The Last 2 Days

Friday was our longest ride of the week. The route from Packwood to Longview WA ended up being 94.84 miles. Once again we rolled out of the church parking lot before 6:00. For the first time in a long time, almost everyone had a jacket on to try and ward off the early morning chill. As we rolled through town, we saw several elk amble across the road in front of us and head into the forest. Most of the riders seem to take off at a much faster pace than my legs want to turn at the beginning, but after 10 or 15 minutes I’m ready to ride harder. I managed to eventually catch John Z and Turbo Tom and I rode with them to the bottom of the first hill where they pulled away from me. The profile promised 2 longer climbs (2-3 miles) but neglected to show the rolling hills towards the end of our route.

On the way up the second climb, I spotted an orange jersey in the ditch up ahead. As I got closer, I realized it was Justin who was raiding a blackberry patch on the side of the hill. I stopped and joined him figuring that would be a great snack. He was filling a quart-size zip-loc so he could make a pie. I had a second bag so we ended up with 2 quarts of berries and I had eaten plenty as well.

After our second rest stop, I set off with John, Melissa, Leah, and Lindsey. Lindsey and I were at the back talking when I got a flat. That put us at the back of the pack except for the sweeps. Once it was changed, we rode hard until the next rest stop, which was several miles later than expected because Tom had missed a turn. From that rest stop I rode with the others who had waited for us. The route sheet got rather complicated, and I have learned that it is always safest to ride with Melissa who made the route sheet and seems to have it memorized. The church we stayed at was hidden behind a storefront in downtown Longview. Rather than getting to explore, I joined my chore team in the last laundry duty of the trip. We have spent enough time together that between the three of us we were able to sort most of the laundry into piles including clothing that didn't have a name on it. 

Shortly after our return to the church we discovered that Dan’s bike had been stolen. He took it well and figured that the thief hadn’t gotten very far because the cable for the back derailer was frayed and had been disconnected waiting for a replacement. It would be a great disappointment to not get to ride the final day, so over our meal of an egg, sausage, and hash brown casserole, it was decided that Justin would ride Tom’s bike (that did most of the trip on the rack on the top of his van) and Dan would ride Justin’s since Justin fit Tom’s bike and Justin didn’t mind his being adjusted to fit Dan. Our day ended with eating the three blackberry pies Justin had made.

Saturday was our final day. This day had been the topic of many conversations over this last week. Along with favorite moments/days of the trip, people expressed their joy but also sadness at reaching the end of the trip. The 18 who did the whole trip had been together for 9 weeks. The shared experiences and living in close community results in strong bonds being formed. It’s the type of experience where just one word can bring laughter since it represents a whole story not easily explained to others.

Our instructions for the day were a bit different than usual. There would be one rest stop at mile 25 and then everyone was to wait at the pier in Astoria (about mile 50) until the sweeps arrived so we could ride together for the last 8 or so miles to the beach in Seaside that would be the official end.  Our route took us across the Columbia River and included 3 decent climbs. There was also plenty of rolling hills in the second half of the ride until we got to Astoria.

I rode with others until we reached the top of the second climb and then wanted to push it a bit so I rode hard for about 10 miles to the rest stop. Tom had chosen a gas station for our rest stop and we provided plenty of entertainment for employees and patrons alike since Mark and Brett decided to make some smoothies with the bike-powered blender. A little ice cream and other miscellaneous items from the food bins went in (including a maple flavored donut) and the result wasn’t too bad. 

During the second part of the ride through the rolling hills, I stopped to talk to two young men who were riding loaded-down mountain bikes. They were from Germany and riding from Seattle to San Francisco. In the course of our conversation I discovered they were headed for Seaside but had been told there was no room at the campground there. After talking with Melissa, I invited them to join us and gave them my route sheet so they would have the address of the church were we were staying. They were stopping in Astoria to use the internet and were also taking a different route.

I could smell the sea before we saw it and it was a beautiful sight. 

We gathered at the pier, took a group photo of this “dysfunctional family”... 

...and headed out together with Melissa (this year’s leader) and Lydia (next year’s leader) in the lead. I was toward the back of the pack and quickly decided it was a good thing that we didn’t try to stay together all the time. It would take some time getting used to the accordion effect.  

Mihai, one of the all-the-way riders, lives in Portland and his family came to meet us at the beach. I had no idea what a crew it would be. There must have been at least 25 of them (at least three generations). They had set up a finish line on the beach and were cheering loudly until we all came across.  From there things got a little crazy as some went running into the water (burr!!!), some cried, and all rejoiced. Once pictures were taking and hugs given all around, we circled up as a group for the last time. There was some Oyees! (meaning a combination of Thank you, Let’s do it, and Amen), a prayer, and a song, before we headed towards the church where we were staying. Had it been a bit warmer, we likely would have lingered longer.

Mihai’s family had not just come to welcome us at the beach, but they had brought grills and everything else needed for us to have a feast in the back yard. What a special treat! The rest of the afternoon was filled with packing up bikes, good-byes for those who were leaving that day, and getting everyone through the one shower. Our German friends, Hauke and Thore, arrived about 4. They unloaded their saddle bags and then headed for the beach. They made sure to be back in time for supper which was provided by some of the women in the church. We had made-to-order omelets, pancakes, hash browns, bacon, and fruit. Hauke and Thore were elated to not be cooking on their one tiny burner and filled their plates three times. Everyone who was spending the night ended up in Seaside which seemed to have more candy stores than anything else.

By Sunday evening, there were only 8 of us left. We packed up the trailer and van for an early departure on Monday morning and then headed for Cannon Beach to enjoy the sunset. It was a beautiful evening and sunset. Pictures can’t do it justice as the color of the sky was constantly shifting and they completely leave out the sounds of the seagulls and waves, the smell of the ocean, the coldness of the water and the feel of the sand on my feet. It was a fitting end to a great trip.