72.2km out of 1594km so far

I woke up and left the campground as soon as my tent dried from the overnight condensation. Even thought there it was sunny this morning, it didn’t take long for the overcast the cover the sky. I headed south right by the coast with the typical view to the ocean.

First stop was at Gold Beach for a little snack to get some energy for the coming hill I had to go over. At the river banks right by the sea, there were a couple of dozen fishermen boats slowly going up and down. Interesting choreography worth taking a photo.

As I was approaching the hill, I met with the group of cyclists I left behind the day before. Even if they stayed their day from the city further up north, they left much earlier and caught up with me. Garry was already much further ahead and they were planning to go all the way to Crescent, the first city in California. I wasn’t going to make it there, as I needed a day off at Brookings to rest my left knee that started aching a little bit.

After a pleasant and fast descent, I saw the ocean again and the familiar scenery of the coast. All along the coast there are hundreds of massive rocks sitting in the water. They are a nice contrast with the sandy beaches, creating spectacular views. On the way I met two surfers riding a Tandem bike. They were friends of the other surfer I met a few days ago. They said they were surfing all the way down the coast and took part of the surfing contest I saw in Pacific City last weekend.

I was planning to have lunch right after the hill at Pistol River. I got there but fount no restaurants or grocery stores to buy something. I asked an old man who was birdwatching with his dog in case he knew anything in the area. He confirmed there is nothing around and I would have to reach Brookings to eat. We chatted for a little while, giving me advices for my route further south. During that time, a FedEx van pulls over. The driver had recognized the man and handed him a parcel. As he overheard me asking for somewhere to eat, he kindly offered me some jerky sticks for a snack. Even though I never buy these myself, it was a good treat and together with a spare tomato I had, along with a banana, it made a good lunch for the circumstances.

I started cycling south again to cover the last 20km of the day. I went by some equally amazing beaches and rock formations. It’s hard to grasp the scale and vastness of this coast and the features it carries. Despite the number of bays and beaches of this kind I’ve seen already, they never stop to amaze me. Unfortunately they are not good for swimming, due to the temperature, sharks and jelly fishes. Or that’s what they say…

I arrived at Harris Beach state park in Brookings by 5pm, put my tent up and had a shower. Since I still had time before the sunset, I spent some time to swap the tires on the bike. The rear tire always tends to wear faster than the front one, due to the extra weight it carries, so I thought it would be a good idea to do so now that I am almost half way through the trip.

I then took my bike and headed downtown for dinner  via a cycle path running parallel to the coast. On the way back, it was pitch black on the trail and my headlight caught a couple of deers, making their eyes shine in the darkness. They got surprised and they run away behind the bushes.

85.7km out of 1522km so far

We woke up, let the tents dry a bit from the overnight light rain and headed off back to the old part of Bandon for breakfast and internet access to research for our next destination. We managed to find a bakery that had by far the best collection of baked goods I’ve seen on this trip. It reminded me all the good boulangeries in France. We had a generous breakfast and started cycling south.

The beach by Bandon is just amazing with a couple of dozen massive rocks sitting right in front of the sandy beach. Apart from the occasional surfers, I still haven’t seen anyone swimming in the ocean, as it’s way too cold to do so. Maybe further down California I will have my chance.

We caught up with highway 101 again and started heading south. On the way I saw  a place with more creepy animal sculptures, similar to the one I saw yesterday in Bandon and it all made sense. It is an art studio that produces all these. With the help of volunteers, they collect plastic debris from the ocean and create these massive creatures. At a closer look you could see all kind of good that we use and throw out daily. I always knew I am contributing to something valuable by throwing my plastic bottles and flip flops in the sea.

We stopped for some food supplies on the way and spent most of the morning cycling non-stop. The route this morning was mostly in-land, via farmlands and a few hills. The weather was equally good all day long, so I was happy to be on the road.

We got to Port Orford and we stopped for lunch and some internet access in the local Library to check camp sites further down the road. We planed to cover some distance, so tomorrow’s ride won’t be as long. On the way out of the library, Garry met a friend of his that he was cycling with for several days a few weeks ago. She was with another two cyclists, so all of a sudden we became 5 of us. They wanted to stop at the National Park campground just 10 kilometers down the road, but I wanted to cover more distance as it was still early in the day and I know tomorrow there will be many big hills to go over. So after spending 5 days together, we said goodbye and I moved on. I wouldn’t be surprised if I see them further down the road, as we are all heading the same direction. So here I am again, me and my bike, cruising the coast in solitude. Sometimes it’s nice to be with others to share the experience, have company and help each other, but other times it’s nice to be independent and take your own time during the day.

Ophir was just another 25km south, the wind was on my back and the sun was still shining. The view was amazing and it’s the first time I can see the ocean with such a clear atmosphere. It was also the first time I see the ocean so calm. I just can’t get enough looking at the sea disappearing into the horizon.