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DAY 06
The best yet...a little sun makes a world of difference

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ROUTE: Bandon to Gold Beach OR DISTANCE: 57 Miles WINDS: W 5-10
WEATHER: Cloudy in the morning, partly sunny in the afternoon.  High 65...nice day TERRAIN: Rolling at best TOTAL CLIMBING: 2300 Feet

DAILY REPORT:  Short day today so we had a leisurely breakfast and loaded at 8:00.  Today's route took us mostly on hwy 101 which had a nice shoulder most of the way with only a couple short narrower areas to negotiate...no problem.  The first 4 miles were along the shoreline in Bandon...how do these people stand it around here with such scenery to endure everyday.  It took me about a half hour to cover the first 4 miles as I had to stop numerous times just to look.  The jagged shoreline in Oregon is much different than marshy bogs along the east coast.  Here we climb up and down the cliffs that overlook the pounding surf below and some of the sights below are simply unbelievable. 

From there we popped out on 101 which was pretty much highway until the first SAG where it then broke out to the shoreline and some of our best scenery to date.  

The weather Gods smiled on us today.  Today was probably the nicest weather we've had since we've turned down the coast.  It was cool and cloudy when we departed, but you could see a difference in the cloud cover from the past couple of days.  The clouds were higher and seemed to be broken in some areas so we had hopes that the sun would pop through before we got to the shoreline after the SAG...it did and it was beautiful.  When we looked down the shore with the sun to our back, the water was a dark royal blue with what appeared to be large lava rocks protruding through the surface.  Although it is just scrumptious scenery, I don't know why people build houses along the shoreline.  There are Tsunami warning signs all along the low places along our route and there are houses everywhere.  I'd hate to wake up one morning staring at a wave 20 feet higher than my roof...but I guess they all accept that risk.

I spent the morning riding through everyone checking things out to see if everyone was doing OK.  It was just a great day and everyone was rolling fine.  I caught up with Tim about 6 miles out and we rode a brisk pace until we came upon a group we passed going up a hill.  There I pushed a bit harder to see if I could get to the front.  We  have a couple pretty fast riders on this trip so I didn't think I'd be able to catch them until I caught up with John H who was just tootling along until I passed by.  He jumped on my wheel and we worked together to possibly pull in Bob and Dave plus Klaus and Mac who were still out of sight somewhere in the distance.  It didn't take long for us to find ourselves at the front...I expected a hammerfest from there with Klaus, Mac, and John.  It was about then that I decided I felt pretty good so I thought I'd put the hammer down and see what happened.  We were now riding away from the coast and the scenery wasn't as spell binding...so why not.  they let me go so I could suffer alone thinking I was being chased...as it turned out, I just burnt up lots of brain cells running from no one.  Klaus and Mac were sightseeing and John took a side trip soon after I got out of sight.  I was doing really well...I could make a touch and go at the SAG and get to the motel in plenty of time to have the continental breakfast in Gold Beach in spite of the slight headwind.  All the best laid plans sometimes get thwarted.  I didn't spend too much time at the SAG so I could get ahead and take some photos of riders when they got to the coastline.  As it turned out, I couldn't ride more than a mile or two without stopping again to take another photo and I finally sat about 45 minutes in one spot waiting for someone to ride by to be in the shot.  Needless to say, I was way out of the continental breakfast window by the time I finally got rolling again.  As a matter of fact, most restaurants had already stopped serving lunch!  All I can say is, the scenery around here doesn't lend itself to riding hard...just too much to stop and see.

When everyone got in, we offered a drive train maintenance clinic where I cover how to keep the chain, cogs, derailleurs, and shifters running smoothly.  Just like other times when I've given this talk, I got several requests to check the ware on their chains.

At rap, we said good bye to 4 people who will be leaving in Crescent City...Michelle, Tim, Ben, and Peggy.  We wished them well and hope they will come back and ride with us again soon.

Tomorrow is our last riding day before our first day off.  I think everyone is looking forward to a little time to just look around.  We have 1 joining our group in Crescent City who will be only going to San Francisco.  The weather forecast is for good weather again...partly cloudy...no rain.  Hopefully, the sun will bless us again as we pass through the last miles of the beautiful Oregon coast.  As the sun sets on another day...see you tomorrow.

Ed note:  Sunset and beach bicycle photos supplied by Ellen Anding
HEARD DURING THE DAY:

"What's that bright shiny thing in the sky?"

"I really enjoyed that side trip option you put on the road."
"What side trip option?"
"The one that was marked 'option' about 10 miles back."
"That was from another ride."
"Well, I enjoyed it anyway."

 CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT:

Our good friend John was at it again today.  He picked up his key at the front desk and wandered around all over the parking lot looking for room 257.  He asked everyone.  No one seemed to be able to point him in the right direction.  He was standing in the presence of room 250 to 254, but there was no 257 to be found anywhere.  Barbara, who is wise to the ways of west coast motels, asked to see his key.  This key is for room 251 John...the room you are standing in front of.  Sure enough the key worked.  Seems the desk clerk was a little liberal with the top of the 5 and had almost connected it to the 1.  In Ireland, that would be a 7 he told Barbara.

SCENES OF THE DAY?

Barbara couldn't find a wheat field so she just set up the SAG stop here.

Bob commented, "If these berries are good enough for bears, I guess they are good enough for me."
To which Dave replied, "But bears don't eat the ones that have been sprayed."

Yesterday it was a boat ride, today it's the catch.  Tore was thinking, "This could be my place."

Best seat in the house.

Wonder if it works on saddle sores?

Bike on the beach.

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