Day 19--VIEWPOINTS

September 23, 2000
Humbug Mountain SP to Harris Beach SP (Brookings)

We got off at 9 after breakfast w/ Will. Very cold morning. Will's thermometer read 42F at 8 a.m. I was cold last night for the first time—almost smothered myself in my sleeping bag trying to keep my head warm. Course Will & Jess are seasoned campers/travelers and have warm hats.

Despite bright sun, it remained chilly all day. I had my jacket on and off. Off for all of the climbing (and we did a lot of climbing today, much of it NOT represented on the elevation views on our maps!) and jacket on for the downhills and flats.

Saturday is a great biking day on this route. The logging trucks are not running, and the RVs for the most part have situated themselves at their favorite campgrounds for the weekend, so are not on the road.

This campground has a laundry. While I was washing our clothes, I met Joyce, a very pretty African-American girl from Atlanta, a marathoner, who is riding to the Mexican border. She started out with Kate, who was much faster and who is now riding with Debbie (remember Debbie from a week or so ago?) Joyce is now riding with four others who are of the same pace and just happen to camp together at the same spots. They all started in Vancouver, also.

Internet photo of Harris Beach SP and Brookings' Chetco river

We are just back from the Flying Gull in Brookings where we had dinner—Will, too. He pulled into camp a couple of hours after we did. For lunch today we stopped at the Port Hole just south of the Rogue River bridge. I had a big bowl of clam chowder; Jess had a burger.

The hiker/biker area at this park is more or less one large area. Tucked into one corner is a transient with his mattress on his picnic table, etc. Last night he came over and asked if his radio would bother us. We said no if he kept it low. Never heard the radio, but the chainsaw he whipped out later to cut his firewood was another story. We laughed ourselves silly.

All along the coast route we've encountered cryptic signs. Here's my interpretation:

•   SUNKEN GRADE = The road substrata has fallen into the sea & one can now see China through the holes in the asphalt
•   CAPE = A very long, winding, windy climb
•   VIEWPOINT = A very long, winding, windy climb with a pulloff at the top for panting
•   SAFETY CORRIDOR = A section of road with rough pavement, no shoulders, fast traffic & the requirement that vehicles drive with their lights on
•   WAYSIDE = An attraction that is one mile or more away from the side of the road, usually requiring a very long, winding, windy climb
•   BRAKE TEST AREA - A fall-off-the-edge-of-the-world steep downhill coming up
•   RUNAWAY TRUCK RAMP - Long, winding, windy, steep downhill on which trucks that failed the brake test can come to a stop on their own up ramp

So many viewpoints today that we never would have gotten to camp if we stopped at each. The coast here is beautiful—dotted with sea stacks and picturesque blue/green coves.

Miles: 58

Route: 58 miles (including our trip into Brookings for dinner and back). We escaped from 101 with several "alternate" routes. One long climb and descent and another series of climbs and descents that seemed to last forever.

Weather: Sunny tho chilly day—probably in the mid to high 60s.