Expand Pictures

I just discovered that if you click on the picture included with each posting, the result is a larger version of the picture ... then click on the enlarged picture, and an even larger picture is provided.

Example: if you click on the picture of me at Logan Pass (June 27 posting), you will be able to clearly see the bags under my eyes by clicking twice.

Design Question


During the ride up to Logan Pass, I observed these benches. The questions that popped into my head were, "Why are the benches facing away from the amazing view? Why are they facing the restroom facilities?"

I must admit, however, the restroom facilities were very attractive.

Wheeeeeeee (June 28, 2010)


Oh, bless you tailwind.

More changing of plans. I had planned on taking two easy days ... the first from Browning to Cut Bank (33 miles), then on to Shelby (26 miles) the second day.

When I awoke this morning, I could tell from the way the tent was moving, that there was a fairly strong wind coming out of the west. After eating and packing, I got out on the road. Oh, my ... what a joy. Hardly pedaling and cruising at 25 MPH.

Not a lot to see out here, mostly grasslands and various types of agriculture.

With the strong wind, I found myself in Cut Bank about an hour and a half after starting today's ride, so I pressed on to Shelby ... made it in record time, even though the wind slowed. One thing that has changed is that it is no longer cool/cold ... it is hot ... not Arizona hot, but hot none-the-less.

Feels good to be out of the mountains and into a new phase of the ride. Another week and I will be meeting-up with Rich Torkington in Williston, ND. Looking forward to seeing Rich.

Life is good ... hot, but good.

Glacier National Park (June 27, 2010)


If you have not been, you need to go!

Got up early this morning to start the 16 mile climb to Logan Pass ... about 3,000 feet of climbing. So as not to endanger cyclist, they prohibit bikes on this road between 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Me thinks it is not the safety of the cyclists as much as it is the inconvenience for the cars ... don't want to slow these folks down in their quest to see the Park from the temperature-controlled confines of their vehicles. Sorry for the sour-grapes, but the restricting of bikes just pisses me off.

Back to the ride ... simply amazing, is all I can say. Pure beauty of nature. The climb is not overly difficult, just persistently present ... 2 hours and 45 minutes of 4 mph climbing. Sure felt good to get to the top, and the ride down the other side was exhilarating, to say the least. No attempt will be made to try to describe the scenery; suffice it to say it is astonishingly beautiful. Met three other cyclist at the Pass, so was able to share the "victory" moment.

Finished the day's ride in Browning, MT, after a total of 68 miles of riding.

I became aware of a very strange, to me, geological transition after leaving the Park. Coming out of the Park at St. Mary, I took a right-hand turn and hit a 4 mile climb. At the top of the climb, I stopped and took a look back at the Rocky Mountains of Glacier National Park. I then turned 180 degrees to look out at the Great Plains (flat level horizon). Kind of amazing and found myself thinking about what the early pioneers must have thought after traveling in the relatively flat terrain for so long, only to see the Rocky Mountains.

So, I have passed over multiple Passes in the Cascades and Rocky Mountains ... and now to the flats of the Plains.

Hope the winds are out of the West!

Change in Plans (June 26, 2010)


What a terrific day!

Prior to leaving Kalispell, I used the "Bicycle Directions" setting of Google Maps, and queried how to get to West Glacier Village. My plan was to ride to the Village in time to watch the U.S./Ghana World Cup match, then head south to Essex. The directions provided by Google put me into some amazingly serene and beautiful farming areas. The 35 mile ride, from Kalispell to West Glacier Village, was a pure joy, and I made it to a sports bar in time to watch the match (so sad ...).

After the game ended, I headed out toward Essex, which skirts to the south of Glacier National Park. Over the past week and a half that I rode with Tom, he had been speaking of the "Highway to the Sun", and I had heard others speak of it in glowing terms as well. Due to my lack of attention to detail, I thought that if you rode the "Highway to the Sun", you then rode into Canada. Now, I have nothing against Canada, I just was not interested in going there at this juncture. So, while heading to Essex, I stopped and took a look at the map ... low-and-behold, I could do the ride and still stay on schedule, heading eastward.

I then did a u-turn, and headed into Glacier National Park. Stopped for some information, then found a campsite 16 miles up the road, which left a 16 mile climb to Logan Pass for the next day. Met-up with two other cyclist in the campground and enjoyed their company.

Beautiful country, but as usual, a little on the cool side ... plus there are lots of bears ... sleep tight if you can.

Hard Day at the Office (June 25, 2010)

Today was a hard day ... 92 miles from Libby to Kalispell, MT.

I had originally planned to head north to Eureka, then come back south to Whitefish ... two days of riding. As mentioned previously, I will be meeting up with Rich Torkington in North Dakota on July 6 ... however, I was running a day late. Rich has been most gracious in indicating that my arriving on July 7 is not a problem, but I have this thing about being on time (as my Momma taught me).

So I decided to make a long day of it and ride the 92 miles to Kalispell, which is a few miles south of Whitefish. After thanking Tom for his companionship over the past week and a half, and wishing him happy and safe travels, I headed out.

Long-ass day ... lots of climbing ... several sections of the highway without a shoulder wider than the 8" white line ... times of sever headwinds ... as I say, long-ass day (8 hours and 45 minutes riding time).

Even though there were a few scenic views, I did not stop to take any pictures. Suffice it to say that there were mountains, hills, valleys, lakes, trees (lots of trees), and an abundance of green grass. So what's new.

Tomorrow I again head east, but plan on a shorter day of riding.

Amazing Scenery (June 24, 2010)


The scenery on the past two days' rides has been nothing short of amazing.

The 56 mile ride from Sandpoint to Noxon, and the 52 mile ride on to Libby were beautiful to the point of over-saturation. Much of this area has been set aside as a preserve, so the usual resultant ugliness of the logging industry is nowhere to be seen. Throw in snow covered peaks and massive lakes and you have an unblemished landscape ... stunning.

My ride to Noxon was highlighted by a slight mechanical problem ... the front derailleur bracket loosened ... can't pedal the bike when this happens. After a frustrating 30 minutes of trying to find the right derailleur position, I managed to get the shifting from middle ring to small ring (and back) to operate. I only use the big ring when blasting downhill, so no great loss. Tom and I were riding together out of Sandpoint, so I suggested he travel on rather than sit and watch me work on my bike. We then met-up in Hope, ID where he had stopped for lunch

That evening we shared our campsite with a couple from Belgium, who have been bike touring since late March of this year. They started in Phoenix and traveled up through Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. They will be finishing their tour in Seattle in July. Interesting couple ... they have done extensive bike touring in Europe, as well as North and South America. Back at the time of the attack on the World Trade Center, they were touring in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Backpacking treks have also taken them to Asia. The discussion regarding the differences in social services offered in Belgium versus the U.S. was very interesting.

The ride into Libby, other than the landscape, was not very exciting. A short hike in to see the Kootenai Falls was a welcome break. It felt good to feel the mist of the falls on this warm day.

Tomorrow Tom and I will be heading in different directions, so we will be saying our "goodbyes and safe travels". Tom has been a joy to ride with, and I wish him an exciting and memorable bike ride.

I will be heading to Kalispell, MT tomorrow ... 90 miles or so ... yikes!!

The weather has been great for riding ... life continues to be good.

Rest Day ... ahhh (June 22, 2010)


Takin' the day off. I've been riding since June 1 ... three weeks of hills, passes, rain, snow ( only 20 minutes or so, but never-the-less ... snow in June!!) and cold. Feels good to take the day off and just relax.

Yesterday we rode from Newport, WA to Sandpoint, ID ... 36 miles of moderate climbing and the usual rain and cooler weather. Today the sun has actually penetrated the gray cloud cover a few times, and there must be less depth to the cloud cover because the general brightness is illuminating the adjacent lake and mountains to a greater degree. Or maybe my spirits have improved due to the lack of pressure pushing on my butt by the bike's saddle.

Anyway, doing some of those things that free time allows ... laundry, browsing in a bookstore, casually eating lunch in a nice restaurant, and taking care of the ever present financial concerns.

Sandpoint sits on the Pend Oreille (pon-da-ray) Lake ... quite a large lake with 111 miles of shoreline and a depth of 1,158 feet. Quite a pretty area ... can only imagine how pretty it would be if the clouds disappeared. I was told the other day that Pond Oreille means "ear lobe" in French ... decency precludes me to discuss "Tetons".

Tomorrow, Tom and I head eastward. The other three fellow riders (Sheryl, Phillip and John) headed back to Seattle this morning. Sorry to see them leave. Tom is planning on riding up into Glacier National Park (I'm not), so if the passes in the Park are open, Tom and I will be heading different directions next weekend. Tom is a great traveling companion, so I will be saddened if we head different directions.

Another two weeks and I will be meeting up with Phoenix-area friend Rich Torkington in Williston, ND. Rich and I will be riding south through North and South Dakota along the Missouri River, intending to reach Sioux City, IA in time to participate in the RAGBRAI insanity. It will be good to see Rich's smiling face.

Rest days are good.

'Tis Still Wet (June 21, 2010)


Well, at least I am getting my money's worth out of the rain jacket and pants that I purchased last year.

Not a lot to say about the past two days of riding, other than to say "Idaho approaches".

Saturday's 50 mile ride from Colville to Ione was supposed to be an easy day, but it turned out to be moderately difficult ... no major climbs, just several shorter, slow climbs. I did not see a major Pass called out on the map, but I did see one roadside sign calling out a Pass by the name "Do Not". Pretty easy climb to this sign.

I am thankful to be traveling with Sheryl, Phillip, John and Tom. We spent the night at a wonderful RV Park outside of Ione. Met two touring bicyclist from New Zealand ... Joan and Heinrich. They are also traveling on the Northern Tier route; they rode across the U.S. 30 years ago. It would be good to meet up with them again somewhere along the road.

Yesterday's ride wound along the Pend Oreille (pon-da-ray) River for 55 miles or so, ending in Newport, WA. Beautiful scenery, and for a while, miserably cold and wet riding. As is usual, once you put on all of the various waterproof items of clothing the glorious sun breaks through the clouds, which then converts the uncomfortableness from wet and cold to steamingly-hot temps contained within the waterproof clothing. Finished the ride in a short sleeve jersey and shorts ... ahhh.

This past evening I stayed in a $45-a-night motel here in Newport. There was only one room available, so my riding partners headed to another motel in town. There was only one room available because there is a group of bicyclists staying here as well. This group of 24 riders (or so) started their ride yesterday morning in Spokane and are heading up into Canada, returning to Spokane around July 1. I shared dinner with four of the riders ... also shared much laughter and delightful conversation. I think the act of bicycle touring relieves so much of the everyday stress it encourages animated conversations.

This group's ride is organized through the Bicycle Adventure Club, a non-profit organization in which tours (throughout the world) are organized and led by members. Information about the organization is available at their website at www.bicycleadventureclub.org.

We are heading on to Sandpoint, Idaho today ... no surprise, weather projections call for rain. Sheryl, Phillip and John will be heading back westward in the next day or two, and Tom and I will continue east. Sorry to see the three departing as they have been a joy. Sheryl, Phillip, John ... thank you for your friendship. Hope we can share some riding adventures sometime in the future.

I received an e-mail from Tucson friend Sally Krusing yesterday; she has been touring England for a couple of weeks. She commented on the fact that it has been consistently cold and wet, which is something with which I can relate. Sally, thanks for sharing my discomfort.

Time to start packing up the panniers, load the bike and head out into the moist weather. Weather aside, life continues the be good.

Seemingly Endless Climbs (June 18, 2010)


I am pleased to say that the seemingly endless climbs are over for a few days. Climbed up-and-over Sherman Pass (5575') today ... only took about 4 hours of climbing at 3.5-to-4.0 mph. Endless. But as the adjacent picture illustrates, one does get the opportunity to view some spectacular scenery ... I just found myself desiring to pass this beautiful scenery a little bit quicker.

As seems to be a tradition in this area, I was once again provided with the joys of riding over the pass in a constant downpour. The rain started about 10 miles from the top of the pass, and continued for about 6 miles after the pass. This latter six miles was at a fairly consistent downhill of 6% ... makes for somewhat tense/exciting descending.

Near the end of today's ride, I passed over Roosevelt Lake (just west of Kettle Falls, WA). This lake is formed by damming the Columbia River ... the same Columbia River that I rode along last year riding east from Portland, OR. Once again my inattention during my school geography studies allows me to be surprised ... I did not realize the Columbia River ran south from this far north of the Oregon/Washington state line.

The possible highlight of today's 52 mile ride from Republic to Colville occurred on the climb up from Roosevelt Lake to Kettle Falls ... another 4 mph climb of a 2 to 3 mile stretch into Kettle Falls. What I perceived to be a light drizzle turned into a 20 minute drenching downpour. Unfortunately, I did not put on my rain gear ... one layer of jersey and shorts did not provide much protection from the wet/cold. Damn, not fun!

The previous day's ride, a 63 mile ride from Omak to Republic included (unsurprisingly) another Pass to ride over ... Wauconda Pass (4310'). This climb was easier as it was a gradual climb over a distance of approximately 24 miles. But what made the climb enjoyable was the re-connecting with the four friends I met back in Concrete, WA.

I was very happy to meet up with them late morning just south of Tonasket. As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, they are traveling east with three of them riding, and the fourth driving the car. Sheryl and Phillip have a car with a very distinctive small trailer ... I was very pleased when Phillip pulled up next to me and said that Sheryl, John and Tom were about 2 miles behind me. We met-up in town and shared a very welcome lunch break at a pizza place. Food was delicious, the conversation enjoyable. We then headed out on the 24 mile climb. There is a great difference in climbing alone vs. sharing ongoing conversations ... much easier to complete the ride when thinking about things other than climbing.

John, Sheryl and Phillip will be heading back to Seattle after reaching Sandpoint, ID (a couple more days of riding). John will be flying back to LA; Sheryl and Phillip will be driving back to Mariposa, CA (actually, I think the name of the town is Mariposa-near-Yosemite ... kind of similar to Stratford-on-Avon). Tom is intending to ride the complete Northern Tier route, ending in Maine. Tom's ride can be followed at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/tomwild. I feel very lucky to have met these four. They are extremely nice people ... a joy to share time/riding with them.

No more extreme climbs for a while ... good.

But it is a Dry Pass (June 16, 2010)


Another day, another Pass to climb. Today's ride included riding up and over Loup Loup Pass ... approximately 2400' of climbing in 7.5 miles. The nice thing about today's climb, as compared with yesterday's climbs, was that there was no rain/snow up at the pass. Dry road surface on most of the way down (14 miles or so) allowed for a very fast descent ... 36 mph max!

The rest of the day's 60 mile ride from Mazama to Omak was somewhat unexciting. Rain on and off, and reasonably nice scenery ... but the constant overcast leaves a grayness that diminishes the greenness. The flora has transitioned from thick wooded forest to grass-covered rolling hills. Rode past a vast cherry orchard just west of Okanogan.

There was one moment of "excitement" as I approached Okanogan. As I was plodding along (legs tired at this point), I heard the "boom" of two cars colliding about 300 yards up the road. I stopped, along with some others, to assist with traffic control and such. Fortunately, no one was injured. I spoke with the driver of the car that caused the accident (according to her). She said she has been working long hours and fell asleep at the wheel. This I found quite disconcerting as she had passed me about 10 seconds before hitting the other car. Yikes!

Will be heading off tomorrow toward another climb, this time over Wauconda Pass ... a 24 mile/3300' climb. Oh boy. Another day of gray and wet.

The statue figures are in a small city park in Whisp, WA. I did not see a plaque explaining topic or artist ... I just found the art interesting.

Snow!!!! in June (June 15, 2010)


The world has gone crazy ... snow in June. My world is out of whack.

Lots of miles have seen the rubber-side of my bike since I last posted. All types of weather and terrain.

Probably the highlight of the past days (other than riding in the snow today) was the joy of meeting up with my former brother-in-law on Whidbey Island. Ned was waiting at the ferry landing in Keystone, WA; he is very familiar with that part of the island, so we took some of the more scenic back roads on our way to Oak Harbor. Very enjoyable ride. We found a bar (somewhat of a dive) that had the USA/England soccer match on TV. This gave us an opportunity to semi-watch the game, share a beer and carry-on a very enjoyable conversation. We had not seen one another for somewhere around 15 years, and having been good friends back in the early 70's, we had a lot to catch up on ... Ned is one of the great story tellers, so I had a wonderful time.

After the match ended, I headed north and Ned headed back to Keystone. I ended the day's ride just short of Anacortes, WA, heading east the following day. Since then, I have ended days in Concrete, Colonial Campground and tonight, Mazama, WA. Since leaving Eugene two weeks ago, I put in abut 660 mile.

About today's ride ... started the day with 27 miles of climbing to Rainy Pass (4855'), then an additional 5 miles to Washington Pass (5477'). Snow at both Passes. Long-ass climb, to say the least. After passing over Washington Pass, there was an 18 mile downhill to Mazama ... the initial 7 miles at 7%, which is quite terrifying when the road is very wet (remember the rain and snow), and the brakes are also wet. It is hard enough on your fingers to be working the brakes constantly, but if you throw in frozen digits, it becomes quite painful and, quite frankly, not fun.

I am most fortunate to have met four fellow riders in Concrete (actually one lady and three guys), and another guy yesterday ... we all opted for a hotel here in Mazama, and shared a wonderfully entertaining meal and conversation.

What can I say, new friends and a warm/dry sleeping arrangement. Dare I say it ... life is good.

Out of the Woods (June 12, 2010)


I feel quite the seafaring traveler these days.

After the 32 mile ride from Tacoma to Bremerton, then the 50 miles to Port Townsend, I am feeling quite like a traveler of the waterways. Yesterday, I rode the ferry from Port Orchard to Bremerton, then today I will be on the ferry from Port Townsend to Keystone (on Whidbey Island). Still have not suffered through any sea-sickness.

The ride from Tacoma to Bremerton was a very hard ride. In the first mile I had to go up a very steep street (think the car-chase on the San Francisco streets in the movie Bullet). I ended up pushing the bike up this hill ... first time in all of my travels that I had to get off and push. Later on, I was riding a nice bike path only to be confronted by a "trail closed" sign. Managed to navigate this closure after a somewhat tense moment. The rest of the day consisted of a lot of short climbs and too quick downhills. Yesterday's ride to Port Townsend was equally as "up/down", which can wear a person down in a hurry. The highpoint of yesterday's ride was that the sun actually broke through the seemingly ever present cloud cover for the last hour of the ride.

As I prepare to pack-up and get over to the ferry landing, there is not a cloud in the sky ... should be a wonderful day riding in the warmth.

Hope to catch some of the USA/England soccer match today.

Feeling good.

Why Travel by Bike? (June 11, 2010)


There are, I suppose, many many reasons to travel the countryside by bike. One reason I enjoy the adventure is that a bike rider sees and hears things that a person, in a car traveling at 70 MPH, won't see/hear.

The waterfall in the adjacent photo is on a side road north of Centralia, WA. It is a very small natural feature, but the sound and the beauty of the waterfall brought me much joy.

Riding the Backroads (June 9, 2010)


Oh, how nice it is getting off of primary highways. For the past three days, I have been riding some of the less traveled roads of western Washington. While these roads typically have a lot more short climbs than the major highways, they offer a much more scenic and less hectic day of riding.

On Monday, I rode the 35 miles from Cathlamet to Castle Rock (Gateway to Mt. Saint Helens). This proved to be a very hard ride ... lots of climbing. Tuesday's 42 mile ride to Centralia was a very nice ride. This ride took me through some very scenic valleys, home to many small farms and small towns. I even got the chance to see the world's largest egg (concrete statue) in one of the small towns. Wednesday's 52 mile ride to Tacoma was half good/half uncomfortable.

The first half of the day's to Tacoma was a joy. About 13 miles into the ride I discovered a bike/pedestrian (paved) trail that allowed me to travel parallel to the highway, without having to worry about cars and trucks. This 13 mile ride into Yelm, WA was very enjoyable, slight tailwind, slight downhill and no rain. Just as I came to the end of the trail, it started to sprinkle ... followed by one of the hardest rains I have seen in a long time. This storm was one of those types of storms where the rain drops are falling at a 45 degree angle ... the type of rain that you are unable to see 20 feet in front of you. I mean to say it was a major downpour.

Fortunately, there was a small cafe at the end of the trail, into which I entered during the sprinkling phase ... hot coffee and a dry spot to watch the storm made me think once again, life is good.

The second half of the ride into Tacoma was wet, cold and highly trafficked. I was glad when this day's ride ended.

Tomorrow I head toward Bremerton and Port Townsend. I will be meeting up with my ex-brother-in-law in Port Townsend on Saturday for a day of riding. I am looking forward to seeing Ned, as it has been a great number of years since we have seen one another.

Next Sunday, I start riding east on the Northern Tier route.

And the sun is supposed to be shining for several consecutive days ... something else to which I look forward.

The Yin - Yang of Long-distance Riding (June 6, 2010)


The days on the road are all separate, all days unto themselves. Some days have no distinguishing moments and some days are embedded in my memory for ever (or at least as long as my memory lasts).

For me the last two days represent the Yin and Yang of memorable rides.

Yesterday was a day of great beauty ... blue skys and sunlit shafts penetrating the dark roadside forests. A day of meeting other riders. A day started with a joyful conversation with the wife of a south bound rider (she is providing SAG support for her husband ... check out his journal at www.crazyguyonabike.com/billstone). The conversation with this lady was a great way to start the day.

Included in this magnificent day were some very challenging climbs that provided spectacular vistas. The only negative to the day was the headwind that blew for the second half of the 47 miles from Tillamook, OR to Seaside, OR. My legs were cooked, and these tired muscles overruled my thoughts of camping when I encountered the roadside hotels in Seaside.

So much for the Yin. Yang (today) presented grayness and not much in the way of joy. Today's 51 mile ride from Seaside to Cathlamet, WA was, quite truthfully, the pits. Rain all day long, highlighted by the spray of thousands of vehicles returning from the beach-towns to Portland. Throw in several nasty climbs and you end up with a day impossible to forget. Again ... nasty, nasty day.

There was one event today that was enjoyable; to get across the Columbia river at Cathlamet, you have to take a ferry. The ferry ride lasted about 10 minutes, but was fun none-the-less ... and I did not get sea-sick.

By-the-way, Cathlamet rhymes with Willamette, which rhymes with well-dam-it.

While crossing the Columbia River on the ferry, I realized once again, that even though there are these days of grayness, life is still pretty good.

Just Keep Pedalin' (June 4, 2010)


Sometimes it feels as though some of these climbs go on forever. Sometimes it feels as though there is no end. Sometimes the legs hurt and the butt aches ... but the downhills are always rejuvenating.

Yesterday and today featured some nasty climbing, but unlike the previous days' rides, there was no rain ... lots of sweat-inducing humidity, but no rain.

Yesterday, I rode the 46 miles from Dallas, OR to Lincoln City, OR ... crossing the Coastal Range. It was an enjoyable ride, with several small climbs and one very challenging climb. Upon arrival in Lincoln City, I hastily booked a room (with a view of the ocean) and spent the evening watching large amounts of water fall from the sky. Once again, not gon'na camp in the rain, don'cha know.

The rain fell all night and into the early morning. Walking over to get some breakfast, I noticed the flags flapping in the wind ... pointing due south. Unfortunately, I was to be riding north. This does not make for a very comfortable feeling whilst eating breakfast.

Finally got motivated and started riding the 47 miles to Tillamook, OR.

A couple of personal historical notes: 1) several years ago, I had the good fortune to ride the Oregon Coast with a group of friends. We had a vehicle with us (thanks Peg), so we did not have to carry our gear on our bikes, and 2) In 2001, I participated in the Santa Fe Century Ride ... due to the prevalent and physically stressful riding conditions, I came up with a phrase worthy of a country western song, that phrase being "Hills and Headwinds".

The reason for noting these two items is that I spent a great amount of time riding up a long climb that I remembered "riding down" when we rode the coast ... and yes, today there were headwinds to go along with the upward slant of the road.

Best part of the day was seeing the blue sky this afternoon. No, I take that back, best part of the day was getting my tired legs and sore butt off of the bike.

Life is good.

The Price of Green (June 2, 2010)


Two days of riding through some incredibly beautiful green country. Left Eugene on Tuesday (6/1), and rode a mostly flat 47 miles to Corvallis. This was an excellent way to start this adventure ... light tailwind, and only about 30 minutes of light drizzle. Arrived in Corvallis just in time to watch the start of a steady rain.

Woke this morning to more of the same ... steady rain, so I clad myself in all of my waterproof clothing and headed out into the rain. In some strange way this was enjoyable, for the first hour anyway. After 32 miles of riding in the rain, I decided to cut the day short and get into another weather-tight hotel room. The wind and rain is really making the outdoors un-enjoyable, I suspect, for those unlucky enough to be camping. Guess I am just a wimp.

Tomorrow I am heading over to the Oregon Coast ... Lincoln City area. Weather projections call for "the storm of the decade" hitting the coast tomorrow night.

And so, the price of green ... lots of rain. Hope I can stay relatively dry tomorrow.