Day 66: Gammy's Books, Terrible Cooks, Scenic Overlooks

St. Helen's, OR to Clatskanie, OR

Stats!
Miles biked today: 33.2 (exact same as yesterday!)
Total miles biked on trip so far: 2239.6
Max speed: 30 mph
# of bicycle tourists seen on tandems: 2 tourists, one bike
# of vitamins needed to induce illness: 1
Best coffee shop name ever: Latte Da (in Clatskanie)

We woke up late again this morning, but we both slept great! We no longer care about what time we wake up, since we could leave at noon and still do a 30 mile day without getting in too late. It's all less-than-40-mile days from here on out.

After the past week, with Dean and I each feeling a bit sick in the mornings since buying a new bottle of vitamins, we decided to take our vitamins after breakfast. Breakfast was great, and we were able to confirm that it was the vitamins making us sick, since they made us sick even having them after breakfast. No more vitamins for us. So that slowed us down a bit, too. Yuck.

I also learned that, on a morning when you're already starting out really late and you want to make some progress, the worst possible thing to say it, "Look, Dean! That used bookstore is open!" Dean had finished his book last night, and needed a new one, so I pointed it out when I saw that "Gammy's Used Books" in St. Helen's was open. He browsed FOREVER, and that set us back, time-wise, too. But he now has a book, so we're all set.

We got back on the road, and the first 10 miles or so were nice, if a bit cloudy. The shoulders all along 30 were wide for that stretch, but for some reason were just covered in bark. In Iowa, the shoulders were covered in corn, and here in bark. I guess there's a big timber industry here?

After those first 10, we got to Ranier (lots of towns named after mountains around here, though the mountains aren't really nearby), where we had lunch. It was just the worst lunch ever. We went to a Chinese restaurant. We have so many burgers and sandwiches and fries that we usually jump at a chance for something different. Bad jump today. It was slimy and disgusting and the meat tasted.... wrong. All in all a bad choice, but we ate it anyway, since we needed the energy for our next challenge.

Another mountain!

Or at least a really big hill. The last time we had a climb like this, it turns out that we were crossing the Blue and Wallowa Mountains. I'd never even heard of the Blue or Wallowa Mountains, but we crossed them. It was a substantial climb, but nothing like the Rockies, so I didn't think it was actually a mountain. So I'm not sure whether today's climbs were mountains or hills, is my point.

Anyway, as soon as we started the climb, our beautifully wide shoulder disappeared, and on our right side appeared a metal railing. We had to ride along a perilously narrow strip, and we couldn't get over any farther because of the railing. It was pretty scary when tractor trailers went by.

The lack of shoulder also meant that we couldn't walk the bikes. You, next to the bike is wider than you on the bike, so when it's narrow and dangerous, you can't really walk. This can be tough on a long, steep climb when your body is screaming for a break and you just can't safely stop.

Luckily there were a couple of scenic overlooks on the way up where we could pull off and take a break. I'm not sure what we would have done without them! While we were at one of the overlooks, a hobo (I guess? He definitely looked like a hobo) started talking and talking and talking to Dean about the trip. Usually, we have a few conversations each day with locals about our trip, but nothing crazy so we haven't posted about it. I think this area does get more bike tourists than the midwest, but people are still curious about us.

We pressed on, and ended up doing two big climbs. No rest for the weary. At the top of the second climb we saw our favorite sign -- we call it "trucks on wedges" -- indicating a steep downhill. Woohoo! Unfortunately, the shoulder was really rough, with potholes and all kinds of stuff in our way, so we couldn't go as fast as we'd have liked. But we were grateful just for the break, after those big ascents.

At the bottom of the hill, we were in Clatskanie! Clatskanie is a nice enough town, but nothing noteworthy, other than the best named coffee shop ever, Latte Da. Tomorrow we should make it to Astoria. Can't wait!