approached to do anything but head for the safety of the tent. That's ok because we need another early start tomorrow.

Cool and almost no wind as we crossed the bridge back into Washington. We wanted to get all the way to Maryhill State Park, some 84-miles away. Hopefully the winds will die down enough for us.

Absolutely no break from the high winds of the gorge

We were disappointed nothing was open when we rode through Paterson. The only thing moving around was a big dog that chased us from across the highway. I was a little nervous when we saw the sign that said “next services 66 miles”, especially since we had limited water. So we put a lot of faith into the guidebook when it said there was a restaurant and store in Roosevelt 34-miles down the road.

About 9am, I began to notice whitecaps appearing out on the river. The headwinds had begun and before we knew it, the struggle to keep moving forward had started. No way were we going to make it all the way to Maryhill now.

And just to make the day complete, about 10-miles out from Roosevelt, I got a rear puncture. Not even a flat space to change a tire. I tried to ignore the semi's buzzing past.

At North Roosevelt, we gladly stopped at a bar for need food and water. Mike said the bathroom was unique that it was wallpapered by nude pictures. Another mile down the road found us at the small Mini Mart. Under new management, the ladies were very welcoming to these tired, wind-weary cyclists. We reluctantly asked about camping at the city park.

Outside the store before heading down to the city park

“We have a wonderful park with showers and such. Plus there's lots of folks down there if you want company.” That last bit was sort of confusing to us but we rode on down to the river on into a thriving community of wind surfing nuts. [smile]

Heidi explained some about how the parasail works while her fiancé Michael flew through the air doing flips and turns on the water. The parking lot was full of campers and the grounds were covered with sail boards and parasails of all kinds. Apparently this park was far enough from the cities so it attracted the expert boarders and it was also a good place to bring the family. Most of these folks come up every weekend but this was their week long 4th of July vacation.

Later, Jim and Anita along with their boys, invited us over for BBQ ribs and a beer. They'd been coming to this spot for 20-years because of the wind and the water.

Wind surfer heaven!

7/05/04 Umatilla OR

85 miles (2860 total)

Would have had our earliest stat yet this morning if it wasn't for my flat front tire. Found two of the smallest nails I've ever seen in the tire.

I don't know, but I felt like a man possessed. Mike was surprised at my blistering pace. As we rode through Walla Walla, I was sure glad it was a holiday. It would have been mass chaos to ride the bikes down these streets on a regular work day. But for us, we had the roads almost completely to ourselves. As we neared the end of town, everyone seemed to be setting up onion stands on their front porch.

That stepped up pace I had set was killed as we hit our major climb for the day outside of Dixie. Had a truck lane but compared to some of our recent climbs, it was not steep and not long. We even got a bit of downhill on the other side but that was tempered by a headwind.

The whole valley is pretty hilly but everything is cultivated. Lots of the wheat looked ready to pick while we saw them load truckloads of green beans from the fields.

[smile] Lots of activity in the fields

But as we kept heading west, the heat and landscape reminded me more of the desert. We worried a bit about water, so stocked up in Touchet.

'Severe Side Wind Ahead' is not good for cyclists

A little more climbing before we could finally see the Columbia River. Wow! It was huge. Imagine the Grand Canyon filled with water. Traffic seemed to lighten up a bit as we pushed on, but we still needed to stop every thirty minutes or so for a water break.

That's the Columbia River Gorge

It was a long hot day, so we were happy to finally reach Umatilla. All we could think about was finding some food in some air conditioning. And if they served ice cream, more the better.

7/04/04 L&C State Park WA

77 miles (2775 total)

Got up to go to the bathroom and just decided to get packed. This has to be one of my earliest starts ever. [I know I keep saying that – smile] We hit the road at 5:30am, pushing across the Clearwater River into Washington state.

Heading into Washington state

Out first test of the day was eight miles of climbing, the six more miles of steeper road. Seemed to take us all morning to get to the top. And then there was hardly any downhill on the other side. Plus headwinds hit us as we crested the rise.

Eight miles up, up and up

Traffic was light for a holiday Sunday with the few towns we passed through quiet because all the shops were closed for the holiday.

Thank goodness the temperature stayed in the 80's because our second climb of the day was under full sun. We plodded our way up another steep six miles of hill, stopping frequently to rest and get water. A small downhill on the other side lead us to town.

The Open Road

Lewis & Clark Trail State Park is located on the Touchet River. Richard, a volunteer ranger at the gate, was very interested in our trip, giving us route advice along with things not to miss.

Really tired, but looks like tomorrow will be a repeat of long miles and hot winds.

Happy 4th of July!!!

7/03/04 Lewistown ID

95 miles (2698 total)

With Mike, there's no such thing as a start too early. [smile] We got out on the road shortly before 6am. The Lascha River joined the Clearwater River, and we had another great ride following it downstream.

Jim's always looking at the map,
even though Lewis is showing the way. [smile]

After breakfast in Kooskia, we left the TransAmerica Trail to head north to Kamiah. At this point, we took an alternate route that continued to follow the river. Most of the morning was overcast, keeping the temperature cool.

Got rained on just a bit, but we rode towards blue skies, and unfortunately, warmer temperatures. We reached Orifina just before lunch, so decided to keep going. Because it was Saturday, and part of a holiday weekend, traffic was pretty light with very little truck or RV traffic.

How people cross the river to get home

The wind picked up but we still made good time. The heat was definitely getting to us as we pulled into the outskirts of Lewistown. We ended up getting a room at the first motel we saw. Unfortunately tomorrow's ride looks just as long and hot. Yippee!

The Clearwater River

7/02/04 White Goose Camp ID

70 miles (2610 total)

Lots of thunder last night but no rain. Mike and I got an early start, mainly because we're not used to another time zone (Pacific) yet.

From our campground, it's 60-miles of nothing but winding road following the Lascha River. It was a great ride down along side of a beautiful white water stream, with steep wooded peaks above us. Every turn was more amazing than the last. You could hear the roaring river sounds bouncing off the canyon walls. We saw fishermen and rafters enjoying the river too.

Lookin' at a roller-coaster ride this morning

Such beauty

One of 3 bridges across the Lascha River

At Colgate Licks, the VFW had set up a rest station where we got some good route advice from one of the guys. Later we met Steve and Mikey headed east on the TransAmerica Trail.

Even though we reached the Lascha Ranger Station around 10am, it was already getting hot and the headwinds were starting to pick up. We figured if we continued to push it, we could make it to Lowell by lunchtime.

Wow, we did 65-miles by 12:30, and that is a great day. Good thing it was downhill the whole way. After getting some lunch, we found out the resort across the river was booked for the holiday weekend. We were a little worried about not getting a camping spot at the Forest Service campground, but when we arrived, it still had several tent sites open.

We spent the afternoon talking and just laying around. For dinner, we rode back the two miles to Lowell. We decided that if every day was going to be this hot, we should always get an early start and keep the distances reasonable. We figure ten more days to Fort Clatsop.

Relaxing in camp...

7/01/04 Powell ID

59 miles (2539 total)

Had a good breakfast at Knuckleheads BBQ next door to the motel, really we did. Even though Mike and I haven't seen each other in three years, we acted like it had only been a three weeks.

Had a good breakfast and now ready to hit the road

Kind of overcast as we left Missoula so we couldn't decide if it was going to rain. The road went up so slowly, we didn't even notice. Eventually, the sun pushed the clouds on through and we had a great ride.

1st of July & still snow up there

About six miles from Lolo Pass, our incline increased a lot, so we both struggled to keep the bikes going up. After what seemed like an eternity, we crested the pass and took a break at the Visitor Center. Lot's of people asked about our travels, but the Poston family, all three generations invited us to lunch with them

Three generations of the Poston family

The ride down the pass was beautiful. Kind of hard to take a picture when you're screaming down a mountain. Rode alongside the Lochsa River. At the DeVoto Memorial Grove, we met Mary Jane who was guiding a Lewis & Clark tour group sponsored by Elder Hostel. The cool thing about her was that she rode in the 1976 Bikecentennial Tour as a group leader. That was the birth of the TransAmerican Trail where 4000 people rode coast-to-coast to celebrate our nations Bicentennial.

Are you coming?

The beautiful Lochsa River

I remembered the Powell campground as soon as we rolled up. Towering pines above us and the sound of the river behind us. A good campsite. As we cooked dinner, you could hear thunder but I wonder if we would get rain.

Powell campground