On the road! I left home yesterday around 8:00. The ride to the Willapa Hills Trailhead was fairly uneventful. Got on the trail about noon. Stopped at the Adna Trailhead for some lunch. Used my new knife. Promptly cut my lip and my hand (it’s very sharp)! A guy came riding up. I asked him if my lip was still bleeding, as I was putting a bandaid on my hand. I told him my knife was dangerous. He said, “Oh, I’d better watch out!” I told him I was merely a danger to myself!
Adna Trailhead
Back on the trail I reached the end of the paved portion. On the gravel, it was a bit slower going. Saw this little fawn.
I asked, “Where’s your mama?” Apparently, it has been taught to not talk to strangers, as I got no answer.
I arrived at Rainbow Falls State Park. No one else but me and the mosquitoes in the Hiker/Biker sites. Fixed my dinner of a Backpacker Pantry Shepherd’s Potato Stew with Beef. I’m trying these dehydrated meals to see which ones I like best. I’d give it a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. It was a little too soupy for my tastes. Not sure this one is a keeper.
After dinner, I walked around the park. Took a photo of the Falls.
I didn’t see a rainbow, but there’s the Falls.
As I had run out of things to do, and the mosquitoes were not great conversationalists, I retired to my tent to read. It was 7:00.
I tossed and turned throughout the night. I was plenty warm, but I think I had my sleeping pad inflated too much as my arms kept going to sleep when I’d be laying on them. However, since I went to bed so early, and didn’t get up until 6:30. I figured I got enough sleep.
I didn’t want to get too early of a start as I didn’t want to arrive so early, so I took my time. Still, I left at 8:15. As I was packing up my stuff, I couldn’t find the Velcro strap that goes around my sleeping pad. I was sure I had put it in my tent, but it wasn’t there. Then I thought, oh, it was probably in the stuff sack with my quilt as I remembered picking up what I thought were the other straps for my quilt and putting them in the bag last night. I didn’t bother to look, just rolled up the pad and put it in the pannier.
I returned to the Trail. Cool thing is that there is a side trail that goes directly to/from the park. As I was riding along the side trail, there was this strange sound. It sounded like something was rubbing on the Da Brim on my helmet. I finally stopped to figure out what it was. Turns out, it was the strap for my sleeping pad! It had velcroed itself to the strap on my Da Brim. Mystery solved!
I continued on the trail.
One of the really nice bridges.
The weather was spectacular! Sunny without a cloud in the sky. Good thing I put sunscreen on my face!
I pedaled along until I saw a woman walking toward me. I stopped, and we chatted for awhile. Her name was Edel (like the flower Edelweiss). She was an older German gal who has lived here for some time (now in West Seattle), but still retains her German accent. She is doing the Willapa Hills Trail in about 5 mile chunks. We had a wonderful chat, and I’m only sad I did not get a photo.
Thought these made for a good photo.
Next Trailhead was Pe Ell. I had a snack then continued on. When I rode the trail back in August with Bethany, it was from Pe Ell that the trail became rougher and less improved. Well, that is not the case now! They’ve put down fresh gravel, and completed another bridge that we had previously had to walk across (as it was just the ties). That gravel, while nice, made for pretty slow going.
New gravel.
I didn’t even see any other tire tracks! Alas, it only went so far. Then the trail was quite overgrown with grass. For much of the rest of the trail (not all, but a lot), I pedaled my way to the sounds of thwacking grass and vines against my panniers. The panniers did a good job of protecting my legs. I did stop periodically to check for ticks, as I have experienced that before. There were also still two bridges to walk across.
This is the worst one.
Love the trees here.
Getting into the grass.
When I got to Robertson Rd, there is still the bridge out. This time I knew which way to detour for minimal time off the Trail. Fortunately, I had also talked to Bill Liechty and got more intel. He told me there was a trail just before the cemetery. Had I not known that, I would not have found it.
Short trail drops off the pavement.
Curves down and almost immediately rejoins the Trail.
Back in business!
I continued through periods of overgrown trail.
Went around the barrier. Should probably have gone out to the road as I had to walk about 200 feet through blackberry vines and a drop off to the river.
I finally arrived in Raymond. Stopped for a
Snack at the Dairy Queen, then continued on what is still called the Willapa Hills Trail toward South Bend.
Heading south parallel to 101.
Had a nasty headwind for a bit once past South Bend (riding now on the highway), but made it to Bruceport County Park by about 4:45. There are three other cyclists here. Matthew is from Toronto, Cycling from Vancouver, BC to probably San Francisco (maybe further, he says). One of the other guys has kept to himself, and I haven’t talked to the third guy yet.
Tomorrow I’ll be in Oregon. Plan to get to the Astoria Megler Bridge before noon before the wind comes up, and less traffic.
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