From Lincoln City,OR

Hello to everyone who keeps up with this blog. I have been thinking of you and writing to you in my head for days (there isn't much else to do on my bike for hours at a time), but between rain and lack of outlets, I haven't been able to post.

Today was or first full day without rain in 5 or 6 days and it was heavenly! Despite the two gigantic hills we had to climb today (the largest and steepest we've had to tackle so far), we felt good because we were dry. We even sat on the beach for a while and took it slow. I realize though, that every time I write I'm sitting in a dry, warm place whether it's a diner, a motel or hostel. Often, nothing I did earlier in the day seems like it was really all that difficult. But we have our highs and our lows. Mine tend to be fickle and severe while Lyon's, in keeping with his personality, tend to be less frequent and more even tempered.

My mental state is directly related to my physical state and surroundings. If I'm dry and I have a nice wide shoulder with plenty of distance between myself and traffic, if it's the beginning of the day and I'm still fresh, if I have food in my stomach, then I can look around and think about where I am and appreciate the tall pines, the open farm land, the many national wildlife refuges we've passed through, the low, foggy clouds being shredded above us by mountain tops.

All it takes for me to want to swing my leg over my bike and sit on the side of the road until my dad comes to get me is one mean person, or total exhaustion, or really wet feet. Most people have been nice to us, and curious about where we've come from and where our final destination is, but we have had people yell at us, and plenty of trucks have refused to give us room, even on rainy days when we are riding on roads with hardly a shoulder. Sometimes there is nothing to do but get sprayed in the face with dirty semi truck mud and hope you don't fall.

The tunnels we have gone under haven't been as scary as people say they are, but when you pass under them each car echoes so loud it sounds like you're being chased by a tidal wave, which is a little rattling. A couple of days ago after going through one of these, we came out to daylight to find a long hill ahead off us, I pulled over to rest and almost fell because I couldnt get my foot out of my clips. I tried them a couple times to make sure they were okay, and every time had trouble. After panicking and trying again and again, I found that if I twisted my leg really hard I could get out if I had to, so we kept going-there was nothing else to do (plus lyon said I had to). The next morning when I tried clipping out again, it was easy. I had been so tired the day before everything felt more difficult. There is that "good tired" too though. I always sleep well, even camping, and arriving tired and cold anywhere that sells soup is a great feeling.

We split with our biking friends in Cape Nehalam where we experienced or first hiker/biker camp site in Oregon, where they do it right. For $5 a person we set up our tent in a wooded, mossy area that looked like it might also be home to fairies. That night I took a free hot shower in clean facilities with sky lights. Then we drank wine to stay warm from the leftover bottle Lyon had carried on his bike for 40 miles! We visited with a couple who swore by always riding with some form of alcohol on your bike, they were spiking their hot chocolate with whisky from their flask! This couple was coming from Anchorage, Alaska and was headed to Mexico so I guess they knew what they were talking about.

Yesterday we stayed in Cape Lookout, and tonight we are in a motel in lincoln city. We hope to leave early and get far tomorrow.