Cape Disappointment
80.7 km today, 499.5 km total
There may have been a few raindrops last night, or maybe it was just the pine needles that were covering the tarp this morning that I heard falling during the night. Got a fairly late start, but it was an easy day. It was foggy early, but burned off fairly quickly, and the day alternated between sunny and overcast skies. A very nice ride along Willapa Bay and the National Wildlife Refuge. I arrived in Long Beach around 1500 and wandered around town, meeting the first other touring cyclist of the trip, Mike from Vancouver BC, pulling a trailer behind his mountain bike. We compared notes for a bit, then I headed off to explore a bit more and have a late lunch.
While in town checking my email on the sidewalk, a boy, probably around 10 or so, asked if my computer was a laptop or a DVD player. A fairly common question given its diminutive size. Then he started asking a bunch of other questions, like where I came from, if I rode the bike the whole way, how long it took, my average speed, and how many times I had crashed. "Luckily, I haven't crashed at all so far," I answered, and he said "I'd hate to be your laptop when you crash." Me too, kid, although I think it has a better chance of coming through unscathed than I. Since he seemed incredulous that I'd ridden all the way from Seattle, I told him I'd just met a guy who'd come even further. He asked if he had a "gray beard and a big nose." I said no, but I knew who he was talking about, since the other person on a bike I'd seen in town matched that description.
I rode onto Ilwaco, then to Cape Disappointment State Park, where I set up camp. Mike was there also, and we talked some more (being interrupted by a pair of curious raccoons) before I set off to explore the park. It was fairly foggy, windy, and chilly, but I set out on Waikiki Beach watching the waves come in, and the fog turn the faintest pinkish color as the sun set and darkness fell.
Waikiki Beach, Cape Disappointment State Park
Cooked up dinner, and the brazen raccoons were out in force, one putting his front paws on the opposite bench of the picnic table I was sitting at, his back paws on the ground, peering up to see what I was eating, while his friends were attacking the plastic container Mike had in his trailer, the racket drawing him out of his tent to further secure things.
Pesky little bugger, but cute.
There may have been a few raindrops last night, or maybe it was just the pine needles that were covering the tarp this morning that I heard falling during the night. Got a fairly late start, but it was an easy day. It was foggy early, but burned off fairly quickly, and the day alternated between sunny and overcast skies. A very nice ride along Willapa Bay and the National Wildlife Refuge. I arrived in Long Beach around 1500 and wandered around town, meeting the first other touring cyclist of the trip, Mike from Vancouver BC, pulling a trailer behind his mountain bike. We compared notes for a bit, then I headed off to explore a bit more and have a late lunch.
While in town checking my email on the sidewalk, a boy, probably around 10 or so, asked if my computer was a laptop or a DVD player. A fairly common question given its diminutive size. Then he started asking a bunch of other questions, like where I came from, if I rode the bike the whole way, how long it took, my average speed, and how many times I had crashed. "Luckily, I haven't crashed at all so far," I answered, and he said "I'd hate to be your laptop when you crash." Me too, kid, although I think it has a better chance of coming through unscathed than I. Since he seemed incredulous that I'd ridden all the way from Seattle, I told him I'd just met a guy who'd come even further. He asked if he had a "gray beard and a big nose." I said no, but I knew who he was talking about, since the other person on a bike I'd seen in town matched that description.
I rode onto Ilwaco, then to Cape Disappointment State Park, where I set up camp. Mike was there also, and we talked some more (being interrupted by a pair of curious raccoons) before I set off to explore the park. It was fairly foggy, windy, and chilly, but I set out on Waikiki Beach watching the waves come in, and the fog turn the faintest pinkish color as the sun set and darkness fell.
Waikiki Beach, Cape Disappointment State Park
Cooked up dinner, and the brazen raccoons were out in force, one putting his front paws on the opposite bench of the picnic table I was sitting at, his back paws on the ground, peering up to see what I was eating, while his friends were attacking the plastic container Mike had in his trailer, the racket drawing him out of his tent to further secure things.
Pesky little bugger, but cute.
posted by Matt at 16:26
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home