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Coast to coast by recumbent bicycle

Rockaway Beach OR to Portland OR

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Coastal Range

Distance(miles)
Day100
Total100
Speed(mph)
Average13.9
Maximum34.0
Expenses($ US)
Lodging-

Drove out to the coast with Phil and Sharon and family. Left the trailer in Portland for the day. Neither Phil nor Sharon had heard of Rockaway Beach, 14 miles north of Tillamook. A dairy region. Blue Heron dairy. sounds familiar. I think I've seen their stuff in New York. Haul the bike across the beach to the water. It must be low tide as it's a long walk. Dipped the rear wheel in the Pacific. The water is unswimmably cold and stays that way all year round they say. Snapped the computer into the mount and started accumulating miles. The brakes were clogged with wet sand and had to be rinsed.

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South on US Highway 101 to Tillamook then east on Oregon Highway 6 through the coastal range. Didn't feel like I was climbing much until just before the pass (Summit 1586 ft). The coast is cool and damp. Just over the coastal range it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit, 30 degrees warmer than Rockaway Beach. The clouds and cool air can't cross the mountains. Had a good ride for 70 miles. Rather strong headwind out of the East prevents me from speeding down the mountain. Jumped from 6 to 8 using a local road that ended in Forest Grove. I've reached the exurbs of Portland. Heavy traffic, but at least there's a bike lane. Rough road in spots, but far less broken glass than New York. At 80 miles I'm already exhausted. This is too much for a first day. Enter Portland on Oregon Highway 8 but can't find the junction with Oregon Highway 10. Highway 8 turns into a freeway soon. Rode down 96th street for a few blocks then on to 10. Rode 10 nearly to its end. One really steep downhill with a freeway style interchange at the end. I'm heading north instead of south. Jump off at the first available intersection. Corbett Street to the Willamette River on to some sort of multi-use path that ends without warning. Walk the bike up some really steep hill on to another fast, heavily trafficked nightmare road to the Sellwood? Bridge. A two-lane death ride. Unlike New York, no one tries to kill and/or verbally abuse me. I assume they're fuming in their car seats, but unless they say something how would I know? Over the bridge and on to the local streets again. One lousy road. Rough, narrow, twisty and occasionally steep. I could really use a break. Finally I reach the 40-Mile Loop, a rails-to-trails multi-use path. Made it back to Phil and Sharon's exhausted. Sharon tells me I have sunburned patches on my scalp where the vents are on the helmet. Guess I shaved my hair a bit too close.

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