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Van-to-Cino
Bike Trip diary
By Julie Pryor
June
17
Weather
HOT! Riders did well! Arrived in Bellingham, WA, by 2 p.m.
and canceled golf at Semiahmoo, opting to rest instead. Tomorrow,
6/18, it's 72 miles to Port Townshend, WA.
Floyd
and Bev Luman are doing a phenomenal job of keeping everyone
organized and reading maps while trying to navigate a 35-foot
motor home.
Gil Moore won the "Artie Johnson Award" for being
the first to fall off his bike, albeit at low speed, with
no major tissue damage.
Top riding performance of the day belongs to 67-year-old Gene
Hume, who rode hard, strong and fast!
June
18
Larry,
Jim, Kathy, Gil, Connie and Aaron outside a cafe. The others
are inside, watching as this group departs down the little
farm road, anxious to see Jim Pryor's reaction when he realizes
that his back tire has gone flat.
It
was a "payback" trick by Tom Landwehr for the extra
eight miles he, Gil, Richard and Gene had to ride due to wrong
directions they were verbally given. Lesson learned: Riders
should study their own maps they were given and not rely on
others!
June
19
We're
here in Bremerton! The picture shows Connie, Larry, Kathy
and Roger arriving at our RV after crossing the Hood Canal
Bridge in Washington. They had to be car ferried across, as
the bridge was too narrow for bicyclists.
The
others were inside getting replenishments of Cliff Bars, beer,
bananas, Gatorade, water and cheese, which the Lumens prepared.
We
got to our destination in a timely manner today -- around
noon -- which left plenty of time to relax in the swimming
pool and for four of them to get ready for golf at Gold Mountain.
It's
still HOT!
It was a relatively easy course of 60 miles and no mishaps!
The boys are still in fine form as they were prepared with
their "Bag Balm" and "Saddle Balm" to
reduce chafing!
Julie, Kathy, Bev and Betty were happy to spend the afternoon
shopping in the nearby town of Poulsbo.
Tomorrow brings new challenges, as it will be an 85-mile trek.
Adventure Cycling has recommended the back roads but they
are very difficult to follow so they will be staying on the
State Hwy 3, 108, 8 and US 12 to Aberdeen. Aside from sore
muscles, all riders are doing great.
Aaron's
wife, Allison, and daughter, Sydney, arrive tomorrow for Father's
Day, and will stay through Tuesday.
June
20
From
left: Rich, Gene, Jim, Tom, Gil, Aaron, Kathy, Larry and Roger
in the parking lot of our Aberdeen hotel.
Today
our riders rode in two groups -- the cruisers, (Aaron, Rich,
Gil, Jim and Tom), who opted for the fastest route and did
it in 82 miles --- and the schmoozers (Connie, Roger, Gene,
Kathy and Larry) who had the longest mileage at 88 ... but
certainly enjoyed the scenic option. Pryor was the only one
who got a flat but has finally become a quick-change artist
and didn't hold people up too long!
Now that we are on the coast, the ocean breeze has kicked
in ... such a welcome relief from the hot days we have been
experiencing.
The warriors in the group, Connie and Roger, not only effortlessly
put in their mileage, but also are able to shuttle their van
from point to point. One of them drives to the next city,
then bikes back to meet the other riders and continues biking
with them ahead to the van. This "hop-scotching"
results in longer miles of cycling for both of them, but they
are not affected at all! They also really familiar with this
area -- their knowledge of the bike routes has helped us immensely.
We have had a couple close calls with narrow bridges. The
logging trucks are BIG and the roadway barely accommodates
a car, a truck and a cyclist when they cross together. Our
RV has a lengthwise scrape which occurred when hitting a guard
rail ("No other option other than dropping over a cliff!"Bev
said frantically.) One rider luckily stopped his bridge approach
at the last second, realizing that 12 inches of clearance
just wouldn't cut it. Luckily, the logger had great brakes!
Surely the skid marks will be there for posterity!
June
21-22
The
77-mile ride was an easy one from Aberdeen to Astoria, probably
because the group knew they would have a day off! All riders
were advised, however, to meet at the rest stop before the
three-mile-long Astoria Bridge, which leads right into the
town across the Columbia River.
As
the shoulder on the span is narrow and the winds high, there
wouldn't be much room for error! Eight bikers heeded the warning
and crossed in our vehicles, but naturally there are always
a couple of impulsive ones (Jim and Aaron) who would not heed
our advice and instead took the challenge. They made it!
After a terrific dinner at the local Silver Salmon Grille
and some restocking at the market, we relaxed -- knowing that
Tuesday was a free day.
Bev
Luman, along with Allison Turner and baby Sydney, returned
to Rancho Murieta. Bev's support and TLC has been truly valuable
to all of us and especially husband Floyd. We will be looking
forward to their return July 1 when we arrive in Garberville.
Also, Spencer Malysiak and Randy Jones arrived to complete
our biking team of 12!
On Tuesday, the "boys" split their day between going
to the Louis and Clark National Memorial at Fort Clatsop and/or
the Columbia River Maritime Museum in the morning, and golfing
at the Astoria Country Club in the afternoon. (Rich Dubey's
escape from tissue damage to his leg calves when hit by Spencer's
shanked golf ball would have been a sorry excuse for not riding
a bicycle!) Julie and Kathy spent the day in Portland (shopping,
of course!) before dropping Bev off at the airport.
Next news from Tillamook, OR...
June
23
On
our way from Astoria to Tillamook today, we had fantastic
vistas and only several serious climbs in the 72 miles. The
southbound shoulder of Highway 101 was generous and perfect
for our 12 riders.
We never tire of flats but flats in the tires numbered four
-- Jim (1), Roger (2) and Randy (1). These all happened in
a 10-mile stretch! Hopefully the guys are keeping track of
the tubes they borrow from each other! The photo shows, from
left, Roger, Jim and Larry laughing over the misfortune. Even
with the delays, the earliest group arrived by 1 p.m. ...
followed by the rest, who opted to cruise through some of
the historic areas and sample the local cuisine. We have had
fantastic seafood available this entire trip ... sooo fresh!!
A couple of masseuses were lined up for this afternoon and
eight riders are getting their tune-ups. It seems like they
are getting the sorest in their neck and shoulders, no doubt
from the forward lean during riding. They'll be good as new
tomorrow ... then in a couple of days, more massages. Every
hotel also provides a Jacuzzi, but in this one the jets are
out of order! The one in Bremerton didn't even have water!
We're "scattering" for dinner tonight as there are
several different choices and times. One thing for sure, these
riders never miss a meal!
June
24
Gene,
Tom, Gil and Rich at the overlook of "Three Capes Rocks."
Arriving
in Lincoln City, OR, a sign reminded us that we were now on
the 45th Parallel --- very apt because today was "Hump
Day," as our ride is now over 50 percent complete. The
riders are getting stronger each day and the towns we pass
through have been so supportive.
We
are all very proud to be representing the Sutter Cancer Center!
If you are reading this and want to help our cause, we would
welcome any donations. Checks for any amount payable to Sutter
Cancer Center can be sent Turner Accountancy, P.O. Box 343,
Pine Grove, CA 95665. It's 100 percent deductible!!
As we left Tillamook, I trailed the riders along the "Three
Capes Scenic Route," a 10-mile stretch of coastline to
include Cape Meares, Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda. The latter
is famous as one of the most photographed spots on the Oregon
coast. There were hang gliders launching from the cliffs high
above the sea, massive waves and miles of open coastline.
Each cape had a challenging climb for the bikers, but whoever
invented low gears had a great idea! They all made good time
and after resting at our RV, comfortably completed another
10 miles through Cascade Head (Slab Creek Road) which is the
old Highway 101. The fern-covered rainforest there provided
a heavy canopy for the 1,600-foot climb. Our total miles for
today were a mere 60.
Floyd Luman has done a spectacular job of ensuring that our
food supplies are well maintained, connections are made and
reservations for golf and dinners are accurate. It's down
to him and me for support until next week, when we will be
joined by some of the other wives. We're having a lot of laughs
each night with our "Kangaroo Court," fining various
group members for any petty mistakes and adding the money
to what will be the grand total for the Sutter Cancer Center.
Four guys still have legs left for golf this afternoon at
Salishan Resort and the rest of us will be hanging out here
at our hotel or throwing some coins on the table at the Chinook
Winds Casino next door! We are right on the beach, so just
walking sounds good to me.
June
25
Today's
75-mile ride was a long one from Lincoln City to Florence.
The Cruisers (Aaron, Jim, Larry, Randy and Spencer) left at
6 a.m., The Schmoozers (Rich, Kathy and Gene) left at 7:15
a.m., and the new category of "The Losers" (Tom
and Gil) didn't get on the road until 9:45 a.m.!
This
last group is so named because they both had intestinal disorders
due to impulse eating -- i.e., if it smells good, looks good
and tastes good, it isn't necessarily good! In addition, as
you can see in the photo, Gil had a flat tire and needed Tom's
help! Connie and Roger continued their own shuttling and still
came in among the first group. They're in a category of their
own ---"The Bruisers"!
Our first run-in with the police came today in Newport, where
today's Cruisers were pulled over and warned that one rider
(Spencer) was encroaching on traffic and needed to stay in
the designated bicycle lane. However, after he heard that
the bikers were riding for the Sutter Cancer Center he let
them go and wished them luck! We won't be able to tease Spencer
too much though because as of this hour he is having his knee
X-rayed at a local hospital. Apparently it's a recurring injury.
Story developing....
Newport
was good to us in another way because a customer leaned over
at breakfast and handed Gene $5 for a donation!
Everyone, even the local folk, agree that this particular
stretch of Highway 101 truly had the most magnificent vistas!
The Sea Lion Caves were spectacular. ... Larry said he even
saw a sea lion actually catch a wave and ride it in! The two
climbs over Cape Foul Weather and Cape Perpetua were very
manageable for the group. Kathy is feeling great! She even
extended her ride an extra few miles to achieve her personal
best of 80!
June
26
This
75-mile day from Florence to Bandon went very well, with all
of us arriving at "The Inn at Face Rock" by 1:30
... two hours ahead of the golfer's tee time at Pacific Dunes.
Tom and Gil are on the road to recovery as well as Spencer,
whose knee problem was corrected by raising his bicycle seat
a mere half-inch!
I
gave Tom a ride for the first 28 miles so he could catch up
with Gene and Gil, but he assured me that he would make it
up on his first day off!
Bandon has a beautiful coastline and a world-class golf resort,
but it has no service for cell phones or Internet! The photo
shows Floyd Luman making one of his last calls en route from
Florence while enjoying some "down time"! We always
try to have his RV parked at 20-mile intervals so the riders
can get energy replenishment with bananas, red grapes, cheese,
crackers, trail mix, veggies and beverages.
After crossing the bridge into Coos Bay, Jim had another flat
tire! Aaron came to his rescue but made one mistake. Wondering
why the tire wouldn't pump up, he realized that he had installed
the original leaky tube instead of the new one! (Fodder for
Kangaroo Court!) Hopefully the five new tubes I picked up
at a local bike shop will get us through to Mendocino.
Wrapping up the day, Kathy and I enjoyed a long walk along
the beach, Roger and Connie camped out and Tom and Randy opted
for an early dinner in town. The 3:30 tee time was met by
eight golfers who walked the course ... customary at Bandon
Dunes Golf Resort. They didn't get back for dinner until 9
p.m., in bed late at 11 p.m.! Therefore, we all decided that
tomorrow's departure to Gold Beach would be later in the morning,
since it would be only 65 miles.
June
27-28
From
left, Roger, Connie and Gene.
Whitecaps
on the Pacific gave us a clue that the wind was up! Not that
the riders needed to be reminded, as they struggled to stay
in the bike lanes!
It
was another beautiful route with almost all of the 65 miles
on Highway 101 except for the last 15 before entering Gold
Beach on Squaw Valley Road. Beginning at Port Orford, the
coast line was truly majestic with its many "sea mounts"
and "sea stacks." The inland ride through the Humbug
Mountain area took us through a fertile river valley for a
few miles. Six riders decided that it was the perfect setting
for a picnic! The last six scenic days of the "Tour de
Oregon" have really been a biker's dream!
Randy Jones, who joined us in Astoria, OR, has now completed
five consecutive 100-mile days. He is attempting to make up
for the miles that he lost in Washington so that he too can
say that he rode 1,000 miles for the Sutter Cancer Center.
His wife met him here this evening to drive him down to Crescent
City, where he will fly to Seattle tomorrow for a business
meeting and join us again on Tuesday night after we arrive
there. All of these riders have had to juggle their business
obligations with their commitment to this ride, and all have
dealt with it successfully!
Aaron Turner, aka "The Rock," continues to amaze
bicycling veterans with his stamina and athletic prowess as
he floats on the flats but destroys fellow riders on the hills.
Richard Dubey took a wrong turn today, following a lost lead
rider (who remains anonymous), and added six unwanted miles
before righting his course. Needless to say, he was not happy!
Sunday night we had a wonderful dinner at "Spinners"
here in Gold Beach. I always judge a restaurant on how the
veggies are presented...if they're al dente then the accompanying
food will be superb. We were not disappointed!
For our day off on Monday, nine of us went for a six-hour
jet boat trip up the wild and scenic Rogue River. We had lunch
in Agness, OR, at the "Cougar Den." It was a nice
break from our daily bicycle routine, as tomorrow begins the
daunting hills of Northern California beginning near Crescent
City and continuing for the remainder of the ride.
June
29
We
left Gold Beach this morning at 7:15, arriving in Crescent
City by 1 p.m. The photo shows all 12 riders as they posed
at the California border: From left, Richard, Aaron, Larry,
Randy, Kathy, Tom, Connie, Jim, Gene, Roger, Gil and Spencer
in front kneeling.
There
were more incredible views as we encountered Cape Sebastian
and passed through the epic Pistol River State Park. The Easter
lily fields by the Smith River are the No. 1 bulb producers
in the world! The weather was cool and foggy.
Tom and Gil are turning out to be real warriors, riding hard
despite not feeling at the top of their game. I certainly
never considered them in the "Loser" category in
the sense of the word itself ... only that without feeling
100 percent, you lose out on all the team camaraderie. But
they're back! The group is determined to log in their 1,000
miles no matter what happens.
It's been remarkable to me to watch these cyclists perform.
They're good! There is a bicycle term called a "PELETON"
which refers to a line of riders all in single file with the
leader creating the pace and breaking the draft for the others.
He stays in the front for about a mile, then drops back to
the end of the line and the No. 2 rider takes the lead. His
other job is to call out any obstructions along the way. (A
picture that Larry took, from June 21-22, demonstrates this.)
Our guys and gals have this exercise down! Occasionally the
leader wants to break away to spur some competition along
flat areas ... then the sprint is on! With 12 days of cycling
behind them, it's amazing that they have any energy left to
do this!
Today we welcomed Randy's wife, Kathy, who will stay with
us until the end of the trip. (It's always great to have another
female aboard!) Two guys had their bicycles tuned up at a
local bike shop so now everyone is good to go for tomorrow's
ascent into the redwoods.
June
30
Taken
at base of giant carving of Paul Bunyan, from left, Aaron,
Jim, Randy, Gene and Tom.
This
morning started out cold with a misty fog. Some areas of the
road did not have a very good shoulder, so caution was imperative.
The fluorescent "Screamin' Yellow" jackets worn
by most of our riders help motorists identify them.
Today's
ascent of the twin peaks of the Crescent City Hills is the
second most challenging climb of the ride -- 1,000 feet in
three miles, then a dip before another 600 feet. Continuing
on the Redwood Highway through the city of Klamath, four statues
of golden bears were the greeters on the bridge over the Klamath
River. In the Prairie Creek State Park, there was a spectacular
grove of giant redwoods and ferns before the ride took us
through Humboldt Lagoons on our way to Eureka ... a total
of 85 miles!
Sixty miles into the ride, we stopped for lunch in Trinidad,
a historic bay side fishing village with the best Crab Louie
salads ever! Later, several groups of our riders had a unique
and memorable experience to augment their riding journals.
They actually became acquainted with a member of the California
Highway Patrol! The officer, Tom Allen, stopped to tell them
that he was a bicycling enthusiast and was interested in hearing
all about our trip. (Perhaps he was really looking for Spencer...!)
He was very supportive and knowledgeable of cycling protocol
and even continued ahead to meet the other riders for a chat.
When leaving them, he waved goodbye and flashed his lights.
It was great to hear that Bev Luman's recovery was going well
from yesterday's gall bladder surgery! Our main support man,
Floyd, returned to Sacramento last night to be with her and
the family. We all miss him and are sorry that he and Bev
will be unable to see us finish the ride in Mendocino on Friday.
The duties of RV operators then fell to Rich & Gil for
the day! On top of this responsibility, they both managed
to get in 25 miles of bicycling between shuttling. (Tomorrow
will be someone else's turn.) Rich proved the mechanic extraordinaire
as he managed a remarkable pit stop at the local tire shop
here in Eureka to save us from one of the right rears leaving
us stranded!
Allison Turner and baby Sydney, aka "Peaches", rejoined
us tonight and will stay until the finish ... only two more
days!
July
1
Outside
a cafe near Meyers Flat. In the background, from left, are
Gil, Randy and Gene. In the foreground, from left, are Tom,
Rich and Roger.
Today
was a fun and interesting day traveling from Eureka to Garberville.
A 75-mile trip, with 35 of them taking the riders through
the Humboldt Redwoods along "The Avenue of The Giants."
These redwood trees are breathtaking in their beauty and height,
creating a shady green canopy over the road.
Connie was greeted by Jed and Max, two bikers whom she met
500 miles ago in Cape Meares outside of Tillamook. They called
out, "Hey ... it's Connie!" Amazing that they crossed
paths again! Just as she was thinking about how friendly everyone
was, she became the target of some paintballers near Phillipsville.
The green on her helmet will serve as a reminder that not
everyone supports cyclists. The good thing is that they missed
Gil and Aaron who were riding with her.
Approximately two miles from the finish, Jim had a tire blowout!
I brought him a spare bike and thought he would arrive at
our hotel within minutes. However, he missed the turnoff on
Highway 101 and had to put in additional miles backtracking
from Benbow. Luckily there was a bike shop in town and new
tires were available. The "Armadillos" are holding
up their reputation as the most reliable tire. Using a different
brand, Jim and Roger have had 12 flats between them.
We're off to the Benbow Inn tonight for dinner where we will
discuss the daunting challenge facing us in the morning. The
riders will be faced with a 7-9-percent climb for 3.5 of the
first miles as they climb past Confusioin Hill on their way
to Leggett, CA. Their biggest concern seems to be the loose
dogs who like to shag them, becoming a dangerous obstacle.
Perhaps we will be carrying hot dogs as a decoy!
One thing for sure ... everyone will be happy to finally arrive
in Mendocino!!!
July
2
After
a thousand miles, from left, Larry Somerton, Aaron Turner,
Gene Hume, Roger Rudolph, Kathy Somerton, Richard Dubey, Connie
Austin, Jim Pryor, Randy Jones, Spencer Malysiak, Gil Moore
and Tom Landwehr.
For
our last 72 miles, we left Garberville this morning and rode
to the little town of Leggett, where we had a carb-loaded
breakfast to prepare for the daunting climb ahead. Jim had
told all of us that from the ride he did three years ago,
he remembered this stretch as being very tough -- so
trepidation was in the air! However, with 15 days of biking
behind them, the group sailed up the mountain in good speed
and there was not one dog around to hassle them!
It
was a beautiful route with the road having just been recently
repaved. Someone must have called off the logging trucks because
even they stayed away. A break was taken for Cliff bars and
Gatorade at around the 40-mile mark at Cape Viscaino near
Rockport. Back down the road, Gene's derailleur had completely
sheared off of his bike and he was ferried up the hill in
Kathy Jones' truck! Luckily, our spare bike was available
for him to use for the completion of the ride down the coast.
Meanwhile in Mendocino, Deborah Dunham and three of her coworkers
from the Sutter Cancer Center were busily applying ribbon
(PINK for Breast Cancer) on the pavement in front of the Mendocino
Hotel and getting positioned for camera shots of our bikers.
Alison was purchasing champagne, funds for which were generously
donated by the Somertons, and beer for the celebration which
would take place after their arrival. We all tried to coordinate
with each other but it was tough, since there was no cell
phone service in the area!
At around 3 p.m., we began to see the yellow Van-to-Cino jerseys
coming down the street toward us and people (locals and tourists)
along the way were clapping and calling out, "Congratulations!",
"Great job!", "Proud of you!" It was so
exciting to see all 12 cyclists come across the finish line
together ... all feeling well with big smiles across their
faces!
Champagne
corks were popping, "high fives" were prevalent
as well as hugs and cheers seen and heard everywhere!
Some additional family and friends also joined in the welcome:
Gene's wife Sally and daughter Suzanne; Gil's companion and
son Christopher, with his girlfriend and her daughter; Jim's
and my dear friends, Jane & Dick Brooks, who made a surprise
appearance. Gil graciously arranged a post party inside
the Mendocino Hotel where we lingered for about an hour, enjoying
more adult beverages and hors d'oeuvres. At our wrap-up dinner
at Little River Inn, Deborah Dunham presented each rider with
a scrapbook for their memories, which was personalized with
this message:
"Wow!! A 1,000 mile bike ride. Our heartfelt
thanks for this "Tour de Force."
V. Caggiano MD
Sutter Medical Center Foundation
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