For the bike travel nerds and those that generally find counting things fun, here are several things that I counted on my trip.
- Total distance pedaled from New Haven, CT to Seaside, OR: 4259 mi (6854 km)
- Total days of riding: 68
- Average distance per day: 62.6 mi (100.7 km)
- Number of centuries: 4
- Number of bicycle crashes: 0
- Approximate food calories burned: 169,000 (equivalent in energy to about 5.5 gallons of gasoline)
- States ridden: Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington & Oregon (12 total)
- Great Lakes encountered: 5
- Oceans encountered: 2
- Besides locals, I met people from: Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, France, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Arizona, Arkansas, Maryland, Vermont & Massachusetts.
- Wildlife encountered:
MAMMALS-
Red fox
Coyote
North American porcupine
Groundhog
Eastern gray squirrel
Eastern fox squirrel
Red squirrel
Eastern chipmunk
White-tailed deer
Cottontail rabbit
American mink
Common raccoon
Striped skunk
North American beaver
Big brown bat
Bobcat
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel
Muskrat
Richardson's ground squirrel
Black-tailed prairie dog
Mule deer
Bighorn sheep
Columbian ground squirrel
BIRDS-
Wild turkey
Turkey vulture
Great blue heron
Baltimore oriole
Great horned owl (heard)
Red-winged blackbird
American crow
Killdeer
American goldfinch
Common yellowthroat
Canada goose
Herring gull
Ring-billed gull
Barn swallow
Common loon
Mallard
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Blue jay
Red-tailed hawk
Great egret
Ruffed grouse
American robin
Common grackle
Mourning dove
Red-bellied woodpecker
Mute swan
Northern cardinal
Rock pigeon
Black-capped chickadee
Sandhill crane
Red-breasted grosbeak
Eastern towhee
Brown-headed cowbird
Eastern bluebird
Bald eagle
Song sparrow
Yellow warbler
Eastern kingbird
Hairy woodpecker
White-breasted nuthatch
Chipping sparrow
Brown thrasher
Barred owl (heard)
Upland sandpiper
Pileated woodpecker
Northern raven
Double-crested cormorant
Northern flicker
Red-shouldered hawk
Eastern meadowlark
Osprey
American kestrel
Belted kingfisher
Northern harrier
Western meadowlark
Yellow-headed blackbird
Tree swallow
House sparrow
Western grebe
American white pelican
Black tern
American coot
American avocet
Eurasian collared-dove
Lark sparrow
Franklin's gull
Gray catbird (heard)
Brewer's blackbird
Black-billed magpie
Prairie falcon
Long-billed curlew
Ferruginous hawk
Mountain bluebird
California quail
Cedar waxwing
Ring-necked pheasant
Western scrub-jay
Snow goose
AMPHIBIANS-
Northern spring peeper (heard)
Green frog (heard)
Gray tree frog (heard)
American toad (heard)
Mink frog (heard)
REPTILES-
Common snapping turtle
Eastern box turtle
Painted turtle
Common garter snake
There were also several birds, a few snakes and some small rodents which I failed to identify. On my next trip I will definitely bring a small pair of binoculars, despite the extra weight. There were days on the plains when spotting birds, and trying to identify them, certainly helped relieve the monotony.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, August 8, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Epilogue: Oregon's Coast
Total distance pedaled from New Haven, CT to Seaside, OR = 4359 mi
The ride out to Clatskanie on Sunday was fairly quick and uneventful. I passed through the neighborhoods of North Portland, including Saint Johns, where I crossed the bridge over the Willamette River.
From there I followed US-30 which stayed fairly close to the Columbia River and visited several small blue-collar towns. In the small village of Lindberg there used to be a shop where you could get your wood cutter sharpened, work on your bronze figure and pick up milk all in one convenient stop, but it appears to have been an unsuccessful enterprise.
The Bike Inn is a neat little hostel in Clatskanie where I stayed for two nights. They have a large collection of books and movies to peruse, colorful artwork adorning the walls and a small workshop where you can wrench on your bike. There's also a secluded outdoor shower in the back garden (pictured).
On Monday I rode up to the summit of Clatsop Crest, the last big hill between me and the ocean.
It was still quite early and a thick fog hung over the Columbia Valley.
In Astoria, near the mouth of the Columbia, I took a quick look around the Maritime Museum where this ship is docked.
Down river I got a glimpse of the Astoria bridge leading to Washington state.
Astoria is famous for being the setting of The Goonies, that classic 80's adventure movie.
The Goondocks house is located just a little uphill from the main road. It is a private residence, but the owner is friendly toward respectful visitors.
I left Astoria on Highway 101, which is also the Oregon Coast Bike Route.
The next large town I came to was Seaside, which is the end of the Lewis & Clark Trail. I rode out to the promenade and found a statue in honor of the two explorers.
This statue also marks the end of Adventure Cycling's Lewis & Clark Route. I stood between it and the Pacific Ocean and stared out into that massive body of water with a great sense of achievement. My cross-country journey had come to an end. There was nothing else to do, but find someone to take my picture and head back to Portland.
To everyone that has been following along on this blog, Twitter and TrackMyTour; everyone that made a financial contribution through ChipIn or in person; and everyone that gave me food, shelter or companionship along the way: THANK YOU! I honestly couldn't have done it without you.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The ride out to Clatskanie on Sunday was fairly quick and uneventful. I passed through the neighborhoods of North Portland, including Saint Johns, where I crossed the bridge over the Willamette River.
From there I followed US-30 which stayed fairly close to the Columbia River and visited several small blue-collar towns. In the small village of Lindberg there used to be a shop where you could get your wood cutter sharpened, work on your bronze figure and pick up milk all in one convenient stop, but it appears to have been an unsuccessful enterprise.
The Bike Inn is a neat little hostel in Clatskanie where I stayed for two nights. They have a large collection of books and movies to peruse, colorful artwork adorning the walls and a small workshop where you can wrench on your bike. There's also a secluded outdoor shower in the back garden (pictured).
On Monday I rode up to the summit of Clatsop Crest, the last big hill between me and the ocean.
It was still quite early and a thick fog hung over the Columbia Valley.
In Astoria, near the mouth of the Columbia, I took a quick look around the Maritime Museum where this ship is docked.
Down river I got a glimpse of the Astoria bridge leading to Washington state.
Astoria is famous for being the setting of The Goonies, that classic 80's adventure movie.
The Goondocks house is located just a little uphill from the main road. It is a private residence, but the owner is friendly toward respectful visitors.
I left Astoria on Highway 101, which is also the Oregon Coast Bike Route.
The next large town I came to was Seaside, which is the end of the Lewis & Clark Trail. I rode out to the promenade and found a statue in honor of the two explorers.
This statue also marks the end of Adventure Cycling's Lewis & Clark Route. I stood between it and the Pacific Ocean and stared out into that massive body of water with a great sense of achievement. My cross-country journey had come to an end. There was nothing else to do, but find someone to take my picture and head back to Portland.
To everyone that has been following along on this blog, Twitter and TrackMyTour; everyone that made a financial contribution through ChipIn or in person; and everyone that gave me food, shelter or companionship along the way: THANK YOU! I honestly couldn't have done it without you.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)