Recap

Big Sur created quite an impact on me. There are two days in particular that stand out. On the first, I was cranky in the morning and got a late start out of Carmel. Headwinds were annoying and then frustrating. It got a little foggy and then sometimes rained lightly. My will was flagging and I stopped at a pullout. I met M&A and was told that I had arrived at Big Sur and that I was headed into the storm. We shared stories and both left ready to tackle the world. The rain then came in sheets, gusts of wind from my front right 30mph on a 10% grade. Cliffs to the ocean on one side and cars on the other, this was my toughest riding. I was in a groove. I was flying efficiently in the wind, all rain geared up, using the trance music to push me uphill. I was laughing at the gusts, the way they tried to foil me. The bigness of it all, the wind the ocean the cliffs, made me laugh at myself and my self important bitterness earlier in the day. How could I not love a day such as this.

The next night, I stayed in a campground by the ocean, on a little table of land maybe 50' up from the water. A breeze down the mountain cleared out the sky at night, and the Milky Way was visible before twilight. No moon for much of the evening, it was possible to get around by starlight. The campground maintained no lights; I camped away from the other campers. That night, swells from a northern storm began to come in, pounding the cliffs like thunder and rifles. The stars and shooting stars were incredible. I camped on the edge of a eucalyptus grove and left my tent open. I had the best ambient music that night: the occasional crash and hiss from the ocean against the eucalyptus leaf chimes and cricket song from the grove. I fought sleep, staring out at the stars and listening to the earth, but with such relaxification I was soon out.

Needless to say, there are many other tales from the stretch from Spreckels down to Oceano. I'm just not interested right now in writing them here. At least the highlights are down. Pictures are up too.

I'm headed out again today, by this route.

So far I've ridden:
Seattle to Simcoe Mountains
Bend, OR to San Francisco
San Francisco to Oceano

Happy holidays to all.

Deserts planned

I'll spend a couple of days noodling around the southwestern edge of the Mojave Desert, in Joshua Tree National Park. It's not much of a sample of the place, but the Mojave is small anyway and so a small sample will have to do.

South out of the Little San Bernadino Mountains, I'll enter the Sonoran Desert north of the Salton Sea. These next few days will cover much of the Colorado Desert. I'll start with the mountains on its western edge, the Santa Rosas. I'll ride southwest into Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and then pick up the old Butterfield Stage Route. Near sea level at Calexico, I'll head into the Algodones Dunes, one of few ergs within the United States.

Crossing the Colorado River puts me in the Yuma Desert. Saguaro will appear. Maybe I'll happen upon lechuguilla here as well. I'll ride up the Gila River valley on old US 80 and then down south to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I'll explore the park thoroughly this time. Back up through Gila Bend to the Sonoran Desert National Monument, covering the second range southwest of Phoenix. Then across to Tucson, probably along that old stage route again, now I-8. Picacho beckons along the way.

From Tucson, I'll head southeast, down to Tombstone and across to the Chiricahua National Monument. This is the eastern edge of the Sonoran Desert. I'll ride through the mountains and into southwest New Mexico. This will put me in the Chihuahuan Desert, the last of my trip.

Across its northwestern corner, I'll head towards Las Cruces. There are hot springs near there too. Perhaps the Rio Grande still has water in New Mexico. South of the Franklin Mountains, into Texas and onto bouldering at Hueco Tanks. Then I'll approach the Guadalupe Mountains across the salt flats by way of Dell City. I'll head south again, along the edge of the Delaware Basin. From Van Horn, I'll swing around the southwestern side of the Davis Mountains and check out the lights in Marfa. I'll turn south again there, and head to the border and ride along the river a ways. Two parks will occupy a couple of weeks of time. Then it's out of the Big Bend region, through Marathon and then on to Sanderson. I figure Lake Amistad for the edge of the desert, and beginning of Central Texas Hill Country and South Texas chaparral.

Arrived in LA

Yesterday I biked in to Pismo from San Simeon. I didn't like where I ended up, so got a motel room. Rented a truck in the morning and drove the backroads sections of my planned route to LA today. I arrived around noon. I had an amazing time through Big Sur, and will have to think a bit before recording it. I'm glad to have bailed, as time was getting short to the first annual Dalton's Game, Saturday morning. It'll be good to get a day's rest before running around like hooligans for several hours.

12/06/07
Lessons in Driving, Los Angeles

Part I: Car on Car
I entered Los Angeles county driving a Dodge 1500, on US 101 just past Thousand Oaks. From there to here, I learned a bit about driving. ,I miss the internet, Driving with the locals involves a bit of attention. 101 to 405 was 40-90mph, never a dull moment. Pay attention. People drive close, and vary a bit in goals - stay on target vs dart here to there - and in courtesy. It takes all kinds. Nonetheless, people seem comfortable driving close and used to making quick decisions. I heard my first accident around 3pm, a block away from here on Santa Monica Blvd. Lots of body damage, nothing and nobody totaled.

Part II: Bike on Car
Shortly after I arrived, Nathan had to leave for a noon meeting. I biked over to Kali's, mostly East on Colorado Ave. I was mostly obedient, learning the stop signage and gauging drivers' attitudes and awareness. I missed riding Ziggy unloaded, and started to pick it up. I caught up with Kali until he had to leave for a meeting at work, and biked down to the ocean on minor arterials in moderate traffic. Going back from the beach I led a Mexican rider I couldn't understand straight through along Colorado until it became Idaho. Riding in the city again, unencumbered, was fun. Drivers gave me space, not much, but always got back when I pointed where I was going.

Part III: Bike on Ped
I started riding North on the bike path. Starting to push the pace, I relished handling with an unloaded bike. Car free, with a sometimes windy or downright curvy trail, light sprinkling of sand, here was a good place to go fast and dodge walkers. Again, the full spectrum of behavior was represented, though traffic was quite light. I was flying, from the Santa Monica Pier to the end of Venice Beach. Leaning so I could keep my 175mm cranks and 300mm bottom bracket drop from striking pedals, I spun through the turns. I was disappointed in myself for not going faster; I never slid my front wheel, and only briefly skidded my rear. Ask and you shall receive...

Part IV: Bike on Bird
I wasn't expecting this part. Perhaps I was asking for it, passing in front of this pigeon instead of behind, as I'd done with several seagulls. Then again too, pigeons are stupid. I pity the fool with a pigeon spirit animal. Sharp 15mph turn and I see it, 20 ft away. In that second, I decided to go around it right. It decided to start flying. Hit it or handle? Aha! Time for emergency handling! Imagining bird in front spokes, rotor, cranks. Jump it - no! - brake. Skidded the rear, slide pump slide front wheel turning. Pigeon wheeling, taking off but still into my front wheel. Grab more brake, dismount over bars, two feet right two fingers touch the ground. Ziggy hangs upright on the front wheel, tumbles sideways to the ground. Pigeon completed the turn and flew away. Ziggy sustained minor injuries, but was already due for another clicky clunky BB overhaul. So I fixed the rear brake to where it wouldn't rub and rode home chastened, but fast. Arrived 3pm.

SF to Spreckels

Rounding out the November portion of my trip, I started heading down the coast. Getting out of San Francisco was neither easy nor scenic, filled with hilly suburbs. Past Pacifica the world opened up, and I had the ocean. I've been riding along the Pacific for the last three days, and I absolutely love it. I camped 11/28 at Half Moon Bay, just over the dunes from the water. Sunset was good, but the play of light on the clouds after the sun went down was phenomenal. I met my first cycle tourist there, Bart the Belgian. "If you can find your way on a bicycle, you can find your way through life," he said. I dig it. On the 29th, I rode down to Santa Cruz. I felt like I was a monster possessed, spinning up hills in a large gear. A wicked tailwind certainly helps. I saw my first bobcat in the "wild", crossing highway 1 where Big Basin Redwoods empties to the sea. Soon, the ravenous hunger returned. Thinking I'd have to hold out until Santa Cruz, I was delighted to find the Swanton Berry Farm along the way. Jammed up and ready to go, I made it to Santa Cruz in the early afternoon. On the outskirts, the rich sulphury smell of brussel sprouts got me hungry all over again. The minty breeze of eucalyptus did nothing to abate this. In Santa Cruz I passed the amusement park, but saw no vampires (probably because the sun was still out). I went to the Santa Cruz Bicycles factory, and met again the roadie I talked to in Napa. He gave me a tour of the place - oh so many objects of desire there. I camped that night east of town, on a bluff over the beach. Friday, I rode through much farmland on backroads. They grow artichokes, strawberries, and celery, and artichokes and strawberries, and artichokes. I rode inland to Spreckels to stay with Natalie, a friend of a friend. We went out for dinner in Monterrey with a friend of hers and talked at length about their dissertation work on digital literacy and educational software. Natalie has been a gracious host. Moreso, her inquistive nature has led to all sorts of pickings apart of Josiah, which has been more fulfilling than the sort of "who is Josiah?" that typically results from new interactions. I've learned a bit too about a singular person, and have a richer life on account of it.

Today I'm headed down to Big Sur, and then down and down the coast to LA. I'll be away from computers until then. Instead, I'll be with the sky and surf and sunsets, and maybe some artichokes.