Port Angeles - Cannon Beach - Waldport - Steamboat - Crater Lake - Ashland - Mt. Shasta (Ca) - Lassen Vulcabis N.P. - Lake Tahoe - Yosemite N.P. - Sequoia N.P. - Lake Isabella - Tehachapi - Big Bear Lake - Idyllwild - Oceanside San Diego

The coastal road 101 from Port Angeles (Wa) to Waldport (Or) is, because of the summer holidays, for our taste far too busy, and the crazy logging trucks in make the cycling to dangerous. But it is an area of outstanding natural beauty with the Rainforest Nationalpark, the dreamlike views on great beaches where we were able to watch 7 whales as well as seals basking in the sun. As soon as we turn inland traffic is easing off, and often we are lucky to cycle alongside little streams - and the weather is just great. This of course also means not enough rain for the country, and so we also experience what it means to live with fires burning many square miles of forest, letting us cycle in the smoke.

Once we tried to cross a mountain without detailled map on logging roads - unseccessful - what means that we did get lost and had to turn back. Since we do not give up, we gave it another try next day. Luckily a truckdriver of the National Forest Service gave us his detailed map and so we did not mind, not to see a car or people all day and to have to push the bicycle uphill for some streches.

The Cascade route consists of many long climbes, but also long great downhills, passing beautiful lakes - one of them the deepblue Crater Lake. Along the way there are some nice little towns where we stop to sip good Espresso or eat one of the great American Breakfasts. Visiting the National Parks, like Vulcanic N.P with Mt. Lassen - a vulcano of the Pacific Ring of Fire - then Yosemite with its vertical towering rocks, or Sequoia with the huge (up to 300 feet tall) old (up to 3200 years) trees, were such a delight.

Most of the time we camp in a primitive campground of the National Forest and shower just with a bottle of water. Is there a creek or even a hot spring is the enjoyment granted. But the best of all is to camp in the wild, there we experience alsways something special, like the bright shining stars in the nightsky, or the howling of a coyote or a wolf, or a bobcat sneaking around the tent and once there was a blackbear trying to steal our food.

From the pines to the palms! Visiting our friends in Oceanside with their two little cute boys is so great, to enjoy their company and their fantastic hospitality and resting our legs for a few days before cycling down to Baja.

Cycled miles - USA/Canada/USA - 6081 and 329'380 feet of altitude difference