Sep
26
2009
by Mr Cubes
Humbug Mountain to Harris Beach (50.6 miles)
Total Miles: 3,140.7
Awoke nice and early and had a long chat with Uwe, the German that I had first met at Devils Lake Park. He was riding with his girlfriend on a gap year from work and was planning to fly to Australia once he got to San Diego.
Despite having a relatively leisurely morning I was still one of the first to leave and tackle the long, winding hill up around Humbug Mountain. As the road reached it’s peak, beautiful views of the coast were again exposed and I could see that
it was to be another hilly day.
Once down at sea level again, after passing a random tyrannosaurus rex, the road stayed flat for a little while before the ups and downs started. I took a nice long break at Ophir Rest Area where the other cyclists from the campsite all got a chance to overtake me. The road then led around to Gold Beach which involved crossing 
another long and busy bridge.
Gold Beach didn’t really seem to have much going on – a few cafe/restaurants and souvenir shops. Still, that was enough to allow me a decent lunch in one of the cafes overlooking the ocean and prepare for the huge hill that was today’s main course.
Four miles of climbing follow, never massively steep but just persistent. I pass an elderly gentleman pushing his bike and notice the strange collection of equipment he is carrying includes a bucket and several long pieces of wood. Odd. The hill can’t go on forever though and after 30 minutes I’m at the top and suddenly, a few seconds later, at the bottom again. A very fast descent with the cycle computer recording a top speed of 40.8mph!
Smaller hills continued to Harris Beach, as well as some of the scariest bridges of the trip. By now though, I no longer have the Fear and am quite happy to look over the sides to the crashing waves below, even on the Thomas Creek bridge (the highest on
the Oregon Coast at 342 feet).
Harris Beach State Beach is another huge and superbly maintained campsite that charges hiker/bikers only $4 per night. Such a contrast to the overpriced and under managed parks in Alaska and Canada. They even offer wi-fi here, though it isn’t free, it certainly shows the future of campsites continues to evolve. By the time I had cooked my dinner the site was fairly full and by now I was starting to recognise more and more of the other campers, so it’s always good to chat and compare our experiences of the day. Darkness is soon upon us so I’m happy to have an early night, ready for my first taste of Californication in the morning…