BikeTheCoast13: Cycling Canada to Mexico
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Back to the Scene of the Crime

9/6/2013

1 Comment

 
Well, it was a little touch & go today, but I made it to South Bend, WA and I'm pretty much set for tomorrow's ride back to Astoria.  In fact, Heather put me right back in Room 27, so I'm literally picking up where I left off.
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Reunited with Seaquest 27
After getting into Astoria late last night (you can read about my bus adventure in a prior post) and meeting my most-hospitable hosts, Lynne showed me to my room, the Shanghai Crow's Nest.  I only loosely knew what being shanghaied meant but Lynne explained it to me and afterwards I was a little concerned I might wake up in Lynne and Al's dinghy 50 miles out in the Pacific Ocean.  Fortunately I woke up where I feel asleep, in their shanghai-decorated perch.
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Complete with the Shanghai Trap Door
I figured I'd have a relaxing day in Astoria before catching the 4:40 bus to South Bend but relaxation was rendered obsolete when my bike (which was supposed to have arrived the day before) was still not here at 1:00.  Not much of a workaround for no bike.  Fortunately it arrived at the local bike shop shortly after 1:00 and I hustled down there to unwrap (sticky bubble wrap takes forever to remove), and then assemble it.  I was doing OK and at 2:15, as we were pumping up the tires, I said "hey, where the heck is my pannier rack?"  Well, actually I didn't say "heck" but it might have ended with a k.
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That's my room at the top
To make matters worse, I didn't unpack my bike when it was sent from Astoria to Mike's Bikes in Los Gatos two weeks ago, so I didn't know if the rack was in Los Gatos, or if maybe it never got to Los Gatos in the first place.  All I knew is that I didn't have it and I needed it.  Eventually I tracked it down at Mike's.  The good news is that after tomorrow, I wasn't going to need it for the six supported days through Oregon.  The bad news is that I had to wear my Spandex on the bus to South Bend because I needed to conserve all the space I could without my rack and panniers.
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My hosts, Lynne and Al
After all that, I still had about 20 minutes to spend with Lynne and Al before heading to the bus stop.  It rained most of the way here but the forecasters are sticking to their guns and saying "the clouds will part before I depart."  Given how much of a downer it was when I was last here, wouldn't that be great?  Maybe the clouds will part in more ways than one tomorrow?  Drama like the last 24 hours is fun to blog about.  Screwed-up knee?  Not so much.
1 Comment
Kelley
9/6/2013 02:30:58 pm

Go get 'em, Babe! The girls and I are super psyched for you to get started tomorrow! Ride like the wind.....but a slow wind.

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    Jeff Fredericks

    On August 14, 2013, I'm flying to Vancouver, British Columbia and beginning a 29-day, 1,880-mile bike ride from Canada to Mexico.

    On this page you'll find random ramblings before, during, and after my trek down the Pacific Coast. Prior to BikeTheCoast13, I'll blog about my prep, training, and thoughts from the road.  
    While visiting my blog, I hope you'll offer comments, suggests, and words of encouragement.  I'm going to need all the help I can get!

    For those who don't know me or my inspiration, please take a moment to check out the Why Now? tab to meet my daughter Lindsey and find out how I got here.  

    If this site helps or inspires you in any way, I hope you'll consider making a small donation to the cause.


    If you'd like to contact me personally, you can email me at Jeff.fredericks@outlook.com

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