Rain Rain, Is Here To Stay

After leaving the sweet shelter of friends houses I ventured down the Oregon coast. Since arriving in Seattle, this was the first night in a tent since Idaho. Time to get back to it. I first ventured east to the Columbia River gorge. Hiked a short way up to check out some falls and then headed for the coast. Riding all day in a slight mist with little sun and low 60s upper 50s got to be pretty bone chilling. I got close to my planned camp for the night, Cape Lookout state park, and then the skies opened up. In a matter of seconds I became drenched. It was raining so hard that I was about to pull over, but it let up slightly and I was so close to the campground that I kept going. There was also no shelter to hide under. Upon arrival I asked a ranger about staying in a yurt, but they were full up. A tent site it was. I set up quickly and arranged my jacket and pants on my bike under my cover as best I could even though I knew they'd still be damp in the morning. I slept well and remained dry through the night, but all my gear was wet. Looking at weather forecasts all night, I decided that exploring the coast was not what I wanted to do. As long as it was raining, I wasn't going to have a lot of fun. The forecast did have a day without rain so I drove to southern Oregon the next day and snagged a cheap motel to dry out my gear in for the night. The coast was still beautiful and my eyes wanted to stay but my hands and feet longed for southern California. Half way through the next day I aim for Gualala CA. A quick stop in redwood national park and I decide to get the hell out of there before some heavy the next day. A childhood friend Sarah Welinsky caught wind of my trip and she and her fiance offered a bed for the night and a chance to catch up.

Pictures: a waterfall in the gorge. Hug point, and my first view of the Pacific on this trip. All my gear which is dry-ish on the inside, but drenched in the outside. Overall I'm very happy with my pants and jacket. I stayed dry all day underneath those. A Julia Stoner approved beach at lookout park. A hiking trail along the coast. More investigation is needed here. I might be coming back for this. Midway through the day after the rain. The sun is out!Read more