Day 6: Long Beach, WA to Cannon Beach, OR

I think today was the best day of riding so far.  Not only was it a mere 44 miles, but the weather was bright, sunny, and warm. We left the Adrift Hotel in Long Beach, WA around 7:30 am and started our ride on a bike path that skirted the shoreline before taking us up into the hills.  After a few short steep climbs and a screaming descent, we joined U.S. 101.  The morning traffic was light and most of the next 20 miles as flat with a nice shoulder.  

A carved wooden sculpture of porpoises at the start of bike path.

At the end of the bike path we consult our queue sheets for directions.

I admittedly hope to lose some weight on this trip,
but I hope I don't end up quite this emaciated!

Riding through small towns at 14 MPH makes it possible to see sights you would likely miss in a car.  In a small town along 101 I came across a house all decked out for Halloween, including this skeleton riding a bike.  A few miles later we came to our first tunnel.  Although only a quarter of a mile long, I opted to walk my bike on the narrow raised sidewalk rather than ride through.  Most motorists are courteous to bicyclists, but it can be a little nerve rattling when having to share such a narrow road. 

A few miles later, we faced the 4.1 mile long Astoria-Megler Bridge that spans the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. I had originally planned to ride across the bridge with our "sag" driver Jean in "Little bo beep" (the name affectionately given to the little white Subaru that runs the route with cold water, snacks, and the occasional exhausted rider), but with some urging from fellow rider Terese, I decided to peddle across. 

A fellow rider preparing to depart the final "sag"
stop before crossing the Astoria-Mergler Bridge.

Stopping to catch my breath, I snapped this photo
looking towards the Washington side of the bridge.

This photo comes courtesy of Wikipedia and give a
sense of the final steep ascent before exiting into Astoria, OR.

The internet connection is pretty slow here at the Sea Breeze Court in Cannon Beach, OR so I'll have to try and post more photos later.  In just a couple of hours (7:45 am) we'll start today's 69 mile ride from Cannon Beach to Pacific City, OR. The forecast calls for sunny skies and with a tailwind I hope to roll into town by 3 pm. Below is a map with a close approximation of today's route.


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