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Thursday 2nd September 2004

Guy at Fort ClatsopFrom Fort Stevnes to, well, Fort Stevens. A day exploring Fort Clatsop - where the first explorers of the region stayed over the winter of 1805-06 - Lewis and Clark. First Explorers? Well, there were the native americans before them, and the British explorer Mackenzie did the transContinental crossing before them too! But we'll let the americans deceive themselves with this hype. It's an impressive achievement. We met Laura and Ned who are doing the Pacific Coast to San Diego - just starting out, really. Wise going south at this time of year. We breakfasted and then went to lunch (it was a very late breakfast) and then went to Fort Clatsop, the Lewis and Clark base for winter of 1805-6. It was fascinating and was the usual reconstruction of the original camp - which decayed long ago being made of wood. The camp was impressive, but perhaps the setting is rather more impressive since it is a wonderful forest - huge trees, including some huge red cedars. The gift shop was interesting - I searched for chocolates, being a hugry cyclist, and failed to find any. I guess I should contact their merchandising department - why are there no Lewis and Clark commemorative chocolates - it seems like an oversight to me. But then, the cyclists's priorities are rarely those of the general public. We cycled to the point at which the Columbia River meets the Pacific - a tremendous place of rushing clouds and surging seas - with quite a gale blowing and thus messing up the surf as usual. Guy's tooth is playing up again - the tooth that he got fixed back in Lander.

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