MY NEW WALKING OUTFIT...OVERALL RAIN PANTS...
MOTORCYCLE RAINPROOF COAT W/INTERIOR LINER (REACHES ALMOST TO MY KNEES),
SKATE BOARD CRASH HELMET WITH INSULATED HEADLINER AND EAR PADS WITH CHIN STRAP AND SKI GOGGLES THAT FIT OVER MY EYE GLASSES, ALSO, A FLASHING "RED" LIGHT ON THE BACK OF THE HELMET
AND INSULATED GLOVE INSERTS - I LIKE "WHITE" TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PASSING VEHICLES TO SEE ME WAVE...I WAVE AT EVERY TRUCK...JUST TO MAKE CERTAIN THEY SEE ME...THEY SOMETIMES PASS ONLY INCHES FROM ME WALKING THESE NARROW MOUNTAIN ROADS...ESPECIALLY ON THE CURVES.
IN A SINGLE DAY, THE SAME TRUCK MAY PASS BY TWO OR THREE TIMES...I USUALLY GET A "TOOT TOOT" WHEN THEY DO.
SAND ENCROACHING ON US 101
DUNES SOMETIMES COVER THE ROADWAY...HERE RAIN IS WASHING THE SAND AWAY
ATTEMPT TO CATCH THE FEEL OF BEING WET
AND AGAIN
AND AGAIN...DARK BLOTCHES ON IMAGE ARE THE PLASTIC BAGS COVERING MY GLOVES...THEY GOT IN FRONT OF THE LENS...SORRY
OK, KRAM..THIS ONE SHOULD MAKE YOU FEEL A BIT DAMP
HAND PLANTED TREES...THOUSANDS OF THEM...STOOD LOOKING FOR AN ELK OR TWO
TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN LOOKING NORTH...FLORENCE IS IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER...AND I SAID IT WOULD BE FLAT
UMPQUA RIVER DELTA...GARDINER, OREGON IS ABOUT 5 MILE TO THE LEFT OF PIC.
GARDINER, OREGON HISTORY...BE SURE TO DOUBLE CLICK PHOTOGRAPHS
US 101 GOING THROUGH GARDINER...YELLOW BUILDING IS THE TSUNAMI MUSEUM
US 101 BRIDGE OVER "SMITH RIVER", WHICH IS A SHALLOW ARM OF THE MAIN UMPQUA RIVER
UMPQUA RIVER ESTUARY...MAIN RIVER IS TO THE RIGHT...NOTICE ALL THE "STUMPS" IN MANY RIVER / OCEAN PHOTOGRAPHS...THESE ARE USUALLY THE REMAINS OF PREVIOUS OVER-WATER PIERS OR BUILDINGS
UMPQUA RIVER BRIDGE...THIS IS A "LIFT" BRIDGE...LARGE BOATS USE THE UPPER UMPQUA AND MUST PASS UNDER THIS BRIDGE
UMPQUA RIVER BRIDGE...TYPICAL MC CULLOUGH BEAUTIFUL DESIGN - IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, ONE WILL FIND RICH ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL
RAILROAD BRIDGE UP RIVER FROM THE UMPQUA US 101 BRIDGE...NOTE THAT THE CENTER SECTION IS BUILT ON A MASSIVE "TURNTABLE"...THE ENTIRE BRIDGE PIVOTS 90 DEGREES TO ALLOW BOATS TO PASS.
REEDSPORT, OREGON SHIPYARD LONG THE UMPQUA RIVER...LOOKING DOWN FROM THE US 101 BRIDGE
WINCHESTER, OREGON...WHERE THE UMPQUA LIGHT HOUSE IS LOCATED...WILL VISIT AND PHOTOGRAPH THAT LIGHT HOUSE TOMORROW
SOURDOUGH PASTRY SHOP IN WINCHESTER, OREGON...BOUGHT A HONEST TO GOODNESS HARD-CRUST LOAF OF BREAD...GONNA MAKE GREAT HAM & TURKEY SANDWICHES.DAY 36 – FLORENCE – GARDINER – REEDSPORT, OREGON
No one kicked us out of our wide spot next to Florence Bridge. Again, rained very hard all night and was bitterly cold at 5 am when I rolled out of the sack.
Changed to Cream Of Wheat with Raisins and Brown Sugar, downed with Hot Chocolate and a good bit of heat from SPIA’s Central Heating System…what a pleasure to have !!
The heater does gulp down Propane, though. So yesterday, I bought a second 3-gallon bottle of Propane – just in case we run out in the middle of no where.
Starting walking at 7 am…in a pouring rain and extremely cold…thankfully, no wind. Headed South of US 101 into what I imagined would be a continuation of the “flat land” leading into Florence, Oregon…NO SUCH LUCK.
I walked for 3 hours…all of it UP a totally unexpected mountain. Stopped at a Convenience Store where I asked for and received two plastic bags. These I wrapped around my gloves to keep them dry. It was very cold. As US 101 took me higher up the mountain, it started to snow…not much, but enough to know it was coming down. Kept on South until reaching the top of the mountain and undulating hills for another couple miles…
At 3 hours, turned back North and walked for 2 hours. A pickup heading in the opposite direction made a “U – Turn” and returned to me offering a ride. Mike was on his way to do a construction job…received a cell phone call from his client…got 4 inches of new snow…job is cancelled for today…
Lucky for me, the timing of the cancellation was as Mike was driving past me. So, received a ride for 4 miles or so back to SPIA. Thanks, Mike.
I was SOAKED clear through…every stitch I had on I wrung out and hanged inside SPIA with the heater going. 30 minutes later, everything, including my shoes, was dry.
Drove SPIA back over the Bridge to SUBway, where I bought a foot-long for $5.00 for tomorrow…nice to have a fridge to keep food fresh.
Then drove OVER that mountain, stopping at the Southern bottom at the town of GARDINER, OREGON. Parked SPIA and walked back UP that mountain for 2 hours and BACK down to SPIA.
Near the top, was admiring the scenery from a small side road when a Red Mercury car – a nearly new one pulled up beside me and stopped to also admire the scenery. Boldly, I walked over to the car and asked…may I ask you a favor? Sure…what…Well, I’m walking across America and have on this new get up trying to keep dry in all this rain…could I bother you to take my picture.
Hey, no problem…my wife is a professional photographer…how lucky am I !...Lady gets out…sets up the scene and takes my photograph…Keith and Sandy are driving back from Wisconsin and just happened to like the same scenery I liked…so, new friends meet. Thanks, Guys…have a safe drive in that gorgeous antique (no offense…I love Mercurys).
And, so, I walked BACK down the mountain and on into Gardiner, Oregon. Walked back to fetch SPIA and drove into REEDSPORT, OREGON. Parked at the Tourist Office and walked back over the Umpqua River Bridge and back to Gardiner…returning to the Tourist Office where I asked for information on a certain Mr. McCullough, the designer of all those beautiful Bridges on US 101…many I have posted on this blog.
A quick sketch: CONDE MC CULLOUGH, born 1887 in South Dakota, received degree in engineering at Iowa State University. Moved to Oregon in 1916 as a Professor of Civil Engineering at Oregon Agricultural College – aka Oregon State University.
McCullough also took a position with the Oregon DOT (Department of Transportation) where he was responsible for designing ALL of Oregon’s Bridges…and became world famous for his Bridge designs on US 101 being built in the 1930s. He moved to Central America and designed numerous Bridges for the Inter-American Highway (which is old US 99 which runs from Alaska to the Straits of Magellan (where I visited recently).
McCullough died in 1946.
You may find much more detail by going to Oregon.Gov, searching McCullough Bridges…fascinating man…his bridges are today breath-taking…
DAILY REPORT: Florence to Reedsport is 21 miles. I doubled it, less 4 miles; i.e., walked a total of 38 miles today…count 21 miles
SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 21 miles @ $0.02 per mile = $0.42 for the day.
As a special note, wish to share that today I walked at a pace of nearly 5 miles per hour. Do not know why I did that…especially in such lousy weather…but I felt fantastic all day and cruised up and down those mountains like they really were “flat land”.
Finally, think I am finding my groove…just imagine, if I need not walk double all the time, I would now be walking the Mohave Desert…or thereabouts
Have taken Spot # 61 at the UMPQUA LIGHTHOUSE State Campground. In the morning, will walk the 3 miles back to Reedsport and then head South on US 101. Next major stop is Coos Bay...will take 2 days minimum to get there...lots of wilderness to cover.
No one kicked us out of our wide spot next to Florence Bridge. Again, rained very hard all night and was bitterly cold at 5 am when I rolled out of the sack.
Changed to Cream Of Wheat with Raisins and Brown Sugar, downed with Hot Chocolate and a good bit of heat from SPIA’s Central Heating System…what a pleasure to have !!
The heater does gulp down Propane, though. So yesterday, I bought a second 3-gallon bottle of Propane – just in case we run out in the middle of no where.
Starting walking at 7 am…in a pouring rain and extremely cold…thankfully, no wind. Headed South of US 101 into what I imagined would be a continuation of the “flat land” leading into Florence, Oregon…NO SUCH LUCK.
I walked for 3 hours…all of it UP a totally unexpected mountain. Stopped at a Convenience Store where I asked for and received two plastic bags. These I wrapped around my gloves to keep them dry. It was very cold. As US 101 took me higher up the mountain, it started to snow…not much, but enough to know it was coming down. Kept on South until reaching the top of the mountain and undulating hills for another couple miles…
At 3 hours, turned back North and walked for 2 hours. A pickup heading in the opposite direction made a “U – Turn” and returned to me offering a ride. Mike was on his way to do a construction job…received a cell phone call from his client…got 4 inches of new snow…job is cancelled for today…
Lucky for me, the timing of the cancellation was as Mike was driving past me. So, received a ride for 4 miles or so back to SPIA. Thanks, Mike.
I was SOAKED clear through…every stitch I had on I wrung out and hanged inside SPIA with the heater going. 30 minutes later, everything, including my shoes, was dry.
Drove SPIA back over the Bridge to SUBway, where I bought a foot-long for $5.00 for tomorrow…nice to have a fridge to keep food fresh.
Then drove OVER that mountain, stopping at the Southern bottom at the town of GARDINER, OREGON. Parked SPIA and walked back UP that mountain for 2 hours and BACK down to SPIA.
Near the top, was admiring the scenery from a small side road when a Red Mercury car – a nearly new one pulled up beside me and stopped to also admire the scenery. Boldly, I walked over to the car and asked…may I ask you a favor? Sure…what…Well, I’m walking across America and have on this new get up trying to keep dry in all this rain…could I bother you to take my picture.
Hey, no problem…my wife is a professional photographer…how lucky am I !...Lady gets out…sets up the scene and takes my photograph…Keith and Sandy are driving back from Wisconsin and just happened to like the same scenery I liked…so, new friends meet. Thanks, Guys…have a safe drive in that gorgeous antique (no offense…I love Mercurys).
And, so, I walked BACK down the mountain and on into Gardiner, Oregon. Walked back to fetch SPIA and drove into REEDSPORT, OREGON. Parked at the Tourist Office and walked back over the Umpqua River Bridge and back to Gardiner…returning to the Tourist Office where I asked for information on a certain Mr. McCullough, the designer of all those beautiful Bridges on US 101…many I have posted on this blog.
A quick sketch: CONDE MC CULLOUGH, born 1887 in South Dakota, received degree in engineering at Iowa State University. Moved to Oregon in 1916 as a Professor of Civil Engineering at Oregon Agricultural College – aka Oregon State University.
McCullough also took a position with the Oregon DOT (Department of Transportation) where he was responsible for designing ALL of Oregon’s Bridges…and became world famous for his Bridge designs on US 101 being built in the 1930s. He moved to Central America and designed numerous Bridges for the Inter-American Highway (which is old US 99 which runs from Alaska to the Straits of Magellan (where I visited recently).
McCullough died in 1946.
You may find much more detail by going to Oregon.Gov, searching McCullough Bridges…fascinating man…his bridges are today breath-taking…
DAILY REPORT: Florence to Reedsport is 21 miles. I doubled it, less 4 miles; i.e., walked a total of 38 miles today…count 21 miles
SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 21 miles @ $0.02 per mile = $0.42 for the day.
As a special note, wish to share that today I walked at a pace of nearly 5 miles per hour. Do not know why I did that…especially in such lousy weather…but I felt fantastic all day and cruised up and down those mountains like they really were “flat land”.
Finally, think I am finding my groove…just imagine, if I need not walk double all the time, I would now be walking the Mohave Desert…or thereabouts
Have taken Spot # 61 at the UMPQUA LIGHTHOUSE State Campground. In the morning, will walk the 3 miles back to Reedsport and then head South on US 101. Next major stop is Coos Bay...will take 2 days minimum to get there...lots of wilderness to cover.
VERIZON Signal to very weak...will not allow uploading our photographs...will do so in the morning...
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