Day 9: Adventure, Solar Eclipse

I woke up today ready to roll after last nights low. I hit the road by 10 with a full belly and started to navigate my way north. I tried out Old Hwy 99 with the thought that last time I tried out an abandoned highway it worked out great! Wow, I couldn't have been more wrong. I climbed to the crest and started to descend when I hit a closed gate. No problem, gates are for cars. Going past was pavement with leaves, easy riding. Eventually it turned to single track but still seemed well used, until I ran into the section where it was washed out and ceased to be anything at all! I climbed around a little to see if it would pick back up but no luck. Feeling a bit forlorn I sat down to chicken strips with sweet and sour sauce that I had picked up in the Lil Pantry in Merlin. Lunch and some long looks at the map on my phone, combined with a strong desire to move forward rather than back, made my decision.

I made sure everything was strapped down to Babe well and started down the hillside towards I-5 below. It was probably 50 vertical feet, with a forest in the way so I had my fair share of struggle, including hoisting Babe and myself over a downed fence while avoiding a tire puncture on the barbed wire. Some more scrambling and scraping and I made it to pavement. I'm not sure quite how ridiculous it must have looked but I can guarantee that those cars will never again see a biker emerge onto a freeway with a fully loaded touring bicycle again. A quick check of myself and gear and I hopped on and began pedalling. I was pretty filthy from dirt and tree debris so a quick dip in Cow Creek and I was cooled down, clean-ish, and ready for more.

At first I was hesitant about the interstate but after today I'm okay with it. The shoulders here are larger than a lane itself, the pavement is smooth, and interstates cut the straightest, most level course between to cities. Sure there are downsides like noise, grime, and fast cars, but I've found that cars will be speeding past me no matter where I am, so better I have a lot of room than an old highway with no shoulder. I even got to pass a semi on a downhill, I tossed him a wave, he threw back a honk.

The other highlight of the day was the partial solar eclipse. I was on I-5 and it started to get darker. Cars began to turn on headlights and there was an eerie, desolate orange hue to the world. I'll admit I stole one or a dozen glances at the sun through my polarized glasses, seeing the initial arc of the moon, a complete fuzzing out of the standard sun, and the waning of the eclipse. I had thought I would be too far north so it was a great surprise to see such a site on this trip!

I finished in Roseburg at a brew pub with an Imperial Red Ale, chicken sandwich with tater tots, nitro stout, and Marion berry crumble. This was my second day in a row over 75 miles and I'm ready for a third!