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Cycling USA Adventure of Yvonne

Page 2: June 26 - June 29, 2000

Subject: In Half.com
Couldn't bypass the opportunity to e-mail in America's most famous little Internet town Half.com or Halfway in Oregon.
Latest days:
June 26: got dropped off at Lolo Pass (fi donc!) and cycled downhill to Lowell and 10 km beyond. Had dinner in a very western restaurant, the first people I saw were motor bikers with pirate -like outfit. I had a good meal and looked for a place to stop. It appeared to be a hut that was from people who were on a holiday (shutters closed, but chairs on the porch), but it could also have been a lodge, as it was called that way. I tried my water filter today, but even the filtered water didn't taste well.
June 27: cycled to Kooskia, but was getting in a hurry, thinking of my plans to be in Seattle by july 4 via Corvallis. So stuck up the thumb and hitched to Grangeville and Riggins. I was sorry to have missed the scenery, much better here than from Lolo Pass to Kooskia. The guy who brought me to Grangeville was nice enough to put out the cigarette without even asking. Dropped me off at Taco Bell & gas station. Got burrito & taco shell, not too bad, not too great. Surprised to have to put the hands of the watch forwards again in Riggins. The girl that brought me to Riggins, was a rafter's guide. Very good at handling a bike. Got a ride to New Meadows from 2 women that put the bike on top of the rack. Then a group of 1 man, a bunch of boys and 1 girl took me to Council. They just came back from a tournament for 9-10 y.o. baseball players. Nice people. Nice little town! Felt safe enough to camp in the town's park.
June 28: hitch-hiked with a Paul to Cambridge, cycled from Cambridge to Brownlee Dam at the Hell's Canyon. Hitch-hiking is slow here, 2 rides and only 25 miles further, I'm in Halfway.com. When am I going to get to Corvallis or Seattle???

June 28: From Halfway (Wednesday afternoon) I got a long haul to La Grande from a farmer visiting his daughter in hospital. He dropped me off at the truck stop, as we both thought that was a good idea if you want to ride in the evening. NOT AT ALL. I spent 3 hours !!!! trying to get a ride. Nothing! For 2 hours I thought to scores of truckies who were all going to different places, or would be leaving tomorrow morning. The few that DID go to portland, finally confessed that the company's policy didn't allow them to take hitch-hikers. Other than European truckies, who don't always obey company's rules, these truckies were mice, since they might even lose their jobs because of collegues who would tell their boss. The insurance companies make them do this, out of fear for sueing. THis is America, the sue-happy society. I became so mad, that I eventually, after having been bitten to death by countless mosquitoes at the turn-off where I was the 3rd hour, that I rode onto the Interstate, thinking to push on throughout the night. The shoulder was in such bad shape that it didn't make sense. Got off at the next exit and had a mini-pizza at Pizza Hut and gave my usual riddle to the manager. He didn't have a clue which country is 'the low country below sea level which is the biggest investor in the USA'. I didn't let him get off the hook easily and sent him to his collegues. He came with a suggestion where to camp for free though, so I pitched the tent behind Walmart next to a building which proved to be a dental care company.

June 29: Started out early, at 8 am,but first breakfast at denny's. Hard to find a brekkie without meat! Got the 'sunshine' breakfast with fruit, 2 scrambled eggs and 2 soggy 'hot'cakes. service was very friendly though. Was more lucky now, got a ride from La Grande to Pendleton from a friendly couple. I think my riddle is becoming the litmus test, a smal IQ test, the woman, Sandra, a retired tax collector immediately knew the answer. We chatted for a full hour, before diving into Pendleton. Pendleton made me desperate, I finally was on the 'traffic island' in between the roads where people turn to the left and right to get on the interstate. It wasn't a real island, hence some jerk called the police. The officer was quite friendly and adviced me to lean to the guard rails and stick up my thumb. He obviously never h-hiked, you definitely do not want to look lazy as a hitch-hiker but be active, like a boxer in the ring. Funny thing was, that he parked his car at the same place where I had been standing myself! Finally got a ride from a friendly mtb-er who brought me to Stanfield. He thought I was in trouble. Obviously, there seems to be an unwritten law that a cyclist doesn't hitchhike unless they have a mechanical problem! The waiting wasn't too bad in Stanfield, and I got a ride from a nice 53-y.o. lady, Danna, who looked much younger, and who is a circuit designer at IBM for 3 days a week, 12 hrs/day in the weekend! She has a trailer in Beaverton, stays there for these days and then rides back. We had a wonderful time,and it was as if we were old friends. The scenery on the Columbia River was terrific too, we spotted tMt. Hood and stopped at the falls near Portland, to 'wiggle' our bodies.

(June 29, cont.): She dropped me off at Beaverton, and I got almost an instant ride of a very handsome girl, called Christel, in a very macho car. She was a model and a massage therapist. The short ride of 10 miles was enough to make her hug me. By then I knew she had an adorable daughter of 4 years. Nearly broke my back from stepping out of this car, by misjudging the distance between the seat and the street. Must have been over a meter! The next ride was in a dusty VW-van, acquired the day before by Karin, an artist and a sculptor. Karin had turned to a new career in her 40s , as she had been working in a medical lab the years before. We were supposed to go to Dallas, but she finally got off the road in Salem, as we had had to stop 3 times already to cool the engine. And even had turned the heat on! Previously I'd asked Danna, whether she was trying to turn our legs into icecubes but now we were fairly hot. Prefer being hot though! Being north of Salem didn't please me, so I pedalled on the I-5 to the center of Salem, where I was more successful. I'm now glad to use the h-hiking device, as the note 'Corvallis' made someone out of C. stop. He called Ellener on the mobile phone, so she gave him instructions how to ride, and I was dropped off at her place. It was nice to meet, and Ellener doesn't look as impressively ultra as I figured that most ultra cyclists look like. Actually, I think many ultra cyclists look like her! She went to bed at 9 as she starts work at 3 am (not exercise as I thought!)
I'll be staying a day, and then ride the 800 K/500mi to Seattle by alternating between h-hiking and cycling as before, but hopefully a little more cycling!

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Subject: In Half.com Couldn't bypass the opportunity to e-mail in America's most famous little Internet town Half.com or Halfway in Oregon. Latest days: June 26: got dropped off at Lolo Pass (fi donc!) and cycled downhill to Lowell and 10 km beyond. Had dinner in a very western restaurant, the first people I saw were motor bikers with pirate -like outfit. I had a good meal and looked for a place to stop. It appeared to be a hut that was from people who were on a holiday (shutters closed, but chairs on the porch), but it could also have been a lodge, as it was called that way. I tried my water filter today, but even the filtered water didn't taste well. June 27: cycled to Kooskia, but was getting in a hurry, thinking of my plans to be in Seattle by july 4 via Corvallis. So stuck up the thumb and hitched to Grangeville and Riggins. I was sorry to have missed the scenery, much better here than from Lolo Pass to Kooskia. The guy who brought me to Grangeville was nice enough to put out the cigarette without even asking. Dropped me off at Taco Bell & gas station. Got burrito & taco shell, not too bad, not too great. Surprised to have to put the hands of the watch forwards again in Riggins. The girl that brought me to Riggins, was a rafter's guide. Very good at handling a bike. Got a ride to New Meadows from 2 women that put the bike on top of the rack. Then a group of 1 man, a bunch of boys and 1 girl took me to Council. They just came back from a tournament for 9-10 y.o. baseball players. Nice people. Nice little town! Felt safe enough to camp in the town's park. June 28: hitch-hiked with a Paul to Cambridge, cycled from Cambridge to Brownlee Dam at the Hell's Canyon. Hitch-hiking is slow here, 2 rides and only 25 miles further, I'm in Halfway.com. When am I going to get to Corvallis or Seattle???

	June 28: From Halfway (Wednesday afternoon) I got a long haul to La Grande from a farmer visiting his daughter in hospital. He dropped me off at the truck stop, as we both thought that was a good idea if you want to ride in the evening. NOT AT ALL. I spent 3 hours !!!! trying to get a ride. Nothing! For 2 hours I thought to scores of truckies who were all going to different places, or would be leaving tomorrow morning. The few that DID go to portland, finally confessed that the company's policy didn't allow them to take hitch-hikers. Other than European truckies, who don't always obey company's rules, these truckies were mice, since they might even lose their jobs because of collegues who would tell their boss. The insurance companies make them do this, out of fear for sueing. THis is America, the sue-happy society. I became so mad, that I eventually, after having been bitten to death by countless mosquitoes at the turn-off where I was the 3rd hour, that I rode onto the Interstate, thinking to push on throughout the night. The shoulder was in such bad shape that it didn't make sense. Got off at the next exit and had a mini-pizza at Pizza Hut and gave my usual riddle to the manager. He didn't have a clue which country is 'the low country below sea level which is the biggest investor in the USA'. I didn't let him get off the hook easily and sent him to his collegues. He came with a suggestion where to camp for free though, so I pitched the tent behind Walmart next to a building which proved to be a dental care company.

June 29: Started out early, at 8 am,but first breakfast at denny's. Hard to find a brekkie without meat! Got the 'sunshine' breakfast with fruit, 2 scrambled eggs and 2 soggy 'hot'cakes. service was very friendly though. Was more lucky now, got a ride from La Grande to Pendleton from a friendly couple. I think my riddle is becoming the litmus test, a smal IQ test, the woman, Sandra, a retired tax collector immediately knew the answer. We chatted for a full hour, before diving into Pendleton. Pendleton made me desperate, I finally was on the 'traffic island' in between the roads where people turn to the left and right to get on the interstate. It wasn't a real island, hence some jerk called the police. The officer was quite friendly and adviced me to lean to the guard rails and stick up my thumb. He obviously never h-hiked, you definitely do not want to look lazy as a hitch-hiker but be active, like a boxer in the ring. Funny thing was, that he parked his car at the same place where I had been standing myself! Finally got a ride from a friendly mtb-er who brought me to Stanfield. He thought I was in trouble. Obviously, there seems to be an unwritten law that a cyclist doesn't hitchhike unless they have a mechanical problem! The waiting wasn't too bad in Stanfield, and I got a ride from a nice 53-y.o. lady, Danna, who looked much younger, and who is a circuit designer at IBM for 3 days a week, 12 hrs/day in the weekend! She has a trailer in Beaverton, stays there for these days and then rides back. We had a wonderful time,and it was as if we were old friends. The scenery on the Columbia River was terrific too, we spotted tMt. Hood and stopped at the falls near Portland, to 'wiggle' our bodies.

	(June 29, cont.): She dropped me off at Beaverton, and I got almost an instant ride of a very handsome girl, called Christel, in a very macho car. She was a model and a massage therapist. The short ride of 10 miles was enough to make her hug me. By then I knew she had an adorable daughter of 4 years. Nearly broke my back from stepping out of this car, by misjudging the distance between the seat and the street. Must have been over a meter! The next ride was in a dusty VW-van, acquired the day before by Karin, an artist and a sculptor. Karin had turned to a new career in her 40s , as she had been working in a medical lab the years before. We were supposed to go to Dallas, but she finally got off the road in Salem, as we had had to stop 3 times already to cool the engine. And even had turned the heat on! Previously I'd asked Danna, whether she was trying to turn our legs into icecubes but now we were fairly hot. Prefer being hot though! Being north of Salem didn't please me, so I pedalled on the I-5 to the center of Salem, where I was more successful. I'm now glad to use the h-hiking device, as the note 'Corvallis' made someone out of C. stop. He called Ellener on the mobile phone, so she gave him instructions how to ride, and I was dropped off at her place. It was nice to meet, and Ellener doesn't look as impressively ultra as I figured that most ultra cyclists look like. Actually, I think many ultra cyclists look like her! She went to bed at 9 as she starts work at 3 am (not exercise as I thought!) I'll be staying a day, and then ride the 800 K/500mi to Seattle by alternating between h-hiking and cycling as before, but hopefully a little more cycling!