Reaching the Pacific Ocean: The End of the Trail

Sep 15 - Claskanie to Seaside OR via Astoria:  60.36 miles

It's cold.  Really too cold to be hanging out at our streamside campsite for any longer than we must.

The overnight low was in the 40s, so not terrible, but its not much warmer when we crawl out of the tent at 6am in the morning. Its still pre-sunrise as we go about the usual routine. The exception is this morning we have on every layer of clothing that we are carrying: jersey, thermal shirts, rain jackets, rain pants. Sadly, that's all we have. The only warmer alternative is to crawl back into our sleeping bags.

Hot coffee and oatmeal will help.

The forecast high is around 60 F, overcast, with chance of rain all morning, increasing to near 100% chance of rain starting in the early afternoon.

And, no surprise, the forecast is a significant headwind for our journey from Astoria to Seaside. The winds are expected to increase through the day, from the south.  

We've got decisions to make regarding our route. We're definitely going via Astoria, but once there, we can go the hilly backroad Lewis and Clark route past Fort Clastsop, or the flat, heavily used Route 101 along the coast.  We agree to make the route decision at Astoria. Heather writes out the turn-by-turns for the hilly route. We won't need directions to follow 101.

I have been sorting through the trip photos for our upcoming trip review.  I ran into an early photo of my saddle and seatpost setup. Doesn't look at all like my current settings. So, on the last day of the trip, I'm making major bike fit adjustments: move the seat post up about an inch, and the saddle forward at least 1/2 inch. 

"Did these ever fit you???" Heather has the rain pants that I loaned her and that she's been carrying all the way from Boston and only used once or twice so far. She has them pulled all the way up, and the waist literally reaches her armpits despite her being 6' tall.

As always, it still takes us 2 hours to do all our morning chores, eat and pack up. We leave camp together as usual, Heather's got on all her rain gear including the very fashionable rainpants with the legs rolled up. I've still got on all my top layers, but my bottom layer is just my shorts.  She peels off at the main intersection to go into a cafe to warm up some more. I'm pretty sure that the only way to warm up today is to keep moving. 

I gave guidance to our dad that I'd be in Astoria around roughly 1pm. We expect today to be relatively flat, except maybe the hilly route option from Astoria. There's no reason not to be able to do the roughly 50 miles in that time with the normal stops.  And that might just allow me to avoid the forecast rain.

I'm not quite sure where we got the idea that the route the Astoria would be relatively flat. It certainly is not. Its constant up and down until I can finally abandon the narrow, detritus-filled shoulder of route 30 to the sanctuary of the mixed use path along the water at Astoria.  I've had my two wraps with swiss cheese, turkey pastrami, and cilantro (mmmm, good) made from the ingredients that we scored from the grocery store in Claskanie the night before.

Its nearly 11.30am at Astoria, and I've still got about 25 miles left to Seaside. It's still possible to do that in an hour and a half, and that would be pretty fast going, definitely no dawdling.  No time for a beer at Rogue either.

There's a lot of options to get out of Astoria, with lots of confusing signs to Rte 101, Rte 101BUS, Rte 26. Also, the turn-by-turn instructions are not especially clear, and I keep having to stop to check where I am using my iPhone GPS. Time is going by. OK.  101BUS it is.

"I can keep up with traffic," I argue with the construction worker holding the "Stop" sign before a small bridge that is down to one lane. She's pulled me out of the traffic line, and instructed me not to go until she says so. Sigh. I watch the end of the car line go by, exactly the spot that I was before. And I continue to wait. 

"I'm sending through a cyclist now, she'll be the last one from this direction."

Well, at least I have the bridge to myself. All the way from beginning to end. 

OK, I'm lost.  I had opted for the less trafficked, hilly route from Astoria. I can see exactly where I am on my Google map.  But the arrow there must be wrong, I'm not going that way.  I try three directions at an intersection to see where my blue dot moves to to confirm which way I need to go.  Crap, I've gone the wrong way, and not by a little bit.  I have to go BACK across the bridge under construction. I time it just right - the traffic my direction is moving already, so I just hold the bumper of the car in front of me.  I wave cheerfully to the sign holder at the other end that I had words with. 

I think I've added 5 miles? maybe? Is this the right road finally? maybe?   I drop a quick text message to our small group waiting in Seaside to indicate that I'm not likely to arrive at the forecast time. 

There are no street signs, so I'm still not fully convinced that I'm on the right road, but I do seem to be running across milestones indicated on my turn by turn instructions that are roughly at the right intervals, although most of them are not sign-posted either.  There's also no traffic, and no people really to ask for directions. But plenty of up and down, and farms, and then later, forest in various stages, from clear cut with emerging seedlings to moss-covered towering hardwoods and firs with fern understory.

By 1pm, the rain does indeed begin. It's been spitting on and off all day, but now I can see a real rainstorm ahead and I duck for cover to bury all my electronics deep in plastic bags and waterproof stuff sacks. 

Its well past 1pm when finally the housing density starts to increase and I reach the outskirts of what I hope is Seaside. I continue to follow my turn-by-turn instructions, and I'm looking now for Prom Ave.  At some point I actually run out of road and I can see the ocean. There's no signpost, but there is a nice boardwalk that I can cycle down right along the beach.  There's a clear view of the ocean, and a serious headwind riding south along the unprotected waterfront. 

Then, there's my dad, and Heather's friend Carolyn, and Heather's husband Robert.  And the Lewis and Clark monument in the center of a small traffic circle, right on the waterfront.  

The end of this journey, the end of the Lewis and Clark trip, and time to celebrate!

It's freezing cold, and windy while we wait for Heather to arrive.  The rain has stopped for the time being. We get an occasional vague text update from her to let us know that she is still out there somewhere.

When Heather pulls up, directly down Broadway rather than along the "Prom", she fills us in on her journey down highway 101, with no protection from the wind, and lots of traffic.

We are determined to finish up this trip by taking the bikes all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the same way that we started on the Atlantic.  We'll dip the wheels and then go find somewhere warm to eat and celebrate.  Dragging the bikes across the sand is painful, both in terms of the work as well as visualizing the accumulation of salt and sand on my treasured bicycle. When we reach the water, somehow a bottle of champagne emerges, there are lots of pictures and hugs, and laughing.

We had long since abandoned plans to camp at the coast. It's time now to be warm. And to be with our friends and family. 

Thank you to the many people that made this trip a real joy, who picked us up along the way with a smile and wave from their passing vehicle, or who reached out in big and small ways with assistance of directions or food or shelter in very trying conditions.  I will miss this part of the journey the most - that every day brought new people and lots of interactions with complete strangers that turn into acquaintances and friends.