[ORRando] Three Capes Pre-Ride Report

Sean Baird seanbaird16 at gmail.com
Fri Apr 18 18:47:05 PDT 2014


They swept the shoulders of highway 6 this week. Did the east side of the
slope just today so it's in great shape. West side looks like it was done
earlier so has a bit of the usual debris.

Ride well tomorrow everyone!
Sean
On Apr 14, 2014 3:24 PM, "John Henry Maurice" <jmaurice at easystreet.net>
wrote:

> The morning of April 12 began with clear skies, cold temperatures and no
> water bottles.  It seems that I forgot them in the refrigerator at home.
>  Luckily, Safeway was open and I purchase two bottles of water that would
> fit on my bike.  As such, I was a bit late leaving the Grand Lodge in
> McMinnville, but it was before 7:00 am.
>
> Riding in the cold, morning air was awaking.  I longed for the sun to rise
> up above the low clouds in the east so that I could feel it’s warming rays.
>  Being early in the morning, traffic was very light and soon I was climbing
> up Timber Road (note: this has been deleted this year due to a re-route).
>
> Back on Hwy 6 heading toward Tillimook, there was the usual Sand Traffic.
>  In addition, the gravel laid down due to the snow this year still covers
> most of the highway shoulder adding a minor annoyance.  We need another
> good, hard rain to wash the gravel off of the shoulder.
>
> Once I exited river valley and got into the pasture land of Tillamook
> County, I found that Hwy 6 into Tillamook no longer under construction -
> nice, wide and smooth shoulders.  However, the west wind tough.
>
> I bought 'real' water bottles from True Value in Tillamook - nice people.
>  I did the usual re-supply at Safeway and then continue to fight the wind
> out Bayocean Rd.
>
> Shopping at the info control, I noted the correct response on my card and
> then began the Cape Mears Road climb.  The pavement was yucky until I
> reached the road closure.  I walk through the short portion of gravel and
> continued on to find additional pavement cracking that I do not remember
> from last year.  Also, I found a company laying conduit along side of the
> road.  There machinery has added lot’s of mud and other debris on the road
> so I had to carefully pick my way.
>
> At the far end of the road closure, they have the road blocked off well.
>  But you can walk around on the west side as it looks like someone has
> moved the barrier to the side.  Both descents (Cape Mears and Cape Lookout)
> on the coast have potholes and rough sections.  Please pay  attention!
>
> Speaking of Cape Lookout, I want you to know that I got passed on the
> climb by a runner.  He dropped me like a stone.  <sigh>  I hope he was
> training for Badwater.
>
> I ate a sandwich in Pacific City where I learned that the Little Nestucca
> Road was closed.  The nice ladies in the cafe could not tell me how closed
> the road was, only that lead paint abatement was occurring.  I decided to
> see just how closed the road was as that is the purpose of the pre-ride.
>   Well, after climbing up five miles I came to the bridge that was closed.
>  I searched but I could not find a way past the bridge.  It was completely
> wrapped and boarded.  I would have needed a bowie knife or sawzall to break
> through.    So, my only option was to head back to Hwy 101 and take it to
> Hwy 22 at Hebo.
>
> The five miles of Hwy 101 that I rode was quite (it is not vacation season
> yet) so the narrow shoulder did not bother me.  Please note that the
> re-route has riders on only the last two miles of Hwy 101.
>
> Hwy 22 was very nice.  I was afraid I would see a lot of sand detour
> traffic, but it was quiet for the most part.  Soon, I was back on the route
> heading toward Grand Ronde.
>
> I found that some road work on Hwy 22, repairing some of the grooved
> pavement - but there are still potholes to be aware of.  Must have been a
> hard winter on some of the roads.
>
> Now, the west wind really pushed me along all of the way from the coast
> until sunset.  I was very lucky to have it.  I passed through Grand Ronde
> (stopping at the Casino Gas Station), Willamina, Sheridan without incident.
>  I was working hard so I could 'Light up" in Sheridan and I was successful.
>
>
> The rest of the ride as without incident; quiet nighttime riding on quiet
> roads.  I arrived back in Forest Grove at 11:30 pm with 205 miles.
>
> I hope the official ride has as nice as weather as I did.  This year makes
> up for last year when I rode through a very hard rainstorm heading toward
> Tillamook.
>
>
> --
> John Henry Maurice
> www.onyourleft.net
>
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>
>
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