Day 1 - Astoria to Nehalem, OR

Miles: 41
Weather: Rainy
Route: Astoria, OR to Nehalem State Park, OR

Alright, so today was actually the first real day of biking. We camped last night up in Astoria, the northernmost point of Oregon and began our ride there. For most of the first half it was nice weather and flat terrain. That first hill though, was intense. 600 feet or so doesn't sound like a lot at all, but when I had the packs on the back wheel, I definitely felt it. Thank god we have low gears, so I can just set it to that and chug my way through slowly.

The second half was not nearly as nice. The rain started around 2 or so, and it's still going as of 9pm when I write this. My windbreaker was waterproof, so that definitely kept my upper body dry. Even so, my legs were cold and definitely venting heat. We also hit two more hills, together called the Neahkahnie (Nee-ahh-ka-ha-nee) Mountains. Apparently it means Fire Mountain, and let me just say, despite the wind/rain chill factor, my muscles still burned. Nothing like ice and fire together to make this feel like an adventure.

Not surprisingly, there were none of the insulated tents available for us, so we pitched our tents under two trees. I'm glad our rainflies have held up so far, and I'm praying that they will continue to do so tonight.

We've revised our plans a bit, and may be at Gold Beach by next Monday night, instead of Tuesday. Tomorrow, we'll sample some great cheese at the Tillamook Cheese Factory,, and with any luck, make it at least to Pacific City. If all goes according to plan, it will be another fun rainy day, though only with one hill and 50 miles.