Fifty Plus (50+) - Today's ride on the Oregon Coast (w/pictures)

OK, here goes my first major post with pictures.

Since I'm over 50, I'd thought I'd start here.

This ride is from just north of Newport, Oregon, on Highway 101 along the Pacific Ocean, up and over a local landmark named Otter Crest/Cape Foulweather.

It has just gotten quite warm in the Willamette Valley, which usually brings fog and wind here along the coast.

Yesterday it was up to 70 degrees in Newport, somewhat above average (55 or so), but then cooler today. I just did a short ride yesterday, a recovery ride from the 3 day weekend.

Expecting fog today, I was pleasently surprised it was mostly clear with not much wind this morning, but it did start up this afternoon.

The ride was an out and back, 7 miles one way, with 2 trips over the hill for hill work, for a total of 21.5 miles. The part out to mile 4 (it's in the wrong spot, too much trouble to change it) was into about a 10mph+ headwind with gusts to 15+. A bit of work going north, but nice cruising on the way back south.

Here is a link to the ride map with a profile. The north side is approx. 1.55 miles, the south side is 1.3 miles

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1003218

Pictures to follow....

Sounds like a great ride. I love that gmap-pedometer, when its elevation function is actually functioning.

This picture is heading north on Hwy 101.

I'm heading for the area above the dark rocky cliff in the middle, about 3 miles further along.

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0061.jpg

This is at the top, looking back south. The ride started at the far end of the surf line, approximately 5.5 miles back.

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0052.jpg

Another view looking back south with the Inn at Otter Crest (buildings in the center), Beverly Beach and Yaquina Head beyond:

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0053.jpg

Still at the top. Might not quite be 500', the benchmark on a topo map says 454'.

The big chain is a "wind gauge".

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0054.jpg

This is the north side looking down.

The road goes from the upper right down to the lower left, and beyond. More views from there later.

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0056.jpg

Ths is an old bridge at the north end of the ride built in 1927 on "old Hwy 101". The state has rebuilt many of the old bridges (to keep them from falling down), and most are still used very heavily every day.

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0039.jpg

This is about half-way back up the north side. The top is the white building.

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0041.jpg

A more panoramic view back to the south. The top is the white building hanging on the edge of the cliff.

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0042.jpg

Getting a little closer...

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0044.jpg

Another view of the cliffs & ocean

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0046.jpg

Zoom shot of the "Look-Out"

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0047.jpg

Scruptious riding, scrumptious pics!

Looking back north down the grade, the road comes up from the middle of the picture and goes by in the next picture

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0049.jpg

A continuation of the previous picture

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0050.jpg

And continues on up in the next one

That looks just like home only with trees!
Nice shots...

This is looking on up the grade. The top is off to the right around a few more corners (and grade)

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0051.jpg

After it makes the turn, it goes back into the trees, not many more views until back at the top

All the way back down the south side, back to sea level (+50'-60'). The headland is Yaquina Head with a lighthouse at the end. Only 2.5 miles back home. Very good push from the northwest wind, easy to maintain 20-25mph on the flats, even more on the downhill rollers (30+).

http://webpages.charter.net/skip_h/OtterCrest/pict0058.jpg

That is all......

Beautiful! Gawd, that's gorgeous country.

I love your bike color. I also love the bike lane. California has much to learn from our northern neighbor.

Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful! Gawd, that's gorgeous country.

I love your bike color. I also love the bike lane. California has much to learn from our northern neighbor.

Thanks for sharing.

This portion of the road is a 3 mile stretch of "old" highway 101. It is one-way going uphill/south. So we get a 'bike lane' (and pedestrian lane) going south. Problem is bikes go down it, with cars coming up. On the curvy shadowed areas, the cars sometimes stray into the 'bike' lane (especially when gawking at the ocean). Makes for some exciting corners while decending. Our local bike club is trying to get it changed to northbound-->downhill so we'd be riding fast down with the traffic, and slow up against it.

Going up/down the south side is a full 2 lane road, so no problem there. There is very little traffic on the Otter Crest loop.

It's totally different on the main Hwy 101....motor homes, chip trucks, log trucks, etc., going by 3' away when the 'bike' lane gets narrow at times.

What a great place to ride a bike. Only place I ever rode out there was around Portland which was pretty nice. Nothing at all like this. That is some great country out there.

Geez, I can't let my wife see these pictures. She's mentioned several times that she'd like to check this area out as a place to retire. Planet Earth really is pretty impressive. And, I only spotted one car in all of the photos. Must have been heaven.

Great Pics! Looks like a great ride too. Is that a bike lane I see in some of the pics?

When folks submit their ride pictures, I save 'em for my desktop. It's not as good as being there, but when you're stuck in the office it sure birghtens life up a bit.

Thanks for posting. Beautiful shots.

Fabulous pictures. What a gorgeous place to ride!

I can see some west coast biking in my retirement trips:)

You don't have to die to go to heaven, thanks for the pics.

Thanks for sharing!

Wow!
What beautiful scenery -- brings back memories.

Paul

Thanks for sharing. That is beautiful country!

That's a heckuva lotta scenery for 21.5 miles.

For those of you who mentioned the bike lane, the State of Oregon has made an effort to create 3 foot shoulders on the Oregon Coast Bike Route. In case you're interested there's a map of the entire route (370 miles) at: Oregon Coast Bike Map (http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/BIKEPED/docs/ORE_COAST_BICYCLE_MAP_WEB_FINAL.pdf)

Thanks for posting the link to the Oregon Coast Bike Map.

I have an old paper copy and it's nice to see they have active links to various city information sites in that PDF file.

I've ridden the stretch of 101 from the south end of Lincoln City to Yachats (about 50 miles). In that stretch, some of the shoulders are shown in red (<3'), but I think it is out of date as the state has improved some of it and it is all pretty good now from Lincoln City to Yachats. They try to keep the south-bound shoulder the best as it is a fairly heavily traveled bicycle route in the summer (starting about now).

Glad every one seems to be enjoying the pictures.....today were have been socked in the coastal fog bank (sunny a mile inland), with steady winds of 10-15mph, and since about 3pm, gusts to 30. I took the day off.

Now you've done IT!
We're going to be invaded!

I miss Oregon a lot. Tokyo is not pretty in this way.

Nice pics, really sweet. Sometimes I think this forum is going down the tubes and then a post like this comes along.

The classic open spandrel arch bridge is now my desktop pic. Thanks, Dude! :)

Drop dead gorgeous, thank you for these pics! This is giving me a case of the "remember when's" as I used to live in Oregon, (Portland), and have very fond memories of those trips to the coast. Hope to make it back some day for a ride.

Thanks for the compliments.

In case anyone missed them, here are links to to other ride pictures I posted earlier (not necessarily in order):

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=312059


http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=311597


http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=310379


http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=309924


http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=309412


And here is a link to Picasa albums of the same, plus more.

http://picasaweb.google.com/SkipH152