A Collision Course With Nature

As predicted in yesterday’s forecast, there was rain last night. But not much. I certainly heard light rain on my tent throughout the night but by morning my tent was essentially dry. The Hiker/Biker area is rather sheltered by trees which clearly limited the amount of rain that reached my tent. Not knowing if the rain would return imminently, I opted to pack up early while my tent was still dry. This ended up not being necessary as there was no further rain this morning.

From my current spot at Umpqua State Park, North Bend is about 30 km to the south. I find it’s been working out very well to stay at campgrounds just north of the next town as it gives me a place to stop for food somewhat early in my ride. That plan worked out again today as I found myself somewhat repeating the start of yesterday’s day. First there was Subway (with more cookies courtesy of Jeremy), then I had an extended stay the North Bend Public Library. For the record, their WiFi wasn’t nearly as fast as the WiFi in Waldport but beggars can’t be choosers.

From North Bend I again had two options for camping. Bullard’s Beach or Cape Blanco. Neither was ideal. Bullard’s Beach was too close for my liking while Cape Blanco was further than I had wanted to go plus it was 8 km off the highway. It’s simple math to see that roundtrip as a 16 km waste of time. I decided to make the decision once I arrived in Bandon.

There were two routes from North Bend to Bandon. The first was to stay on highway 101. The other was to follow the Oregon Coast Bike Route. My gut told me to stay on 101 but I went with the official bike route. Obviously, I can’t say what route 101 would’ve been like but I really didn’t enjoy today’s detour. It was very hilly without the reward of any exceptional views. Plus the road wasn’t the smoothest for cycling. I was rather glad when the route reconnected with 101 where a very wide and very smooth shoulder guided my way into Bandon.

Having arrived in Bandon, I was still very much undecided as to what to do for accommodation. My options hadn’t changed but now it was time for a decision. It was only 4:20 and it felt like it was too early to stop at Bullard’s Beach. But did I really want to go another 45 km? I consulted my GPS and discovered a couple of city parks in Bandon … only 5 km away. I wasn’t sure if camping was allowed there but it seemed like a viable option.

As luck would have it there was a police car parked along the highway up ahead. I pulled up beside said car to have a chat with the officer behind the wheel. To make a long story short, camping isn’t allowed at the park but, off the record, he didn’t care if I camped discreetly. I appreciated the tip and carried on.

From a distance standpoint, the city park seemed like the best option; however, I had a lingering concern about the weather. Very high southwest winds (in excess of 35 km/h) are in the forecast for the coming days. If I continued on to the next campground today, that would be 45 km less to pedal into a huge headwind tomorrow. Based on that, I decided to pedal for a couple of more hours.

As mentioned before, Cape Blanco is 8 km off the highway which is a significant detour – especially when you factor in hills. When I arrived at the turn I had to decide if that was 8 km I really wanted to do. Correction, clearly I didn’t WANT to do it. But was it a reasonable plan? The next campground was probably another 25 km away and the setting sun was beginning to be a factor. I wasn’t thrilled with my decision but I opted for Cape Blanco.

The final 8 km ride was long but relaxing … not always easy, but relaxing. I certainly was not thrilled to end the day having to climb hills with 9% grades. Plus there were some sections of very rough gravel so I won’t even get to race down the hills tomorrow. I know, first world problems.

I eventually arrived at the campground and made my way to the Hiker/Biker site. It was actually just a regular RV site but it was reserved for cyclists. What a concept. Plus there was water AND electricity at the site. Now that’s luxury! In addition to those luxuries there was also a weather notice warning of unseasonably high winds and heavy rains for the next few days. With the wind coming from the southwest, I may be trapped here for a day.

According to the notice, the storm should hit by midnight, we’ll see what happens. This could be the first real test of my new tent. In an attempt to mitigate the effects of the wind and rain, I’m currently setup amongst a bunch of trees – that may or may not be a good idea.

Since sealing myself in my tent, I’ve been eating somewhat constantly – likely a combination of boredom, restlessness, procrastination, and actual hunger. And it doesn’t help that it’s getting dark so early these days. I certainly miss the long days of June.

As I type this update I’m starting to hear the wind rustling through the trees. The storm draws near. I also think I hear seals barking. Although maybe I’m just imagining the latter. But maybe not. I’m not about to leave my tent to find out.

With another day coming to a close, I’m excited that California is now only a (long) day’s ride away. Although, with the crazy headwinds that are in the forecast it will likely be two days of riding. Oregon has been great but getting to California feels like a significant accomplishment. We’ll see what the morning brings.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 128.29 km
Ride time: 6:13:36
Average speed: 20.71 km/h
Maximum speed: 52.15 km/h