Oregon

So I have three days of posts to catch up on.

My first day I had my shorest cycle yet. I hitched a ride 20 miles from my host, who was headed that way. I got about 7 miles when I felt like my back tire was low. I looked down and I had broken 2 spokes. The next town, 7 miles further, had a community bike shop. They are a non-profit that gives away bikes. They paint bikes green and leave them all over town in summer. They also do a bike loan program, because apparently they had a lot of people in town who loose their licenses. I managed to do another maybe 8 miles I think it was, but the next town after that was 30 miles, light was running out and I was tired. They also told me people were really friendly there and I might get a place to stay. I ended up camping, it was dry when I set up, or just starting to rain. It rained all night.


the next day it also rained all day. I had 30 miles to go to get to the next town, Florence. This was the longest stretch yet of no towns along the beach. It was national forest, with some camp grounds the whole way. The trees wedre also short wind swept lodgepole or short pine, very similar to the ponderosa pine, were covering this stretch. I also arrived at my host Brian's place. He does Salmon restoration and had all kinds of cool things to tell me. He also reccomended the water. Apparently they drink their water straight, just sand filtration, their water is that good. I thought that was pretty cool.

today I did my longest ride yet, the straighter route was 77 miles and I did the longer bike route, I think it must have been 80 miles. Go me! I listened to a CS Lewis Narnia audio book. I also met an intersting guy named Mike who for 13 years did bike trips, stopping to work when he had to. He did the pacific coast stretch 13 times. I also met a really rude cyclist. I saw him  turn into a gallery and I had just been thinking about using their washroom, so I decided to. He was asking how much further Florence was then coos bay, he asked if it was 20 miles. I told him he couldn't make it, but would manage Coos bay. He very emphatically told me I couldn't tell him what he could and could not do. He rides at night, thinks it's safer. I also said it was more like 30 miles, but I was trying to recall more correctly. Of course when I am on my way again, I realize it is more like 50 miles further then coos bay, which is about 30 miles, so I stand by what I said, I really don't think he'll make it. But he didn't need to be a jerk to me about it. I arrived to my hosts house and I got a real home made from scratch meal. Pasta with deer meatballs (shot killed and cleaned by my host) and bread.