Day Twelve
Scott Creek County Park to Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, 33
On my 5th or 6th time awake this morning, it was getting light. I got one more doze in and rose with the sun sometime before 7. Super groggy, and not enough water with me to make coffee. Everything was wet with dew and I was glad I put the rainfly over the bike. I did so for concealment. Nice that a rainfly also keeps things dry.
Packed up and rolling, about a mile down the road—Scott Creek County Park! I had camped at an undeveloped property, possibly owned by the county, but mislabeled by Google Maps as the riverside park. The actual park, where I did not camp, was neat and tidy and full of park amenities. Had I stayed there, I probably would have been worried all night that someone might chance upon me. And I was awake enough to worry often. I’m glad I camped in the wrong place.
Breakfast and coffee. There are very few services on this highway. I was thinking it would be 20 miles to breakfast, with just half a water bottle to last. At 6 miles I came to a closed restaurant, with a spigot outside. I fill my bottles, saddled up and a minute later I was at the Riverbanks Speedy Mart, which opened just moments before. I had been looking for restaurants, forgetting that people also buy food. At 8 AM, the coffee was freshly brewed and the first grab-and-go breakfast burrito was coming off the grill.
The road to Reedsport is a smooth, downriver highway, with a couple of notable hills. Lots of traffic though, mostly big RVs with big trailers filled with off-roading vehicles. The Oregon Dunes are the biggest attraction on this stretch of coast. It’s a Sunday morning in August, and everyone in Oregon with an ORV (off road vehicle) is on this road going to these dunes.
I’m not strong today. Yesterday’s planned distance was a reasonable step-up. Riding longer was a training bonus, but I paid the price for yesterday’s extra mileage today. Slower pace, more stops, but eventually I was in Reedsport, then Winchester Bay, and finally, Umpqua Lighthouse State Park. This will be my first night in Oregon’s famous (famous to cyclists, anyway) “Hiker/Biker” campsites. Washington and California have these too, but I think Oregon started the trend. It’s a fact that desirable campgrounds fill quickly with online reservations. But due to the vagaries and unforeseeable circumstances of cycle touring, a cyclist cannot plan his or her trip in detail months in advance. So the concept of Hiker/Biker campsites is simple: they don’t send us back on the road at dusk. There is always room for a human powered traveler at public campgrounds, even the “full” ones.
Like probably every campground on the coast this time of year, every car/truck/RV accessible site has probably been booked out for months. But I rolled into the hiker/biker site and it was empty. Also, mercifully separated from massive pickup trucks, travel trailers and massive RVs. Even if it were full of cycle tourists, we would make room for another. A rider’s need for services and facilities, and our camping footprint, is so small that it is merely a site management rounding error. So if you come to this coast by car or RV, you had better plan months in advance if you want to find a camping spot in a park. But as a cyclist, just show up when you can.
There is no rain in the forecast for over a week, and the sun will be shining every day. It will barely top 70 on the warmest of days, and won’t drop below the mid 50s. Also, the prevailing wind is from the NW, so riding south is a good play. When you can hit this coast right, it’s heavenly riding. Hilly, but heavenly.
