Day 22: The Great Hill That Was More (Humbug State Park to Harris Beach State Park)

Day 22: The Great Hill That Was More (Humbug State Park to Harris Beach State Park)

Oregon Coast

The plan for today was simple. We wake up to a beautiful sunny day and ride 48 miles south to our camp in Harris Beach State Park, Oregon. At camp, we all talked about meeting there and the only thing we focused on is the big climb that marks the half-way point to our destination. What we didn’t realize was that there were more afterwards.

Empty Camp

T-Rex vs Sang Hyun

T-Rex vs Sang Hyun

When both Sang Hyun and I woke up, the only people left in camp was Nick and Jenny. Everyone else had left early and moved on to their next destination. We knew we would see Portlan in camp tonight. He had left about an hour before we did.

We got on the road close to 9AM and continued our journey east, following highway 101. We were surprised by how flat the terrain was until we got to the coast. From there, the road pointed up as we road along more beautiful cliffs. The Oregon Coast makes it easy for anyone to be a really good photographer, with a plethora of beautiful viewpoints, waypoints, and vistas. We pretty much had views all through the day.

Highlights Before “The Hill”

Arch Rock

The highway actually brought us to a prehistoric attraction near the Arizona Beach off the 101 highway. We saw a T-Rex and a brontosaurus in the parking and had to take a closer look. After that, we continued on until we had to turn off in Ophir to a cool little back road called Cedar Valley Road. This gave us a fairly flat route through a quiet town where most people looked like they were growing their own crops to survive. Our imaginations ran wild as our legs kept moving, passing one house after another. We eventually made it out of the neighborhood and followed the path out to Wedderburn across the bridge to Gold Beach to have lunch.

Sang Hyun Resting

Sang Hyun Resting

We fueled up with 1/3 lb hamburger each and a scoop of ice cream in a waffle cone. Delicious meal while we took a mental break and prepare for the dreaded climb. We rode through Gold Beach and made it out of the city to begin the climb. The climb was long, but not very steep. We took our time and eventually got to the top sooner than we thought. We were rewarded with the fastest descent of our trip, topping 40+ mph. So much fun!

But Wait, There’s More

But then…we had several smaller hills at 200 – 300 feet each to climb afterwards. These hills drained our energy and broke our spirits. Both Sang Hyun and I quietly spun through them miserably until we reached the entrance of our campsite. We found Portlan there anxiously waiting for our thoughts of the ride. He was also in misery. We set up our camp and asked him to have dinner in town. The 3 of us went for Mexican food. It was our first time eating Mexican food since we left LA, so it was a change and treat. We then stopped by the Fred Meyers for snacks and more fuel before coming back to camp.

Portlan & Iris (Xtracycle)

Portlan & Iris (Xtracycle)

Back at camp, Nick and Jenny were cooking dinner having already showered. They had arrived at 5PM, about the same time we left. They also agreed that the day was long and miserable. The French couple from the other night was also here, but they took some time to explore the city before we got there. Believe it or not, Jeff and Mikhala from Canada showed up really late at camp tonight. They had stayed in Cape Blanco for a day off and finally got back on the road today. It’s just so funny how we keep on running into the same folks on this trip. We all agreed that we should have dinner when everyone reaches San Diego. We will even take a train or drive to see them.  Seeing familiar faces while on the road sure makes things easier.

Nick & Jenny

Nick & Jenny

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