Now being wide awake, I surveyed my morning situation. Cold and foggy weather, wet tent, hungry, and mildly irritable. Deciding a hot bowl of oatmeal was priority one, I boiled some water, and made breakfast. After adding the last of my fresh blueberries to the mix, I took a morning stroll to wake my legs up and eat my breakfast. A few minutes later I was breaking down camp and doing my best to get the morning dew off my tent. For those of you who don't know this, a tent stowed wet will yield a mold rag the next time you want to go camping. After spending nearly an hour and a half of getting ready for the road, I set off northbound with long johns, a t-shirt under my Sugoi jersey, arm warmers, rain pants, rain jacket, gloves, and a ski mask. I was literally wearing every article of clothing I brought on my trip to stay warm.
Mother nature must have felt bad for me because once I reached Harris Ranch Rd just outside of Lompoc, the clouds disappeared and I was greeted with welcoming sun rays. About a mile up the road, I decided I had to stop and strip down to my basic cycling layers. Now with just my cycling shorts and jersey, I was heading up a beautiful back country road with rolling green hills and thick tree lines encroaching the pavement. After a few miles of a steady climb, I finally reached the mountain's peak. Seeing a vista point turnoff, I took it and got off my bike. Looking south I could see for miles. It finally dawned on me just how far I had traveled in the past few days. With well over 200 miles on my bike computer, I could finally quantify how far that was. Even with my view, I figured I could only see a half days worth of riding!
Back on the bike and heading downhill, I was moving at a cars pace. With an enormous wind in my face, I squinted my eyes to keep the tears from developing. With the road finally leveling off, I coasted my way out of the hillside and into a vast valley filled with various crops including bright red strawberries. Taking in that familiar aroma of sweetness, I cycled on until I hit Hwy 135. For several miles, I rode on the shoulder of an empty highway until I connected with my old familiar friend, Hwy 1. During this particular stretch of Hwy 1, the road was a roughly paved tarmac that traveled pencil straight as far as the eye could see. In both directions, I could only see straight road that carried on to infinite. With no cars in sight, it felt eerie being the only soul for miles. I realized that this was a rare opportunity so I layed in the middle of the road and took some photos.
Entering Gaudalupe, I saw vast farmlands, rolling hills of yellow flowers and succulents with purple flowers in bloom. Once in the heart of Guadalupe, a town of 5,659, I saw nothing but old buildings that were mostly vacant. Now hungry, my stomach was challenging me to find a decent place to eat. With nothing looking halfway decent, I decided to ask a local for a recommendation. Seeing a well weathered and tanned skinned woman, I hesitantly approached her. Wearing a shredded sweatshirt, and old blue jeans, she looked like she came right out of Mad Max starring Mel Gibson. Speaking perfect English, she said i should visit the King Felafel. "It's clean, has decent food, and is relatively cheap," she said. After thanking her, I slapped myself for judging someone based on appearance and took her recommendation. After having a decent lunch, I was looking forward to getting out of Guadalupe.
By now, the wind was picking up and I was becoming cold again. I changed back to some warmer clothes and continued on Hwy 1. Nearing Oceano, my spirit was fading, I was cold, and I just felt low on energy. With my good fortune with fruit stands in the past, I decided to load up on some needed sugars. I pulled into an elaborate fruit and veggie stand just near Halcyon rd and Hwy 1. Inside was all sorts of produce and snacks. I went for a softball size naval orange which happened to be locally grown. Upon checking out I also grabbed a handful of those little straws filled with flavored honey. On the corner of the fruit stand, I peeled my mighty orange and gobbled it down. To my surprise, that one orange filled my stomach completely!
It took a minute to psyche myself into riding again, but I remembered that I would soon be entering Pismo Beach, and San Luis Obispo. For those who don't know me, I used to live in San Luis Obispo and I worked at a restaurant in Pismo Beach. While living there, I had the time of my life. If you ever happen to be in the area, I recommend you stop and smell the roses. Now that I was getting excited to see my old home, I started my pedaling journey once more. After cruising through Oceano, which is know for their massive sand dunes, I made it to Pismo Beach.
The first thing I wanted to do in Pismo was see if my old boss was still working at the Sea Venture Restaurant and Hotel . The Sea Venture is a really nice beachfront hotel and restaurant that serves appetizers, dinner, and offers room service to hotel guests. While working there, I always enjoyed the sunsets, and the employees were exceptionally friendly and fun to work with. Unfortunately when I got there, I was too early. Although my old boss still works there, he wasn't in yet. Disappointed, I returned to my bike and continued on through downtown Pismo Beach where I passed the pier and rode by a familiar cafe sensation called the Splash Cafe.
Following my Adventure Cycling Association map, I turned onto Price Canyon rd and set out towards San Luis Obispo. By now I thought I'd be used to scenic back country roads with rolling hills and panoramic views. However, I was still amazed as if it was my first day. As I was riding along the snaking road, I caught a a glimpse of what looked like another touring cyclist. I could only make out a rider wearing an unbuttoned green flannel. With tanned bulging calves, I could see he was carrying an overloaded bike trailer with knick knacks galore. As I closed the gap, I realized this man was looking pretty grungy. Upon passing, the man was trudging along with a tiny little chihuahua in a handlebar basket. I said hello and asked if he was touring. "No, I'm just homeless" he replied. "I'm heading up to camp for the night." I smiled, expressed my understanding and then asked for the dogs name. "Tricksy," he responded. "She my little companion." He then asked where I was heading and I replied, "I riding up to San Francisco!" He smiled, showing a set of worn teeth and said "enjoy your tour and safe travels!" Thanking the man and wishing him luck, I picked up my pace and carried on into San Luis Obispo.
Once I entered San Luis Obispo, a nostalgic feeling consumed me and I got goosebumps. Passing familiar buildings and recognizing street names, a whole slew of fond memories passed before me. As I passed by Firestone Grill on Higuera st, I had to stop in for old time sake. Eating there many times before with good friends, I knew to expect awesome food. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and a soda and then I found a spot to sit in the sun. Minutes later, I was making history of my food and I found myself stuffed and blissfully satisfied. Taking a moment to digest, I watched the other customers eat their food and I became jealous. Jealous of the fact that they were living in this wonderful place, and eating this wonderful food.
After my tummy felt settled, I knew I had to keep moving. Earlier this morning I received a message from my friend who I was planning on staying with for the night. Apparently, there was a family emergency and as a result, she would not be home for the night. After determining a plan b, I knew I had a 75 mile day to work in. With another 15 miles to Morro Bay State Park campground, I made haste.
At around 5:15 pm, I reached my campsite at Morro Bay State Park. Located off Main st and just tucked behind Morro Bay, lay a beautiful campground surrounded by Eucalyptus trees and a golf course. After paying $5 for a hike and bike spot, I found my site. #136 was located just near the golf course well withing the treeline of the giant Eucalyptus. As I was setting up my tent, a fellow bike tourer came over and we began talking. Throughout the night I discovered his name was John Comstock. John was an engineer and he was putting the final touches on a book he finished writing called Bicycling and Touring the Big Sur Coast. Talking to John, I knew his book would be great because his knowledge of the coastline was immense. He told me he started his tour in Ventura, CA and worked his way into San Simeon when the weather took a change for the worse. He told me of the weather forecast and that it was expected to rain for 2 strait days, then no rain, then rain again. He decided to back track into Morro Bay to "wait out the storm." Expressing my concern for the weather change, he suggested I should at most ride into San Simeon and "hunker down" for two days then ride to Plaskett, CA and "hunker down" for another day. With road washouts and rock slides not uncommon, other hazards included, a narrow shoulder and cars loosing control on the road. For the first time, I was seriously concerned for my safety. With a wave of nervousness passing over me, I took a walk to "brainstorm" a plan.
Being my first bike tour, I didn't exactly incorporate any time buffer to allow for problems such as weather, fatigue, or any other unforeseen event. Sitting by the bay, i was watching the sunset and pondering my options when I received a phone call. It was Brian, my aunts boyfriend. I was scheduled to stay the night with them when i reached Half Moon Bay on the 13th. When I answered, a concerned voice asked me how my trip was going. "Have you seen the weather forecast lately?" I told Brian that I had just became aware of the weather changes and I was deciding if I should press on. Showing greater concern for my safety, Brian without hesitation offered to pick me up in Morro Bay. I replied, "Brian, that like 4 hours away! I possibly can't ask you to drive that far!" He replied, "man, I drive for a living, that nothing. I'm worried about you. It's no big deal to get you." I told Brian that I appreciated the offer and I would let him know early next morning of my decision. Feeling fairly sure my trip was coming to an end due to poor weather and novice planning, I ate my freeze dried dinner and decided to go to bed.
A few words of advice from one who's experiencing a setback during a bike tour. Don't set your plans in concrete. Things come up. You may enjoy a town so much you will want to stay longer. Or, you may be tired and want a days rest. Perhaps your bike breaks and you need a day to gather parts and make the repairs. Whatever the circumstances are, allow your plans to be flexible. I put myself into a time crunch because I didn't think I would need rest. I booked a flight just a few days after my arrival to SF and that made me rush the trip.
Sincerely,
Spinning Gear
YEAH BABY!!! - should have installed a GPS on you... so we'd be watching you....
ReplyDeleteMaybe I can be your nationwide bicycle courier too! Lol
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