2008 - Kobag

aka: Kitty, Art, Sharon, Susan, Peg and Aileen

Cape Mears Big Hill trumps Stone City Big Hill

Kitty and Sharon and Art have all ridden up the "big hill" at Stone City, Iowa and we are obnoxiously proud of that fact.  It is a short (maybe 0.5 miles) but steep hill. The hill is depicted in a Grant Wood painting that my bicycle club used as artwork for the club jersey. I wore the Stone City jersey on the third day of our Oregon adventure.  And I have to admit that the Cape Mears hill that John MacIntyre convinced us to climb was longer and tougher than the Stone City hill.  I was struggling to stay upright at 3 mph on the Cape Mears hill, and I have never pedaled so slow in Iowa. Good job, Oregon!!

--Art

Day 5: Perpetual Motion

The day had lots of fog accompanied by a certain mystical feeling like being on the moors of England without the Hounds of the the Baskervilles. The route that day was fairly challenging and included an optional ride up Cape Perpetua, a serious climb of 1.8 miles and 900 ft. Our guides indicated that the view from the top was supposed to be spectacular. However, with all the fog, it was doubtful that we'd see much. So the question was, it you're not going for the view, what's the motivation? Matt of NY (who does triathlons in his spare time) was interested in doing it for the fun of it. I couldn't make up my mind and kept deferring the decision until the left turn was coming up fast. In a moment of gatorade-overload, I decided to join him and up we went. Up we went to the top, still shrouded in clouds, and took the short hike to the edge. In the distance, we could barely make out the highway below as well as the ocean. What we could see quite well was the the sheer drop off. Anyway, Matt was a fun climbing bud and we beat feet and met up with the others at the lighthouse. It turns out (we'd actually made this discovery a few days earlier) that I used to work with his father while we were both at ISU in Ames. It is indeed a small world.

--K of Kobag

Day 6: Newport to Swisshome - part II

Last night after dinner - Susan, Aileen, Sharon (b-days) and Tim & Diane (anniversary) - were quite surprised as a huge chocolate cake was rolled in to celebrate our respective events. Rumor has it that a certain KOBAG team member was behind the scheme. Very thoughtful - not to mention yummy.

Today was another cool day for the 31 mile ride from Newport to Swisshome. It was an almost flat ride - with one minor hill (interesting how perception changes from the beginning of the week). We ended at Schindler State Park and were welcomed with a wonderful lunch of burgers/chips/watermelon, etc. The ride took us along the Siuslaw River so very scenic - with majestic mountains in the background. We got to camp early and had to get our bikes broken down, assignments for the 22 people to determine who was in which van and going to which destination. It worked out fine although the ride back (about 5 hrs) to Portland started out chatty and ended by being fairly quiet.

What started out with a heart filled with excitement and anxiety, ended in a somewhat saddened state as for the brief time we were together - many fun times/friendships were forged amongst the riders. We represented a diverse, interesting group - all looking for challenges and fun. People were already making some preliminary arrangements to meet and get together as schedules could cross. Michael and Matthew may be visiting in Iowa and hook up with Sharon, while Diane and Kitty may cross paths professionally - and who knows who will see each other on the next Bicycle Adventure. If Pam and Ashlee go to an NCAA tourney - they better invite Sharon!

Team KOBAG traveled well together - whether biking, dining or just sitting around and reflecting the day's adventures - it was a genuinely fun time - I see some fun in the future for this group!! Team KOBAG would be remiss if it did not acknowledge the technical support of Mark (VA/PA) and Gil (IA) in helping maintain our blog site - it has received some comments - and everyone has loved the maps. We wish our comrades Aileen and Susan well on their upcoming bike trip to Europe - with the experience of this trip - they are poised to bike circles around their trip partners - yeah! Our Bicycle Adventure guides were superb! John, Wilder and Nate worked overtime to prepare meals, provide assistance and make our trip exceedingly comfortable and safe.

--Sharon

Day 6: Florence to Swisshome

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 23 ft Location: Florence, OR Elev. Gain: +23 ft Date: 08/08/08 Up/Downhill: [+442/-419] Time: 08:54 AM Difficulty: 3.3 / 5.0   Weather: Overcast   57 F temp; 71% humidity   57 F heat index; winds SW 6   Elevation (ft)

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 128 ft Location: Mapleton, OR Elev. Gain: +154 ft Date: 08/08/08 Up/Downhill: [+419/-265] Time: 11:00 AM Difficulty: 2.5 / 5.0   Weather: Overcast   61 F temp; 72% humidity   61 F heat index; winds SW 9   Elevation (ft)

--Susan

Day 5: Newport to Florence

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 50 ft Location: Newport, OR Elev. Gain: +154 ft Date: 08/07/08 Up/Downhill: [+1430/-1276] Time: 08:45 AM Difficulty: 4.1 / 5.0   Elevation (ft)

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 112 ft Location: Yachats, OR Elev. Gain: -62 ft Date: 08/07/08 Up/Downhill: [+2155/-2217] Time: 12:35 PM Difficulty: 4.2 / 5.0   Weather: Fog And Mist   57 F temp; 88%% humidity   57 F heat index; winds W 3 MPH   Elevation (ft)

--Susan

Day 3: Tillamook to Lincoln City - part II

Today was a challenging day with 3 major climbs and a bunch of just large hills. Team Kobag member Susan had a b-day and did well biking with her friend Friday. We were shrouded in fog for most of the day but were blessed with spectacular views along the way: blue herons, pelicans, serious sand dunes, estuaries (described by resident biologist Peg). We saw a lighthouse and an octopus tree-figure that one out.

We ate lunch at the Pelican Pub and Brewery in Cape Kiwanda. The ride was cut short for some members in order to meet a dinner appointment.

Wednesday is massage day-yippee.

---Sharon

Day 4: Cape Foulweather (that's right!!)

Oregon coastal weather, and a wonderful day for riding! It was warm enough for biking shorts. The ride featured a 2 mile climb (through the fog) to Cape Foulweather, then a thrilling descent on a twisting, wet road (also through the fog) to Devil's Punchbowl.

We ended the day's ride at Newport. Newport features Yaquina (yah-queena) Bay Light, a beautiful arch bridge, and a noisy herd of sea lions to entertain visitors. A great day of bike riding.

--Art

Day 3 and 4:

Cape Foulweather lived up to its name-- foggy, foggy, foggy but
we hear the views are great. It was still a lot of fun, especially on the one
quiet ride leading up to the top, especially because there were no cars at all. Some of the other highlights included massages for several-- Sharon, Kitty, Aileen (1.5 hours!) to work out all the tight spots. We topped it off with a fabulous dinner, probably the best one of the trip, at a tiny little spot recommended by Peg. We celebrated the birthday girls (Sharon, Susan, Aileen) with to-die-for desserts.

Earlier in the day, we met up with an old family friend, Beth B, whom Art and I had known since we were kids in USN/USL. It was just grand to visit and catch up on everybody and everything.

All for now.
--K of KOBAG

Our salmon dinner

--Susan

Day 4: Lincoln City to Newport

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 119 ft Location: Lincoln City, OR Elev. Gain: -66 ft Date: 08/06/08 Up/Downhill: [+1938/-2004] Time: 09:21 AM Difficulty: 4.2 / 5.0   Weather: Overcast   59 F temp; 94% humidity   59 F heat index; winds W 3 MPH   Elevation (ft)

--Susan

Day 3: Tillamook to Lincoln City

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 62 ft Location: Tillamook, OR Elev. Gain: +213 ft Date: 08/05/08 Up/Downhill: [+974/-761] Time: 08:38 AM Difficulty: 3.4 / 5.0   Elevation (ft)

--Susan

Peg's oatmeal - part II

--?????

Day 2: Seaside to Tillamook

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 1219 ft Location: Manzanita, OR Elev. Gain: -332 ft Date: 08/04/08 Up/Downhill: [+1656/-1988] Time: 09:32 AM Difficulty: 3.4 / 5.0   Weather: Overcast   61 F temp; 83% humidity   61 F heat index; winds Vrbl 3   Elevation (ft)

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 103 ft Location: Manzanita, OR Elev. Gain: -92 ft Date: 08/04/08 Up/Downhill: [+2129/-2221] Time: 12:40 PM Difficulty: 4.2 / 5.0   Weather: Fair   69 F temp; 68% humidity   69 F heat index; winds NW 8   Elevation (ft)

--Susan

Seaside to Tillamook

Day 2 started with a rather interesting breakfast experience. While everyone else cooked waffles and boiled eggs, Peg had a hankering for a large bowl of oatmeal. She filled her bowl with oatmeal and searched high and low for raisins, finding none, she proceeded to eat the oatmeal plain. Her taste did not quite meet her expectations, but her palate begged for more - so down went the second spoonful. Mulling over the taste, she acknowledged that it was definitely NOT oatmeal. Once she gave up the hope that it was oatmeal, she realized that it was actually a bowl of sausage gravy. YUCK - especially from a near vegetarian.

Today we were treated to a 4 mile hike prior to riding (highest elevation 1659 feet) - arriving at the top just in time to see the fog burn off - revealing spectacular coastal views. During the hike down - the challenge was to stay on a very narrow descent trail. It was almost death defying as many of us encountered close calls by stepping off the trail into the thousand foot drop below. We arrived at the parking lot for lunch - our guides are not only great biking coordinators/leaders but also gourmet cooks.

Now for the 35 mile ride - including parts of Highway 101. Fortunately we got off of 101 which we thought would be a relief from the heavy traffic. However, we soon discovered that logging trucks, trucks with boats and other vehicles frequented the road - and at HIGH speeds. In particular, one truck pulling a boat seemed to make a point of coming very close to all of our group - very unnerving!

The highlight for the day was a visit to the Tillamook Cheese Factory - including cheese tasting. The consensus though was that the ice cream there was superb - especially the Tillamook Mudslide - how can anything beat chocolate on chocolate?

--Sharon

Afterthoughts

A funny coincidence-- there is a person, female, over 40 but less than 60, works for a federal regulatory agency, favorite movie is Sound of Music followed closely Pride and Prejudice, is currently reading "Darcy's Story"... and it's not me. Have I just met my twin sister?

Peg and Sharon are leading our packs into town. They say they don't want to be holding the group back but I suspect it's because they want to have their choice of beer at the ending point.

Susan introduced me to Blue Moon with an orange slice. Very nice. She's also having a grand time on her Bike Friday. We're gonna have her racing soon!

Aileen says,"Fabulous first day... on to the hike (a 5 mile hike through a coastal forest)". She's pumped up.

Buzzy3 says, "Awesome first day, awesome traveling group"

--K of KOBAG

First day of riding

We woke up to coolish temps (high 50's) and had a remote start in Ft Stevens State park. The bike company matched everyone up with bikes, except for those who brought their own, and we had a shake-down ride of 14 miles through the park. Had one minor collision between two riders, one of ours who will remain un-named, but otherwise, the shake down met its intended purpose.

If we eat the way we did for lunch today, I'm in trouble. Lunch was either veggie Asian or regular and quite tasty, especially with M&Ms on top.

In the afternoon, the full sun broke out and everyone was treated to a gorgeous day. The guide at Ft Clatsop made special mention that lest we think Lewis and Clark had today's weather during their over-winter time, they would be sorely mistaken. Apparently it was a miserable winter of wet and cold

We finished the day winding thru some backroads to Seaside. However to get to Seaside, we had a 2 mile climb through the forests. One noted feature was the destruction of some very large tracks of forest due to extreme wind conditions. Whole sections looked like broken matchsticks.

This was one of those days you live to bike for.
Cajun food for dinner -- now to bed.

--K of KOBAG

Arrival and Hook-up

Susan and Sharon accidently found each other at the Portland airport on Saturday when Sharon saw someone with a big red suitcase at the Marriott pick-up point. As it turned out, it was Susan, and a friendship was formed. We were also delighted to have Carrie, Art's and Sherry's daughter, join us from Seattle (along with her little pup Frankie) for the afternoon and evening before she headed back to Seattle.

Having some light refreshments in the bar enabled us to chat with some other folks who had just finished bike trips with the same company-- one had 13 trips -- so we had good recommendations going into the trip. Susan and Kitty assembled their Bike Fridays with few problems other than k's chain was broken. After being reassured the tour leader had the right tool to fix it, she headed to bar.

--K of KOBAG

Day 1: Astoria to Seaside

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 21 ft Location: Hammond, OR Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 08/03/08 Up/Downhill: [+236/-236] Time: 11:44 AM Difficulty: 2.8 / 5.0   Weather: Fair   61 F temp; 77% humidity   61 F heat index; winds N 10   Elevation (ft)

Route: -- Elev. Avg: 71 ft Location: Hammond, OR Elev. Gain: -17 ft Date: 08/03/08 Up/Downhill: [+1423/-1440] Time: 02:19 PM Difficulty: 4.3 / 5.0   Weather: Fair   62 F temp; 69% humidity   62 F heat index; winds NW 15   Elevation (ft)

--Susan

Missing Bridge Span

The closest I could get to training for the Oregon coast, is to ride on flat roads beside a river on an overcast day, in the Iowa countryside. The historic bridge (Sutliff Bridge) in the background lost a span to the recent floods.

--Art