Halloween

I'm a little bummed. Halloween is my favorite holiday and I have no idea what to be. I'm the tiny coastal town of Mendocino staying at an amzing space up in the woods with Mel, Willie and Lisa.  It's raining so im sure the cardboard boxes I dragged up from catch a canoe and bicycles too is too soggy to make my leggett pass costume. I considered being a road shoulder, a nice broad smooth one with no glass, then the idea came to be the narrow twisting leggett pass and I could stick pine needles and some chunks of my elbow to it and be the legend of leggett pass. 

Mel and I are sitting on Ds floor sipping coffee talking about halloween. She asked what I would put on it for my elbow and I said rubber cement, she suggested deli mean, sliced ham or bacon and now I'm thinking ground beef could be perfect!

There is a block party in town tonight then everyone goes to Dicks, the local dive bar. The town only has 1205 people in it so I'm curious to see how this goes. 

K and D, the two youn foresters in the second truck to pick Mel and I and take us to the hospital are also carving pumpkins and having a party we are invited to and the boy at catch a canoe and bicycles too will be out and about. 

So many options and just stressed about notnhavingbansweet costume. I also really need to shower and wash my hair but not sure how to do that with my arm.

Pumpkin Envy and ER Visits

We got free pumpkins in humboldt yesterday. They kept popping loose and I Lost mine on an intense down hill. I'm suppose to drink thendickle whiskey as my penance. Now they all carved there's last night and we roasted the seeds. They have them strapped to the backs of their bikes with their red classing lights inside and they look pretty sweet. I'm having some pumpkin envy. 

There is a mountain pass we have been in the shadow of or a few days now. 6 mile climb , 2000 feet up to get out of the redwoods and onto the coast. 

Leggett is a weird town. We got kicked out of the post office parking lot so moved to another lot to make spa gettin. We got kicked out in the middle of cooking so I had to walk down the road with a pot of half cooked spagetti. We sent willie a mile up the hill to get food because everything in legit was closed. We ended up having the biggest lunch I'm having a hard time pedaling because every time my knees come up it swuishes my stomach. 

Willie came back with yogurt, cheese, bananas , peanut butter meat avacadoes, an lots more. So in our attempt to fuel up for this climb and lighten our loads we overstuffed and added weight to our packs.

Well I almost made it over the pass today. We had some epic down hills after a 2000 ft climb. It was like a video game. Flying through the sharp turns and cliffed out walls. The road canopied by trees winding in an out of shade and streams of sunlight. Never felt so free. 

The first set of downhill was the best. We reached a flat spot and got my go pro out. Lisa have met her headlamp strap an willie helped me ducktape my gopro to it and strap it to my forehead. We got going on another downhill. These turns were quicker and sharper. I was gaining speed and tried to slow down. I hit my back break and it started slipping. I was going to fast to do anything about it as I felt my bike slip out from under me, rear tire first. The. There was road and flesh and road and it felt like my bike would never stop sliding. I must have jumped up befor my bike stopped. I glimpsed my elbow and saw a mass of globby yellow and instantly grabbed it with my good hand and held hard pressure hoppin up and off the road. First instinct, get off the road. I heard Lisa yelling in front of me for willie to stop and Mel pulled up behind me. I think she grabbed all my stuff off te road and I lauded down on a pullout.  Willie an Lisa helped prop me up and I walked them through my vasal situation. They got me all comfy, flagged down a truck, the guy happened to be a very attractive fireman and him and willie washed out my wound and wrapped it up good. Willie also gave me a pain pill. 

We sat there for a while. I originally thought I would just bike the 40 miles to the hospital so waved off the fireman. In hind site that was dumb. It took me a while to get up. I couldn't stop laughing and making jokes but I was on the verge of passing out and trying to hold it together. 

We flagged down a truck, r was a forester an his dog was with him. We kinda out him on the spot by he took Mel and I into Westport. The pain pull kicked in in Westport. I could hardly talk to my mom on the phone and I went into the store to buy some snickers I just started giggling. 

Mel found us another ride with a forester and we got into fort brag. A couple there started asking Mel all these questions. We told them we were trying to get to the hospital but the elderly gentleman didn't seem to have much social awareness and he just sat there talking with Mel recording her on his go pro. 

I was feeling pretty great from the pain pill by the time I got to the ER and insisted on showing everyone the picture of my elbow. I mus have looked crazy walking in there with my bike shorts shredded to pieces and giggling uncontrollably. 

We took off the bandage and I made myself look. My fat was swelling outside my skin and there was blood globbing up and oozing down my arm. It kinda looked like a less orange salmon skene coming out of my arm. 

They numbed it at irrigated it more. I tried to watch but when the needles came out I got nauscious and rolled over. The doctor told me she was going to stitch me up and I was like oh no no no! How can they pull the skin that right? All that skin was fine? Don't I need a graph? If they stitch me up like this I'll rip them out when I bend my arm biking!?!

 

She stitched it up, only ten I think? She was halfway through and was like, Shoot!! Whoops, and smacked her hand to her forehead. "I meant to use the the disolvable stitches!" Then she proceeded to tell me it should work and that I just need to have someone cut them out in ten days. She was a few more in and twisting my arm to get a better angle. " man I should sit down to get more comfortable " I agreed, she kept trying to get a better view. she turned side to side looking for her stool. My stomach dropped at the string jerking in my arm. She also told me to turn and lay on my stomach when the bed was still propped up. It took her a minute to realize why I wasn't lying right. 

Finally she finished and the nurse wrapped me up and made me some bandage packages for the road. Gave me a script or antibiotics, a tetnis shop and some pain meds. I walked out into the waiting room where Mel and sat waiting for me watching the bikes and was super excited to see willie and Lisa walk up! I could t believe they made it! 

We hopped on our bikes and got a hospital discount at the super eight. We had pizza salad and wine for dinner. Life is good

Avenue Of the Giants

We got on the road before eight this morning. The air has a bite of fall too and I'm regretting sending my socks home. 

We are biking through the avenue of the giants. Surrounded by massive redwoods. hints of morning sunlight and blue skies are showing between the branches and the lifting fog. 

Back on the bike

We goin a koa in eureka last night. Did a few laps in the u haul before unloading .We ditched tabby the u haul in eureka last night. 

It feels good to be back on the bikes. We were real slow getting moving this morning and didn't leave till 11. We made it four miles before stopping at the post office. I mailed my bike pants, a rain jacket, undies, socks, and a few other things home. Well see if I regret it..

It's so beautiful out. Mel wiped out in front of me then I just ran over a podium and Mel did too. 

We screamed with goats and got free pumpkins. I lost mine out the bungies first. Now I must drink the sickle from the pumpkin goblet. Willie lost his too so I'm not alone. 

Vacation Rentals

We had a great day riding yesterday in the rain. Complete downpours along the coast, water splattering up off the road from the bike in front of us and the road mist coating us from the heavy traffic whizzing by. I don even want to know all the different things layered on my face righ now. The best is when the big logging and semi trucks fly by first pushing you out then sucking you in then spitting you back out engulfing you in a nice coat of road sludge. 

We had a tough climb and were pretty soaked on the outside from the rain an the inside from the sweat. They had just clear cut a bunch if the trees and had eighteen piles to burn. One of the workers told us to check out the fire up the road.

 

It was so hot the rain didn't even make it to the ground and we were dry in minutes.

We made it into Reedsport to a small cafe. The waitress as an older lady and not amused to have three sopping wet cyclists dripping all over her booth. She navagated around us as if we had the plague. 

Mel found us there, another girl from Portland, we grabbed some snacks from the Safeway and got back on the road. The storm was clearing and blue skies were poking out. It was a great ride biking and chatting. It's an amazing freeing feeling to be back on the bike in decent weather. 

The bridge to coos bay is closed. Th scaffolding is falling off and a worker was killed. They are sending everyone on a detour. A 16 miles detour in the narrowest windiest busiest road I've ever seen. Full of big trucks and no shoulder. The white line drops off immediately a few feet in many places and it's getting dark. 

We pull into Gladsgow market to get some beers and are instantly greeted with warm smiles and concern. The store owner tells us the road is too dangerous for us to bike. She had found rides for three people before us and will try to get us a ride too. We could have hitchbiked but that would have split us up. A lot harder to stay together with a group of four. 

She ended up getting a truck from her husband and W, L, and M 

Caravan

I can't even describe how happy I am right now. A great few days in Portland. Two days doodling around the Oregon coast with Minto. Last night we got into Florence and found mikal. It was great to see her. 

This morning I got a late start. Mikal is heading inland with Minto and I'm heading down the coast and trying to meet up with some other riders. I was just leaving the motel waving back any Mikal and Kevin when the couple touring flew up next to me. Perfect timing! There is another girl Mel and four of us now just biking and chatting. An extremely positive and happy group. In a good place : )

Portland

I'm sitting in a coffee shop that doubles as a barista school looking out at multiple layers of highway, fences and rubble. 

Mikal and I split a few days ago. I wanted to get into Portland and she wanted to stick to the coast. I hopped a bus not thinking I could make 80 miles before dark.

I'm in portland until my jacket gets here. I'm getting a little antsy and wanting to get on the road but that rain jacket is a bit important. It's been awesome staying with Abby. Getting along with her seems effortless after our NOLS trip. 

I should be happy with where I am and what I'm doing but something feels like it's missing. It's in my gut. Loneliness. Some of it is homesickness and some of it is not knowing where I'll be this winter. What life will I give up? Or what new one will I gain. I hate feeling in control of my own future. I want it to happen the way it is supposed to with a bit of guidance from my intuition. 

I get nervous about traveling with people. A kid told me once that I was better off alone, that I didn't know how to work with people. I can't get it out of my head, probably because I feel it's somewhat true. That anxiety spreads into me thinking I'll never find someone. I will be that lady with the cats. 

I have never been able to live in a single place or stay with one group. I'm a floater. I get enjoyment out of seeing all different cultures and ways of doing things. I did this when I was little between my moms house an my dad's, I had two seperate lives. Then on into high school with different sports and groups of friends and now, with simotanious lives goin on all around the world. Where do I belong? I have no idea, i sometimes wonder if I'll ever find it. 

There is a certain beauty in being alone. I watch the world going on around me and have complete control over wether or not I want to join it. I can remain invisible which is a humbling feeling. Here in the city I remember how big the world is, I choose my size in it and observe. I find it hard to make eye contact with the homeless. I am so sensitive to their struggles I'm scared to look them in the eye. In scared to communicate and to know their struggles, I don't want to feel the guilt walking away, what separates us? A bit of luck? A stupid decision? A misfortune? I'm not better than them. So why am I scared to reach out? 

With that thought, what is it with the rich? I feel myself make a quick glance and look away? Out of respect? It's not like most of them are aware of the world around them anyway, I feel I have complete freedom in my ability to stare and go unnoticed. Are they happy? To me they seem disconnected, unlike the homeless and the poor. Those people have stories and character and layers. They live on the surface and are venerable to the world. I respect them. 

Busses

We are waiting for the bus in South bend. We were told last night bikers camp down in the grass by the boat launch so we went there. We were halfway unpacked when an car came an pulled up right by where we were camping and a guy got out and was acting kind of weird. We immediately transitioned into packing our stuff back up and threw up some cash to get a motel.

I watched tv or the first time in a year or so. What garbage.

 

The weather is crap. Got into Astoria and found a place to look up plans. We had bad communication and pushed on to seaside instead of staying in Astoria. We almost split up, Mikal would take the coast and I'd go into Portland. It's just 80 miles off route and rain and late in the day. 

Waking Up

This is fun. O is already up and at it. Making phone calls organizing people. They are trying to put up electronic warfare systems in the forest. They have ten days to oppose it so there is a lot going on. 

It's scary how much we are lied to and manipulated for other people to get rich. It's not so much the being lied to part but more about their selfishness and ignorance and lack or appreciation of the world around us.

Redirecting rivers...?

Bullit Coffee

It's gonna feel weird leavin the temple in the rainforest. I really like these guys. They are bustling around getting ready to talk with mick about what's going on in the rainforest here to get him on board. O made us some Bullit coffee, I may have a new favorite.

Biggest Sitka spruce tree in North America! 

The bus we are trying to catch doesn't come to Quinault for another 4 hours, trying to book it to manado park.

Made it with 20 minutes to spare and the first person to start talking to us is a guy fresh our of jail, 7 years for guns.

This is the fastest transit bus, I feel like we are on the double decker Harry Potter bus. Every time he makes a turn our stuff goes flying across the floor.

Everyone is telling us how much a shit hole Aberdeen is and we need to get our of there as soon as possible before dark, gonna try to hop another bus to Astoria.

I'm really gonna miss O and D. I feel smarter just being around them. So much knowledge and passion it's hard to wrap my mind around in just 36 hours..

We also found Sasquatch ..

We made it to Aberdeen, the bus driver was concerned about us being here. He went right up to the guy who worked the station and he came right over to us to get us all set up. Our bikes locked up and pointed to a safe direction. Our bus isn't until 525 and it's gonna get us to south bend. Hopefully before dark or a campground close by. 

We are on a bus out of Aberdeen. The drive would be beautiful with the winding rolling hills and mountains in the background, but the land has been destroyed, picked clean, scanned and scarred. Massive old growth stumps and a few straggling dying trees. The whole thing makes my stomach churn. 

Churches, Logging, and Electronic Warefare

We slept in a church in the native Queets village last night. Yesterday was pretty intense and we were desperate to get off the road and find a safe place to stay. 

Leavin J am M, the couple who is running the church, was tough. Their kindness brought tears to my eyes a few times. It's rare to meet people as pure as them. 

Jess came to the church and knocked on the door in a tap tap tappitty tap tap to announce breakfast was ready. May had the table set, orange juice apple sauce and was in the middle of makin us blueberry pancakes. She fed us until we could barely stand and we sat around chatting until it was time to go. They had been married 70 years, and between the two had some pretty amazing stories. 

They had been recruited to live in the village and get the church going for the natives for two years. 

We are biking towards Aberdeen, 70 miles and this road is tough. No shoulder n bumpy, slow going and lots of logging trucks. I have gotten pretty good at the bike and lean to get my head out of rear view mirror range when the big trucks fly by. 

The sun is out, that's a miricle. I wish I had audio books in my iPod, something I could be learning from. 

We are a little annoyed at the road and the trucks so we pull off at Amanda park. It would have been a beautiful ride it everything hadn't been logged to crap. The land is torn up and scraped clean. Instead of passing 1000 year old trees they are zipping past us piled high on the backs of trucks.

Our trip has turned into a multi travel adventure and neither of us give a dang about miles on the bike. It's an adventure more about the people we meet and the experiences we have. We decide to take the bus to Aberdeen. 

We just piled our bikes into the back of a van and are heading into Quinault. We met O and D waiting for the bus. They seemed kind of hesitant talking to us, eventually asked if we wanted some chicken strips and a cider from the restaurant. I was pretty tense meeting them after yesterday and wanted nothing more than to get to a camp ground for some head space. 

We were both interested in all the things they had to say. Logging, the earth, the government and contract law. Things over my head but knowing I should pay attention. 

We decided to go up to O's place. D said it was magical and healing, we would be comfortable there and that O was a good guy. I trusted D.

This is awesome, the banter between O and D. Driving 10 miles an hour to avoid hitting frogs. Being surrounded by beauty and rainforest. 

His house is back a long driveway, covered in moss. We walk lightly through the leaves, making sure not to step on the banana slug who has lived in the area for years. 

It is a work in progress a beautiful space, I feel like im in a zen garden with the waterfall in the background and a surrounded by green. 

Cat Pee and Wet Paint

My biking jacket smells like a cross between cat pee and wet paint. It's really humid here so nothing dries out. D doesn't have a washer or drier. Well one of those hand washers. Mikals used it or her shorts and some small things two days ago and he stuff is still wet. 

Looking for Jacob and Ami DiFranco

We are driving into quilliate territory. There are sighs everywhere like no vampires allowed, crossing treaty line, etc. I know it's all made up but I can't help but hope to find a handsom buff Jacob. I keep havin to check myself, I'm sure I resemble a swivel head whipping around at every dark skinned boy I see. 

D took us to Rialto Beach. Stunning here.  The waves are deadly, crashing into the shallow waters in massive sets. Rolling whole tree trunks like twigs. The sky blends into the ocean, a light gray mist and foam. There are cliffs off in the distance and I picture Bella jumping off one and Victoria chasing after her, look back at the surf and wonder how she didn't drown. I crack up at my thinking this, especially because twilight wasn't even filmed in Washington, but it's super fun to play along with the thought that there are warewolves and vamps around. They really could be anywhere, hiding in the flat light.

They have the best milkshakes at this corner store. You MUST go get one.

My phone died and mikal was using the charger. It was nice not to have it. D was working on some things so I found a little book of games, probably meant for ten year olds and did some mazes and connect the dots before finding her bag of books. I read a little about climate change and peak oil. I was more distracted by the well designed cover 

I moved on to brainwashed, a book on Aferican America stereotypes until D laughed at me and we got into talking music. Now I know nothing about music or pop culture. I'm not in tune with the outside world and I'm ashamed to say I really have no idea what's going on in the world or current events. 

She couldn't believe I didn't know Heart, or the Indigo Girls. She had me read the letter to Miley from Sinead O'Conner which led to me watching both music videos. We then listened to Edie Brickell and Ami DiFranco. It's amazing, girls in music videoes used to wear clothes. 

Rainforests

Whelp so far so good. We are trying to get to forks. Not a long ride by we started really late. The weather is great, for now, there was a pretty big downpour  earlier. 

The nice weather didn't last long. A lady flipped her car on the road next to crescent lake. The people around her said she was driving crazy and swerving everywhere. I'm glad we didn't encounter her... 

We biked up to the scene. I didn't want to pass, I didn't want to see a dead person. Every day all day I am aware that could be me. One bad move and over... I didn't want the reminder. 

Mikal talke to the police. The lady was fine and they let us through. It started pouring. Just a few more miles to our store and campground. 

The store and campground are closed. I'm drenched. We find the bathrooms. They are locked. We stand under the awnings out of the rain trying to figure out what to do. The next campground is 15 miles down the road and we can't get ahold of them to see if they are open. Even if they were we wouldn't make it before dark. 

We decided to stay here. I'm making a lap looking for a pavilion. It really is beautiful here.. 

We changed out mind. I jokingly asked Mikal if she wanted to hitchbike. Her eyes lit right up and was like, yeah! 

We went out to the road. I felt kinda silly standing in the rain with my bike and bike shorts. Could they even see my thumb? Cars went by and I turned to Mikal to ask if this ever worked, she started saying something as I caught one of those vw vans pull up an a lady in the drivers seat with a huge smile. She asked us where we were going, forks, perfect her too. We got the bikes and all our gear in an chatted the whole drive. 

She drove out here a few months ago to establish residency so her daughter could go to school here. We went to the grocery store, thank goodness, I rally had to poop.

Peanut Butter and Absynth October 10

You know those days when you are biking and you're cold and hungry? All you want is there to be a grocery store at the next town so you can buy some peanut butter to put in your oatmeal? When you come around a corner and there is ocean and the bike path goes right into crab fest where you splurge and get seafood gumbo and crab mac and cheese. When a nice couple asks where you're sleeping and takes you in giving you good conversation, chocolate and a lesson and taste of Absynth culture? Well we just had one if those days...

To Bike the Olympic Peninsula?

Im not sure how I feel about biking the peninsula. We are supposed to get big storms in and there is 10 days of rain in the forecast. It's rural out there and about  150 miles or so out of the way. However I  super curious to check out port Angeles and Forks. 

Wool underwear are good for a lot of things. Bike touring is not one of them. 

I left the peninsula decision up to Mikal, she's the one who hates touring in the rain. I feel it doesn't get much wetter than the Kenai Fjords National Park. 

Mikal turned left! Looks like we are looking for Jacob ; )

If only we knew these existed before the tour...

Not sure how much of the peninsula we will get to see. Fingered crossed. I'm glad we made this decision.

Sometimes it's ok to miss your turn. 

If they keep putting berry bushes on our route we will never make it anywhere. I guess that's ok.  

We are having a hell of a time biking down the discovery path. Thick clumps of blackberries everywhere. It is taking all our will power not to stop.

The bike path went all the way to port Angeles. It felt like a dream! Not havin to worry about traffic. We came around the corner and the right opened up into ocean. The town circled out into the sea very similar to Marquette and Lake Superior.

  

It felt a lot like biking home. 

Cold and hungry. A few more miles to the camp ground and we round the corner and bike straight into crab fest. 

We were standing by our bikes after devouring some snacks and a lady wakes up and asked I we knew where we were staying. She immodestly invited us to her house. 

This is so much different than my first tour. So relaxed, it's really nice having Mikal by my side.

I should not be allowed into a grocery store...

The Start

Today feels right, all the other days we tried to start felt off. It was amazing waking up to Nadja putting on coffee and jack Johnson. Chef nick is here too so it's a reunion. No awkward feelings just pure family love. Nadja made us breakfast with gluten free bread I didn't have to feel bad about eating.

It feels so good to be back in the bike. I feel free. I love the burn in my chest and the fire in my legs, even the fog in my glasses. 

I'm sure this area would be beautiful if we could see it. The fog is so thick I can feel it on my face.

We are stopped to pick apples on the side of the road, wel Mikal is picking, I'm the bike stand. 

The ride today was amazing. I thought we had 20 more miles as we rounded the corner to the port townsand ferry. My body feels strong despite the dozen donughts we are last night. 

Flats and Unauthorized camping

So no one busted us last night and the sky stayed clear and the moon shine bright. We slept with the rain fly off, discovered another pretty big tear in my tent. Shoot. 

We are up and goin this morning, trying to make it to the state park to fill up bottles and make breakfast. 

Beyonce no only has effed up gears, her back tire is flat. 

 We just biked 200 yards and found the place we were supposed to camp.

Breakfast and Spas

This morning we were biking back up the hill after making breakfast at the state park. Laughing at how obviously close we were to the state park. We were gonna pass Ms house but turne around last minute.

Now we are sitting in a beautiful stone hottub overlooking Doe Bay. The guy we met on the ferry happened to be a yoga instructor here. The ones whose house was 200 yards from our poached campsite. 

We are back at the house now helping package super food shakes with M on his back porch overlooking Otter Pond.

The full moon eclipse is tonight and we are invited to stay here and have a fire then take the kayaks out on doe bay. We aren't really sure our plan yet. 

Sitting out waiting for the ferry drinking a pbr. I think we are both regretting our decision to leave M. We could have had an awesome night out at the retreat with friends and a fire, staying up to watch the eclipse and possibly takin out the boats. Seemed like such good people. I think sometimes I just panic a little feeling like I am overstaying my welcome. I also thought staying up till 4 am would really mess up our sleeping. But now, Mikal and I both decided this tour is not about getting to Mexico, it's about taking the time to enjoy the experiences as they preset themselves to us. So yes it's a bummer we biked away and we have no idea where to stay tonight. But it's going to be a beautiful boat ride and we met an amazing person and next time we will be better. 

 

Drinking wine and doing puzzles on the ferry, we also lucked out on places to camp. There is a state park less than a mile from the ferry dock AND it's downhill.