Via Byway, My Way.

I’m actually paying to use the Internet this time around, $5 an hour, but at least it is going to a good cause for a Family Resource Center here in Gualala, CA. The last 2 days of riding have just been stunning and any more superlatives will do it no justice. Traffic is generally light, on my right is the coast and rocky outcroppings where the waves crash and the gulls float, on my left are rolling grass-covered hills that wave when the wind blows. Just no further words can describe my ride, and I am truly bummed that I have no camera to capture this pics.

Before I go further, gotta give out some public shouts since I haven’t been able to respond to your emails or comments recently.

– Mike R: so how was Vegas and do look up the nearest Kings Table Buffet in Portland so we can pay a visit when I get back. Or maybe just one of the Hometown Buffets or something.

– Yuh Wen: welcome back from China chica! Call me back and leave me your phone number this time so I can return your call since I didn’t bring my address book with me on this trip.

– Happy Birthday to Big Bomb from Vietnam, John “You Can’t See Me” Le. I still think you should get your Slurpee for free, but anyhow, enjoy your big day bruthha!

– Belated birthday greetings also to my homegirl Bev, who celebrated last week with no doubt a big cake and only a few candles…

– Mike J: hope you kicked some ass at World Series of Poker in Vegas, give me an update on Dank and have and send my love to STP this weekend–wish I could have gone, but eat an extra Creamsicle Bar on my behalf and you better not pull an Evan and stop in Centralia and quit. I’ll be looking for that cheap finisher’s medal when I see ya.

– Lisa: Welcome back from Japan! I hope you were able to bring me that souvenir Sumo Wrestler outfit that I asked for. And I think when I’m done with this ride, yeah, I’ll be up for some yoga, maaaaybe.

– Hope and Nicole, aka “Welfare and Safety Committee”: thank you for your message, I did take your advice and went to the Safeway, but only ONE in Fort Bragg. As soon as I see another one, I promise, I will check in.

– Ezra: Welcome to the Darkside my friend. Now that you have a cell phone, you can vote for your favorite American Idol by text message! Yeah baybe, yeah!

– Nicole: See Ezra’s note above, and come join the Darkside!

– Melody: You’re on, October 1st, just like you said, I’ll jog along for the first few miles, then put on my jets and leave you in the dust. 2:30 here I come!

– Jay the ex-military dude from Harris Beach State Park, who doesn’t even know my blog address: Okay, yeah, I did try my tuna with mustard and mayo and not too bad. But I’ll still need to wait to try your suggestion of scrambled eggs with tuna when I get back.

– Jonas and Rene: Can’t wait to go with you guys on your next tour of Portland area poker games, good write up and wish I could have gone last week.

– Jonas: yeah, it actually was Robin Williams, but no one would have believed me, so I made up the Bigfoot sighting instead because that’s more believeable.

– Monica: yeah, still pedaling, and you still owe me some of that Guatemalan food you promised me.

– Katie R: raincheck for lunch when I get back, and this time you better answer your cell phone.

– Katie:  now that the World Cup is over, I just know that you are bummed and depressed that you have to wait another 4 years! 

– Christine: So here you can finally see what I have been up to….say hello to Ross, Peytone and Callahan for me!

– Dan: so you gonna ride with me for a few days south of San Francisco or what??

Okay, moving on….

Stats

Number of flat tires:  0

Roadkill sightings:  skunk, deer, various birds, cat, racoons, opposum, snakes, coyote/dog?

New addiction:  Super Sundae ice cream bars

Mileage:

Day 19: 55 miles, overnight at Hidden Springs Campground in Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Day 20: 82 miles, overnight at MacKerricher Beach State Park

Day 21: Rest Day, overnight with Globalfreeloaders Darrell and Lynn in Comptche on their 62 acre parcel of land

Day 22: 40 miles, overnight at Manchester State Beach

Day 23: (today) 62 miles, overnight at Bodega Dunes State Beach, or another place that another cyclist told me about.

**COUCHSURFING lives on!!!** Received an email a few days ago that Couchsurfing will be back online and improved, which is Fantabulous news! Globalfreeloaders and couchsurfing are just incredible uses for the Internet and I’ve met some many awesome people through them.

In Comptche (sp?), the couple that hosted me were very hospitable and kind. Former hippies, about 25 years ago they bought the land with 7 or 8 other families, with the idea of setting up a communal living situation. One long story later, they are the last remaining family and the land has been divided. They live with solar power, produce little garbage because they do a good job of recycling, and they work in the city (Fort Bragg) as a therapist and the other as a dietician. I was treated like a king during my stay…lounged on their hammock, walked with them to see their horses and to watch the full moon rise, and later in the evening Lynn whipped up grilled salmon, pad thai noodles with carrots and brocolli and cilantro, a garden salad, and a fresh mixed fruit salad. They are both into swing dancing, so later in the evening I sat with them in front of their TV and watched the 1940’s flick “Swing Time” with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, while eating freshly air-popped popcorn with butter. Simply amazing people, Michael once hitch hiked from Denmark all the way to India!

I have many more stories to tell, but must soon get back on the road. I do want to say that Leggett Hill almost kicked my ass, but I conquered in the end, though I had to stop half way up to catch my breath. Originally, I was only supposed to cycle 45 miles that day to the campground and rest up BEFORE taking on Leggett Hill the next morning. But I got into camp at noon because the raccoons woke me up at 5 in the morning when trying to get into my bike bag of food.  So I was on the road early in the morning.  Like I said, I arrive into camp at noon, and I decided to be ambitious and do the next day’s ride the same day, and to take on Leggett Hill.  The killer hill.  And it was hard, don’t get me wrong.  When I stopped mid-way, I stopped because I needed to catch my breath and get some shade; the hardest part of the hill was the heat.  I almost blacked out at the side of the road while trying to cool down.  But once I was better, it was back on the saddle for the long ride up.  And then a long, winding descent down until the 2nd hill, which I think was actually harder than the Leggett Hill, because at least Leggett was gradual, whereas #2 had more vertical.  The end of my story is that I arrived into camp at 6pm after almost 12 hours of riding my 82 miles.

New topic, which are the people I’ve met.

First guy is Kyle, 19-year old from the Whidbey Island area of Seattle.  He’s a youngster that was tired of working his Best  Buy and Target job, living at home, same town and same routine, so a few weeks ago he buys himself a bike and bags, quits his job, and starts out about the same time that I did.  He’s 210 pounds (and overweight by his standards cause he is a couch potato), not a bicyclist at all, but this is something he set off to do and he is doing it.  And he’s still determined despite all the bad luck he’s had since crossing over into California.  3 flat tires.  Hit by a SUV.  6 miles of pushing his bike on the highway before getting a ride into town to fix his bike.  And yesterday he got another flat tire.  I stayed with him while he was trying to fix it, and it was a lost cause.  Perfect timing because the next thing we know, this grandmother pulls up to us in her Toyota Corolla.  She offers him a ride into town to get the bike fixed.  Her name is Doris, probably close to 60, or maybe she is older and just looks younger than 60.  At any rate, she told us that when she retired, she put 2 things of on her list of things to do.  And she did them.  One was riding a bicycle across America from CA to Georgia.  Then she also rides from Mexico to Canada.  The other thing was to hike the AT–the Applachian Trail.  It took her 6 years to complete all the segments at different times, but she did it.  Now she leads an active life of adventure, he next trip is rafting some famous river in Alaska.  Last year her daughter participated in a bicycle ride around the world called Odyssey 2005, and Doris rode the support vehicle in Africa.  Just totally inspiring, you are never too young and never too old to do what you want to do.

I could go on and on with stories.  Stories of other people, and not from me.  Because my ride has been pretty uneventful, which is how I like it.  Just beautiful mornings of getting up on the road early, great scenery, getting enough to eat to keep me going, meeting new people on my breaks and in the campgrounds.  If only my camera still worked! 

I should be into San Francisco by Friday, and should be able to upload my WA/OR pictures at that time with another update.  Here are some closing thoughts before I get back out on the road for the afternoon…

http://www.texas4000.org/  Ran into these guys while descending Leggett Hill.  They are cycling from Austin, TX to Anchorage, AK!  They’ve raised over half a million for the Cancer society.

This morning I met a guy from Switzerland who has bicycled from Miami, FL and has been on the road for 17 weeks!!!!  He has 7 more to go to reach Canada.  And all he’s had are headwinds in Nevada and California and is a bit discouraged at this point with his morale because of the strong winds.

Okay, that’s all for now!!!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 11th, 2006 at 2:03 pm and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.