Tour De La Dead V2

50 Miles

I woke up at 6:40, said goodbye to the Canadians, French Canadians, and Germans, and hit the road once again. During the ride to Gold Beach, there were smaller hills but nothing too challenging. Once past Gold Beach, I encountered a 2-mile climb. By this point, I noticed more tourists—both bikers and cars—enjoying the summer weather along Southern Oregon's coast.

Arriving in Brookings, my stop for the night, thoughts of my previous job filled my mind throughout the ride. Every moment at the office, I was fixated on this trip. I had been eagerly anticipating this adventure, and I felt that ending it in San Francisco would mean missing out on its full potential. When my dad was on his trip, he had considered riding all the way back to New York but never did. He regretted not completing the journey, and I don't want to feel the same regret. That's why I'm determined to continue on to San Diego.

After settling into camp and starting dinner, I met Michalina, a Polish traveler. We shared stories about our travels; she had come from the Netherlands to hike the Pacific Crest Trail and had been hitchhiking around the West Coast since then. She raised an interesting point: perhaps my friend quitting was a sign that I needed to do this journey alone. Perhaps this solo time would help me learn more about myself. We hiked around the park together before calling it a night.