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Northwest Loop via bicycle with WomanTours July 31 - August 30, 2009 |
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Week 4 + Sisters to Portland, OR
Terrain Map Day 22 Day 23 Day 24 Day 25 Day 26 Day 27 Day 28 Day 29 Day 30 |
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Day 22 - August 22, 2009 Sisters to Blue River, OR - 45 miles |
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Today we climbed to the top of McKenzie Pass. Unfortunately once again it was cold when we started and it didn't warm up because there were tall pines on both sides of the road so we were in the shade and the grade for the climb was low for several miles so the climb wasn't warming me up either. Even though I had ski gloves on, kept moving my fingers in the gloves, and had taken a Verapamil capsule last night and this morning all 8 fingers got cold very quickly and I was afraid I was going to lose the circulation in all of them as I had on the Habitat ride this year in Minnesota. Thus when the sag car passed me I tapped the top of my head and Glenna stopped. I explained the problem and she took me to the top--she even stopped at Windy Point so I could see the view and take some pictures. Glenna had ridden to the top yesterday (on our rest day as she knew she would be driving the sag car today) so she was familiar with the road and the views. The top was very sunny and Glenna set up her first sag stop there while I got out and climbed up to the Observatory. I spent over an hour at the top to give the sun a chance to warm the western descent up as Glenna said it was going to be shady just like the eastern climb. I didn't have any problems riding down, but every time there was a steep descent and I rode into a shaded area it felt like I had entered an ice box. The road was flat with a few rollers for a couple of miles on top then a pretty steep downhill with hairpin curves started and didn't let up for about 12 miles. The speed limit for automobile traffic would vary from 15 to 30 depending on the severity of the curves and there was a lot of gravel on the road kicked up by cars going off the road. The gravel in the middle of the road was of course a problem for bicycles so I slowed down for every curve. There was hardly any cars going down the hill--only one car passed me on this section and that was our sag vehicle--so I was able to ride in the middle of my lane. This road is just a scenic route and no vehicles longer than 35 feet are allowed so there were no trucks. The road is closed in the winter due to snow and opened very late this year. |
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The straight perpendicular line indicates a place where I stopped and restarted. |
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one of the several mule deer waiting to be fed this morning |
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a map showing the Scenic Byway through the McKenzie Pass |
a view of the Three Sisters shortly after turning onto the Scenic Byway |
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At Windy Point you see for the first time the Sea of Lava (up to this point there had been nothing but trees on both sides of the road) A cool breeze drifts across but 1,500 years ago things were dramatically different. The lava in front of you was on fire! Glowing red hot, it lumbered and lurched down the path of least resistance. A sequence of three lava flows stretches to the west. The distant Belknap Crater is the oldest. The youngest is here in front of you, from Yapoah Crater (out of view to the south). In the middle lies the Little Belknap flow. |
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this was the view from Windy Point
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a little later this is the view from the road . . . |
. . . and this is the view to the side of the road |
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The Dee Wright Observatory, a lava rock structure constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935 and named for their foreman, has viewing windows inside the structure referred to as "lava tube" viewing holes that identify and let you see one mountain at a time. |
Belknap Crater 2.7 miles away |
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Little Belknap 2 miles |
Mt. Washington 5.2 miles |
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Black Butte 12.4 miles |
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Black Crater 2.6 miles |
North Sister 6.6 mi & Middle Sister 7.7 miles |
Scott Mountain 5.8 miles |
This bronze "peak finder" is located at the top of the structure and identifies every mountain that can be seen from this vantage point on a good day. |
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lava surrounds the observatory and some of the mountains can be seen in the distance |
Captured by gravity, lava flows downhill. Like water, it follows the path of least resistance. These two islands to the west just escaped lava flows from Little Belknap. |
The road and a trail cut through the lava. |
lava with the sisters in the background and our sag car in the foreground |
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travelers stories from 2 A.D., 1862, and 1912 |
Mt. Washington with lava in the foreground |
Marilyn reaching the top |
Judy and Pat reaching the top |
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a view from the road shortly after leaving the pass |
the North & Middle Sister from the road as I was descending on the west side |
the Scott Road |
view from the Belknap Viewpoint |
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Water in the Cascades |
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Geologists look into the earth to reconstruct the past. For example, this landscape formed “in the blink of a geologic eye.” In human terms, thousands of lifetimes passed while these scenic mountains peaks formed. Take Mt. Washington. About 300,000 years ago the rocky head we see today was its heart. Trapped inside the volcano, magma cooled into a huge, solid mass. Gouging glaciers and eroding streams have revealed the hard, inner rock heart. Easy Age Test: Most Cascade mountains 10,000 years or older have been carved by at least one glacier. Loose ash and rocks were scoured off mountain flanks by glacial ice. Compare the rounded summit of Belknap Crater with the rock-spire peak of Mt. Washington. Which is younger? Answer: The smooth sides of Belknap Crater are younger. No glaciers have ripped away its loose outer layers. last major glacial period ended 10,000 years ago Belknap lava flow was 1800 years ago Little Belknap lava flow was 1700 years ago Collier Cone lava flow was 400 years ago United States became a country over 200 years ago human habitation in this region began about 12,000 years ago |
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Day 23 - August 23, 2009 Blue River to Eugene, OR - 55.3 miles |
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Today was a very good ride except for the temperature this morning. It was very cold when we started a little after 7 o'clock and once again the road was in shade as there were tall pines on both sides for a LONG time. I stopped twice to warm my fingers up by taking my gloves off and placing my fingers against my stomach and then warmed them for a 3rd time at the first sag stop at about 20 miles. From that point on they didn't get cold again, but I didn't take my winter gloves, arm warmers, and jacket off until the 2nd sag stop at about mile 40. There were NO hills today and very little wind which was a double blessing, Eugene is the 2nd largest city in Oregon after Portland with an estimated population of 154,620 and is home to the University of Oregon--the Ducks. However, we came in on back roads and didn't have any problems with traffic. Several riders went to a nearby REI store to buy some warmer articles of clothing and Mary bought me 4 packets of Hand Warmers. They contain activated carbon that starts emitting heat when exposed to air. I plan to put them inside my gloves on cold mornings to help keep my fingers warm so Raynaud's will not restrict the blood vessels and cut off the circulation to my fingers. There were wild blackberries growing along the road and I poured the water out of one of my water bottles and filled it with berries. I washed them after checking in and gave Denise and Linda a glass full as they have both been very good leaders on this trip then enjoyed the rest myself. We had cheese and crackers and wine before dinner to welcome Jackie Marchand, the President of WomanTours, to the last week of the tour. |
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mountain views today
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a waterfall along side the road |
Goodpasture Bridge built by Lane County in 1938 |
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images from the yard of the River Run Art Gallery in Leaburg, Oregon The owner, Ken Scott, has traveled all over the world doing artwork and teaching art. He also teaches classes at the gallery and for colleges and universities. The artwork at the gallery is primarily his but other highly trained and talented expert craftsmen have contributed to what can be seen in the yard and gallery. |
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Day 24 - August 24, 2009 Eugene to Corvalis, OR - 40.9 miles |
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Today was a short day and it was flat so at our map meeting last night Linda said we wouldn't start until 8:30 so it would be warmer. This worked out well--it was still chilly but not cold and I didn't have to use the Hand Warmers that one of the riders bought for me at REI. We were riding north today and will ride to the coast tomorrow. For the first half of the ride I could see mountains to the east of us and then for the last half I could see mountains west of us so I guess we have some more hills to climb. I picked blackberries again today. They are delicious and could definitely be habit forming. Last night we stayed in the home of Oregon State and tonight just 40 miles away Corvallis is home to Oregon State University--the Beavers. |
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We passed several orchards as they grow a lot of peaches, apples, and pears in Willamette Valley, but this orchard was a little bit different as it is a Hazelnut Orchard. |
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Day 25 - August 25, 2009 Corvalis to Neskowin, OR - 81 miles |
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I decided to be bumped up to the first sag stop today because I knew it would be cold and because of the climbs I would fall behind. However while I was eating breakfast I noticed that at the base of the fingernail of my index finger on my right hand there was a small yellow area. I had an infection in two fingers early in July that I didn't think completely cleared up because the base of the fingernails remained pink. Now the finger was definitely infected again. So I called my doctor to see if he would phone in an antibiotic but he wasn't in yet. So I went ahead and left as planed in the sag vehicle. It started raining or coastal misting according to people who live here, and I didn't get out at the first sag start as I hadn't brought my rain jacket. Hille stopped and joined me in the sag as she also was not dressed appropriately and was very wet and cold. I called my doctor again and the nurse said he wouldn't prescribe anything without seeing me. I called and told Linda and Denise this news. At the second sag stop I and Hille decided to ride as it was no longer raining, but the van and trailer pulled up and Denise asked if I wanted to go with them to Lincoln City where they would be shopping and try to find a walk in clinic. I figured I had already lost half of today's ride and didn't want to lose any of tomorrow's beautiful coastal ride so I said :yes." We found a walk-in clinic, but they weren't taking any walkins because they were short of doctors so I decided to go to the ER of the local hospital--that took over 3 hours as they were very busy and there was only one doctor in the ER. When I finally saw the doctor he lanced the infection to drain it, called Walgreen's to find out what antibiotic I was on before and prescribed a different one, and told me to soak it twice a day in warm, soapy water to keep the lanced area open and draining. I have no chart or pictures as I didn't ride. |
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Day 26 - August 26, 2009 Neskowin to Manzanita, OR - 70.5 miles |
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Today's route was a beautiful one and the weather was good, but the road was bad. Today we simultaneously followed the Pacific Coastal Scenic Byway, the Three Capes Scenic Route, and the Oregon Coast Bike Route. The road had a lot of patches and holes that had not been patched and when there was a shoulder it frequently had gravel on it; The two downhills were especially bad as they were shaded and you couldn't see the holes until you were right on top of them. For the road to be an Oregon Coast Bike Route it was in very bad shape.
The 3 Capes Scenic Drive connects Cape Kiwanda, Cape Lookout, and Cape Meares and is one of the most popular and spectacular stretches of scenery on the Oregon Coast. Pacific City is the beginning of the 40 mile route starting with Cape Kiwanda State Park. Cape Kiwanda is the smallest of the three capes but not necessarily the least interesting. The climb to the top of the cape offers a view of the coastline including Haystack Rock. Continuing north over the hill, you will pass through Tierra Del Mar, a small community of homes lining the pristine beach. This area offers a great view of the north side of Cape Kiwanda. There are several turn outs and beach access for pedestrians and vehicles. The scenic route then takes you on a winding drive that moves inland in spots and then to Cape Lookout State Park which encompasses nearly every geologic and natural feature found along the Oregon Coast. The park was named for Cape Lookout, a rocky headland extending one and three-quarter miles into the ocean. The next stop is Netarts Bay and the quaint community of Netarts considered one of the best coastal locales for clamming and crabbing. About 3 miles on up the road you will encounter the turnoff to Oceanside. Just offshore from Oceanside is Three Arch Rocks which was declared a National Wildlife Refuge in the early 1900s by President Theodore Roosevelt. It is the home for many types of bird life and an area frequented by sea lions. Turning left from the bay, the route climbs up through forested hills toward the entrance to Cape Meares State Park. Within easy walking distance from the Cape Meares parking lot is the legendary Octopus Tree, a Sitka spruce that sends six huge trunks into the sky. Also in the vicinity are Cape Meares Lighthouse and a coastal seabird nesting area that is part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Preserve. As you follow the route, you will find yourself skirting the southern edge of Tillamook Bay, looking across the water toward Bay City and Garibaldi. The bay, which has many commercially harvested oyster beds, is a vital habitat for much of the county's fish and wildlife. |
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ocean as seen from my room in Neskowin |
scene from the Pacific Crest Wayside |
Haystack rock at Pacific City (Cape Kiranda) . Cape Kiwanda is a unique spot on the coast with a wide sand beach next to the cape. It is the Dory Boat capitol. The boats are launched from trailers right into the surf and then run right up on the beach when returning. |
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scene from Cape Lookout viewpoint |
scene from 2nd Cape Lookout viewpoint further down the hill |
one of the great views from the road |
The pounding Pacific Ocean has eroded a bluff to create Haystack Rock, a 235-foot tall sea stack (coastal rock monolith), on Cannon Beach. Haystack Rock is part of the Tolovana Beach State Recreation Site. |
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Three Arch Rocks as seen from the beach at Oceanside, Oregon. Designated as the first National Wildlife Refuge west of the Mississippi River, Three Arch Rocks Refuge lies a half mile offshore of Oceanside. The refuge consists of three large and six smaller rocks totaling 15 acres. The refuge is one of the smallest designated Wilderness Areas in the country. The rocks provide habitat for Oregon's largest breeding colony of tufted puffins. |
Cape Meares Lighthouse was commissioned in 1890, decommissioned in 1963 and is now maintained by a non-profit organization. The tower stands 38 feet high and is the shortest lighthouse in Oregon. It is located at Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint. The lighthouse's first order Fresnel lens (pronounced "fraynel") was made in Paris, France, shipped around South America's Cape Horn to Cape Meares and then hauled 217 feet up the cliff for installation. |
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At Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint head uphill from the parking lot and walk about 1/4 mile, and you can behold another attraction: the famous Octopus Tree which is a large Sitka Spruce branched like a candelabra. Its base circumference is more than 50 feet. Native Americans, who have lived here for 3000 years, call this the Council Tree. Indian legend says this tree was used for supporting a canoe which held their dead, an ancient custom. A sign explains that coastal winds caused the strange candelabra-shape, but fails to rationalize why the tree's neighbors ignored those forces, and grew straight up. |
Tillamook River
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Tillamook Cheese Visitor Center It takes 10 pounds (1.16 gallons) of milk to make 1 pound of Tillamook cheese. More than 1.7 million pounds of milk arrive at the plant every day. Approximately 167,000 pounds of cheese are made each day. Each of the eight stainless steel cheese vats holds approximately 53,500 pounds of fresh milk. On average, each vat makes three batches of cheese per day. |
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Today was Karina's last day as she has to go back to work & Barbara S. fixed this surprise Provolone cheese spread and served it before dinner. Linda fixed her chosen dessert--a berry pie--for dessert. |
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Day 27 - August 27, 2009 Manzanita, OR - REST DAY |
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Another very restful "rest" day during which I did nothing except work on the computer, reorganize my luggage, eat, and rest. I didn't even clean my bike because there is a 50% chance of rain for tomorrow, and if I wash my bike I know it will rain. |
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The ocean and a beach is right across the street from the motel where we are staying for our rest day, and I took the pictures of the setting sun the first night and the ocean pictures on the rest day. |
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Day 28 - August 28, 2009 Manzanita to Astoria OR - 44.1 miles |
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Not washing my bike didn't keep the rain away--it came anyway and it was a cold rain. The rain started at mile 22 for me and I didn't bike much further. When the sag arrived I hopped aboard at mile 27. I was disappointed because I wanted to stop and see Fort Clatsop which was the winter quarters for the Lewis and Clark expedition on the Coast, but riding wasn't any fun right then. As it turned out the sag driver stopped at Fort Clatsop to ask the riders who were still there if they wanted to sag or if they would ride the remaining 7 miles in to Astoria. Everyone said they would ride, but the multiple venues--the Visitor's Center, movie viewing room, outdoor fort and canoe landing --made it difficult to find everyone so I was able to spend quite a bit of time there and was able to see a lot. I encountered a new feature that the Highway Department in Oregon is using to help protect cyclists. Before entering a tunnel on the route and before crossing a narrow bridge cyclists are told to press a button to flash bike warning lights On the tunnel a large sign above the tunnel told motorists bikers were in the tunnel and they were to drive slow and flashing red lights surrounded the sign. |
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The straight perpendicular lines indicate places where I stopped and restarted. |
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ocean views from 2 scenic lookouts
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Silver Point Rock, like many of Oregon’s near-shore monoliths, is a remnant of an ancient shoreline. |
Tillamook Head, at 1,156 feet high, dominates the view north. Explorer William Clark led a party over this massive headland in January 1806 to examine a beached whale near Cannon Beach. |
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17 million years ago |
12-15 million years ago |
10 million years ago |
10 million years to present |
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2 views of Haystack Rock Haystack Rock is named for its obvious resemblance to a haystack. The 235-foot-high rock, a wildlife refuge, harbors a protected marine garden and is among the most popular landmarks on Oregon’s coast. It is surrounded by sea or sand with the changing tides and is the eroded remains of a hill that, until a few thousand years ago, was attached to the shoreline—it will be reduced to rubble by storm waves within a few more millennia. |
Winter’s large waves pull sand off the beaches of Oregon’s coast, while summer’s smaller waves transport sand to the beaches. This annual cycle is amplified during El Nino, when the eroded sand is transported north in longshore currents to pile up against headlands. Unless the sand is carried south again by summer currents, the beaches become narrower and are subject to greater storm erosion. |
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as we rode along the coast we frequently enter Tsunami Hazard Zones |
At the climax of their westward journey, the Corps of Discovery spent four rainy months preparing for their return. To protect themselves and their supplies, the party built two rows of huts secured by gated palisades. They named it “Fort Clatsop” after the local Clatsop Indians. Nothing remains of the original fort. This 1955 replica was based on the floor plan and descriptions from the expedition journals. The plans show that three sergeants and 24 men squeezed into three small enlisted men’s quarters and the orderly room. Captains Lewis and Clark shared a room, as did interpreter Charbonneau, his Shoshone wife Sacagawea, and their baby. Clark’s slave, York, may have lived near the captains. |
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close-up of the outside of one of the huts and views inside two of the huts |
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This sculpture named “Arrival” was commissioned by the Fort Clatsop Historical Association to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and commemorates their great achievement in reaching the Pacific Ocean. Meriwether Lewis is standing and William Clark is kneeling, and the third figure is a Clatsop Indian. Lewis’ Newfoundland dog, Seaman, is also included. The Indian is holding a flounder in his outstretched hand and wears a medal that contains an image of Thomas Jefferson. |
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of Discovery’s Journey Quilt As one unit in their 8th grade US History class, students visited Fort Clatsop then each student chose a discovery or fact to research, composed an essay, and presented their findings. The work culminated in the creation of a quilt square representing their topic. Their teacher, Mrs. Kraft, pieced the squares together and Amy Keeling machine quilted the quilt.
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Sacajawea |
view out my window at the Holiday Inn Express - the bridge goes to Washington
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Day 29 - August 29, 2009 Astoria to Portland, OR - 100 miles |
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Today is our last day, and WomanTours made it a 100 mile day even though we have our closing banquet tonight. They said you could come in your bike clothes if you didn't get in with enough time to shower and change clothes, but who want to do that? At least they scheduled the banquet in the hotel where we are staying--the Marriott Downtown Waterfront Motel. Thus, I had no intention to do the century. As it turned out it started misting immediately and was raining raining before I had gone 5 miles. Also we were on the same road the Hood to Coast Relay Run was using and they had over 10,000 runners plus hundreds of support vehicles. I had to ride in the middle of the lane and sometimes all the way over to the yellow line to give the runners enough room. Fortunately there wasn't much automobile traffic going in the direction I was going. But the other lane had a constant stream of support vehicles and people were yelling encouragement and jumping out to give their team member water or food. It wasn't much fun so at the summit of our first long climb I met the sag vehicle and quit for the day. Pam did the same thing and three others had been boosted up to the first sag stop and then started riding, At the 41 mile mark we met the van and trailer at the Birkenfeld Country Store and Cafe. Pam and I and our bikes were transferred to the van to join Hille, Ramsey, and Linda who were already in the van. After eating lunch at the cafe Denise and Linda drove the five of us in to the hotel. As we passed the riders they all indicated they were fine and wanted to continue riding--at least they had no more runners at this point to worry about. The NIKE Hood to Coast relay is the largest relay race in North America as it stretches 197 miles from Mt Hood OR to the Pacific Ocean in Seaside OR. This is the 28th year for the relay and there were 12,000 runners and 3,500 volunteers. |
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Again, the straight perpendicular lines indicate places where I stopped and restarted. |
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bridge to Washington with a freighter moving beneath it |
Hawthorne Bridge as seen from my window in the Marriott Downtown Waterfront Hotel |
two more views from my window
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Day 30 - August 30, 2009 Shuttle to Airport or Start Driving Home |
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Doug brought my car to the Marriott on Sunday morning and we packed it, and I started my long drive home. However, I planned on doing some more sightseeing along the way and stopping again at my brother's in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was taking I84 back through Oregon so I opted to take a detour to the Whitman National Historic Site and a second detour to drive most of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway. I enjoyed the views of the Columbia River so much I stopped to take some pictures and 26 miles west of Walla Walla, WA, I had an accident. I pulled over in a gravel area and planned to cross the road to take another picture, but I tripped on the built-up edge of the highway and fell forward. I bent all 4 fingers backward on my right hand and knew from the pain and the position of the fingers that there was a problem. So I got back in my car, pushed the OnStar button to get directions to the nearest hospital, then drove there. About 3 1/2 hours later I learned that I had dislocated a joint in my first finger and had no broken bones. Once the dislocation was reduced the pain subsided! Since I had lost a lot of time I did not backtrack to see the Whitman Historic Site but just proceeded to the Scenic Byway. This drive was beautiful, but I did not have enough time to fully appreciate it and would like to return some time. |
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On October 16, 1805 the
Lewis & Clark Expedition were relieved to finally reach the Columbia
River and on October 19 they reached Hat Rock which was
the first distinctive landmark passed by the Expedition on their journey
down the Columbia. |
views of the Columbia River from the road |
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The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway is a 208-mile loop of the Wallowa Mountains. Since I drove down from Walla Walla I joined the loop at Elgin. |
some of the mountain views along the loop |
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another view as I'm getting closer to Hells Canyon |
The geologic history of the rocks of Hells Canyon begins 300 million years ago with an arc of volcanoes that emerged from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Over millions of years, the volcanoes subsided and limestone built up on the underwater platforms and the basins between them were filled with sedimentary rock. Between 130 and 17 million years ago, the ocean plate carrying the volcanoes collided with and became part of the North American continent. A period of volcanic activity followed, and much of the area was covered with floods of basalt lava, which smoothed the topography into a high plateau. The Snake River began carving Hells Canyon out of the plateau about 6 million years ago. Significant canyon-shaping events occurred as recently as 15,000 years ago during a massive outburst flood from Glacial Lake Bonneville in Utah. |
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views from the Hells Canyon Overlook From the Overlook you can enjoy the sweeping views of McGraw Creek, Hells Canyon, and the Seven Devils. With sculptured peaks rising over 9,000 feet, the Seven Devils Mountain Range on the Idaho side of the Snake River forms the eastern wall of Hells Canyon. |
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This natural-color image of Hells Canyon was captured by NASA’s Landsat-7 satellite on September 19, 2002. The image shows the northern part of the canyon, where the Imnaha River joins the Snake River. (Both rivers flow north.) The landscape is a mixture of green vegetation in gullies and along creeks and pale beige-gray, where the grasslands that dominate Hells Canyon have gone dormant in the heat and dryness of late summer. In places, the canyon walls are bare cliffs. |
this cow wouldn't move and I drove past it slowly |
I took this picture the next day on the way from Halfway to Baker City |
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July 30-31 Portland, OR
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August 1 - 7 Portland to Dayton, OR 291 miles |
August 8 -14 Dayton to Halfway, OR 377 miles |
August 15 - 21 Halfway to Sisters, OR 296 miles |
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for pictures of other vacations return to the 