Goodnight Oregon, Hello California!

California weather, we’re going south with a nice wind behind us.

A final Oregon picture before entering California 

My last state!

Lina and Dean, ridding buddies 

Tim the “Tuna Bomber” and a great person and rider 

Oregon sunset 

Team gathering on the beach

On the path to the beach 

One of many Oregon lighthouses 

Table Top Rock

Yesterday our ride was a mix of steep climbs and beautiful vistas. I can’t complain about the riding conditions because they’ve been perfect. The temperature has been ideal, the roads are smooth and a steady tailwind makes riding effortless. Last night we camped in Humburg Mountain State Park, Oregon. Our campsite sat back in the trees with a path to the rugged Pacific beach. We were warned not to leave food out because bears and cougars had been seen in the area. I thought I’d have to defend the large box of chocolate bars Dave and Grace Suriani sent me and the box of mixed goodies my sister-in-law had sent with my life. Instead people stepped up and ate most of the delicious treats before the the cougars and bears could sink their teeth into them. After a fine camp pasta dinner I joined a group of fellow riders and we went to the beach to watch the sunset. As we sat around, Tim told us about the last time he visited Oregon. He went to a tuna canning factory and like the tuna so much that he bought a case to take back to Minnesota. To get the cans into his suitcase he duck taped six cans together and put them in his carry on suitcase. Of course when the suitcase went through the scanner it set TSA into action. Why would anyone tape tuna cans together to look like a large pipe bomb they wanted to know. After detaining him they let him go but he said TSA followed him until he boarded. He should never have told us that story because we’ve been now calling him the “Tuna Bomber.” After a few good laughs we watched a very beautiful sunset and then headed off to our tents for a great night’s sleep. The morning was beautiful. I was amazed that there was very little dew on my tent. Lately our tents have been dripping wet in the morning. That’s one less item I have to dry at the end of the ride. We had an 80 mile day with a very steep climb in the morning but again a tailwind helped propel us up with much less effort than usual. The second half of the day was easy because the terrain was just rolling and a 20 mph wind was directly at our backs. We literally blew into California. We’re staying in a church in Crescent City. Our host is Katie and the only thing she requires us to do is give her a hug and we can stay in the church’s outreach rooms. It’s a great deal because the place is very comfortable. It has a great kitchen and hot showers. Ernie, one of our route leaders, prepared all of us a great spaghetti dinner. It really hit the spot after a long day. Tomorrow we leave civilization (no cell service) and head into the redwood forests.