I Could Afford To Shed A Few Pounds

Monday, July 30, 2007 - Day 39

Distance traveled - miles

Today was the beginning of my journey inland. From Lincoln City I diverged from the 101, turning onto highway 18 east, passing immediately through Otis. I was hoping for more, but it was just a one-street town. Really, it wasn't more than a gas station and a restaurant. That's okay, the surrounding areas were really pretty.

The scenery today was really pretty. Pure blue skies with white puffy clouds allowed for fantastic saturation of color in the landscapes. Mostly I passed by farms and fields, first going through a lot of forest with a little stream and playfully ran along-side the highway, constantly darting in and out of view. I thought about how nice it would be to have a house on a couple acres, just a mile or so off the highway, something no more than 15 or 20 miles from the coast. That sounds pretty ideal to me.

I did pass through a couple tiny towns, mostly kind of depressing and conservative-looking. In one town, however, I needed to stop to fill my water bottles, and it was a very positive stop. I stopped at a little convenience store. I picked up a little pack of peanut butter crackers. The guy behind the counter, a nice Indian man wearing a turban, must have seen me pull up on my bike and started asking me questions about my trip. When I bought my crackers, he asked me if I wanted anything to eat and offered me a beef and bean chimichanga. Why the hell not, free food. There was also another man in the store, obviously a regular, as the clerk was talking to him about me and my trip. The man said a few things to me, seemed mildly impressed. So I filled up my bottles and took my food outside to eat. As I was finishing up the chimichanga, the man in the store came out and handed me a bag. He said he wanted to help me out and thought I could use some more water. In the bag was a liter bottle of water, a can of Campbell's chunky soup (some kind of chicken and corn chowder) and a can of smoked kipper herring. Shit, that sure was nice of him. He was socially awkward but wished me good luck. I thanked him gratefully. I did wonder what possessed him to buy the herring for me, though. Maybe he was buying it for himself but last minute decided to give it to me. I'll give it a try; hell, why not.

So along the road today I passed by an old truck weigh station, really just a small pass through with a scale. I remembered Ken, the guy from Salt Creek, talking about driving over a scale and weighing his bike. I decided to give it a try. They had a display that was still on. Over the plate I rode - 250 pounds. Hmm, okay, so I account for about a buck fifty of that, roughly. It's been a while since I weighed myself, but before I left I weighed about 155. Where that weight is, I'm not entirely sure, but it's there. So on this trip I would imagine that I have lost some fat mass, but I have also gained muscle mass, which is denser than fat, so maybe I've even gained weight. Who knows. For this purpose, we'll guess that I weigh about 150. My bike probably weighs around 20 - 25 pounds, frame and wheels and rack and everything. So that means that my packs, the two panniers and the shoulder bag on my back, weigh at least 75 pounds. That's a lot, I think. When you look at it in the perspective of that is all my possessions, what I have been surviving off of for the last 40 days, it doesn't seem like much, but I know that I have more than I need. Food accounts for some of that weight, and that's something that can't be avoided. I have to carry some heavy foods to sustain myself, cans of chili and pasta sauce and pasta and what not. But when I think about what I have packed, it's hard to imagine it all adding up to 75 lbs. The pack on my back, with the computer and my books and my lock and some essential bike tools, does weigh around 15 to 20 pounds, so that's a big part of it. I guess it's just all the little things that add up. Once I get to Portland, though, everything will be evaluated for its essentiality. Maybe I can drop at least 5 pounds, slim down a little. Why didn't anyone say anything before? You have all seen my pictures. Couldn't you tell I was a little overweight? Maybe you thought I would be sensitive or take offense. It's okay. I understand, but I've come to terms with myself and I can take the criticism. Now you know, for future reference.

The campground here is decent. I am secluded from the RVs, but the site backs up to someone's big yard. From my picnic table I can see someone's back porch about 200 yards away. That's a bit strange. No other bikers tonight. I suppose that's okay. I don't think I mind being alone tonight. I'm tired and am going to turn in a bit early anyway.

Tomorrow it's on to Portland. It's not too far from here, just under 30 miles, I think. I should make good time and have an afternoon to look around.


inland.


i was expecting more.


obligatory.


not too bad











needs a little saturation, but otherwise perfect



this was an amazing sight that the camera couldn't quite fully capture. the sprinklers were going, creating this amazing golden mist that glowed so brilliantly above the field and across the road. i tried my best to capture it; this was the best i could do. next time, come with me and i'll show you in person.


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