Tuesday, May 7th. 12:30pm

Man, its hot.  I have had spotty internet coverage lately (no big surprise in the mountains on Oregon), and just trying to get miles in through this heat... About 80°F+ and very sunny for days now.  Seems unseasonal, but I don't know the area.  Seems I'm in Sienna Valley... Wine country.

I'm still disappointed in myself for turning back from the 101 a few days ago in Florence.  All I did was go back through mountainous terrain (albeit, less traffic) and I'm heading back that way now.  Ah well, I try to take each mile as it comes and not beat myself up over it.

I've been facing a very slow leak in my back tire yesterday and today; likely this tube has one of the old self-adhesive patches that I got as a sort of "door prize" for doing the FHR ride last year.  With panniers, Rohloff, and Pit locks to deal with, I've been putting off fixing it and instead pumping the tire up 2-3x a day.  I should find a good spot and also oil my chain, soon...

Tuesday, May 7th. 8:15am

Wow, I got a lot of rest last night.  Nearly eleven hours, and only woke up a few times.  Oddly, there did not seem to be much animal life around.  I had found an old turn-off that looks like people occasionally come here to dump shit and drink.  It was comfortable, though, and the first night I've noticed the lack of light pollution at night.  I haven't seen so many stars in years!

Restocked groceries and water yesterday, midway through the hilliest day of climbing I've had yet: 2500 feet over 50 miles.  I don't think it helped that I switched to an Indica-heavy strain that morning either, but the disassociative effect on my body was something else... Like flying about myself, unable to actually feel like I was the one pedaling.  Hah.  Hopefully not so many hills today.

Saturday, May 4th. 7:30pm

Hah!  This is one if the best campsites I've found.  Except for the highway nearby.  I was on... 126, I believe, and saw tire tracks through the chest-tall grass.  I slowed down and took the turn, which (after 200 feet) met this beautiful little creek that I can use for washing and making coffee.  I wish, now, that I hadn't just used all my fresh water on soup, but I still have a gallon or so.  I don't think there're any fish in this - a lot of it is ankle deep here - but I'm going to explore downstream tomorrow.

Sunday, May 5th. 11:15am

Excellent day so far.  I was up and out of bed by 6:30 this morning, making coffee and instant oatmeal.  I realized I don't have any butter or cooking oil left, which is unfortunate with the abundance of eggs I have.  I will probably have to boil them all off tomorrow morning before I hit the road again.

I explored the three paths open to me this morning: up stream, down stream and the little of road path with which I discovered this place.  None of the paths really divulged much of interest; upstream got deep after about 700 feet and the trail followed power lines for some time, but I had shorts on and this was tick territory.  Downstream still holds some potential, mostly I turned back because I didn't have a camera.  But I doubt there's much.  This creek seems almost manmade, or at least maintained so it doesn't trickle away.  I've seen a lot of logs laid out in the water with metal cords holding them in place.

I tried out my "kitchen sink" earlier.  Scooping about 4-5 gallons of water out of the creek, I added about 4 tbl Dr. Bronner's and washed my laundry and dishes.  A little awkward, but rewardingly quaint.

Saturday, May 4th. 3:30pm.

Well today was a bit frustrating (which usually means i need to eat).  About 20 of the miles i put in were in the wrong direction.  Or rather, I started going towards hwy 101, but by the time I got there, i put a new southern destination in, and the GPS sent me back the way I came.  Then I thought about it, and it is Saturday.  Im not sure how the 101 is here, but on the Olympic Peninsula, it was terrible.  No shoulder, logging trucks and these tour buses piloted by a bunch of 70-year-old anesthesiologists do not make for fun bike trips.

On the plus side, I met some nice people a few minutes ago as I filled up on water at a small general store.  The lady behind the counter gave me a couple of hot dogs and filled my water for me while I ate and regaled the patrons with tales of the road.  Good times.

Now I'm making a split pea soup to use up some of this water, then I hope to get another 20mi in tonight before bedding down.  A few more days in Oregon.

Saturday, May 4th. 7:45am

Phew.  Chilly this morning.  Hard to type...

Great campsite, next to a local boat launch, if you ignore the 'no camping' signs.  I've got a bathroom with running water, and a river to fish in!  Breakfast is in order, I think. Instant oatmeal with scrambled eggs.  I'd like to do some fishing, but I've got a lot of miles ahead of me.

Fri, May 3rd. 2:00pm

Sitting under a Hwy 99e, next to a river... I forget the name.  Its been a great day for riding, I almost regret getting a late start.  My knee is still being bothersome; reading up on "runners knee" showed that it was my only flabby ass coupled with a sloppy, tired riding technique.  I also attribute being on a busy road with no shoulder - I tend to throw my knees sides way to brace and balance.

I'm on the look out now for somewhere to make some split pea soup before my vegetables go bad.  Also, I stocked up on water so the weight is an annoyance.

If this tailwind keeps up for a while, I will be in San Francisco in no time!