stuff happens

lighthouse
Originally uploaded by rod lewis

August 8, 2008
To Lincoln City, Oregon
52, 198
238 miles (5,140)


But still in Eureka, CA.
I awoke this morning to rain, and chill, and worried about what to do. I had to wait for the tent to dry before packing it away, lest the mold and mildew gremlins invade the rest of the trip. I packed everything else up, shivering, and did the “walk around” on my bike. Lo and behold, a flat tire. I aired the tire up and found a tiny finishing nail buried to the head. After waiting to see what it would do, it appeared not to be losing air very quickly so I slowly made my way back south 4 miles to Eureka.
And now the most dreaded of nightmares… I am sitting in a Harley Store while the kind-hearted service people are replacing my tube. Aargh. This is not good, folks. Harley people fixing a Honda! Can you imagine the shame I feel? I just keep giving thanks that it was an external, outside, unavoidable, unseen road hazard (actually campground hazard) that caused the problem, rather than a mechanical failure, or part falling off, which, of course is what Harley service people are intimately familiar with. I’m also VERY thankful that despite the fact that Harleys don’t use 15 inch tires, for some unknown, unexplainable reason, they had a 15 inch tube in stock. The parts person was shocked.
And so, I’m waiting it out. More later, if I cover any ground today.



So I got my bike back on the road and headed down the highway to Target looking for some thermal underwear. Allison said, “would that have thermals in August?” Are you kidding?!? It’s freezing here. She was right. So I headed north along the coast, at mid-afternoon, frozen as I began.

With half the day shot, I knew I wouldn’t make it all the way to Lincoln City, but fortunately, the roads were straighter than Northern California, but no less beautiful. I made good time with stops at Redwoods National Park, to view Elk grazing in a field, and to take several shots of incredible vistas above the ocean.
Soon after I crossed into Oregon, the mist got heavier, and quickly turned to rain, so that my last 100 miles was colder, wetter, and less all-around-less-comfortable than before. I pressed on to Coos Bay, where, upon my arrival, even my feet were numb, white, and swollen. I used all the water I conserved while in the desert for 10 days, and took a long hot shower, before finding someplace to fill my belly.