20 miles from camp, Day 2

Well, well, well. Here I am in my second day of riding and I have tons and tons to write and very little time to write it. So, I'll make it short. Right now, we are in Tillamook, OR (famous for their cheese -- perfect for a vegan like me!). We have about 20 miles to ride to Cape Lookout to camp tonight. Yesterday was beautiful, but the hills were very challenging. I was feeling the burn...man, I was indeed. I found myself envious of the others riding a wider range of gears. So, right now my bike is at the local shop in Tillamook getting a new rear cassette and rear derailleur, which is going to cost me around $125 dollars, but will probably save my knees through the Cascades and Rockies. I know you are all raising money for me back home, so I'm not worried about running up my credit card right now :o). Another rider is riding a similar setup to me (racing bike with compact double crank, 9 speed rear cassette, and bloody heavy trailer), so he's getting his gearing swapped too, and we'll ride to camp together if the others decide not to wait for our bike mechanic to eat lunch. Oh, that bloody bit came from the influence of the two Brits I'm riding with. Quite nice people, they are. Actually, the whole group is quite fun, very dynamic personalities, but all great people. I'm having a blast and I'm safe (if you were worried). I got some stunning shots of the landscape, and I may soon have posting capabilities, so look for photos to come. Until next time, keep stockpiling that cash gift for my return. Just kidding, I would much prefer your warm welcome back hugs!