Weather forecasts… They can be really good and accurate, or… way off! Last night we found a great spot in the boonies, large open area left over from what looked to be a logging stage with piles of wood, great for fires. So we pitched our tent with rising sun in mindassuming we would wake up bathed in the warmth of the morning sun. Great plan until somewhere in the middle of the night it started to drizzle… and it kept drizzling until we had to get out of bed and get on with our day. We emerged to low clouds and wet surroundings. Last we looked, the weather forecast was calling for sun and partly cloudy for the coming week…
First order of the day was to build a shelter we could cook under and have breakfast. The rain was very light and our makeshift shelter did the job. Once we were packed and ready to go the sun emerged gingerly from behind the clouds and things took a more positive tone.
Our breakfast shelter
We carried on west along the National Forest road 11 for about an hour enjoying the beauty of the wilderness following a river down to a lake. People were camped all along the road, mostly for fishing and hunting. The small forest road dropped us off in a little town with cell reception, Sweet Home, from where we made new travel plans towards to coast.
NF11 a beautiful forestry road
One of many campers along NF11
Our route was plotted into our phones and we set off to find some place for lunch. The skies were still grey and rain was on the horizon. Zoe found an interesting Burger joint near Harrisburg, which turned out to be really busy and small. Long story short, it was a 45′ wait to get our food, nowhere to sit inside and it started to rain again… HARD! So we went with plan B which was a Thai Restaurant 5′ up the road. By the time we got there we were soaking wet!
What’s left of an old bridge that was washed away
The windy scenic forestry roads of Oregon
Either way the roads were a lot of fun to ride on and eventually we reached the coast at Waldport around 17:00. We found a campsite near the beach and set up for another rainy night. We had dinner at a nice little place with live music and got back to our tent just in time for the rain to start!
The Alsea river estuary in Walden
It hadn’t rained very long before Zoe noticed that we had a bit of a flood going on. My tarpaulin shelter did a great job at keeping the top dry, unfortunately, we pitched the tent in a low(and the only) spot and water started to pool underneath. A bit of cursing, rearranging lines and bungy cords, some more cursing and we had a new arrangement. Not convinced it will keep us dry through the night, we will just have to wait and see how much water the motorcycle rider/camping despising gods will throw at us.
TA
We were fine… It barely rained during the night so no issues after the initial scare! -Z
The beach we camped right next to
Back at the beach!
I can imagine the swearing and the cursing.
Just think you slept on a waterbed with the waves as background noise, life could be worse!
I’ll make a guess here, along the coast Southwards, next post will tell.
Baci on Monday morning 9th October, you almost catched up with the calendar
Hello and good morning !
When I look at picture 1 and a few others T. making fire… I remember Tanguy being scouts leader in his younger days….He really didn’t change !
Cold is bad and uncomfortable but so is rain and both are even worse and that’s what you had during the last nights …Pay attention to not catch a cold or a cough….(yes Mum..) haha
Again super nice pictures ! The last one you can “almost” turn it upside down 😉
Bonne route !
XXX
How did you get to the coast from Harrisburg? I’ve gone on 126 but 36 is what I’m guessing you did? Heading south toward and into California is going to be an awesome ride as long as the weather cooperates!
Harrisburg, Monroe, Alsea, Waldport.