It doesn't always rain here. In fact, the weather gods often smile upon us, even in the dead of winter. Penny the dog and I squeezed in 4 rides in three days around the Manzanita, Oregon area.
Ride GPS profiles here:
Day 1
Day 2- ride 1
Day 2- ride 2
Day 3
Day 1- Beach ride south to the Nehalem River to see how far upstream we could ride at low tide
 |
| Tree debris makes for a tough hike-a-bike |
 |
| Around the Nehalem River wash at low tide |
 |
| We were trying to make it all the way around the Nehalem River wash, but hit this significant section of mud. Where my tracks end is where I started sinking deeper, like quicksand |
 |
Pretty much awesome
|
Day 2- After the beach ride yesterday, I headed inland a bit to find a route up near Neahkahnie Mountain, 1,700 feet above the beach. There were several promising roads on the map that turned into dead ends or private property.
 |
| It was sunny, nearing 60F degrees and perfect for a lunch stop on this road |
 |
| After running into some locals, they directed me back towards Highway 101 to find a route up Neahkahnie Mt. Photos never really capture steepness, but some sections of this gravel road were better for walking than riding |
 |
| Finally at the top of Neahkahnie, the view was well worth the effort. You can see the Nehalem River flowing into the Pacific, where I had ridden yesterday |
 |
| Full moon rising over the dunes |
 |
Despite Penny's spirited efforts, no buried treasures were found
|
Day 3- We headed back into the Nehalem River/Bay park to explore more of the Peninsula between the river and the ocean
 |
| Back to the south end of the beach at Nehalem river, we did a little more 'schwacking through the logs |
 |
| Dead sea lion. It didn't stink yet, so I was able to get a close up. |
 |
| The beach was practically empty, with exception of these horseback riders |
 |
| I'm still puzzled how this massive redwood stump got here. Did it wash ashore, or did the shoreline where it once grew deteriorate and just leave it behind? |
 |
| Another shot of the stump to capture it's size |
 |
| A campfire on the beach under a full moon topped off this fantastic weekend |
