Astoria, OR to St. Helens, OR. 69.2 miles.
Getting out the door this morning seemed to take forever. The process of packing things into the panniers, mindful of weight distribution, and "gearing up" is complicated. I definitely need to develop a routine and get more efficient at it. Regardless, it turned out to be a spectacular day. I think I brought the sunny Southern CA weather with me.
I started out at the small cafe next to the bike shop in town for breakfast before heading out. While there, a funny guy from Ireland (very hard to understand, and used "Fu%#@$g" as an adjective for every word, including other adjectives) came up to me to chat. He came to the US for the bike across America race that left at 5 am this morning from Astoria. Apparently, twenty-some miles down the route, his pedal fell off, hanging from the clip on his shoe. So, he hitched a ride all the way back to Astoria for repairs.
I was a bit nervous starting out with all of my gear on the bike (yesterday, I didn't have everything with me). The bike felt very heavy. But, once I got going, everything was fine and I got used to it.
Words won't convey (nor my pictures) just how amazing my ride was today. But, I'll give it a shot. Picture a forest so thick and lush green that it extends over the road creating a continuous canopy of growth, effectively a tunnel of green.
The breeze, occasionally interjecting, swaying the limbs back and forth, freeing a few green leaves at a time that flutter down around me as I pass through. The shoulders of the road covered in wildflowers in purple, yellow, and white.
Every now and then, I would pass out of the forest and into expansive views within the Columbia River floodplain. On one such occasion, just East of Westport, the view included rolling hills of green with the river in the foreground and snow-capped Mount St. Helens in the background. A bald eagle circled above me.
I was thinking about how eat-your-heart-out awesome the day was going when I heard water rushing. I was riding on Beaver Falls Rd, just East of Clatskanie, Or. Apparently, the road is named after the water fall along Beaver Creek.
I was somewhat hungry by about the time I arrived in Westport. Then, when I saw the Berry Patch Restaurant, offering fresh pies and jams, I suddenly got really hungry. My lunch consisted of a huge slice of Marionberry Pie, heated up, a la mode. Tasty!
Then, just before leaving, I walked down a hallway in the restaurant, headed to the restroom, when I stumbled upon a photo history of the logging industry in the area. Like many small towns in the Pacific Northwest, their primary economic activity is the logging industry, with mills in each town. The Columbia River served as a shipping conduit for such activity.
I am staying in Columbia City, just outside of St. Helens (about 35 miles Northwest of Portland) with the nicest couple, Richard and Liz (WarmShowers again). They had dinner almost ready when I arrived, and offered me their spare bedroom with a nice bed. I enjoyed my dinner conversation with them immensely. Nothing like finishing off the day with some great Oregon friendly hospitality.
That pie looks delicious!
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