08-16-09

I wanted to ride back to and explore Cape Blanco. It was a sunny morning and the wind sounded like it had died down. The internet said that the wind was only 3mph in Port Orford. I got on my bike and headed north. Right away I knew the wind was way over 3mph and remembered that the web site I looked at gets it’s readings from Gold Beach. “Damn you internet!“ The wind was strong and it was back up hill to the “Cape Blanco 3 Miles” sign. I figured once I made that turn it would be a “ride in the park”. When I took the left the wind was much stronger as I turned into it and it blasted off of the ocean. The sign said, “Light House 6 Miles”. “6 miles, I thought it was only 3!” It got harder too. It was a long flat prairie, then a long steep climb to the top of the cape. Cape Blanco State Park STARTS 3 miles from the turn, it’s 3 more to the coast.
I made it to the light house, almost exactly 10 miles from my front door. The cape is surrounded by the ocean on three sides. The view is exquisite. The harder the place is to get to the more beautiful the view. I took some pictures. It was hard to hold steady in the wind. I found a place with a great view, in the grass close to a drop off, that if you sat down was protected slightly from the wind. I stayed there for awhile. When I stood up a woman was taking a picture out of her car window. I made a big X with my body to block her shot, but then laughed and sat back down. She got the shot, they honked their horn and I stood back up and waved good-bye.
When I rode back out to the highway I saw a deer standing right on the side of the road. I stopped to get a picture, but a car scared it away. The ride into town was much easier again with the wind and hill on my side. It was a good 20 mile ride by the time I was done and I felt content to relax the rest of the day.
Corey and I went for a drive along the coast south of town. He’d been wanting to build a fire pit at home. There was some ideal stone at a parking spot by the beach. You’re probably not supposed to take it, but we did anyway. We tried to be discrete as cars drove by. It was like something we would have found ourselves doing together 20 years ago. We didn’t talk about it, we just did it. I guess steeling things off of the side of the road with Corey is automatic, like riding a bike.