Chas Eberle
Pacific Coast
Bremerton to Astoria
What just happened? It seems as if we went through a time warp, and suddenly we were transported to the coast.
The section from Bremerton to Astoria was a quick one, marked by large, muggy, clear-cut hillsides and a rapid disconnect from everything familiar as PNW Seattle area.
We chose to take the Bremerton Ferry out of Seattle and make it a sort of rest day. After battling some unruly traffic around the Navy base, we were finally able to branch off and decided to head west through Bellair, along the Hood Canal. This area was pretty, but the experience was slightly tarnished by the threat of rain, so we booked it over to Twanoh state park, where it rained all night. Needless to say, the next morning was pretty wet and muddy, but the rain held out enough to get us to Shelton to recharge the batteries, get some local knowledge and have a victory breakfast/pie at a local diner called Blondie's. We were told to take an alternate route to Montesano that might not have been safer or shorter, but was scenic and much less populated than the highway would have been.
Once we made it through the middle of the Washington Peninsula, we suddenly hit the coast and treated ourselves to Oyster Dinner and a luxurious night at a KOA, which went out of its way to provide all the amenities of home. So yes, it was a strange experience after getting used to doing daily laundry in coin-operated state park showers. This was also a chance to really dry out after packing/unpacking wet tents for a few days.
The final push down to Astoria was a slog, riding the 101 on a Saturday, through some intense headwind until suddenly dropping down from the hills and holding witness to the intimidating Astoria Bridge. I've read and been told that it is worth using extreme caution when crossing, due to a lack of a shoulder, and 4+ miles with nowhere for large vehicles to safely pass. It was time to put out a thumb, and we got a ride in less than 20 minutes.
This section was not quite as eventful as the first, but it was the first time I really started to feel a rhythm. Get up at 6:30, get out of camp by 8:30, push to ride 20 miles in the morning, and asses the rest of the day from there. My legs are starting to feel stronger, and seem to be recovering much more quickly. Fort Stevens outside of Astoria will be the first glimpse of the Oregon Coast, and where we add a 3rd teammate from Portland for the next week (my sister!). This ragtag band of misfits is growing again...
- IMAGES OF THE ROAD -
Chas Eberle
Gear List
- My Blackburn Gear -
- MY TRUSTY STEED -
- • Frame: Salsa Fargo 3
- • Frame size: Medium
- • Fork: Salsa Fargo V2
- • Headset: FSA C4
- • Crank (make, model, length, chainrings): Shimano Deore, 175mm. 26T, 38T, 46T
- • Bottom bracket: Shimano cartridge 2300
- • Pedals: TDB – currently $20 Welgo flats.
- • Cassette (make, model and range): Shimano HG 9sp. 11-32
- • Shifters: Shimano Bar-end shifters, with Paul Shimano Road Thumbies.
- • Brakes: Avid BB7s
- • Wheels (size, hub, rim): Front: Shimano Alfine Generator Hub Rear: Shimano Deore XT hub
- • Tires: Front - WTB Weirwolf 2.55in. Rear – Continental Race King 2.2in (but will probably get new tires)
- • Seat post: Black.
- • Saddle: Koski Contour saddle
- • Stem: Raceface Evolve XC
- • Handlebar (and aerobars, grips, bartape, etc): Surley Open Bar, Ergo lock grips.
- • Bags (racks, panniers, or bikepacking bags): Blackburn: Outpost front/rear racks Barrier series front/rear panniers Handlebar bag
- • Spare parts list: Extra derailleur hanger , A couple of spokes, Chain bits, Tube x 2
- • Toolkit: Spoke wrench, Chain-breaker, Crescent wrench, Pliers, Rubber bits, Socket Y-wrench, Blackburn - Heist 10 multitool, Tire levers Tow straps, zip ties, electrical tape. Blackburn – Mammoth 2-stage mini pump
- • Accessories (lights, fenders, computer, etc.): Bell Blackburn Atom SL 3 computer, B & M IQ Headlight, Blackburn Central Front Smart Light
Chas Eberle
- FROM: Bellingham, WA
- DOB: 1986-11-19
- Not Married
- OCCUPATION: Currently a full-time student, getting ready for grad school to study Occupational Therapy. During the winter I am a Snowboard Trainer at Mt. Baker, and during the summer I am a Zipline Course Supervisor in Ketchikan, AK for a company called Alaska Canopy
- What was the genesis moment or inspiration for your upcoming adventure? This trip has been a long time coming. Back in 2008 I began spending a lot of time at my local community bike shop in Bellingham (the Hub). I was beginning to learn a bit about bicycle repair, and did the typical college kid thing and built up a fixie. Eventually, I found a bike in a ditch and it was my goal to rebuild it from used parts and ride it to Portland. My buddy and I chose to ride the Washington Peninsula because we had never seen it, and thought it might make a good story. (It also had an easy bus system if anything catastrophic happened to my makeshift bicycle and trailer). We made our way to Portland over 10 days, and by day 3 I decided that I wanted to do the entire coast. Unfortunately, our short timeframe prevented that from happening. The trip to Portland went flawlessly, and I rode the train back to Bellingham hoping to complete the journey some day.
- Have you traveled by bike in the past? I have done multiple other 2-3 day trips since the Portland trip, but nothing as substantial. Around town I commute to school/work every day, mountain bike 2-3 days per week, and have the weekly town/interurban rides with the gang (The Wetboyz).
- What is your goal for the route? I have never seen to Northern California! I want to ride my bike through a tree, do some beach touring, find more small community bike shops, and do some surfing. It is also my goal to find some dirt connectors instead of just doing road the entire time. I want to have a loose plan, but let the trip adapt and change as the journey goes on. I want to share stories with people on the road, and travel to places recommended to me by other people, instead of relying solely on the guidebook.
- What do you hope to get out of this journey? I hope to see some new places, make some new friends, and connect with myself in ways unknown at this point. I hope I can inspire people with this journey, and show them that it doesn’t take years of planning and thousands of dollars to see some of these beautiful places that are right in our back yard. I believe the biggest barrier for most people is simply getting out there, and I really believe in Blackburn’s mission statement. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-Tsu Yes, it’s cheesy but that quote has inspired me in many ways. It encourages me to be open-minded and go bold-headed into projects instead of holding back and being overly particular.
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“What’s in my bag?”
1.) Pink/silver Kershaw Leek knives. I lost and recently refound the pink one for a year, and the silver one was a birthday gift from my girlfriend to replace the pink one.
2.) Fujifilm Instax 210 Camera + photo of my girlfriend and I from the Portage Glacier (Whittier, AK)
3.) Lucky Bike Shorts – Had ‘em since high school.
4.) Ratball. (a drinking game for the rats, developed by the Wetboyz) For making friends on the road.