Providence Bridge Pedal

MM and I overnighted in Portland on our way to the coast. While pursuing the Saturday Market we learned that the Providence Bridge Pedal would be taking over the city the next morning.


We were in Portland, we had our bikes, and our hotel check out time wasn't until noon. We were in.


This ride is a BIG deal. Innumerable roads and eleven different bridges are fully/partially closed down to accommodate 20,000 bike riders all raising money for Providence Health & Services - a not for profit that operates a number of heath care facilities including 26 hospitals in Alaska, Montana, Washington, Oregon, and California.


While I was eager to go, I kind of expected it to be mayhem. Nothing could be further from the truth. This ride was so fantastic in organization and in spirit that it made the absolute perfect start to our ride across Oregon.


From my point of view, here's what made the Providence Bridge Pedal such a fabulous experience:

• Ride not Race. When you have a big event that combines people who are serious about racing with people who are just out there to have fun, there's a bit of a culture clash. This event was promoted as a ride not a race, and it was run as such. There were no speed categories, plenty gigantic and tempting pit stops, space to stop on bridges to take pictures, and a general atmosphere of fun and camaraderie.

• Course design. The coarse was huge and allowed ample space in all the turns so that collisions and congestion were minimized. And that's a real achievement when you've got so many riders on the road.
• Flexible start time. Riders start the race any time after 7:00 am. This really spreads out the crowd and add to the fun for those who aren't early rises. When MM and I finished at 9:30 there were people who were just starting.

• Portlanders. I don't know if there is a city anywhere that can compete with this one. People in Portland are just really nice. They must put happy powder in the water. Time after time we came across happy friendly people. For example, we found out about the ride from a vendor at the Saturday Market. And later we got to chatting about with the couple sitting next to us in a bar and they invited us to join them and their family during the ride. We did and it was delightful.

The Providence Bridge Pedal was a memorable start to a fantastic bike trip. Have you ever participated in an organized bike event? Is there any event that can rival this excellent 20,000 rider event?

Oregon Coast Transportation

Planning my trip to the Oregon Coast was easy except for one item: transportation. The plan was to drive to Oregon, bike south for a week, find a way to get back to our car, and drive back home.

Easy right? Wrong.

Given how popular the Oregon Coast is as a bike touring and vacationing route I assumed this would be a piece of cake. It's not, so I thought I'd help you out by sharing the research I did pre-trip.

Bus/Train

When we first got to thinking about our trip I naively assumed that there would be a lovely train that would whisk us back to up the coast to our car. Give your head a shake girl, you're going to Oregon not Europe! Trains and charter buses don't service the coast so if you want to take one you'll have to head inland to a larger city, then up the I-5, then back out to the coast. Remember that you have to 1) find a bus that will accept your bike, and 2) possibly box up your bike. That makes this option a time consuming and costly headache in my book.

Ultimately, if time is of the essence, don't bother with trying to take a train. If money is your priority and you're alone or with only one traveling companion, this might work for you.

Renting a Car

This seemed like the next most logical solution. Again, I was lost in my big city mentality.

There are very few car rental outlets along the coast. You're pretty much looking at Astoria in the north and Coos Bay/North Bend in the south. If you are willing to head to larger cities like Portland, Eugene, or Medford you'll find a plethora of options but it takes one to two days of riding to get there.

And finding a car rental outlet isn't the only problem. They may not allow you to do a one-way rental. The Enterprise office in Coos Bay had zero interest in our one-way shenanigans. They simply wouldn't do it.

Hertz in Coos Bay/North Bend was willing to rent one-way, but it came at a significant extra cost. Being a summer weekend Hertz wanted to charge us upwards of $400 for a car we only wanted to use for four hours. No thanks.

So for us, renting a car got kiboshed. It might work for you if you're traveling on an weekday and especially if your trip is in the off season.

Flying

If you're going a longer distance or coming from further away, you might consider flying open jaw so that you don't have to deal with getting back to your airport of origin. The only commercial airport on the coast is in North Bend. The inland commercial airports are in Portland, Eugene, Kalamath Falls, Medford, and Redmond.

Keep in mind that you may need to pay extra to check your bike and that you'll need to get a bike box from a bike shop.

Taxi

No, I'm not joking. I'd excuse you if you thought I was because when the guy at Enterprise suggested it I thought he was being sassy. It's actually a really viable option. Since we were on a shorter tour and weren't covering that much distance a taxi would have cost us less than $250 - typically they charge about a dollar a mile. When you consider the additional benefits it becomes a really attractive proposition:

• You get to sleep instead of drive.
• It's very flexible. Just call the cab company a few hours before you want to head out and they'll have someone ready.
• They'll pick you up and drop you off wherever you like. I.E. You don't have to schlep across town to get to a bus station/rental car place/etc.
• They work 24/7 so you can do the drive whenever the heck you want to.
• Most of the larger towns have companies that will accommodate this. Just do a little googling and give them a call to make sure.
  

This was actually our plan until MM found the next option...

Rideshare

When I told Mountain Man that the plan was to pay $250 to take a taxi he thought he could do better. He posted an ad in the Craigslist rideshare listing for Coos Bay and before we knew it we had someone who was willing to give us a ride for a fee that was much lower than the taxi. I was dubious about the whole situation (glorified hitchhiking!) at first, but after swapping some information I decided I was comfortable with it. And if he bailed at the last minute we could easily fall back on the taxi plan.

In the end he didn't pull out, he invited us to stay at his gorgeous house for the night (he's an avid member of the Couch Surfing community), and we made a friend who we've continued to keep in contact with since. This option isn't for everyone, but it's worth considering for those looking for a little adventure.

So there is is for you, the fruits of my research on how to get from Coos Bay back to Cannon Beach with minimal money, time, and hassle. When you bike tour, how do you find your way back home?

Trip Report: Rohr Lake

The most popular places are popular for a reason.

That's a motto that I developed while traveling. When I was gallivanting around Europe a few years ago I thought I'd mix a few off the beaten path areas with the more popular areas. No offence to the less popular cities, but a place like Paris is popular for a reason. Because it's AWESOME. I've applied this to my outdoor adventures as well and resigned myself to the idea that to get the best payoff, sometimes you have to deal with crowded trails and popular backcountry campsites. A lot of times it's just plain worth it. Like here.



But not Rohr Lake. Rohr Lake is one of those places that proves my motto wrong. The payoff is five star but no one seems to know about the place.

The story begins at the trail head for Joffre Lakes. MM and I rolled into this Pemberton Classic's parking lot late in the day. On a gorgeous Saturday in August...see where this is going? As we pulled our backpacks on a Park Ranger spotted us and let us know that the camping area up at the third lake was already swamped. We asked for an alternative recommendation and he pointed us in the direction of Rohr Lake, only a few km's up the road.

Aside: can I make friends with some Park Rangers please? They always know all the best spots. And honestly, anyone who goes into Park Rangering as a profession is someone I want to know. It's just too freaking cool. If any Park Rangers are reading this, please befriend me. I'm a fairly nice person to be friends with. I like hiking and hosting cocktail parties.

So up the highway we go. We just barely make the turn and drive my poor little car up the overgrown road while it gets whapped with grass and bushes on both sides. Fortunately my paint job did escape unscathed.

I dubbed this spot Dinner Rock.

The trail to the lake goes like this:

1. Beautiful forest trail. Well marked yet sufficiently wild, aerobically uphill, and teaming with berries. Have I ever mentioned that MM cannot be stopped from picking any and all wild fruit? There was a lot of berry picking on this trip.
2. Breathtaking pristine meadow. It's really just ridiculous. Since the area isn't terribly popular the ground is a blanket of moss and plants and a yummy little stream runs through the middle. Tread carefully and try to step on rock where possible.
3. Semi-scramble up boulder field. Not exactly a hard core scramble, but you certainly have to put your hands down from time to time. Oh, and did I mention that you're following a stream the whole time? Prepare for mud. Also, make sure to turn around from time to time, the view behind you only gets more breath taking as you climb.
4. Gorgeous alpine lake. The setting will make you feel like your in a Molson commercial. The lake is icy green and so clear that you can see the rainbow trout swimming.

If you plan to adventure up to this area, here are some tips to help you be prepared:

• The hike up the boulder field is VERY muddy. As in, I did the hike in late August when it hadn't rained for weeks and still got mud inside my boots. Consider gators if you're going in wetter weather.
• Hiking poles were a lovely addition. Particularly when heading down, I really appreciated them on the slippery and steep boulder filed.
• There is not outhouse at the campsite.
• To avoid snow, consider doing this hike in late summer or early fall.
• The bug population is alive and well. Be prepared.
• If your into fishing, bring your gear. The lake is home to some very yummy looking rainbow trout.
• This is cougar and bear country. Bear bag your food. More on that later, by the way.

We found a bunch of these cute little guys near our campsite. I've never seen anything quite like them before. I think they're some sort of adorable weasel? Anyone know? I just wanted to put him in my pocket.

So now I've convinced you and you must go, right? Alright then, here are the directional details.

Directions to the Trail Head
To get to the trail head set your trip odometer when you get to the Joffre Lake (that's past Pemberton in beautiful British Columbia for the non-locals) parking lot (directions) and keep driving for 3 to 3.5 kms. Keep your eyes peeled for a little logging road on the left. You can miss it easily, there's no signage and it's overgrown. Turn left onto this single track road and drive as far as your car can handle. Keep left at the forks. Park when you need to and keep walking down the road. Before you know it, it will become a trail.

Directions on the Trail
The trail is 15km round trip and gives you a half a km in elevation gain. It's a surprisingly quick hike given the payoff. There is one well marked junction about half way through. Follow the arrow to the right for Rohr Lake. Eventually you'll break free of the trees and find yourself in a beautiful alpine meadow. At this point the trail is unclear. You need to climb the boulder field to your right. Follow the small stream to the top of the mountain and eventually you'll find yourself at the lake.

Silly girl that I am, I don't have any pictures of the lake (or nearly as many pictures as this trip deserved - there was a camera battery involved). But these guys do.

Have you ever stumbled upon a hidden gem of a trail? Who tipped you off?

Camping Breakfast: Trader Joes Roast Beef Hash

I have a new favorite camping breakfast. Well, really, I eat it for breakfast but it would do the job for any meal. It's roast beef hash from Trader Joes. Not only is it nomtastic, but it's perfect for camping!

As you can see here, it comes in a handy vacuum sealed pouch. Not only does this make it a non-perishable, but it's also light weight and waterproof.


Here's a picture of the package beside my camping stove to give you an idea of the size.

When you take it out of the package it looks like this.


Yeah. Ok. I know it looks like dog food.

But wait! After three minutes on a burner it looks like this!


Yeah...still looks like dog food. You'll just have to trust me that it's yumlicious. It's hearty, it's warm, and it's a little greasy*.

*And in case you got into the libations on your camping trip, it's great hangover food.

Gear Review: Double leg kickstand

The Esge/SKS double leg kickstand is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Why would I buy a $40-50 kickstand you ask? (By the way, is that price SHOCKING or what? A regular kickstand is $7 for goodness sakes!)



A double leg kickstand keeps the bike straight up and down (not leaning like a traditional one leg kickstand) and fully lifts one wheel off the ground. This is the.best.thing.ever. when cycle touring because:

1. The alternatives (no kickstand or a one legged kickstand) are nothing but a lesson in frustration. You'll either be constantly finding something to lean your bike against or laying it on the ground (picking a loaded bike up off the ground is annoying) or worse, having it constantly fall over when you try in vain to get a one legged kickstand to hold the weight of a bike with loaded panniers.
2. It makes it oh-so-easy to get your bags on and off the racks
3. Because it's free standing, can provide full 360 degree access to any part of the bike.
4. Because one wheel is lifted off the ground tuning the gears and lubing the chain is a snap.
5. It performs admirably even on uneven ground and soft ground since it doesn't depend on leaning.

This kickstand is not for everyone. I've heard that it doesn't fit on all bikes (although both my Trek FX and MM's Surly Long Haul Trucker were just fine). If you aren't touring it probably doesn't make sense to drop $50 and add more weight than you'd expect to keep your bike vertical. But if you are bike touring, I wouldn't leave home without it.

Anyone out there a kickstand lover like me? In the race obsessed cycling world it's not a popular choice, but I'll dare to be different on this one.

To plan or not to plan: that is the question

Some people are planners, some prefer to fly by the seat of their pants. I fall squarely into the planning category. I love to plan. I relish it. I'm one of those people who gets almost as much enjoyment out of planning the trip as they do from following the carefully laid plan...umm, I mean going on the trip.


BUT - I have planned enough to know that there are times when planning really hinders more than it helps. While on a backpacking trip I plan carefully (what I'll eat for each meal, where I'll camp each night) but on this biking trip I put the planning on hold.


If you are biking the Oregon Coast I'd suggest that you consider leaving a few items open to fate. Here a list of what I planned carefully as well as a list of what I just made up as I went along.


Items the I planned carefully:

• Map - having a great bike map like the one from Cycle Adventures was one of the big reasons that I didn't need to plan too much. The route is clearly laid out along with hill profiles and narratives to make surer you don't miss a turn. And it gives you all the info about campsite locations and town amenities that you could need.
• Money - And I don't just mean budgeting in advance to make sure you've saved up enough money for the trip. The Oregon Coast is full of small towns and you'll run into many places that are cash only. Meanwhile, the variety of banks available isn't great. If you're with Bank of Astoria or US Bank you'll be fine, but if not considering bringing cash with you to avoid ATM fees.
• Off bike transportation - we carefully planned how we would get to our starting place and how we would get home from our ending place. This was significantly more difficult than we thought it would be, so make sure you think about this ahead of time (expect a full post on this in the near future).
• Packing - every pound counts so consider every item carefully before you put it in your bag.
• Training - make sure to practice some tour-like riding before you actually head out. Not only will you be on a bike for hours in a day, you'll be doing it again the next day. And the next. You'll enjoy the trip more if you aren't aching with pain for the first five days.

But for the following items I found it better to go with the flow:

• Where to sleep - not only did the bike map outline all the campsites along the way, but the Oregon Coast seems to have a campsite every 15 miles! On top of that they always have space for bikers, so there's no need to make reservations. Keeping your daily destination flexible means that you can take advantage of unexpected events along the way (like stopping for the annual Pirate Treasure Hunt in Depot Bay or riding an awesome tailwind a few extra miles).
• What to eat - it's strange for me not to think about this because it's one of my biggest planning item on a backpacking trip. But my absolute favorite thing about cycle touring is that eateries, grocery stores, cafes, markets, and convenience stores abound! Finally you get to eat the way you want to when you are exercising all day. The Oregon Coast is studded with quirky diners and fantastic coffee shops. Ask the locals for advice - especially the guys at the bike shops. They never steered us wrong.
• What to do/see - One of the cool things about the Oregon Coast is that it was developed back in the heyday of road tripping. Therefore, you can learn about pretty much anything cool (festivals, markets, attractions, view points, beaches) right from the road. On top of that, the 101 acts as a main drag for most of the towns that it goes through so you'll find yourself right in the middle of the action pretty much wherever you go. Having a sight or event in mind is great, but don't feel like you have to drive yourself crazy figuring out all the best things to do in advance.

Are you a meticulous planner or do you like to leave your options open? Do you ever find that there's a benefit from abandoning your typical style?

Thanks Angela!

Just wanted to give a shout out to Angela over at My Year Without Spending for featuring me as a thrifty thread-er on her blog.

Angela's blog is all about her adventure in joining The Compact in 2009 and features all sorts of fun stuff about reducing waste, being thrifty, and changing habits to become more earth friendly.

For those who aren't in the know, The Compact is a pledge to buy nothing new for a year. It's a movement that's gaining momentum, and - in my opinion - drives at the route cause of our environmental issues. Angela explains it all here. If you haven't heard about The Compact or the non-consumer movement I suggest you check it out.

Also, welcome to anyone who may have wandered over here from Angela's blog! I'm an outdoor lover who tries to share useful advice, review, and ideas that make the outdoors more approachable to regular folks. I'd love for you to take a read and let me now what you think!