October 28
I know there's a bike shop in garberville, 30 miles away, so I haul ass there to find that no, it's not a bike shop, but a sporting goods store with a bike shop open every monday. It's tuesday... or something. Heck, I have no idea what day it is anymore. I see two people in beige colored clothing with beige packs on their bikes and come over to talk to them. They have a sign up saying "Cancer surviver. NEED WORK." This is Jaime and her boyfriend, two young people who have lived the bike vagabond lifestyle for 6 years. Last year the guy had testicular cancer and overcame it, but they've had hard times since. Wonderful people.
So Lance armstrong had testicular cancer and this guy did too. Now i'm afraid I will too. Oh crap.
I bike some more and run into Stephen again! I pass and get to a basically empty campsite just short of a huge, daunting hill. There's a small grocery store across the street (in the middle of nowhere) and I grab some chocolate milk which i've been craving for a while and two ice cream bars. The lady was really nice and gave me some free, very hearty soup made from veggies from her garden. Contented, I pass out.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Widowmaker threat
October 27
I need another break cause my spirits are down, but I replace the spoke and true the wheel as best as I best I can. And what better place to take a break than the redwoods. It's a wonderful tailwind south, which would be a perfect day for hardcore riding, but decide to stay instead. Jacob and I bike 7 miles to grab some food (it's funny how a 14 mile bike ride is a leisurely pleasure ride now) and get to the drive through tree, which bikes have to pay 3 dollars to bike through. Seriously? Why is that something you have to pay for? But I have a meal of Annies mac and cheese to look forward to!
I'm sitting at my campsite doing some work on my bike, and SLAM a 10 foot tree branch falls right next to me. Holy shit. If that fell on me, I'd be screwed, or scewered i guess. So I pop on my bike helmet and go for a walk. No way I'm staying there. On a walk in a grove, I find out those fallen branches are called widowmakers, cause, well, that's what they do. A great walk, a great meal, a great campfire. Wonderful rest day
I need another break cause my spirits are down, but I replace the spoke and true the wheel as best as I best I can. And what better place to take a break than the redwoods. It's a wonderful tailwind south, which would be a perfect day for hardcore riding, but decide to stay instead. Jacob and I bike 7 miles to grab some food (it's funny how a 14 mile bike ride is a leisurely pleasure ride now) and get to the drive through tree, which bikes have to pay 3 dollars to bike through. Seriously? Why is that something you have to pay for? But I have a meal of Annies mac and cheese to look forward to!
I'm sitting at my campsite doing some work on my bike, and SLAM a 10 foot tree branch falls right next to me. Holy shit. If that fell on me, I'd be screwed, or scewered i guess. So I pop on my bike helmet and go for a walk. No way I'm staying there. On a walk in a grove, I find out those fallen branches are called widowmakers, cause, well, that's what they do. A great walk, a great meal, a great campfire. Wonderful rest day
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.
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.
Uneventful
October 25
Headed out around 12, leaving Arcata behind and went on my way towards Eureka. Eureka wasn't exactly exciting, and I took a bike route to avoid the city. I stopped on the side of the road to fix a problem with my breaks and had a crazy lady preach hatred of police for 2 minutes and then curse at me as I rode off. My first real loon on the trip. Another visit to my bike shop, yay, and on my way again. The ride's fabulous, through farmland and lots of cows who I moo at.
My intended campsite is too far for me to get to by nightfall, plus the pathway's through a redwood forest which i really don't want to miss, so I ask a man named Keith, who's out in his yard, if i can sleep out front and he offers me the greatest hospitality.
Headed out around 12, leaving Arcata behind and went on my way towards Eureka. Eureka wasn't exactly exciting, and I took a bike route to avoid the city. I stopped on the side of the road to fix a problem with my breaks and had a crazy lady preach hatred of police for 2 minutes and then curse at me as I rode off. My first real loon on the trip. Another visit to my bike shop, yay, and on my way again. The ride's fabulous, through farmland and lots of cows who I moo at.
My intended campsite is too far for me to get to by nightfall, plus the pathway's through a redwood forest which i really don't want to miss, so I ask a man named Keith, who's out in his yard, if i can sleep out front and he offers me the greatest hospitality.
Day off in the emerald county
October 24
Day off. LAUNDRY. Oh my gosh I smelled so bad even after I took a shower and it was SO needed. My neon yellow biking jersey was in fact mostly black. So I washed my clothes in a solar powered washing machine and dried my clothes on a fireplace/furnace for the first time in my life. Sweet!
So we went walking around Humboldt to check out the scene, and never before in my life have I smelled weed so frequently and pervasively. Everywhere! You'd walk into restaurants and 3 people would reak of it. Haha. We went to a pizza place, where Jesse suggested a Garlic Lovers pizza. It was fabulous, but my mouth was so assaulted that when we went to see "Law Abiding Citizen" I had to pay the ludicrous prize for a bag of skittles cause I needed to clear my mouth. The movie only cost $6 though. The last time i paid $6 for a movie was like... the 80s.
Later in the day we went to a friends of jesse's and passed out. Such. an. old. man.
Day off. LAUNDRY. Oh my gosh I smelled so bad even after I took a shower and it was SO needed. My neon yellow biking jersey was in fact mostly black. So I washed my clothes in a solar powered washing machine and dried my clothes on a fireplace/furnace for the first time in my life. Sweet!
So we went walking around Humboldt to check out the scene, and never before in my life have I smelled weed so frequently and pervasively. Everywhere! You'd walk into restaurants and 3 people would reak of it. Haha. We went to a pizza place, where Jesse suggested a Garlic Lovers pizza. It was fabulous, but my mouth was so assaulted that when we went to see "Law Abiding Citizen" I had to pay the ludicrous prize for a bag of skittles cause I needed to clear my mouth. The movie only cost $6 though. The last time i paid $6 for a movie was like... the 80s.
Later in the day we went to a friends of jesse's and passed out. Such. an. old. man.
6 mile hill
October 23
I start this day with my largest hill of the trip. 6 miles of uphill through a beautiful redwood forest. 6 miles of uphill is downright intimidating. However, it wasnt just downhill. I have to say that when you're on a 6 mile uphill, it's really depressing to have downhill segments on the climb, cause you know you're going to have to climb it again. But at least I didn't have 110 pounds of gear, right? On the way up, I stopped at a lookout where I met a dude who did my journey back in 1947... on a fourspeed. Woow. On hills he would have to change components and chains and gears and change back on flat stretches. Makes my journey seem like a cinch.
The 1000 foot descent was increeeedible. So at the top of the climb there was road work, which, you know, usually sucks. However when there's road work that makes for a one lane road, that means there are stretches of time when there is no traffic in one direction. So the whole road was MINE! Oh I was flying, watching the coast, and angel winging it down the hill. Soon after I took a picture of a 40 foot blue ox, you know, Blue or whatever, teabagging me. Then karma hit me and my pffft. Turns out my wheel isnt attaching to the bike correctly and I can't move. I hitchike for the first time in my life and Arcaaata woooo.
Jesse Shrader, a friend from home goes to Humboldt State and lives in the coolest digs ever. He lives in CCAT house, a super environmental house with walls painted with flour, a bicycle powered blender and television, solar powered heating, and tons of other neat stuff. Linguine dinner and Jesse has a little break dancing party, but I fall asleep at 8 pm because i'm an old man
I start this day with my largest hill of the trip. 6 miles of uphill through a beautiful redwood forest. 6 miles of uphill is downright intimidating. However, it wasnt just downhill. I have to say that when you're on a 6 mile uphill, it's really depressing to have downhill segments on the climb, cause you know you're going to have to climb it again. But at least I didn't have 110 pounds of gear, right? On the way up, I stopped at a lookout where I met a dude who did my journey back in 1947... on a fourspeed. Woow. On hills he would have to change components and chains and gears and change back on flat stretches. Makes my journey seem like a cinch.
The 1000 foot descent was increeeedible. So at the top of the climb there was road work, which, you know, usually sucks. However when there's road work that makes for a one lane road, that means there are stretches of time when there is no traffic in one direction. So the whole road was MINE! Oh I was flying, watching the coast, and angel winging it down the hill. Soon after I took a picture of a 40 foot blue ox, you know, Blue or whatever, teabagging me. Then karma hit me and my pffft. Turns out my wheel isnt attaching to the bike correctly and I can't move. I hitchike for the first time in my life and Arcaaata woooo.
Jesse Shrader, a friend from home goes to Humboldt State and lives in the coolest digs ever. He lives in CCAT house, a super environmental house with walls painted with flour, a bicycle powered blender and television, solar powered heating, and tons of other neat stuff. Linguine dinner and Jesse has a little break dancing party, but I fall asleep at 8 pm because i'm an old man
I can see clearly now the clouds are gone
Cloudy skies, right? After all I'm still in Oregon. Turns out my bike had been assembled incorrectly back in LA and I've been biking harder than I've had to. Arghhhhh.
30 dollars later, I'm on my way, sin P & J. They had to hold back and wait for their wheels to be replaced. But, I'm off to California... or am I. THERE'S NO WELCOME SIGN. The wonderful produce officers and a "Truck drivers register with CA blah blah blah" sign bid me welcome to my homeland because some dick knocked down the california welcome sign 4 months ago. FOUR MONTHS!
I look north... and I see a set of tumultuous clouds! And south.... ooooh yeah bright skies. BAM California. Soon I come to Crescent City, the first city along the coast, and take a detour that's well worth it along Pebble Beach Blvd. Absolutely stunning. I couldn't keep my eyes off it, and instead stayed around watching the sunset and found my home at an RV Park. 6 nights of camping in Oregon in beautiful campsites cost $24 and one night of a P.O.S. RV campsite made me drop $19. I devoured 4 McDoubles, because, you know, I can eat as unhealthy as I want because I need Calories or it's unhealthy. Ziiing.
While munching, I saw a bike light across a river from me and biked to the front of the digs and I met Basti, a fellow tourer who was about to turn around and camp illegally because no one should be charged $19 for a piece of grass like this. I lie to the lady at the desk and say he's with me and now I have some company! I convince Basti that McDoubles are god's gift to bicyclists, and he stuffs himself too. Turns out this German dude started 5 months ago in Alaska on a personal journey. He was loaded with at least 110 pounds of weight compared to my 50 pounds, PLUS he was running on mountain bike tires. That's insane. He also decided to bring a SLR Olympus camera, a 6 pound bad boy I'd never want on a journey like this.
I'm in motherfracking California!
30 dollars later, I'm on my way, sin P & J. They had to hold back and wait for their wheels to be replaced. But, I'm off to California... or am I. THERE'S NO WELCOME SIGN. The wonderful produce officers and a "Truck drivers register with CA blah blah blah" sign bid me welcome to my homeland because some dick knocked down the california welcome sign 4 months ago. FOUR MONTHS!
I look north... and I see a set of tumultuous clouds! And south.... ooooh yeah bright skies. BAM California. Soon I come to Crescent City, the first city along the coast, and take a detour that's well worth it along Pebble Beach Blvd. Absolutely stunning. I couldn't keep my eyes off it, and instead stayed around watching the sunset and found my home at an RV Park. 6 nights of camping in Oregon in beautiful campsites cost $24 and one night of a P.O.S. RV campsite made me drop $19. I devoured 4 McDoubles, because, you know, I can eat as unhealthy as I want because I need Calories or it's unhealthy. Ziiing.
While munching, I saw a bike light across a river from me and biked to the front of the digs and I met Basti, a fellow tourer who was about to turn around and camp illegally because no one should be charged $19 for a piece of grass like this. I lie to the lady at the desk and say he's with me and now I have some company! I convince Basti that McDoubles are god's gift to bicyclists, and he stuffs himself too. Turns out this German dude started 5 months ago in Alaska on a personal journey. He was loaded with at least 110 pounds of weight compared to my 50 pounds, PLUS he was running on mountain bike tires. That's insane. He also decided to bring a SLR Olympus camera, a 6 pound bad boy I'd never want on a journey like this.
I'm in motherfracking California!
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