Days 13 and 14

Mission, OR to La Grande, OR
Distance 45.8 miles -- Cumulative 646.6
Time 4:09:23 Cumulative 54:11:24
Elevation Gain 3268 -- Cumulative 23,886

Day 13
Nothing happened.

Day 14
The restaurant where I had dinner both nights at the Wildhorse had a terrific view of the Blue Mountain range, including the first several miles of the climb up Cabbage Hill to Dead Man's Pass. So I have been staring at the first three switchbacks for a day and a half. This was not a confidence building activity. I was a touch intimidated.

I started early this morning to catch the cooler weather. The first mile to the base of the hill was gradual then it got serious. The next eight miles was a series of switchbacks, then three more miles of climbing and two miles of relatively flat to the Pass. Those 14 miles took me 1 hour and 55 minutes. I gained 2175 feet of altitude.

This was at the 6.5 mile mark. If you look closely in the center you can see the resort down on the plain.

This was at the 11 mile mark. You can see the trucks coming up the other side of the switchback. Fortunately the pitch was steady and never got over six or seven percent.

Now that it is done, I will tell a story I didn't want to share with Kristine earlier. When I Googled Dead Man's Pass to find out what the altitude was, the second link that popped up was "Most Dangerous Roads in America."

At about mile 16, I saw this sign.

That was a happy time.

The downhills were long and required a lot more attention. Going 30 mph on a shoulder littered with debris with vehicles going by at 70 will keep you focused. I did, however, lose focus when something caught my eye to the left. At this point, the freeway was divided by a concrete Jersey wall so I'm only catching the upper half of this but when I look over I see a complete car wheel bouncing in the other direction at about 50 mph--no car, no crash noise, no squealing brakes, just a wheel bounding six feet in the air along the highway. Okay then, now I have one more thing to worry about.

Later I rode along the Grande Ronde River and had views like this with no wheels bouncing:



I arrived in La Grande around lunch time and found a terrific brew pub, Side A Brewing. The bartender asked me if I was just traveling through and I said "yes, I'm on a bike trip." "Oh, where'd you come from?" "I rode over from Pendelton this morning."  The guy next to me suddenly turns and says "Up Cabbage Hill."  I said yes, and their demeanors immediately changed. I couldn't figure out whether they were impressed, thought I was lying, or decided I was crazy and should be left alone.

Anyway, I'm back there tonight because their Isaac Haze IPA is fantastic.

Tomorrow I have a smaller climb out of here and then to Baker City.

Day 12

Umatilla, OR to Mission, OR
Distance 42.6 miles -- Cumulative 600.8
Time 3:37:43 Cumulative 50:02:01
Elevation Gain 2028 -- Cumulative 20,618

Today I am happy to be at the Wildhorse Resort on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The Umatilla is a confederation comprised of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes.

Before you ask, yes I slept well last night--no sprinklers or coyotes. I think I forgot to mention the coyotes howling in Roosevelt Park.

Today's ride was short for a variety of reasons and it can be described most aptly by this picture:

Although there was a deceptive amount of climbing. It was short because I have ridden seven days in a row, it is mercilessly hot so I want to quit before 2:00pm, and, most importantly, this brings me to the bottom of what will be a challenging climb over Dead Man's Pass. That will happen Thursday. I am taking a rest day tomorrow.

I stopped in Pendelton, about seven miles west of here, for lunch. If you are ever there, I recommend the Prodigal Son Brewery and Pub.

The Resort has a cineplex so I saw The Hitman's Bodyguard this afternoon. I recommend it.

Now I am going downstairs for adult beverages and possibly gambling.

I may or may not post tomorrow. It depends on whether anything interesting happens.

Day 11

Roosevelt, WA to Umatilla, OR
Distance 52.2 miles -- Cumulative 558.2
Time 4:18:26 -- Cumulative 46:33:38
Elevation Gain 1138 -- Cumulative 18,590

No scenery pictures today because if you saw yesterday's, you saw today's. Only it got flatter. But before we get to today's ride, let's talk about last night.

When I rode (I just realized that I have written "road" instead of "rode" several times and none of you have called me on it) in to Roosevelt Park yesterday I noticed a large RV parked off to the side of the entrance that looked semi-permanent. I thought that was strange, but whatever. About 6:00pm a guy comes out of the RV and starts picking up trash in the park. He walks over to the gazebo/picnic area where I have set up and I notice he is wearing a Corps of Engineers cap. I realize he is an onsite caretaker, hence the semi-permanent RV.

We chat briefly and then he says "You'll want to go over and grab three or so of those white half-pipes laid out on the table. You need to set them to block these sprinkler heads like this one here by your tent."  I look over and see a pile of PVC pipes cut in half with spikes affixed to them (pic below), and I note the sprinkler head. He added that the sprinklers would come on around midnight, but if I use the pipes I wouldn't get wet. I follow his instructions and set up four of the sprinkler head guards.

This seemed unusual, but I figured since it seemed to be a regular thing, it was no big deal. I went to bed early and woke up a couple of times thinking I heard the sprinklers start. Then at 11:35, I heard the sprinkler next to my tent activate. Imagine if you took the sprayer in your kitchen sink, pumped up the pressure to that of a fire hose, and then sprayed it straight down into the sink right next to your bed. I came out of my tent pretty quickly.

What I had imagined as a sprinkler similar to mine at home actually shot a one to two inch stream of water thirty yards or so. The one next to my tent was effectively blocked but was sending a shower spraying all around. My tent was getting wet but no more than a rain storm so I crawled back inside. I wasn't worried about the water but I clearly wasn't going back to sleep with the racket. I figured, how long do you water?  At my house usually 30 minutes. In 30 minutes, that sprinkler went off, and two more nearby started. Finally, at 2:30, all the sprinklers went off. I have had more restful nights

Today's ride was uneventful. Over the last third I noticed that I was moving into agricultural territory as I started seeing onions, then carrots, potatoes, and finally corn on the shoulder of the highway. I thought about making a vegetable soup. I could have cooked it on the road since it topped out over a 100 today. I also saw grape vines which lifted my spirits considerably.

We have all seen roadside memorials, and I suspect we almost always just pass them by. Something about this one made me stop.

It was 15 miles to the nearest town in one direction and 25 in the other. It seemed so lonely.

For the last few days I have been watching the forest fires in Idaho and Montana. I have decided my route is effectively blocked so I am turning southeast. I actually think it will be an easier ride but I am going to miss North Dakota, one of the three states I have never visited. Oh well, that means I have an excuse for a road trip.

Tomorrow I am heading to the Wildhorse Casino and Resort. I am going to take a rest day there and will give you more details on the new route then.

Day 10

The Dalles, OR to Roosevelt, WA
Distance 57.7 miles -- Cumulative 506.0
Time 4:40:34 -- Cumulative 42:15:12
Elevation Gain 2129 -- Cumulative 17,452

Gone are the lush green forests of the Olympic Peninsula and beautiful waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge. The views are still panoramic, but decidedly browner, dark brown rock with light yellow-brown grasses and only an occasional splash of green.

I road another 11 miles on I84 before crossing the Columbia River back into Washington across another nerve wracking bridge. You were right Brendan, lots of bridges. Here is the view looking back it after a healthy little climb.

The rest of the 31 miles to Roosevelt, population 143, was gently rolling, two-lane highway with a nice wide shoulder. I would ride it all the way to Florida. 

The bicycle maps I am using noted that there is limited service for 83 miles. So I stopped before I left Oregon and grabbed a couple of sandwiches. I also took a couple of extra bagels from the hotel breakfast this morning. I stopped a little after noon by the side of the road for lunch. I looked to my left and saw this on the other side of the guardrail:

I am thinking roadkill, but I didn't investigate further.

I made it to Roosevelt and discovered a convenience store/cafe. And they are open in the morning for breakfast. So now I am sitting at my campsite, drinking my beer, listening to the trains across the river, waiting for it to get dark enough to sleep. I suspect the sound of those trains will be less poetic at 3:00 in the morning.  The good news is, I don't think this is bear country.

Tomorrow I go to Umatilla, back in Oregon. And I sleep in a bed again.

Day 9

Cascade Locks, OR to The Dalles, OR
Distance 43.6 miles -- Cumulative 448.3
Time 4:04:28 -- Cumulative 37:34:38
Elevation Gain 2362 -- Cumulative 15,323

The weather is still great, but it did get hot today. It was 92 when I finished.

I didn't cover a lot of distance because I was a little concerned about how I would do with the climbing. In retrospect, I could have gone to the next town.

Today I was tested in several ways. At three and a half miles I hit a mile and a half climb that was really steep. I made it up but wasn't happy. On the way up I saw a disgusting human being. A pickup truck pulled over about a quarter of a mile ahead of me.  A guy jumped out of the truck and tossed a huge chunk of debris on the side of the road and then drove off. I wonder if he is the same jerk who dumped this hot tub by the side of the road.

After the downhill, I got my first taste of riding on an Interstate, I84. I liked it because interstate highways tend to be straighter and flatter with a 10-12 foot shoulder, except for the half mile where the shoulder was 3.5-4 feet wide.

Look back by the yellow truck. That was the end of the half mile.

About two miles past this point I got my first flat tire. It came from what looked like a really small nail. Fixing a flat is not a big deal; doing it on the side of the interstate is a little more interesting.

I exited the interstate and rode into Hood River where I stopped for coffee. It is a really cool little town. Then I started a long climb interrupted only for lunch and a quick stop to taste wine at Garnier Vineyards. The wine was nice, maybe because I was tired of climbing. The descent into The Dalles was fun. For much of the ride I was up on a ridge with incredible views of the Columbia River Gorge. I took lots of pictures; here are a few.

Tomorrow I cross into Washington and head into a more remote area. I will be camping tomorrow night and I'm not sure I will have connectivity to post. Never fear, I will catch up on Monday.

Day 8

Portland, OR to Cascade Locks, OR
Distance 49.4 miles -- Cumulative 404.7
Time 4:20:09 -- Cumulative 33:30:10
Elevation Gain 2234 -- Cumulative 12,961

I hate to be repetitive so I won't describe today's weather.

I narrowly avoided a bike catastrophe this morning. As I was riding away from Denny's, I heard an awful racquet, stopped, looked back, and realized I had ridden away with the cable lock still running through my back wheel. It took several minutes, but I was able to free it from around the cassette and out of the spokes without breaking anything. I was afraid I might break a spoke and be forced to use the hi-tech, variable length spoke I got from Garret at Spokes Etc (shameless plug for the sponsor). Fortunately, I didn't cause any lasting damage.

I thought I would be on lots of busy city streets leaving Portland, but I ended up on a long bike path that ran between the river and the airport. It was quite pleasant with a hazy view of Mt. Hood in the distance. The trail took me almost all the way to Troutdale, "Gateway to the Gorge."  That's the Columbia River gorge. From there the riding was a fair amount of climbing but at a relatively easy grade. There are houses scattered along the road, but not much traffic. I stopped when I saw a house with several "Fresh Lavender" signs out front. Sure, I wanted to see the lavender, but one sign promised lavender lemonade as well. It was tasty.

The climb tops out at Vista House--a spectacular Oregon State Park site. See pics:

That's me in the yellow and black.

The descent was steep, curvy, and fun. The whole road seems to be a state park and there are multiple stops to view waterfalls. Here is a sampling.

The road then flattens somewhat and edges closer to Interstate 84. At some point the road joins with I84 but the locals have conveniently added a bike path that runs the last seven miles into Cascade Locks, where I am happily ensconced at the Bridge of the Gods Motel and RV Park.

So it turns out that melbikesamerica is not only entertaining, it is also educational. Kristine's cousin Dawn teaches 5th grade in Colorado. She is using my trip to help teach American geography, and probably helping the kids to spot mental illness. I think this is the coolest thing ever. Check this out.

I can't wait to get comments from the class.

Tonight after dinner I scurried down an embankment and across some railroad tracks because I saw what looked like a fun bar. It was. I had a couple of beers and chatted with two great Americans about stuff.

Tomorrow I am taking another relatively easy day and heading to The Dalles, a touch over 50 miles.

As always, thanks for reading.

Day 7

Castle Rock, WA to Portland, OR
Distance 68.2 miles -- Cumulative 355.3
Time 5:21:21 -- Cumulative 28:10:01
Elevation Gain 1522 -- Cumulative 10,726

This morning picked up where yesterday afternoon left off, only cooler. Hi 50s and sunny skies. This afternoon topped out in the mid 70s. The first 12 miles also followed yesterday's terrain pattern.

I stopped for breakfast in Longview and then the ride got a little interesting. Longview is where I crossed the Columbia river into Oregon. The Lewis and Clark Bridge is two lanes with heavy traffic including lots of trucks. It does, however, have a shoulder three to four feet wide. In theory this is fine. In actuality, the shoulder is covered with wood chips and bark, presumably from the logging concern off to the right side of the bridge. I felt like I was riding through a kid's playground for the mile plus over the bridge. At points I had to stop and kick larger chunks of wood, and a really large McDonald's bag, off to the side. I stopped mid-span to take this picture, and to regroup.

After the bridge I followed State Route 30 all the way to Portland. It was two lanes for 20 miles then four lanes for the rest. It was busy but had a nice wide shoulder all the way so low stress riding. That is until I had to cross the St. John's Bridge into Portland--another adventure. It was not as long but had four lanes with a constant stream of traffic. It did have a sidewalk about three feet wide that was raised up about 18 inches. Imagine riding on a three foot wide ledge with a solid barrier to your right and a drop off to your left with cars going by at 55mph. Again I stopped for the photo.

I don't mean to be dramatic, but this was the only excitement of the day. Except for the giant inflatable spider on top of the Goodwill building outside of Scappoose. 

I think it's for Halloween.

At dinner I met Jean and her husband from Wisconsin. He is here for a Mason's convention. She told me that his grandparents were Norwegian immigrants who settled in Wisconsin and worked in the logging industry until it went bust. The fellow who owned the logging company was named Garland and had moved to Washington and started over in a town named Bucoda. She spelled it for me. She is working on a book about the grandparents and wanted a picture of Mr. Garland but couldn't find one in Wisconsin. She thought perhaps someone in Bucoda might have one. With my new found expertise in all things about the Pacific NW I told her I had ridden through Bucoda yesterday and had noticed signs for things named Garland. It's only an hour and a half away by car. She was nice; I hope she goes up while she is here. 

Tomorrow is a bit up in the air. I head east along the Columbia river. I want to do a little site seeing, particularly Multnomah Falls. I will probably only ride about 50 miles which will put me around Cascade Locks. We will see.

Day 6 -- Back in the saddle again

Olympia, WA to Castle Rock, WA
Distance 69.7 miles -- Cumulative 287.1
Time 5:24:22 -- Cumulative 22:48:40
Elevation Gain 1670 -- Cumulative 9204

#melbikesamerica is thrilled to announce an exciting new feature. On the right side of this blog page you should see a new link under "See Where Melvin Is." The link is to "TrackMyTour." If you click it it should give you an up-to-date map of my progress. I hope to remember to put in way points when I stop for lunch and where I end the day. Let me know if it is not working.

The sense of elation I felt being back on the road today seemed out of proportion to the act itself. But I am happy to be riding again (thanks again Burley) and today was another great day. It started overcast in the high 50s then around 10:30-11:00 the clouds burned off and it crept up to the low 70s. The terrain was flattish and I kept a good pace. It helped that both the trailer wheels are now going around in a circle instead of one of them doing the Nae Nae around the axel. (The cultural reference was for Eliza's benefit.)

I lucked out and the first 9-10 miles were on the Chehalis Western Bike Trail, read as "no cars." The rest of route was mostly nice two lane roads through lightly populated exurbs and farm country with little traffic. All in all it was a pleasant day of riding.

At lunch at the Olympic Club in Centralia I sat next to Leonard. He does long bike rides as well. But he uses a Honda Gold Wing. Even given the difference in propulsion, we still seemed to do the riding for the same reasons--to see the country and meet interesting people, mostly in bars.

About half way through the ride I had this view for a few miles:

I thought it was Mount St. Helens, then decided it had too much snow so maybe it was Mount Rainier. I showed the picture around at dinner but neither the bartender nor the other patrons could decide. I finally Googled it and decided it is Rainier.

I also saw this cool lineup of rusted farm equipment.

I decided to take more pictures of decrepit stuff.

Right before I left the main road south to look for a motel, I stopped and chatted with a man and his two daughters who I had seen a couple of times over the last few miles. They are riding south for Mexico but will be happy to end somewhere in California. I thought, "hey, I could do that with Katrina and Eliza next summer, maybe ride to Florida."  That thought kept me laughing until I found a motel.

The highlight of the day was sitting down at the bar for dinner next to a Longhorn fan. We agreed that Charlie Strong wasn't given long enough but we are both excited about Tom Herman.

Tomorrow I will end up somewhere in Portland. I will go 60+ miles and stop when I get tired.

I get really excited when people comment on the blog or send me emails (thanks Marsha) telling me they are reading it. Keep the communication coming.

Back to the Adventure

Sometimes things work out, but in a completely different way than you expected. Anxious to know when my new trailer wheel would arrive, yesterday I emailed the company in the U.K. to see if they could give me an estimated delivery date. The good news was that they responded overnight; the bad news was that they informed me that security changes in the way they process financial transactions meant they were unable to accept my order until I contacted my credit card company and had 3D Secure added to my card. So after 10 days of thinking I had my problem under control, I was back to square one.

It was at this point that a conversation I had on Sunday became important. I meet a couple of people at the pre-eclipse party (more on that later) who mentioned that Burley, the company that made my trailer, was headquartered in Eugene, OR, about an hour and a half south of where I was staying. So after getting the bad news from the UK, I decided to drive down to the corporate offices and beg them for help. It turns out begging was not necessary. When I arrived I found an empty reception room with a phone on the desk to contact someone inside. The woman who answered listened to my story and said someone would be out shortly to assist me. Seven to eight minutes later Jay came out holding two Travoy wheels and asked me about the problem I was having. I went through the whole story. He seemed genuinely interested and then just gave me two new wheels. Just like that. He wouldn't even let me pay for them. I wanted to hug him but resisted the urge. Jay is my new hero and Burley is my new favorite company in the world.

This means that tomorrow I ride again. Hooray. Here is the bad wheel next to the good wheel for comparison.

Activity update. 

I spent Friday exploring Portland. I liked it. I found plenty of good beer and an Irish pub where they take two quarters, wrap them in a dollar bill, then toss the bill straight up and it somehow sticks to the wooden ceiling ten feet above. They would only attribute it to Irish magic. I also discovered Mills End Park, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the smallest park in the world. 

Saturday I went out to the Willamette Valley and stopped at two terrific wineries, JK Carriere and Hyland, both recommended by my neighbor and Pinot Noir expert, Grant Baker. The owner at JK Carriere, Jim Prosser, did a cross-country ride in the 90s so I spent a fair amount of time there talking. He was charming, knowledgeable, entertaining, and makes excellent wine. I recommend it if you are in the area.

Sunday I drove further south to visit my friend Jean Ann Quinn and her husband Pat Leavy. They hosted a pre-eclipse dinner at their farm near Aurora for about 50 people. About 25-30 of the attendees camped on the property overnight. I somehow scored a room and bed inside. Monday morning we got up early and drove a few miles south to get further into the path of totality. This was the view of Mt Hood from their front yard at sunrise. 

We could not have asked for a better day, clear skies and warm. Here we are getting ready. 

This is Jean Ann and me watching the early part of the eclipse.

I had read that the difference between 99% and total was dramatic, but I was not prepared for how amazing it was to take the glasses off and see the sun completely gone. We had 40-50 seconds of totality. It was a rare experience. I am glad it worked out for me to be there and I cannot thank Jean Ann and Pat enough for letting me be a part of it. There is a tiny part of me that is sad I didn't get to stay a couple of more days and help with the hops harvest.

Tomorrow I am off again. I leave Olympia after dropping off the car and head south to Castle Rock, WA. I think it will be close to 70 miles. 

Day 5+

I hadn't intended to post today but I did some cross training since I couldn't ride. I went to Mount St. Helens and ended up hiking about six miles and I got a couple of good pictures.

Day 5

Elma, WA to Olympia, WA
Distance 32.6 miles -- Cumulative 217.4
Time 2:08:51 -- Cumulative 17:24:18
Elevation Gain 1250 -- Cumulative 7534

I hate to jinx it but it was another beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest. And what a fun ride I had this morning. It's amazing how much easier it is when I'm not pulling 35-40 pounds behind me and the terrain is flat.

I started executing the recovery plan. I road to Olympia and picked up a rental car to use to get to Oregon for the eclipse. Once I have my new wheel I will come back to Olympia and pick up the ride there at the Avis rental office.

The ride was short and fast but don't fret, I was productive this afternoon. I did laundry. And I figured out how to post photos so when I have something to show you I will.

I think that's it until I restart next week. Thanks for reading. And I can't tell you how much I like hearing from you.

Pictures

The hotel/nature museum in Neah Bay.

 Standing at the tip of Cape Flattery. Go Pelotonia. Go Bo's Tire Barn.

 This is the official start point. As far NW in the US as I could get.

 The river Hoh. Where I camped the first night.

 Dipping my rear tire in the Pacific.

 Self explanatory.

 Lake Quinault at sunset.

 Best town name ever.

My on the road emergency repair string nut.

Day 4

Lake Quinault to Elma, WA
Distance 59.9 miles -- Cumulative 184.8
Time 5:03:47 -- Cumulative 15:15:27
Elevation Gain 1985 -- Cumulative 6284

The best weather so far. Started in the mid-50s and worked up to the mid-70s with sunshine all day. The wilder, deep forest of the central peninsula slowly gave way to forested hills dotted with single or clustered houses, then to flatter, wooded areas almost reminding me of western Virginia. Not much new scenery but I did have lunch just outside of Humptulips, only so I could mention its name.

The interesting part of the day came around mile 35. But let me back up a bit.

A couple of weeks before the trip the family spent a few days in western Maryland. I had wanted to do a multi-day prep ride so I rode out to Cumberland on they're C&O Canal Towpath with all my gear and camped along the way. In hindsight, that was a mistake. The trailer I am pulling was not built for the rough, gravel, dirt, off-road surface.

When I was packing the trailer to ship I noticed the rubber hubcap had come off one wheel so I covered it with electrical tape, no biggie. But when I was putting it together in a Seattle, Doug and I noticed that, in fact I had stripped out the wheel bearing. After trying in vain to find a replacement in Seattle, I ordered one online to be delivered in Oregon to my friend Jean Ann, who I planned to visit and stay with to see the eclipse.

These first few days I have kept my fingers crossed that the wheel would make it to her house. Today my luck ran out. So there I am, 35 miles from where I started with 25 to go and the wheel is in no way attached to the trailer. After a fair bit of staring and head scratching I started digging through everything I had while thinking "ok, worst case I can walk this 25 miles and get there before midnight if I can't get a pickup truck to take me."

Then I found string and I was struck with inspiration. I put the wheel over the axel and looped the string around the end of the axel inside the existing nut until I created a knot big enough to act as a bigger nut to hold the wheel on. No one would have been more surprised than I was that this worked. I road conservatively but it actually let me get up to 21-22 mph on the downhills. I made my destination only about a half hour later than I expected.

So I now need that new wheel I ordered. Here is my plan. I am staying here until Friday but tomorrow I will ride to Olympia, only about 35 miles, without the trailer. I will rent a car and come back to Elma. There are some things I want to see around here like Mt. St. Helens. On Friday I check out, drive to Portland and spend Friday and Saturday in the city as I had previously planned. Then Sunday I go to Jean Ann's and see the eclipse on Monday. Hopefully the wheel will arrive by the end of this week or early next week and I will drive back to Olympia, where my bike trip was officially paused, and start again with a slight alteration to the course but no interruption to the cross-country flow.

I will post tomorrow but probably not again until after I am back on the road.

I worked with an Air Force officer, John Wohlman, years ago. Whenever we traveled and there was a hiccup he would say "flexibility is the key to air power."  I get it. I view this as a minor setback and one that I have been expecting since I started.

Oh, I am getting closer on the pictures.

Day 3

Hoh Oxbow Campground to Lake Quinault
Distance 52.9 miles -- Cumulative 124.9
Time 4:17:28 -- Cumulative 10:11:40
Elevation Gain 1798 -- Cumulative 4299

It was another glorious day of riding in the Pacific Northwest. It started off cool and damp in the Hoh Rain Forest, transitioned to the deep forest of the Olympic National Park, then to the wonderful fresh ocean air as I pedaled along the Pacific coast, and finally back inland a bit to Lake Quinault on the edge of the Quinault Rain Forest. I was privileged to travel through the lands of the Quinault nation. Also, I failed to mention I started my journey yesterday in the lands of the Makah people. 

The terrain was a bit less hilly than yesterday and I made good time. 

I stopped at the Kalaloch Lodge on the beach for a late breakfast. Jade convinced me to step up my order to the Lumberjack--two eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast AND two pancakes. No problem. As I was leaving I encountered a young biking couple. I chatted with Tim while his companion was making a phone call. When Tim learned of my destination he said "we met a Dutch guy who said he ran into you yesterday."  In my mind that conversation went something like this, "So I met this old guy pulling a trailer with a nice road bike. He said he's going to Key West. I think he might be crazy." But Tim didn't let on. 

I waited until I was almost done riding to grab a late lunch (and a beer) in Amanda Park. As I road up to the restaurant I noticed another heavily ladened bike out front. Inside I found only one other patron so of course I started a conversation. Jeff is a couple years older than I am which made me feel less crazy. He is a Lutheran minister from Utah, nice guy. We chatted across the room for about an hour, mostly about the state of affairs in America. He is heading south for the eclipse as well. I hope to see him again. 

I did laundry in the hotel sink at the beautiful old Lake Quinault Lodge then hiked the mile and a half up the road to see the World's Largest Sitka Spruce tree. It's a big tree.

After dinner I shared a bottle of wine with Nathan from St. Louis. His wife Robin wasn't drinking. I also met Sharon and Lou from Fairfax, VA. We had at least one mutual acquaintance--small world. 

Tomorrow I am getting ambitious and shooting for something over 70 miles. I am trying to make it to Elma. Wish me luck and send me comments if you are reading these. 

The Journey Begins

Day 2 Neah Bay, WA to Hoh Oxbow Campground just south of the Olympic National Park

Distance 63.6 miles -- Cumulative 72.0
Time 5:21:34 -- Cumulative 5:54:12
Elevation Gain 2870 -- Cumulative 3201

It was a magnificent first day on the road -- cool weather varying from overcast/threatening to rain to mostly sunny. I was happy with my pace over moderately hilly terrain.

Before starting, I grabbed a ham and egg English muffin at the Makah Mini-Mart. As I munched it down outside standing next to my bike, a rather burly Native American man looked on inquisitively. Then he asked a question I wasn't quite expecting, "can your trailer carry an elk?"  I chuckled and he told me how he had devised a trailer with a mechanism to be pulled by three mountain bikes that he and his buddies used to haul elk out of the forest. He didn't think my trailer would be suited for his purposes.

Later I had a full breakfast and I was forced to violate my own rule "never eat anything bigger than your head" when the pancakes turned out to be about 14 inches across.

Just before lunch I caught up with another biker who appeared to be outfitted for long distance riding. He was Dutch and we chatted for a bit. It turns out my ride is not nearly as epic as I had thought. He started a couple of months ago in Alaska and is on his way to the tip of Argentina.

I'm camping tonight by the banks of the Hoh River. It is idyllic. See pictures on Instagram @mgdubee. Still trying to figure out how to post them here.

Prologue 

Day 1: Cape Flattery to Neah Bay

Distance 8.41 miles

Time 32:38

Elevation Gain 331 ft

I am eternally indebted to my long time and dear friend Doug MacDowell for driving 4 and a half hours out to the end of the Olympic Peninsula to drop me off this morning. We had lunch, then he drove home. My hero. 

A little explanation is in order. Yes, I was supposed to start from Neah Bay tomorrow. But when I got here, Nancy Butler, the owner of Butler's Motel and Nature Museum (they have a stuffed mink, weasel, and river otter and she was nice enough to explain the difference) told me that I couldn't come all the way to Neah Bay and not see the Cape. And she pointed out that if I really wanted to ride from the NW to the SE corners of the country, I needed to start at the Cape. She was right on both points. So I changed clothes, hoped on the bike and headed out there. I won't count the 8+ miles out as part of the trip total so the odometer started running on the return leg. 

Every year the first stage of the Tour de France starts with a short stage known as the prologue. Today was the prologue for Melvin's Farewell Tour of America. 

You should check out the pictures of the Cape on my Instagram @mgdubee  I can't figure out how to post pictures to the blog from my phone. I'm open to suggestions.

The adventure has begun. 

So it looks like I am actually going to do this. I am in Seattle, having fought off a nasty bout of food poisoning yesterday, my bike is put together, on Saturday I head out to Neah Bay on the Olympic peninsula, on Sunday I start riding. Wow. I gotta say, I am a little freaked out.

Training has been inconsistent but, I think, sufficient. I rode 180 miles in the Pelotonia charity ride last weekend in Ohio and felt really good. Thanks to Pete Pajor for hosting Dennis Hardeman and me and for connecting us with the Bo's Tire Barn team (don't ask about the name), an amazing group of people dedicated to the goal of curing cancer and incredibly supportive of each other.

Speaking of curing cancer, I am extremely pleased to report that I have surpassed my fundraising goal of $10,000. Now I am shooting for $12K. Keep the donations coming. (Link on the right).

A couple of thanks are in order. First, to Spokes, Etc. bike shop for making sure my bike is in top shape, for providing me all the spare parts and other supplies I will need, and for the great advice. (Link to their website on the right). Second, to Doug MacDowell, my high school friend who I have not seen in 16 years but who is hosting me here in Seattle and driving me to the coast on Sat. Finally, and most importantly, to my LWK (lovely wife Kristine) for all the incredible support she has given me as I have prepared for this, and for her willingness to be a single parent for the next 11-12 weeks.

You also can follow me on Instagram @mgdubee and Twitter @mdubee #melbikesamerica