Astoria, OR to Portland, OR

Miles: 103.4
Total miles: 1491.6
Climbing:3578’

Well, I can’t say that I had a very restful night. There was not a comfortable position that did not either entail lying on a sore spot or rubbing on an abrasion. The mist and rain out of the window did not make for a very easy decision about whether to ride or not. The helmet issue was already resolved…the glasses cut my head and the helmet was not broken. I would wear the helmet rather than trying to use a borrowed one from someone not riding in the rain. Usually, the rule of thumb is that if a helmet is in any sort of fall, it gets replaced. This one was examined by several people as well as me and my peace of mind relied on using my own fitted, sized helmet. The tour leaders recommended a new helmet but I had neither the bike shop for buying a new one nor the will to wait until it opened.

We started from Astoria a bit after 7 AM as it was dark, misty, and not a great cycling day. I had gotten up early to bandage my thumb and head for the long ride ahead. My elbow seemed to be the sorest thing on me and it was increasingly bruised and ugly! So off Kathy and I started, with Astoria fading in the mist and Portland in our gun sights!

For me the ride was one of endurance more than anything else today as I definitely did not feel my best. Within eight miles, we entered a “no-car” kind of area where only support vehicles for the Hood to Coast Relay Run could drive! That was great for us...no traffic to worry about in the same direction as we were riding. The relay consisted of teams of 12 who began the run on Mt. Hood the day before and were to run 197 miles in 4-8 mile blocks, depending on the terrain, to Seaside, OR. We had seen the preparations yesterday! For the next 40, yes FORTY, miles, we passed runners on the road going the opposite direction, over 12,000 of them. Their support cars were on the other side of the road, humorously decorated with all kinds of signs, stuffed animals, blow up mannequins, and other hilarious items, all to support their teams. We passed tent cities, feed zones, water trucks, and port-a-pots, which we used, too! We and our support vehicles were the only ones allowed on the roads going toward Portland.

Several people asked if we were having a relay! I wished! Others asked why we EVER scheduled a ride on the same day as the relay, but they did not realize it was the last of a 30 day ride of 1500 miles!! Some of the runners wished us well as we climbed steep hills, and they were running down, and we encouraged them as we were riding down and they were running up! We were all enjoying our own sort of misery (or fun?) in the mist and intermittent rain. What a day! But, all the activity kept us interested, (and my mind off my various aches of the day!) and definitely very alert, as runners approached the relay points. They had to take off a bracelet and pass it to the next runner on the team. We had to pass through these points numerous times during the day. There was very little to see in the rain but the forests were lush and green! I took very few pictures all day as the effort to stop and get the camera out of the dry bag was more than I could do.

We finally met up with our first SAG stop at mile 21 at the top of a big climb and she had cookies made by Linda as a surprise for us. Amazingly, the organizers of the race allowed our van and trailer on the road as about the only vehicles on the road! Kathie and I caught up with them at mile 40 where I ate a peanut butter sandwich and refilled my water bottles. I was doing ok and Kathie was staying close by. It was possibly my last opportunity to SAG into Portland in the van but I chose to ride.

The runners kept us on our toes but the downhills were hard for me as the roads were wet and I could not shift into my big ring due to thumb issues. Coasting down the wet roads worked out fine. There were way more hills than I expected, though!

Later on, the sun began to creep out a little bit, and then we had some more showers. I looked for rainbows as I sign that I would be able to finish but none appeared. However, this bicycle made me realize that I could finish! I don't know why, but I just figured it was a sign!!!

The Golden Bike

It was a very mixed day of rain, mist, and a bit of sun. There were 17 miles of busy road riding before the final five miles into Portland with multiple turns and cues!

The most welcome sign of my life, with 5 miles to go!

Anne and Kathie, my ride partner arriving in Portland

Kathie and I rode into town with Barb S. and when we arrived at the Marriott, Ken, Kathie’s husband was there, and Barb’s family (with three granddaughters) was waiting. Our bikes were a mess with mud so we cleaned them up and I rode to the bike shop for shipping. Ken drove several of us back to the hotel where I got everything packed up!

The banquet was delightful, but always a bittersweet moment for us all. There was a wonderful meal followed by the riders telling something about themselves that no one knew, and then any other comment. The overwhelming thoughts were that it was the best group any of us had ridden with! I wholeheartedly agreed and thanked all those who took care of me after my fall! After the meal, we went back to the room, where I was with Barb S, the last woman I had not roomed with during the trip. We both agreed that the group could not have been more supportive of each other and more friendly. I fell into bed, awaiting the early wake up call for the WomanTours shuttle to the airport.