On May 19th 12 CCCTS members started from Victoria and headed south toward San Francisco. For the next 3+ weeks (21 riding days and 2 rest days) we wound our way down the highways and by-ways for a total of 1643.7 kilometers and 18,438 meters of elevation gain. Our leader – Bruce Daykin – did a wonderful job of keeping us mostly on by-ways rather than highways. We even did a pretty good job of avoiding the rain. There was only one really bad rain day coming into Eureka. Everyone scurried for a garbage bag poncho – very fashionable. It was mere coincidence that Dave Kuitunen left the tour the next day — actually that was planned from the beginning since he didn’t have enough vacation days for the entire tour. The eleven hardy souls who completed the trip where Bruce Daykin (leader), John Pringle (co-leader), Jenni Lynnea (wagon master), Jean McDonald (trip nurse), Necla Tunca, Bonita Douglas, David Kolic, Diane Ferris, Ellie Khazaei, Dawn Minett, and Max McClanahan. Below is a picture of the troupe (minus David Kuitunen) aboard the Coho ferry all cheerful, optimistic, and ready for adventure.
From Port Angeles we headed east and picked up the Hood canal which we followed south to its end. From there we headed west and traversed the Olympic peninsula to the coast. The weather was overcast and drizzly, in other words it felt just like home for the B.C. folks. The terrain also was similar to home with the addition of the ubiquitous Washington mud flats. That is one of the nice parts of a trip like this. Our destination was very different than home, but the changes happened very gradually as we pedaled south.
Heading into Oregon was itself an adventure. The bridge over the Columbia is more than 6 kilometer long. The guide books are full of horror stories about the bridge and its bike lanes. Fortunately the highway department must have also read the guide books. By the time we got there they had removed the northbound bike lane and allocated all the space to the southbound lane. Consequently it was a decent sized lane and wasn’t a bad crossing at all — but still an adventure.
As we headed South along the coast and into Oregon the weather became noticeably dryer. However we still had the morning fog to make things interesting. In Oregon we stayed mostly along the coast. And what a lovely coast it was. A mixture of rugged rocky bluff interspersed with beautiful sandy beaches. And of course there were the ever present “haystack” rock formation just off shore all along the Oregon coast.
We had our first hotel and first rest day in Lincoln City Oregon at Sailor Jack’s motel. A modest little hotel, but the location was fantastic: right on the beach. It was beautiful and sunny all the time we were there — very therapeutic.
As we left Oregon and rode into California we remained along the coast for a few days. Geographically there wasn’t a lot of change, but in other ways California was much different than Oregon. Oregon seemed much more prosperous. California seemed more isolated and remote. Our second rest day in Myers Flat conjured up images of hillbillies with the adventures of the brothers Darrel and Darrel running late into the night. Very picturesque but very isolated. Not what one normally expects from California.
For me the high point of the trip was riding in the redwoods. There was one stretch coming into Meyers Flat called “Avenue of the Giants”. It was truly spectacular. Bruce took a picture that almost captures the immensity of these trees. I find it to be a religious experience to quietly ride among these big guys for mile after mile.
A close second and a favorite of many was the California coast line. Beautiful winding roads perched above the crashing surf. It was sunnier and warmer than Oregon (and without the “haystacks”). It made for some very nice riding day. There were lots of ups and downs and always a beautiful view.
California is an extremely varied state: from the Giant redwoods to the barren coast line, from the isolated back woods to the large metropolitan areas. As we worked our way southward the population continued to increase. This culminated in the final day of riding as we rode down the Marin peninsula. Marin county is mostly urban, but still not heavily populated. But at its southern tip is the Golden Gate Bridge which of course leads to one of landmark cites of the world. The last day is a bit of a challenge as you try to make your way toward the Golden Gate without getting into horrendous traffic. However Bruce did a very good job and laid out a course that worked quite well. It had a lot of twists and turns with the occasional glimpse of the Golden Gate and the San Francisco skyline. We finally made out way to the water front across from San Francisco with the Golden Gate towering above us. We had just one more hard climb up to the Gate. Once up on the Golden gate it was cold. It was windy. It was crowded. But it was the Golden Gate with all of it iconic beauty. Magnificent views and a fitting end to a wonderful trip. From the Golden Gate it was a gentle roll into our hotel in San Francisco. Many sad good-byes as our grand adventure came to an end. Thank you Bruce: it was a magnificent trip and a ride well lead.