Loss of contact

October 26

Keith's son decides to watch superbad in the morning, which I cannot refuse, and I leave by 12. The first 10 miles are a terrible start as I simply cannot go faster than 10 mph. I stop at a viewpoint to figure out whether I passed an exit and MY PHONE's GONE. Oh shit. I ask some dude at to borrow his phone, and it rings then voicemail. Oh shit. I bike back faster than I've ever biked 10 miles and it's not at the guys house. I call again and instant voicemail. Oh crap, is it run over? I bike around like a lunatic trying to find it, make a report at the police office, check a church that I stopped in front of in the way.

I was defeated. This was the low point of my trip by far. I'd had bike problems the entire journey that have slowed me down and now this. But I keep going... and another goddamn spoke breaks. I'm so sick of that shit. 8 spokes breaking in 7 days. So now I have to walk the 12 miles to the campsite in the redwoods. I'm stopped on the side of the road in shelter from the rain. Oh yeah, it's raining, when a guy bikes up. Meet Stephen. Stephen's a bike vagabond who's been on the road for god knows how long. We chat for a while and he goes off and it's time to keep walking.

When a spoke breaks, the tension caused by peddling untrues the wheel further, so during flat sections i barney rubbled it. I had one foot on a peddle and then propelled myself on the ground with the other. On hills I road it out, and eventually got to Weott. Right as I approach the campsite in the utter darkness, Holly and Jacob come up behind me! Sleep time in a hiker biker. Oh how i love $5 campsites.