The Coquille River near Bandon

I rode from Winston, a small town south of Roseburg, to Michael's home in Bandon today, following US 42 to Myrtle Point, then Lampa Ln to where it ends at US 42S, about 7 miles from Bandon, then 42s into Bandon. Yesterday afternoon, I rode from Wayne's house in Oakland to Winston, following US 99.The ride to Winston was about 35 miles and the ride to Bandon was about 70 miles. I could have done both in one day, but then I wouldn't have had as much time to visit with Michael in Oakland or Wayne in Bandon.

I didn't take any pictures on 99 - it isn't a photogenic road ;-{ - but I did have a bit of excitement as I rode near a big fire in Roseburg. I later found out from Wayne that a 19 unit apartment building was destroyed. I did take pictures on 42, Lampa Ln, and, 42s, but I didn't get an image of the most exciting thing that happened on that ride.

Roughly in the middle of today's ride, I had my first serious dog encounter of this tour. A big collie like dog - 50 to 75 pounds? -came roaring up a driveway as I approached and then jerked to stop on a long chain. He was wearing out his claws still trying to get at me as I rode by. I spoke to him, pointing put that he was lucky to be on that chain since he would probably be run over if he came out onto the, relatively busy, highway. Then, just after I passed him, the chain broke.

He was banging against my left rear pannier, trying to take a bite out of my leg, so I yelled loudly at him and he got confused - and maybe scared by the traffic that was going by on the other side of him - and backed off. I sped up - a good bit of adrenaline was getting dumped into my system ;-} - and he dropped behind, looking confused by being on the road and near the traffic. The last I saw of him, he was headed back to his driveway. I hope he made it and I hope no other bicyclist came along before his owners came home!

Heading into construction near Winston

The expected that the main problem on my ride today would be a steep hill - 15%ish grade for about .4 miles - in the middle part of my ride on Lampa Ln. That was a hard hill to ride a loaded bike up, but I was more bothered by the large number of places that US 42 was one lane because of construction. I've seen a lot of construction this summer because a lot of federal stimulus money has been made available for 'shovel ready' construction projects, but I think US 42 had more projects - mostly bridge renovation - per mile than any other road I've ridden this summer. It was mostly just the minor pain waiting to get to ride through the one lane sections, but it can be awkward to be on a bicycle if the one lane section is uphill, narrow, and long. Fortunately, a good flag woman on the longest one lane section, routed me in the 'dead lane, on the other side of the barrels' so I 'wouldn't get run over.'

The long climb of this route - several miles to climb over a 1400 foot ridge

There was one big climb on US 42 - several miles of climbing to get over a big ridge - and the shorter, but much steeper climb on Lampa Lane, and a final moderate climb on 42s just before Bandon, but the overall route drops over 400 feet more than it climbs in 70 miles. To bad there is several thousand feet of climbing, but that does make for pretty ride.

The Coquille River near its start, taken from 42 which is heading down from the Big ridge

A bridge that was not under construction!

The Coquille River getting gentler

Lampa Ln is a small road that starts from the main street of Myrtle Point. After I stopped for lunch at Myrtle Point, I turned west on Spruce Street and followed it across a bridge where it became Lamp Ln. Then I followed Lampa Ln for about ten mile - pretty, some times hilly, miles through farmland - till I reached the steep hill.

A small road, but generally well signed

And here is the bottom part of the climb

The climb was hard, but I was prepared for it and it was manageable. I did stop a few hundred feet from the top and rested in the shade as a pickup truck came roaring by, but I was able, with some zig-zaging, to ride up the steep grade. Taking this route, instead of riding on 42 to 42s in Coquille, saved half a dozen miles and was much more peaceful.