Day 50 Standish Hickey to Westport: We conquer another big climb (or two)

August 22, 2017

Knowing we had a significant climb to do this morning and wanting to get it in before the heat set in, we got up at 6:30 and were out on the road by 7:30. The rest of the riders were still sleeping as we left, but we fully expected that they would pass us somewhere along the way.

Riding down the road, we quickly came to the turn-off to Hwy 1 – finally we would be off the dreaded 101! Of course, the was Leggett hill to get up and over, a hill that people talk about a lot while coming down the Pacific Coast. It has gained quite the reputation as a tough climb and we were a little trepidatious as we began our climb.

getting off the 101 finally and onto hwy 1

So, it was kind of surprising to find that Leggett was actually not that bad! Unlike the hill out of Crescent City, this road was not very busy. In the cool morning air we found that the incline was just right – enough of a challenge for sure, but there were little spots where the road levelled out and we could catch our breath, so it was tough but not gut wrenching. After about an hour of climbing we reached the summit and saw the coastal fog enveloping the mountain around us. After taking a few pics, we began the decent, which is actually longer in length than the ascent.

until we finally reach the top - hurray!!!

We had begun the day with several layers on, which we gradually took off as we climbed. By the top we were down to our t-shirts. Knowing we were defending into the fog, we both put our jackets back on. The decent was fast, fast, fast, and there was no time to stop until we got to the bottom 11 miles and 40 minutes later. By this time, we were both freezing!

We pulled off at a little turnout and Jim took out the stove to make us some coffee to warm us up. We had some sweet buns to eat as well, so it was a lovely little coffee break and just what we needed. As we were having our coffee, Corbin and Silan passed by. They were planning a long day today, so just waved as they passed by.

fixing a nice hot cup of coffee after that very cold descent

not the nicest little picnic areas, but it did have a porta potti!

Satisfied and warmed up, we started up the second climb of the day. This was the one I was actually worried about as it was another 690 feet after the 1000 we had just done, and was a lot shorter, which meant steeper. We quickly ended up taking off all the layers we’d put back on at the bottom and worked our way up, stopping frequently to catch our breath. Both of us found this climb much tougher than the first one. Along the way, as we were stopped to have a drink, we were passed by a group of riders (no gear on them, just their bikes). We had heard that there was a supported group coming through and we guessed they were part of that. Whatever, it sure did look nice riding up that hill with no gear on! However, we put thoughts of easy riding aside and continued working until we finally reached the top and had another nice long coast down, leading us to a view of the ocean once again. We were pretty happy to have finished the entire climbing portion of our day by 12:00!

our first view of the ocean after getting past a tough climb - nice!

While stopped to enjoy the ocean view, we met up with another couple of riders from the supported group. This group is part of a larger group of riders all over the states riding to raise funds for MS research. They each had done fundraising and were looking after their own expenses during the trip so that all the money they raised went to their cause – good for them! We wished them well and continued along our way.

ok, there will be lots of pics of waves along the way - we are fascinated by them and are always trying to catch the perfect pic

this one didn't stick around for Jim to take more pics though

We really enjoyed the scenery along this stretch of road, the ocean was a refreshing sight after the trees. However, we were both pretty tired from climbing. We knew that the next stretch of road would be lots of sharp ups and downs and had decided to cut this portion up into 3 shorter days, rather than do the really long day that the book had recommended. So, when we reached the tiny tiny town of Westport, we pulled into the Westport Inn, a little motel I had read some good reviews of. The woman who checked us in was very sweet and we were so happy to open the door to our little room and find the most comfortable bed and quaint décor. This place reminded us of our little motel in Bandon – a quiet little old fashioned motel – perfect! We laid down for a quick nap and awoke 2 hours later – yikes! I guess we were more tired than we thought!

our little getaway from the cold - what a wonderful place!

We walked across the street to the only store in town to grab something to eat. Dinner in our room and a quick little walk around to look at the town before coming back to our room to get a little work done before bed. All in all, it was a very satisfying day!

an interesting sculpture just behind our little motel

look at this awesome house!!!! Looks like something from a movie!

hmmm.... should we walk down to the beach? Nope! Not after this day!!!

I love the colour of these little beauties

Today's ride: 48 km (30 miles)
Total: 1,764 km (1,095 miles)

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