80km out of 2351km so far

After yesterday’s long ride, we decided not to cover the whole distance to San Fransisco today, but split the ride in two days. We had our breakfast, had a chat with the two families and caught the hilly highway 1.

The route was once again windy and hilly. On our right we could see the rocky coastline and the strong oceanic waves. Residencies were becoming more and more frequent, most of them in a 70s northwest modernist architecture. Some of the buildings right by the coastal cliffs, were deemed unsuitable to occupy, due erosion. Despite the relative remoteness, I noticed most of the area is privately owned and all day long I kept seeing ‘no trespassing‘ and ‘Private property‘ signs warning to keep out.

We stopped at Bodega Bay town for a snack and there we meet Garry and Liz once again. I think it’s the forth time we separate and meet on the road. We continued the rest of the day all five of us. After that point the route left the coast and went a inland. The terrain became a lot easier to ride and the scenery looked much drier all together.

20km later, the road met the sea again, right by the Bodega Bay it self. The water was much calmer within the narrow bay and the place was full of fishing boats and oyster restaurants. The ride at that point was very easy and enjoyable. The higher class housing, hotels and restaurants made it clear we were getting closer to the big city.

We stopped at Point Reyes for lunch and bike shop supplies. It was still early and I was debating whether to attempt and cover another 60km to get at Mike’s and Krissa’s place at Mill Valley, north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s the couple I met during my Rockies trip and they offered me a place to stay for the night. Unfortunately after the massive burrito I had, I felt I would have trouble covering the distance before the sunset. I decided to stick with the group and we cycled for another 20km. Half way through that last section, we entered a bike path running next to a river. It was a very serene ride and a nice way to end the day. The campsite at the Samuel P.Taylor State Park was right at the end of the trail, at a really nice location within the forest. At night a whole family of racoons visited us begging for food. Some of the baby ones were very cute, especially when they were looking us within the hollow tree trunk. We were not convinced though and we all locked our food in the provided cabinets.

 

107km out of 2271km so far

The last few nights by the coast have been very humid, as the wind brings the mist from the ocean. Me, Charlie and Erik had breakfast, dried out tents, packed up and headed south for a long day of cycling.

 

The route today was hugging the rough and hilly terrain of the coast. We went through dozens of hills all day long, some small ones, some big ones and some very exhausting. On every turn there was a hill to go up or down. At times the descent was through a windy road right next to a cliff overlooking the infinity of the ocean. I am so glad there is barely any traffic on Highway 1, letting us enjoy the magnificent view. It’s fascinating to look at a far away spot along the coast and know that soon enough I will be cycling there. Despite there are more residencies, this place still feels very remote and rugged, with barely any services and shops on the way. I don’t think I ever got signal on my phone all day long.

I noticed the vegetation changed a lot today. From the big rainforest trees, the land is now mostly covered by grass and shrubs. Every now and then, there is a patch of forest, with trees that belong to warmer climate. It’s nice to see these changes in the environment when traveling to the south.

 

Birds are always present as well. From exotic blue birds, flocks of small ones, migrating ducks, hawks and even vultures looking for a dead preys. All the big ones take advantage of the hot air currents by the coastal hills. They hover and fly above our bikes effortlessly.

After a long day we arrived at Jenner, the town next to the state park, as the sun was setting. We asked several people about where and how far south the state parks is, but each gave us a different answer. We were running out of day lights and it started getting cold. Luckily we were convinced to cycle for another 2miles and we found the campground, rather than stealth camp behind the rocks that another cars had suggested. Right by our tents, there were two families with babies and small kids, touring on bikes as well. Even if they are not covering such a long distances, it’s definitely a great effort.