Day 29 Umpquah to Coos Bay: Preparing to ride the 7 Devils

August 1, 2017

our little spot in the woods - lovely but chilly!

We set the alarm for 6:00, hoping to get out on the road before the traffic picks up. It was pretty cold, so we were layered up again. After a quick bite we packed up the tent and were on our way. I forgot to mention on yesterday’s entry that the entrance to Umpquah was halfway up a pretty good hill out of Winchester Bay. We made it up, only to find that the campground was halfway back down again! Agh!!! So, this morning, we had a climb out of the park to start the day, and then had to finish the big hill from yesterday. Amazingly, I was able to get up both hills without stopping 20 times. I must be finally developing my hill climbing muscles!!! We’ll see how it goes as we move on down the coast – lots more challenging hills to come!

Once we reached the top of the hill, there was a nice pullout for us to take in the views and see the lighthouse way down below us now.

views from above early in the morning - can you see the lighthouse?

We took off for Coos Bay, and although there were no big challenging climbs today and the shoulders were ok, the traffic was terrible! So many logging trucks, other trucks and RV’s made for some not very nice riding.

some of the traffic we were contending with. The logging trucks are really big!

We stopped to take in the massive dunes and met a few other touring cyclists along the way. It was nice to finally be at a spot where we would be seeing more people travelling in our fashion.

a wetland along the way - not sure what kind of bird this was - Annie?

the dunes in Oregon are really pretty amazing and they just go on forever

To get over to North Bend and then Coos Bay, we had to travel over a very large bridge. Although cyclists were permitted to ride over it, we did not feel safe doing so and chose to walk, which took a long time. The walkway was pretty narrow and even narrower in some spots, but I would not have wanted to ride with the traffic the way it was – see kids, I AM staying safe!

walking across - see that big truck? I did not want to share the road with guys like that!

Once we finished our bridge walk we were in the town of North Bend, which is right next to Coos Bay. As I mentioned, we had decided to stay in Coos Bay so that we could take a better look at our routes and decide on what distances would be doable for us in a day. Our guide book, which pretty much everyone going down the coast uses, has days of 50 – 60 miles, and given the hills coming up, and the current heat situation, we want to look for other options in case we can’t get to the desired spot for the night. Also, this journal is sadly out of date and I have used up all my wifi it seems, so we need to sort that out.

We found a Safeway with a Starbucks in it and stopped in for, of course, iced decaf and a treat. Outside the store, we met another touring cyclist, Sebastian from Germany. He and a friend were on their way south as well, but were headed to Bollards, where we would be the following day. We enjoyed chatting with him about touring in Germany where we hope to go next year.

While in Safeway enjoying our treats, we both used the wifi to check in on the world. I purchased more time for my phone, and we got ready to head out to find the Motel 6 in Coos Bay. Unfortunately, it was way off the mark as far as our route was going, so we would be adding some miles on in the morning – boo! Before we left the store, however, a lovely older gentleman stopped to talk, noting our Canadian flags. His mother was Canadian and he told us to always be proud of our country – we certainly will. He also told me to never forget that I was cuter that both him and Jim combined!!! What a sweetheart!

We made our way over the the motel without too much trouble and checked in. I was a little concerned about the location, as it was right on the highway and I wondered about the noise, but the price was right. I tried to use my wifi, just purchased, but was still having trouble. I phoned the carrier, TMobile, and it was then that I found out that they don’t have ANY cell towers in Oregon. What???? What exactly does that mean? Oh well, I was told, you can talk and text over the ATnT network there, but no data. I was more than a little perturbed over this, as when I purchased the plan, I told the guy in Washington where we were going. It certainly would have changed my decision making had I known that 1/3 of the trip I would have nothing!!!! Thanks a lot TMobile!!!

Jim has been having connectivity issues with his laptop with public wifi and we had been using my phone’s wifi to connect and get pictures up to this journal, so now we are pretty much hooped until we can sort that out. Once we are in California, things will improve and I will again be able to post pics more regularly. Oh well, it is what it is.

We did stop at the local library, where we found the wifi so slow it was not worth using. It kind of felt like a wasted day and I was feeling pretty grumpy about it all. We decided to call it a day and go have dinner.

We had planned to eat at a local brew pub The 7 Devils (after the hills we will be climbing tomorrow) but found out they are closed on Tuesdays! Oh no! Can this day get any worse??? Jim saw a restaurant just down the street that he remembered hearing someone say had good food. We walked into the Shark Bite and the day was saved! Great little place with a cool vibe, some good beer and amazing food. I had their fish tacos and they were to die for!!! Needless to say, I ate until my tummy hurt and then we left, happy to have had a good end to this rather frustrating day.

Back at the hotel, we got things ready to go for another early start and hit the sack. Surprisingly (as it was a Motel 6) the bed was really comfy, the pillows just right, and the traffic noise did not reach us – go figure! Good thing, as tomorrow we tackle the 7 Devils!!!

Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 1,079 km (670 miles)

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