September 12, 2011
Day 28: Lincoln City to Beachside State Park
At the motel I discovered cycling neighbors, tandem couple Brian and Nancy from Victoria, doing an all-motel tour. One conversation led to another and I didn't get on the road until after 10.
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Today's route from Lincoln City to Beachside State Park. Terrain view is best.
I was hoping that it might clear up, but the sky stayed overcast all day. Fortunately the clouds were well above the ground, allowing good views. I was surprised how many good pictures I got today.
Lincoln Beach has houses very close to the water. It seems like the houses could get splashed by ordinary winter waves. A tsunami would destroy most of the houses.
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In Depoe Bay highway 101 runs alongside the seawall. Most coastal towns aren't as directly exposed to the open ocean.
The channel to Depoe Bay harbor is very narrow, so the harbor is well protected from storms. The town has a small commercial fishing fleet.
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As usual the traffic on highway 101 was heavy. Long lines of cars, motor homes, and trucks passed by. It was a relief to turn onto the 5-mile Otter Crest loop. Despite being closer to the water than highway 101, it was mostly in dense forest with few ocean views. I enjoyed the serenity while it lasted.
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Just before Cape Foulweather I came upon a solo female cyclist named Regina from Lafayette, Louisiana. I rode with her for a minute before noticing that her bike is a stock 1970's Schwinn Traveler 10-speed. She had front and rear racks, but her lowest gear was about twice as high as mine. I wasn't surprised to learn that she walked many hills. She had a small budget and was camping at free Forest Service campgrounds because she couldn't afford $5 per night for the State Park hiker/biker sites. I wouldn't enjoy that much self-deprivation, but I think she will complete her tour
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Regina and I stopped to look at the Devil's Punchbowl, but there wasn't much activity in the blowhole because the ocean was unusually calm. All of today's pictures show a very calm ocean.
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Today highway 101 stayed close to the coast and provided access to several prominent capes. I took the detour to Yaquina Head lighthouse, a BLM property. Cyclists get in free but motorists must pay $5 per car.
I also took a detour to see the Yaquina Bay lighthouse which operated only 3 years before being replaced by the Yaquina Head lighthouse.
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On the Yaquina Bay bridge I went on the walkway which has right angle turns to get around the two big concrete columns.
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Today's route was nearly always populated. Lincoln City and Newport both sprawl 6 to 8 miles. And the area in between had many coastal homes. Traffic was heavy all day except on the Otter Crest loop.
Thanks to the late start I got to the Beachside State Park hiker/biker site at 6:45. It's a fairly small park squeezed between the highway and the dunes. The hiker/biker area was full, but at least the evening wasn't foggy. I can hear the ocean and the beach begins 50 feet away through the trees.
Today was overcast all day with a mild south headwind. Most importantly, the clouds stayed high enough to allow good views with little or no fog at ground level.
Distance: 52.3 mi. (83.7 km)
Climbing: 2025 ft. (614 m)
Average Speed: 10.7 mph (17.1 km/h)
Hiking: 1 mi. (1.6 km)
Today's ride: 52 miles (84 km)
Total: 1,386 miles (2,231 km)
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