Oregon has a wonderful state park system. I have never kept count, but I expect that I have passed forty or more state parks of various flavors since I entered the state at Astoria. The Pacific Coast Route maintains an entire series of state parks with biker/hiker areas set aside. All of the campgrounds have free hot showers included with the $5 or $6 camping fee.
Each is different: some are laid out to encourage privacy, while others encourage interaction among the bicyclists. Some are tiny areas and others are large; some are always damp and others dry out quickly; some feel to be integral with the RV and vehicle sites, while others offer a quiet place apart by integral design within the park. None limits the number of cyclists who’ll be accommodated; the “campground full” sign never applies to cyclists or foot travelers.
Tomorrow will likely be my last full day in Oregon. I’m at Humbug Mountain State Park in southern Oregon; tomorrow I’ll ride about 50 miles to a park near Brookings, the southernmost town on the Oregon coast. I have been told that tomorrow’s park (Harris Beach) even has a small laundromat on site, so I’m wearing my last clean outfit today and tomorrow.
One of so many coastal scenes along my route
Rocks off the coast
The beauty isn’t limited to ocean scenes; here’s a lake and marshland on the east side of the highway
The southern coast is much less developed than the rest. Towns are smaller and farther apart. Traffic is lighter as well. Yesterday I rode about 57 miles, and today about 61: campgrounds for cyclists are a bit farther apart as well.
Other beings pay a steep price for our speed and comfort. This was the third of three recent adult does killed by cars along today’s route. On a bike I can’t hurt an animal larger than a snake.
I passed a minor milestone yesterday: the simple bicycle computer mounted on my handlebars calculates and displays average speed over all rolling miles since this trip began. It first showed about 9.33 miles per hour, and has been slowly creeping up as I adapt to the bike and get stronger. Yesterday I achieved an average speed of 10.00 mph.
Two natural bridges; the other is to the left. The surf passes beneath each
At ten mph, a thirty mile day leaves lots of room for sightseeing, talking with strangers and blogging. A sixty mile day is mostly spent riding, plus daily routines of cooking, setting up and repacking tent and bedding, and stops to restock provisions. Given the longer miles and shortening days as autumn approaches, I expect my blog posts to a little more sporadic.
A local wood carver working on Saint Francis
I got a great smile, but not his name. Gold Beach had several woodcarving shops.
Remember Jamie of “Jamieisrunning.com”, who’s running to Buenos Aires? He’s here tonight.