Day Six: WUSSED!

I rode 64 miles and put in 7 hours on the saddle from 9 am till 6:30 pm and landed in Willows, CA. Google maps did fail me today...their route offered some circuitous detour I couldn't figure out how to follow, but it seemed to take me 20 miles out of the way in order to connect Hwy 20 with the bike-friendly frontage road I sought to parallel the bicycle-prohibitive I-5 when a simple "left turn before the overpass" was all that was needed! Thank you to Mom for map reading skills over the phone, as well as the gentleman in the truck who saw my lost looking face as I struggled with my paper directions and my cell phone. I was grateful for his deft redirection back on course! I thought about spending the night somewhere along the I-5 corridor and riding the last 65 miles or so tomorrow morning. It's pretty flat and I'm maintaining about 10-12 mph but it was so hot (certainly over 100!) and the central valley sun was so strong that even reapplying my sunscreen twice made no difference to my toasted arms and calves (my arms look like neopolitan ice cream with my two jersey sleeve lengths!). Also, it's Friday, and it would be nice to spend some extra weekend time with my mom, so I called in support! Mom was willing to drive the whole 3.5 hours down to the Hwy 20 junction, but I wasn't quite done riding for the day. We coordinated a restaurant meeting place in Willows, about an hour drive for her (saving me a whole day's ride!). I was grateful for the inspiration of food, water, salts, and air conditioning as I continued up the road with my sarong around my waist for leg shade.

I feel a little bad knowing that my bro is riding on 299 over some bigger mountain passes and twister roads than I was on today and I caught a ride and who knows if he'll be in reception range to know that a ride is available if he chooses it! Tomorrow, taiko drumming in Mt. Shasta. Very excited about this. Now to bed. Will continue to catch up in the am!

Day Five: Lounging at Nils's

When I checked my map last night, I discovered to my dismay it's another 165 miles to my mom's place near Redding where I'm planning to meet my bro and ride on towards Idaho...well, it is so beautiful and relaxing and I am so surrounded by love, I have chosen to enjoy and rest. Ran my 3 days of riding clothes through the laundromat at Nils's place (yippee!! I underestimated the stickiness of riding through 100+ degree heat without showering...), hung it to dry on the line, received a massage from Nils opening some flow in my right-side body. Shoulder, knee, hips. Taking good care of my hardworking quads and back. For some reason, my bicycle seat keeps slipping so I have to stop and re-adjust the seat height every 45 minutes or so and it's not so kind to my knees if I don't re-adjust soon enough. Maybe I can get into a bike shop at my mom's place and fix this up before doing too much more climbing. It's now 2pm and I'm caught up on blogging (Thank you Nils for showing me how to upload maps through screenshots so all can see where I've been riding).

I added some more photos above. I rode about 24 miles today from 5:30pm to 10:30pm. My friends assured me it was all down-hill from Nils's place. Well, one thing I've learned the hard way while cycling: "all-downhill" to a motorist is a VERY different thing from "all-downhill" to a cyclist. About 45 minutes later, I crested a hill after climbing at about 3.3 mph...you'd zip up that in about 10 minutes or less in a car, but this is not the case when muscles are transforming apples and bananas into forward motion. A delicious exhilarating downhill lead me out of the pine forest, along a few unpaved farm roads (thanks again Google Maps...at least these were much flatter than the Western Mine Road on the way to Nils's place) that carried me the rest of the way across the south east mountains surrounding Clear Lake and down a 3.3 mile downhill on Hwy 29--39 mph top speed--Wha-whooo! As I rolled up to the stop light at the bottom of the hill and into the left-turn lane, an older SUV (circa 1980s? Bronco or Suburban?) pulled up next to me and rolled his window down. I looked over beaming (somewhat cautiously, if that's possible), and he gave me a thumbs up and said, "You look soooo happy!" I replied, "I am! I'm in my bliss!" He drove on ahead of me as the light changed and I enjoyed another surge of love, life, and light from having helped another to smile today. I associate much of the flow I'm experiencing in my body today to my Vibrational Healing Massage Therapy session with Nils this morning. I feel so centered and fluid and ALIVE! Awesome. Thank you Thank you THANK YOU, brother Nils!

I biked along a creek on Hwy 20 looking for a place to camp. Dusk was falling rapidly and my aching legs were longing to rest. Behind that tree? No, not enough cover. How about that dirt pile? No, don't want to wake up in someone's quarry. Semi truck already has that spot...that one, too. Hmmmm, I decided to pray and create some BLM land to retire safely on. Within about 5 minutes, I turned a corner and found the Cashe Creek BLM camping and day-use area! I pulled into the parking lot and noticed a pickup with an open camper shell draped in mosquito netting, but no people. I read the signage which required camping at least 1/4 mile from the parking lot and a bunch of stuff about hunting regulations. Hmmmm, hunting regulations...a small red flag went up and I eyeballed the picnic table near the parking lot contemplatively. Not knowing who was in that truck, I decided to pedal down the fire road to look for a legal place to camp. I selected a cushy flat place tucked into some pines with lots of duff and laid out my ground cloth, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag. I began my evening routine--brush teeth, note the day's mileage, use the facil-trees, etc when I heard voices about 100 yards from me...I made some noise and flashed my headlamp around while I was setting up camp, so I'm pretty sure they knew I was there. Just as I was wondering if I was safe to sleep here for the night or if I ought to mosey on down the road, two shots rang out. I hollared, "Hey!" but got no response. Their silence now when I could hear their voices earlier was a clear indication it was time to move on. Fortunately, I hadn't unstuffed my sleeping bag or changed out of my cycling clothes yet so packing everything back into my xtra-cycle saddle bags was complete in about 2 minutes or less and I was back on the fire road to the parking lot and out onto Hwy 20, pedaling on into the night. My 9:30 bedtime was now a 10:30 starting over looking for a camp site. Bummer. I was thrilled to have found the BLM land as an answer to my prayer, but tired and disappointed not to find the safety I was seeking there.

The night sky was gorgeous, however, and back in the saddle, I had a stunning view of the stars that had been hiding in the pine canopy of my abandoned camp site. There must be a meteor shower on, because the shooting stars are coming several a minute all across the star studded sky.

Probably another 20 minutes down the road, I found a turnout that went down a hill to a watering hole. I was barely visible from the road to a scrutinizing eye (see photo above in the morning), but I was far enough out of sight that I didn't think anyone would notice me over night and I'd be gone early enough not to worry about being spotted in the morning. Camping near water (shallow and weedy as it was) meant two things: BUGS!, and chill: finally, I could zip my brand new, 0 degree North Face Snow Leopard sleeping bag without fear of heat stroke! Which was a big bonus towards reducing the impact of water camping effect #1. I fished my no-see-um head net out of my clothing bag (thank you Aspen Achievement Academy Free Box!), watched a few dozen more shooting stars, made a few journal notes, and went to sleep. Another beautiful night under the stars, resting up to ride again tomorrow.

Blessings and love, y'all! Thank you for following my journey. :)

Chuck Norris Inside Joke

One of the Farmer's Market Musicians painted this onto his truck. Funny stuff. :)

Photos from Clear Lake

These photos didn't fit in my last post: One of the "Dry Creek Cutoff" crossing and some from the farmer's market by Clear Lake.

Day Four: The Hardest Climb of My Cycling Life! (so far)

OMG...omg. Really?? Google maps, really?? I started up the road and it said 8 miles, pavement ends: 4 miles of dirt. What?? I wasn't prepared for the pavement to end but I was totally committed to this path on the journey. I don't know what the grade of this road was, but it was intense and didn't let up for almost 5 miles. I'm glad I don't have any qualms about getting off my bike and walking...wow. I was in my climbing gear going about 2.9 mph pretty much the whole way up with a disconnected rear break to keep it from rubbing (couldn't quite get the adjustment right on the fly). The views were breathtaking, and for a few stretches, I stopped every 50 feet or so to enjoy them in my climbing induced breathlessness while my heart-rate quieted back down to what I consider a reasonable rate to continue riding. I saw the doe and two fawns from my "almost campsite" back in Napa Valley climbing the mountain with me. What a treat to see them again. Also saw a pair of baby raccoons! oh, squeeness (ie having the quality of cuteness to the degree that the perceiver has no choice than to squee-eel with delight!). I had just stopped for a rest and they were doing their best to shimmy up into the roadside brush, so I didn't dig out my itouch for a photo, just appreciated them in the moment. 12" furrballs with striped tails and little black masks. So adorable.

I did stop to take some photos as I climbed up above the mist and saw Cobb Mountain outlined by the rising sun. wowie. Cobb reminds me a lot of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin. Maybe they're related? At the top of the climb (well, mostly the top), I passed 4 people at a pipe sticking out of the mountain (spring water, I assume? didn't ask or stop to taste without knowing) and got told I was "nuts" for the first time this trip. It was quite a climb, did I mention that?

Crossed paths with a pair of tree trimmers waiting to meet a landowner to trim some trees around powerlines on his land and stopped for a chat. They'd been waiting for him for 3.5 hours and were about to give up...I headed on up the hill (for pete's sake...3 hours and almost 8 miles from my beginning at 6:30 am). They'd told me the hill ends around the next bend, so for that I was grateful (and I am aware that people in cars don't always perceive "the next bend" or "the end of the hill" with the same acuity as a cyclist). I plunged on down the dirt road, riding my brakes with my 26x1.5 tires popping and bouncing over the loose stones. About a mile down the dirt, the tree trimming guys rolled up behind me with about a foot to spare on either side and passed me my sleeping bag and down jacket that had bounced out of my xtra-cycle side bags! Thank you for rescuing about $300 worth of my gear!!! ok, time to rearrange. Fortunately, I brought extra tie-downs I didn't know what for. Now it was clear. With my load re-secured, I rolled on down the road again and managed to keep my wheels down for the whole journey down the road. I have a renewed appreciation for pavement.

As the dirt road re-joined the highway, I saw a casino and contemplated calling my friend Nils. It was about 10:30am and he probably just had enough time to come pick me up before his meeting at 11...or I could ride on and complete my goal of riding from SF to his place. My map directed me to a side road, and I took it--much preferable to cars rushing by at highway speeds less than a couple feet from my bike. This Dry Creek Cutoff Road led to a creek that was not so dry...fortunately, it wasn't more than a couple inches deep and there were dry stones I could walk across, so I completed my first "river ford" in safety. :) The other thing this road cutoff was my access to cell service! I came out on Hwy 175 with no bars. Oh well. Guess I'm doing the climb!

Almost ran out of water climbing up the next 8 mile stretch my google map said would take me an hour and 28 minutes...fortunately, I stopped in at a home near the highway and asked for support. I don't know if he could hear the tears in my throat, but he very kindly popped his head up from under the hood of the truck he was working in his backyard and graciously asked his daughter to get me some water. She was a precious 3rd grader on summer vacation, helping her dad in the shop. We chatted about her little sisters and their preschool and how I wasn't the first cyclist to ask for water there. She said sometimes, they would sit in the front yard with their hose and wet people down to help keep them cool! I noticed the thermometer on the wall of their porch: 90 degrees in the shade...wow. What temps was I climbing in?? Better not to ask such things...just keep drinking water and eating salty foods.

2:45 pm, 8 hours 25 minutes from my departure before sunrise, I rolled into Nils's driveway with abundant joy in my heart! I knew Nils was playing music at the Lakeport farmers market and wouldn't be home till 9pm. I made my self at home, took a shower and sat down to relax on his porch in the douglas fir. Shortly after settling in, two of Nils's friends came over and introduced themselves saying they were driving over to the market and would I like a ride? Yes Please!! So I got to see Nils in the daylight after all. What a joyfull celebration by the holy waters of Clear Lake--the oldest lake in North America! I walked over to put my hand in it and wound up meditating for about 30 minutes. Wunderbar!

Day the Third: Novato to Cobb...almost

Thank goodness for Google Maps! I would never have found this route without printed directions. So many little twists and turns through the back roads of wine country. 63.52 miles and 7 hours in the saddle. Awesome. And the best news is my body still feels pretty good at the end of the day. I stopped where I stopped because it was 10pm and I didn't feel safe starting up the next leg without daylight. Found a convenient driveway off the main road and laid down my tarp and ground pad behind a granite boulder nestled amongst a grove of doug firs. Went to sleep remembering the doe and two spotted fawns I'd seen a ways back in a horse pasture where I almost asked permission to camp for the night, but HS (Higher Self) said to cycle on. Another evening snack gorging on ripe roadside blackberries--yum! Thank you to the abundance that is nature.

Day Two: The ride really begins

I left Scottie's place at 1:30pm and went to the World School to say my last goodbyes for now. 1:45 and I was on the road. I knew I needed tires but I really wanted to get started, so off to Mikes Bikes in Sausalito. Upon arrival, they didn't have the armadillo tires I was looking for (kevlar lining bead to bead--I've been riding on the same pair of Armadillos for the last 6 years and 3000 miles and only had one flat at the stem due to low tire pressure rubbing! I love them...), but their shop in San Rafael did, so off I went. I found my way easily having ridden from the city to San Rafael for Conscious Language courses with Robert Tennyson Stevens twice recently, and I found the Mike's Bikes staff to be super warm and friendly. They didn't have the exact tires I rode in on, so I got the 26x1.5 instead of 26x1.95 I had before. Apparently this means a little less cushion but also less friction, so they'll ride a bit faster. Since I'm carrying food (for a couple days), water (almost a gallon), tarp and sleeping bag, and a few changes of clothes for various weather conditions on my xtracycle, all friction reduction is welcome!

I changed my tires, picked up a new helmet thanks to Eva's advice-I didn't know bike helmet foam breaks down and is no longer safe to ride in after about 4 years! Thank you Eva, who I met on the street crossing SF on Day One. Carrying the load I'm carrying, it's easy to catch my attention and say hello, especially on uphills, and most especially since I have "Massage Therapy by donation" on laminated signs on both sides of my bike! It's been a good conversation starter so far!

From San Rafael, I rode north to Novato where I lost the bike path and went pedaling off into a beautiful residential area nestled amongst oak wooded grasslands and rolling hills--I saw 3 velvet-antlered young bucks on the side of the road! Beautiful sight. A woman trimming her lavender flowered wisteria saw my massage sign and called me over as I rode by. I circled back to her, seeing two road bikes in her garage, and we had a nice little chat. I told her a bit about my plans for my ride and my cause and she offered to get me some money so I offered her some chair massage--wonderful trade! I have officially received my first on the road donation and given my first massage-Mary redirected me back to the bike path and I road away feeling very happy with myself and my day. I love my work, and I am so grateful to the World School and all I've learned there.

I am now laying down to blog and sleep at Tammy's house in Novato. I met her at the dog park on my second "getting lost" experience of the day. I am so grateful for her kindness and support! Thank you Mike's Bikes, Mary, and Tammy in Novato for making the first riding day of my tour such a success! 30 miles today (estimated because my cycle computer reset itself mid-day).

Departure!

Sunday, July 24th, 2011, I moved out of my wonderful home in an "in-law" studio in the back of a garage in the outer sunset district of San Francisco. I am beginning a cross-country cycle adventure to fulfill a decade old dream. I choose to honor the memory of my uncle who was an avid cyclist and who passed away from ALS-Lou Gehrig's disease-in July of 2005. I have created a fundraising page at alsa.org for Bob Fulford. My audacious goal is to raise $1,000,000 to support people with ALS and their families and caregivers.

Christopher, my former partner, was very generous and supportive during my last week in SF with my moving process and my saying goodbyes process and my tying up loose ends processes. Thank you, Chris for all your help! He even came down to Ocean Beach to take my tire in the Pacific Ocean photos!

Due to my procrastination, distraction, and the sheer size of the task of getting ready for this trip over the last two weeks, it was 6pm before all this was done, so Day One of my journey concluded after riding 2.7 miles across town to my buddy Scottie's place near the World School of Massage where I recently graduated from. I plan to use my massage therapy skills on the road to support my fundraising efforts.
Blessings!