Covid Cross Day #51 Clatskanie, OR to Astoria, OR
Covid Cross Day #51
July 25, 2020
Clatskanie, OR to Astoria, OR 34 Miles
Start 7:00 AM Finish 11:51 AM
Ride Time 3:05
Ascent 1431 Feet
Descent 1452 Feet
Tour Total 3998 Miles
I slept reasonably well stealth camping in the blackberry patch next to the cow pasture alongside Highway 30. The motor traffic died down after it got dark, and I was able to settle into a deep sleep. My Thermarest compensated for the large rocks underneath me, and fortunately there were no freight trains on the nearby track.
My tent was drenched this morning from condensation. It was chilly and I was wearing my leg-warmers, sweater, and jacket. A few miles down the road I crossed the Clatsop County line. A sign advised me that I was now in a Tsunami Ready Community. I entered Westport, population 321. This was where Jason had told me that I should buy pie. It was still early and my fingers were crossed. The Berry Patch opened at 8 AM and I was fifteen minutes early. I rode across the street to the Westport Community Church and spread out my soaking wet tent to dry in the sun. For breakfast I had eggs over-easy, bacon, toast, hash browns, orange juice, coffee, and a slice of huckleberry pie a la mode. Woohoo!
Back out on the road I passed a Georgia Pacific paper mill. I climbed a hill that cut away from the river and my body broiled on the ascent, so I pulled over to take off my sweater. The summit of Clatsop crest had an elevation of 656 feet. Had my map elevation profile not been folded under the crease, I wouldn’t have had to wait for the sign for this information.
I passed groves and groves of clear-cut forest. I remembered the clear-cuts in this area from two years ago when I did the Trans Am. I rode through the small town of Knappa, no population listed. It had a pizza parlor, gas station, and fire department. I crossed Ferris Creek, Bear Creek, and Marys Creek. I finally came to a place where I could see the wide Columbia River again to the right, with a mountain range behind far in the distance.
I entered a Tsunami Hazard Zone. As I crossed the John Day river, I spotted houseboats floating on the stream down below. One of them included a floating wood-planked basketball court. I entered the town of John Day, no population listed. It wasn’t even on my map. The highway was two-lanes wide and thick with traffic.
I passed the welcome to Astoria sign and was greeted with another hill. I remembered how hilly this town was from last time. There was a jogger ahead of me and it took me a good long while to catch him. The river came back into view where I could see ocean freighters. I spotted the Astoria-Megler Bridge across to Washington at the mouth of the Columbia. I rode to the Martitime Museum and took the Pacific Coast tour photo in front of the large anchor. Two years ago I had finished my Trans Am Tour at this very spot along with Scott, Eileen, and Klaus. Last year's Northern Tier Tour ended on Lopez Island with team Spokane. This year's tour concluded solo, and I had an empty feeling inside. It had been a short riding day and I now had extra time on my hands. It wouldn't have been possible to ride from Portland to Astoria in one day, but two days gave me extra time. The ACA Lewis and Clark route went all the way to Seaside, directly on the Ocean, but Astoria was good enough for me.
I met a touring cyclist who was doing a west coast loop. He had a fondness for Astoria and mentioned that he had ridden in the 2004 bike protests in New York during the Republican Convention. Last night he had camped under a pier at the Astoria-Megler Bridge. I pedaled over to Rogue Brewery where I ordered a Hazelnut Brown Nectar along with a Blackened Salmon Sandwich. I googled hotels and settled on the Columbia Inn where I went over and took a nap, showered, shaved, and did laundry. For dinner I rode over to Fort George Brewery, but it was reservation only and I couldn’t get in. So I pedaled back to Rogue Brewery and ordered a repeat.
I now had a different impression of Astoria, having arrived this time from the east, from the Columbia River perspective. I had now seen another part of the city and discovered a fantastic bike trail along the river. It was warmer this year and more tourists were out and about. This time was also a weekend. I noticed more homeless and transients this trip. On my way back to the hotel I spotted the touring cyclist I had met earlier. He was waiting for the sun to set to stealth camp.
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