94.1km out of 2066km so far

Today I got up earlier than usual, ready for the big day ahead of me. Other than the excitement of the day ahead, it was very cold in the morning (8c) so I was also looking forward to get on the road and warm up. I was feeling strong and in good mood to cover some distance today. The 101 continued by the river and forest for the first 20 kilometers.

The greater area I’ve been over the past 3 days and up until I get to San Fransisco, is fairly remote and sparsely populated. There may be towns every 20 kilometers or so, but not all of them have services or grocery stores to buy food. I’ve been through a few ghost towns and the sense of abandoned property is frequently present. In these areas it takes a little more planning in terms of food supplies and breakfasts. I got to Legget much sooner than I expected. I saw a couple of other cyclists sitting at the patio of the single grocery store. They told me this is the last shop for the next 40 kilometers, so I was convinced to have an early lunch at 11am.

Right after leaving Legget, I came across the very anticipated fork. I left 101 and turned right to state highway 1. A much smaller road, that goes through the coast, all the way to San Fransisco. Right after the turn, the big accent started for the first of the two big climbs of the day. The heat had already started building up, but luckily the climb was within a forest with a good temperature. It took me a good hour to get to the top and the reward was a descent of at least 10km, with easy turns every hundred meters. The trees and vegetation had already started changing. 10km after the hill, a second one followed with an equal steep and long accent. I had to stop several times to take a breath and drink plenty of water, as by then the temperature had reached around 25c.

The second descent was equally long and pleasant. At the bottom of it I met the sea once again. This time the ocean had a completely different look. Extremely calm waters, very good visibility and a boiling sun. The vegetation is now different all together, with such a drier climate.

Unfortunately cycling along the coast wasn’t as easy as I though. On every turn there was a hill to go up and down, making the last part of my ride fairly exhausting. I definitely prefer to have a long hill to climb, rather than many small ones, one after the other. I stopped at Westport for an ice-cream and some nuts and then headed another 15km further south.

 

Fort Bragg is a relatively big city, so I went into the campground of Mac Kerricher state park in Cleone which is just a couple of kilometers away. Just as I was about to enter it, Patricia an old lady crossing the road with her dog started talking to me. After a short chat she offered me to put my tent in her back garden. I chose not to be a trouble to her, since the state park was just around the corner and I was hoping to catch up with the rest of the cyclists. It even has hiker biker spots for just $5. I got there right before sunset, so I went by the beach to see the view, before shower and dinner.

Today I reached 2000km and I am a month before my flight. Plenty of time and kilometers ahead for more adventures and stories

53.2km out of 1972km so far

Somehow I managed to sleep for 10 hours and it took me for ever to have breakfast and pack my stuff. After a stop at the nearby information office and a chat with a couple at the nearby bench, it was already past noon when I started pushing my bike on the road. I wasn’t feeling it much today and despite my day off, I was struggling to push my bike. It felt a bit like a Monday morning in the office, after a good weekend of fun stuff. It happens every now and then.

I had at least another 20km riding in the avenue of the Giants, going through equally amazing scenery I’ve been for the past couple of days. Big trees all around me, with the sky barely visible from within the forest’s canopy. It was a bit chilly as every morning in the forest, so I was looking forward to reach some openings, get the sun and warm up. Surprisingly when this happened, it quickly got really hot. I woke up at 8c degrees and by lunch time it was all the way up to 32c.

I stopped at Myers Flat to grab a sandwich for lunch. A 200 population town, most of them grown up hippies, with 2 shops and a hotel. The lady at the shop is going to Maui tomorrow and she was really excited about it.

Most of the ride continued along the river and soon enough I was back on 101. Just a couple of hours later I stopped for ice cream and supplies at Garberville. A very nice town of 2000 population, which has a main street with the typical old American store fronts. On the back road there is a square and there happened to be a public event at the time. A country music band was playing and there was food and drinks served to the public. The town is crowded with hippies and the smell of patchouli and other herb is dominant in the air. I wouldn’t mind spending a day there, but I wanted to move on. Tomorrow there is a big hill ahead that everyone has been talking about.

15km further south and I entered Richardson Grove SP state park. A nice location and I managed to find a quite spot to put my tent. In the campground I had a chat with the park ranger who happened to collect the money from the fee box. I noticed his car had a shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle, hanging vertical in the middle of the two front seats.

– Officer, I see you carry big guns with you.
– Son these are the tools of my job.
– And what do you hunt with those if you don’t mind me asking?
– Both four-legged and two legged creatures son.

Right after I pitched my tent, I met Charlie who I had met a couple of times in the last week. He had his tent together with Eric a little further up the park. I went by to have dinner with them and help them with their cheap whiskey.

As of tonight, I am right in the middle of my trip. I’ve been on the road for exactly one month and I have a flight to catch in a month from now. After spending 5 weeks on the road, I am fully emerged into the lifestyle of cycle touring and everything that is part of it has become second nature in my day to day life. I barely know what day it is, my clothes have faded a touch, they may even smell a bit and I’ve become part of a group of people slowly traveling south on two wheels. It’s a strange lifestyle, probably not for everybody, as I have to compromise many of the luxuries I take for granted at home. All this time I live out of bags that I have to pack and unpack daily. I have to carry everything I need including water and food. Every day I wake up and sleep in a different place, I have to use public washrooms which at times are the only indoor space available for warmth and privacy.
But then again, all these unforgettable landscapes that I used to see in my school books and documentaries, have become my living room and the place where spend in full my days and nights. I get to fill my lungs with the fresh air and the smells of forests and the ocean. Very often I sleep in absolute silence under a star lit sky, which is definitely a rare luxury in a city. Each day is a completely different adventure, with the unknown of what I will see and encounter. I am putting my self in situations that I wouldn’t never do otherwise and I meet people of all kind, with interesting stories to share.
So despite problems and inconveniences I face every now and then, I keep cycling!