My Bicycle Life: Greetings from Ft. Bragg, CA

We're enjoying a much-needed day off in Ft. Bragg today before three final days of riding to reach Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Saturday. The ride has been challenging due to our long mileage days and the hilly coastal route, but we've had great luck with the weather and the scenery has been fantastic, as we've been zig-zagging from wonderful views of the Pacific coast and inland sections through farmland and dense forests, with the groves of redwoods being the highlight. Our 30-mile ride on the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park was one of my all-time greatest experiences on a bicycle. Here's a recap of the four days:

Saturday, 9/20 (day 8) - 90 miles from Bandon to Brookings (Harris Beach State Park). This was my hardest day. I felt low on energy and lethargic throughout, worn down, I think, because of the extra effort I'd made both in Florence and Bandon to get to the town libraries and work on this blog. Blogging is better left for off-days; the daily demands of the ride are simply too great. We've been rising at daybreak - 6:30 a.m. - and have to pack up our tents, eat breakfast, prepare lunches, etc.; and when everything is put away there is then a group meeting, so we usually don't hit the road until 8:15. Riding 90 miles keeps most riders on the road until 5:00 p.m.; I've been riding hard and getting in earlier, but still, with sunset at 7:00 p.m., there's precious little time to set up camp and have dinner. Friday was also my day on cooking detail, meaning I had to help prepare and clean up after meals, thus getting up before dawn and washing dishes at dusk.

That said, it was yet another scenic day. We began with a ride along the coast within the town of Bandon. It was a foggy morning, creating gray, moody views of the sea stacks offshore. The route then moved inland through several small towns until we reached Port Orford, and then inland again around Humbug Mountain before a lovely flat stretch right along the ocean shore. At Gold Beach, Oregon, we crossed over the Rogue River. It's been a special pleasure to cross such wide rivers where they flow into the sea- the Umpqua in Reedsport yesterday, the Rogue today, and the Klamath tomorrow in Klamath, California - after having encountered them all more than a month ago in my solo journey hundreds of miles east. The day stayed cool throughout; the sky was overcast, with just peaks of blue between the clouds, and the temperature never rose above the low 60s. From Gold Beach, then, we had a very hilly final 27 miles to reach our campground near Brookings. I went to bed early, hoping to recharge.

Coast of Bandon, Oregon (morning of day 8)

The coastal fog near Port Orford, OR (day 8)

The sun setting on the coast near Brookings, OR (end of day 8)

Sunday, 9/21 (day 9) - 92 miles from Brookings to Patrick's Point State Park, near Trinidad, California. This was the first of three spectacular days. Most importantly, my energy returned and I've been feeling great physically and mentally. I began the day riding along with the fast group of riders, who regularly ride together, the first eight miles to the California state line. Then, after some picture taking, while they were lingering there, I rode on ahead, preferring to ride alone: I concentrate better on what's around me. The route took us inland through some farmland - the major crop was lillies, but there were also some cow pastures - until we reached Crescent City, where again we had some lovely views of the coast. By then the morning fog had burned off and we rode in brighht sunshine fore the rest of the day, the afternoon temperature reaching the mid-70s. After Crescent City we faced the toughest climb of the trip - 1200 feet up a steep grade - but the road itself was enjoyable, taking us through our first section of redwoods. There was another pretty redwoods section during the climb after Klamath, just past the "Trees of Mystery" tourist trap, featuring a huge talking statue of Paul Bunyan and his bull. After the redwoods we rode through a valley where a large elk herd resides, and then, as was the case the day before, the final 20 miles were very hilly, adding to the challenge. In camp I tried to make use of the sunshine by hand washing some biking clothes, but they never did dry. Then I ran off for a quick dip in the ocean before dinner and afterward caught the tail end of the sunset.

Arriving in California (day 9): nicknames, from left to right: Fist, Flask, Spoke, Bristol, Nipple, Buckets, and Post.

Farmland south of the Oregon border (day 9)

Climbing through the forest south of Crescent City (day 9)

Paul Bunyan and his Ox at the Trees of Mystery tourist trap on U.S. 101 near Klamath, CA (day 9)

A self-contained cyclist riding through the redwoods (day 9)

Elk herd near Orick, CA (day 9)

Monday, 9/22 (day 10) - 81 miles from Trinidad to Burlington Campground in Humboldt Redwoods State Park (north of Phillipsville, CA). A fantastic afternoon riding on the Avenue of the Giants through redwood forest for the final 15 miles of the day, amid bright sunhshine, the temperature in the 70s, and the cooling breezes in the deep forest canopy. Getting there required 65 miles of semi-urban and freeway riding, as we passed through bigger towns today - McKinleyville, Arcata, and Eureka - and rode in the wide, smooth shoulder of U.S. 101, a four-lane, divided highway, for 28 miles. The freeway riding was eased by a stiff tailwind that helped speed us along, and in the end getting to the redwoods was well worth the effort. Once on the Avenue of the Giants, I rode slowly through the deep shade, marvelling at the redwoods' size as well as the lovely green ferny and mossy undergrowth, and the lovely quiet created by the high canopy. I stopped often to take pictures and then made a side-trip to walk the Founders Grove Nature Trail. Our campground was in the redwoods, making the day even shorter, as night fell early and there was little moon or starlight.

Along the Avenue of the Giants (day 10)

Founders Grove trail in Humboldt Redwoods State Park (day 10)

A fallen redwood along the Founders Grove trail (day 10)

Tuesday, 9/23 (day 11) - 94 miles from the redwoods to Ft. Bragg. A hard but, for me, truly spectacular day of riding - first through more redwoods (the southernmost section of the Avenue of the Giants) and then through the mountains to return to the coast. Again there was a section of freeway - U.S. 101 - but reaching Leggett after 45 miles, we left it for good and rode on state highway 1, beginning the climb over the coastal range. The road was narrow and winding and logging trucks barreled down from the summit, but otherwise traffic was extremely light, and we climbed again through deep, shaded forest. The descent was enjoyable - not a single car came up from behind me, as I sped around the long series of tight, banked turns. There was then a second climb that delivered us to the ocean, and then a very hilly ride along the steep coastal cliffs for the final 20 miles to MacKerricher Beach campground. It was a pleasant place, but, given our upcoming off day, nearly everyone opted to spend the night in motels (I'm in the Best Western, where the majority are staying). The length and hilliness of the route made this day the most difficult for nearly everyone, many of whom didn't reach camp until 5:30 or so, but it was also the most scenic, and I relished the challenge, feeling good throughout the day end enjoying the warm weather. It was only 46 degrees when we left camp in the morning, but being inland and further south now, thanks to the sunshine, the temperature rose 35 degrees, peaking at 81 near the summit of the coastal range at 1:00 p.m.; and from there, thanks to the ocean breezes, the temperature dropped back into the low 70s - truly perfect bicycling weather.

So with three more days to go, I'm feeling decidedly mixed emotions. I'm with a great group of people, and I'm looking forward to what I hope will be some more great riding, but after being away for 62 days now, I'm also relishing the thought of getting home.