Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Day 7: Tuesday, April 11

Unfortunately, Greg's knee had been bothering him from the beginning of the trip, and this morning it really started to hurt. Rather than risk permanent damage, he stopped in Monmouth to catch a Greyhound back to California.
Shayne and I made it to Corvallis by late morning. The stretch between Corvallis and Eugene was amazing. The weather had become absolutely perfect. It was nice, sunny, and, most importantly, flat! That afternoon, we ran into two other Oregon bikers who were heading down to California.Late in the day, as we approached Eugene, it finally started to drizzle. Tonight we are staying in the Eugene International Hostel. While this is the first time I have ever stayed in a hostel, I am not that impressed with this one. Shayne, who has stayed in many hostels across the country, agrees with me. However, I was glad that we weren't outside in the rain.
Today was a really fast day. We rode over 70 miles averaging over 13 mph most of the way. Making it to Eugene marks a significant accomplishment in our trip... we have completed the first section of maps (only 11 more to go!) The next section begins with our first real challenge: the 5,324 foot McKenzie Pass.