Day 1

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Quick stats: 62 miles, 3200 feet of elevation gain

We drove to Sunset Beach south of Astoria. By the time we drove there, packed the bike and made several returns to the car for forgotten items, quick repairs (loose fender) I finally took off at 11:30 am. No traditional dipping the tire in the Pacific. It was low tide with about 200 yards of sand/mud to the ocean and breaking 6’ waves.

I rode PC 101 and business 101 into Astoria. What no one tells you is that this route climbs to the highest point and immediately drops into the main part of town on the other side. The route followed Hwy 30 with several climbs and descents as it headed back to Portland.

The scenery is beautiful old growth timber in several spots. However, most of my concentration was on the road, with a steady stream of cars and RVs heading back from the weekend and no or limited shoulders in several stretches. I stopped to rest in Clatskanie after a long climb and dropping, hoping to camp there for the night. With no camping available the only option was to make another 500’ climb to the county park on the other side of the ridge.

I pulled in at 7:45 and with rubber legs and an empty belly, quickly made camp and prepared a gourmet rice packet and PB & tortillas.


You never realize how small the world is…There were two other cyclists camping nearby. We got to talking and one of the guys was from Duluth, MN. They were following a similar route heading to Cody WY. When he asked where I was from, I  generally replied …’50 miles west of Mpls’....He said “oh, like the Dassel area?” It turns out he (Ted Urban) worked in at Payco seeds and knew several people in the area.


Seaside Oregon



Old Growth Trees

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