3 Capes Scenic Tour and North

Early Friday morning I spun the bike north from Pacific City to Cannon Beach using the 3 Cape Scenic Tour and then US101.  About 75 miles and 5 hours.  Gotta say that the first part was the most peaceful.  I had the road to myself for Cape Kiwanda, Cape Lookout, and Cape Meres.  At Tillamook the road joins US 101 and the traffic gets heavier, faster, noisier.  I enjoy the ride a lot more when I'm not concentrating on passing traffic, tend to get tunnel vision.    

My left ear has been bugging me lately and I was thinking an earplug might have been nice to have. 

The docks at Garibaldi-

Tide water in Tillamook Bay

Can you tell that it is straight down 400 feet from where I'm sitting?  Neahkahnie Mountain

Got a great quote from a fisherman when I stopped on a small bridge and looked into the Wilson River.  He say's, "Nothin's shaking but the leaves in the trees, Dude".  Indicating there weren't any fish.

While in Pacific City-

•   Pelican Pub, Dinner and Belgium style beers.
•   Greatful Bread, for breakfast or lunch.
• Walk the beach.  Climb the Dune.  Tidal pools.

While in Cannon beach-

• People watching.
• Walk the beach and see everyone smiling. 

Observations along the way-

• Lots of domesticated rabbits in the area around Pacific City.
• Smells of the area, Tillimook Cows and good Tidal mudflat, Garibaldi Crab, 3 Capes route had damp earth,
• Tsunami warning signs.  More important these days.
• I don't like loud Harley motorcycles.  And it seems like they want me to be impressed.
• There are a lot of water falls and creeks that I never noticed before when driving.
• Lots of dead wild bees along US 101 Garibaldi to Warren.
• Gatorade costs $1.50 in Rockaway and $0.99 in Nehalem.  
• I don't like Grape Gatorade. 
• Hills were smaller and less steep than anticipated.  
• Enjoyed the mist/light rain in a few places.
• Sunshine and perfect 65 degree temperature in other places.  Rode without helmet or gloves for a few stretches and enjoyed the moment.

Next time I wont ride the section between Garibaldi and Nehalem by choice.  There is another road a few miles inland.

Next time at Pacific City I'll go south to Slab Creek road and explore.  There is a good coffee spot, Hawk Creek Cafe, and secluded beach at Neskowin.  Or, do an out and back on the 3 Capes section.

Rocky Point

Our mid-week group has been rambling around the Northside of Rocky Point.   See the NW-Trail Alliance website for details.  Located about 20 minutes west of PDX.  Many thanks to Longview Pulp and Paper for allowing us to use their property!  

Having a map of this place is almost no use, because there are so many splits and offshoots.  Mostly tight, swoopy single track that is so heavily forested that it gets dark a few hours before sunset.  

Hands down, the best trail riding close to town.

Perfect for riding with the dogs.

Easily 10 miles and 1-1/2 hours of riding.  Average speed will be way low compared to other places.  

Steep but short climbs.  

Great single speed trail.  I use a ridiculously low 24 front / 19 rear and have no trouble staying on the front of a group.   

There is a faster set of trails a bit further up the road on the Southside.  Presently it is closed for logging.

Gales Creek North, Re-opened

Gales Creek North has a distinct NW Oregon personality, green and remote.  It "was" one of my favorites "pre-2007-landslide" and it has been restored to better than before condition.  The trail builders who worked all the reroutes did a fantastic job using the terrain.  I like that they kept the trail narrow and a bit technical.

Here is a short clip taken on the lower section before the split for Storey Burn.  Taken back in April.  On this day my dog took the prize.

The trail follows the contours around the west side of the watershed and summits at Bell Camp Road.  For me, it's about 1:15 to the top and 45 minutes back down to the Camp.  A very enjoyable climb.   Expect to see:


Heavily forested Alder and Fir, waterfalls and creek crossings.

Maybe a black bear or at least some evidence on the trees.  At some point during the summer there will be a big hatch of Cyanide Millipedes (black and yellow).  A few years back I almost crossed paths with a Black Bear that was eating these as he walked along through the woods near the creek below, oblivious to me watching.  It took about ten minutes for him to mosey on to a safe distance, so I could pass.   

This one is about 7 feet off the ground.  I'm guessing it is a different individual than the other.

Lots of green and a tasty Pop Tart treat if you brought one.

You can extend (~7 miles) to Reehers camp, nice downhill drop, but the climb back up is a steep one.

Gales Creek campground is accessed by a gated, 1 lane gravel road, after milepost 34, about 2 miles before the summit on Hwy. 6.  Access the trail from the parking area that is located just prior to crossing the bridge into the campground.  The north trail starts at the marker that is nearest to main creek.  Don't get confused and take the other trail that goes up to the summit of highway 6 and Rogers Camp.

There is a good place to picnic near the camp ground trail head.  Check out the old time water pump at campground.  On summer weekends the campground probably will be full.  First come first served.  If you get skunked out of a camp spot then it might be helpful to know that you can camp almost anywhere you want in Tillamook forest.

Firdale Gravel, Farmington, Tile Flat

I got out early 5:30 Saturday morning and rode west on Tile Flat, Farmington, and Firdale.  I enjoyed the cool air and smells of fresh cut fields, ripe strawberries, and some good cigar smoke from a passing driver.  Pretty quiet out here.

 
Washington County uses a glue like coating on some of the gravel roads out here to reduce the amount of dust kicked up by auto traffic.

 Here is a closer look.  Almost like pavement except for the loose rock along the edges.  I kept my speed under control on the way back down because there are a number of spots with loose rock.

 A good addition to this route is to take a left on Unger and Left on Dixon Mill before making a turn for home.  Dixon Hill has a bit more gravel and a bit more climbing.
    Tire- Jack Brown, green.  I love this tire!
    Happy Face reflector - Fun Reflector

Firdale is about 4 miles long , with some ups and downs and about 400 feet elevation gain.

Moore Park, Klamath Falls, Oregon

This past Friday, Maisy and I rode the Western and Central loops near and above Moore Park in Klamath Falls.  Here is the view form the top.    

There are 3 different loops which can all be ridden in about 3 hours and ~20 miles if you keep a good pace.  Go to Hutches bike shop in downtown K-Falls to get a map.  

Expect to get a little lost.  Make sure to go out and back on the Ridge/Junker section and include a descent of 5 Gallon.

Expect great views, wildlife, and solitude.  Each segment of trail has its own personality.  Some are much more technical than others.  It's a fair challenge to ride out and back on the Ridge trail without dabbing.  

Not really a destination trail, but it is sure worth the stop if you are traveling through the area.

Best beer/pub in town is at Klamath Basin Brewing.