Away with the Doubt

July 11th
Day 1 Vancouver -> Tillamook
mileage: 93

Leaving Vancouver

Everything started with doubt.  I doubted that Spencer and I would make such a trip when we talked about it a year earlier.  I doubted Kyle would join us for the journey. I doubted I would be allowed to leave work for two weeks. And on the morning of the ride, I doubted myself.

It's daunting to think of all the miles and climbs ahead of you. Plus it doesn't help when your parents are questioning your preparedness and your riding buddy is making worried comments about the first day. We had already changed the route to involve less miles and elevation, and we hadn't even pedaled one stroke.

Heading down Evergreen Hwy, I couldn't help but think of the 900 and whatever miles ahead of me. Would I be able to handle this bike that weighed in at 85lbs? How much would I lose off of my 165lb frame? There were too many doubts, concerns, and uncertainties to enjoy myself.

This all changed by about mile 25. Having come down from the climb out of Portland on Cornelius Pass, I began to absorb my surroundings. Maybe it was just my body beginning to soak up the sun that had just peaked out 5 miles of east of North Plains, but I had the sensation of something inspiring happening. You know the chilling feeling when watching a dramatic movie trailer? This was the same thing, but this was real. It was less intense, but more drawn out. How come I had just mainly experienced this in movies before; that is such an unnatural setting. Surely I feel this same thing after a perfectly hit 3 iron, or skiing a fresh powder line. It was at this moment that I realized I could enjoy myself, and my worries were in my wake.

Lunch Break

We took a lunch break in Banks, before we would take Hwy 6 on our climb over the Coast Range. We were finally able to connect with Spencer after a desperate call to his girlfriend, and secured our plans to ride to Tillamook. I was one call away from contacting Spencer's dad, as we had not coordinated our meeting or heard from him in weeks. Again the doubt.

The ride over the Coast Range would be our climb with the largest elevation in Oregon. But as always, looking back on it makes it not seem so bad. I do remember the sweat pouring off my face and the burning in my legs. The descent was what we had hoped for, a long gradual one. Unfortunately, traveling west toward the ocean, we began to fight a headwind. Arriving into Tillamook I was hungrier that I could ever remember, and that poor little town couldn't fulfill my desires. We settled for a stop at Safeway and had chili with fresh bread and none other than Tillamook white cheddar cheese and beer. A well earned meal.