During a bored afternoon nap yesterday I got company.  3 cyclists showed up.  The first was a middle aged couple that were trying to bike from vancouver to tiajuana.  (Canada to Mexico according to the sing on her trailer, yup they were americans).  They probably won't make it, after nehalem they were going to go into portland (maybe a 3 day trip for them) and it sounded like that would be the end of their biking.  If it isn't good for them.  However they have way too much stuff and not enough experience biking.  The other guy that came in was Bill, he was from near Savannah Georgia.  He was biking from tiajuana to vancouver.  At 72 he is doing very well for himself. He knows how long he can go each day and has a mostly inland route through Washington so he'l finish up in vancouver in the next couple weeks.  I built a nice little fire last night that bill and I enjoyed, it turns out cathy and I forgot his lawyer, gun afficianato name weren't willing to join us, so he stuck a log in my fire and carried it back to his pile of sticks to try to light them.  That didn't work so they retired to their tent to finish enjoying the effects of the margarita pitcher they had had.

Anyway, on to today.  I got a reasonable start today at 0830.  The road to Tillamook was uneventful and I only stopped once for a bite of a cliff bar.  The Tillamook cheese factory isn't very interesting.  You can watch people take apart a large block of cheese into smaller blocks.  On bills suggestion I got an ice cream cone there.  2 scoops was way too much for me but I ordered two flavours so I got 2 scoops.  The blueberry cheesecake was fantastic but the wild mountain blackberry was rather bland.  I got groceries in Tillamook (a crow got into my groceries while I was on the beach and ate my currants and mountain bread) then continued on to cape mead.  The headwinds along the Tillamook river/bay were noticeable but nothing that would turn me back.  The climb up to Cape Meade was well shaded and was only a mile, the other mile from the bay was flat and fun.  The lighthouse had some very cool views and a tree that has 8 trunks coming out of its base.

Out of Cape Meade was really fun there were a couple short climbs with very fast decents.  On the flats after Nekarts the tailwind was very nice iit felt like the air was moving at all.  In cape lookout state park there are a bunch of other bikers, so far all of whom got here before me.

Cape lookout has a nature trail, the trees on the trail aren't too interesting, but the base of the trees are really cool since they seem to grow out of a dead tree and the dead trees seem to have gnarly bases.  I also a bug that was the size of my thumb.
Todays ride ended at 01340.

The sun came out at Tillamook.  Yesterday the sun waited until I got to the sand dunes to come out.

Food
A big bowl of granola
1 apple
2 scoops of ice cream
1 cliff bar
1 pb, raison and cheese wrap

I'm using a program called "note everything" for my ride reports.  It has a few different types of notes.  Unfortunatley what is missing are two things.  1) Send to blogger.  2) picture note, I would like to take a picture of some thing then describe what I think.  For example, I discovered that my new, rather tight cycling shorts have a pair of lips on the front side padding.  This juveniel thing does provide me some entertainment.

As for the actual ride, I took a quick side trip up to Astoria column after having breakfast with an older couple from Minnesota (they have three horses, and also went up to the column after breakfast.  Then I had some more breakfast and headed west along 101.  My first stop was in seaside where I failed to fine what I was looking for at the safeway, so I continued on to cannon beach where I made a wrong turn, so I decided to explore the beach.  Unfortunately my wrong turn put me on the wrong side of the river so I had a long walk to the ocean.  I took some pictures (to prove I was on the wrong side ;)  then moved on.  I briefly stopped at the bike shop, but the guy there likes to replace the cassette anytime he changes chains, so I continued on.  At this point I pass a couple cycling to probably Tillamook today, again.  We met up one more time at the tunnel then I left them behind, they were much slower than me going uphill.  I arrived at nehalem park by 1330 and I left the lamplighter motel at 0930, which isn't bad time given all the stops I made.  When I got here I took a walk along the beach the whole length of the campground then laid down to enjoy the sun (it came out as I got to the beach).  Twice after cannon beach I had to stop after a hill because my nuts hurt from the cold.

Food
2 pieces sugar break, 3 slices brreakfast cobbler
1 cliff bar
1 cylinder of pringles (a proctor and gamble product as I learned watching cash cab on my way out this morning)
1 peanut butter and currant wrap
Half a pepperoni stick with cheese and peanut butter

I have discovered there are some surfaces are better than others for walking on with cycling shoes:
Wood, e g boardwalks
Hard beach or dirt trail
Smooth pavement
Soft beach
Gravel

The beaches here are really nice.  The sand is some times very hard and others rather soft.  By looking I can't tell the difference and the hardness can change from step to step.

God damn it, some bird got into my food.  Now I have no wraps or currants!

Given how much I am eating, I'm pretty sure I won't lose any weight this trip, oh well, at least I found point break on tv.

Food
A bowl of granola
2 cliffs bars
2 peanut butter and raison wraps
Raisons
A hamburger with clam chowder

I got up way too early this morning since I wasn't warm enough and had to piss.  So, I had breakfast at 0500, walked around the park, saw the old damn, had a nap on a bench and decided to pack up my stuff and I was on the road before 0800.  I took the direct road to Raymond.  I got a flat in south bend.  This one, like the one I got later on highway 4 and one in seattle was a leaky patch.  Anyway, I tried to seal up the patch and continued on to bush pioneer county park.  I stopped in at the site about 1230, looked around, refilled my water bottle and decide I could make it to astoria in time to get gear and supper.  I got to astoria before 1600, put on a new tire then started on my way to find supper.  I decided on the short 1/2 mile ride away from the bike shop that I was done for the day.  I got some supper and hit up a local motel, had a very nice shower, and walked along the astoria boardwalk and am now vegging.  I thing I'll go up to the column tomorrow morning.

Today I had to finally get my stuff reorganized for this trip.  I repacked bags, put all the stuff I wasn't going to bike with in roberto's hard case, mailed it to him at work, picked up some groceries, said goodbye to ricmoo and headed out.  I caught the 1015 ferry to bremerton.  There is construction at the ferry docks in bremerton, so I did a useless loop and ended up in the unloading traffic despite being the first one off the ferry.  Today was very hot, I seemed to sweating faster than I could absorb water, but I didn't feel sweaty since the sweat was drying so fast.  I was feeling fairly tired before shelton, but I was making such good time that I decided I would continue on to lake sylvia park.  I stopped 1/2 mile outside shelton (obviously I didn't know I was that close.  I rested moved my lock from jabbing me in the back, snacked on some raisons and decided to eat at the first available place on the 101 after shelton.  I enjoyed a sub outside shelton, 1/4 mile before the turnoff to 108.  I was now on the route descibed in the book.  I got rehydrated through sweetened iced tea.  The first 5 miles of 108 were hard, it was hot, uphill on rough road.  I had to stop twice.  After those hard miles I had an uneventful trip until I got onto 8 where I immediately got a flat front tire.  To get an earlier start today (and to carry less stuff) I skipped the needed trip to rei, so my front tire now needs to be replaced and neither elma nor montesano have bike shops.  After the flat I made good time to elma where I took a break.  On the last 10miles of highway to montesano the headwind was strong and my back weak so I stopped every 3 miles for a few minutes.  I got into montesano before 1800.  I did see a "cycle" shop on the road today, I was disappointed to find out it was for harley davidsons.

Food:
2 bowls of coco-puffs
Cliff bar
Veggie sub, 2 cookies, 2 cups raspberry iced tea, sweetened.
Shrimp bisck
Baked spagetti.

I went for supper at an italian place in montesano, it was good, and was 14$ with a tip.  I was annoyed to learn the hiker/biker site was 14$ per night in cash or check.  I wonder if I can get change tomorrow when the ranger station opens.