I hadn't set my alarm, and woke up in a panic until I realized it wasn't quite 7am. I don't think the sun had broken over the mountains to the east yet and I packed up my tent quick and was ready to go within 20 minutes. I'm pretty sure it hadn't rained through the night, so I suppose that the moisture in the air from the ocean and the nearby creek were to blame for the reason everything I had was covered in a thick layer of dewy wetness. Keeping everything inside and outside of my bags dry seems to be a constant battle while on the road.
I crossed the highway and rolled down to the beach that I had stopped at the night before. As the sky began to blue and more and more light appeared, the horizon to the west filled with a menagerie of colors. From purple to pink and orange to blue, it was actually one of the more impressive sunrises I have ever seen...which hasn't been many. The clouds were sparse, but all seemed to flow in the same direction, which made for an even more impressive sight.
I headed about a mile down the road and stopped to eat breakfast at the Yurok Lagoon wayside. The water in the lagoon was as smooth as glass, and reflected the vegetation around it like a mirror. It really took some effort to realize where the water surface began and where the surrounding flora ended. A somewhat warm breeze came in from the ocean making things tolerable in just my riding shorts and a long sleeve shirt.
I was glad to get such an early start on the day and headed down 101 as soon as I was done with my granola. I stopped a few times to snack at take pictures, but was excited to get to Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. I love the Redwoods. I love the smell deep inside the forest. It smells so fresh, so clean, so natural. The air is crisp, and moist and unbridled by pollutants. These Coastal Redwoods are among my top 5 must see list of places in the US. Anybody who has been there can attest to their majesty and awe. They're not only the tallest and among the oldest living things on the planet, but the Redwood forests have the most biomass per acre of any other place on the planet, including the rain forests of South America.
Taking the 20 mile road through Prairie Creek State Park was simply amazing. The first half of the trip was a climb, but it was gradual. The second half was almost all downhill, no pedaling required. I stopped a few times and explored some of the fern-lined grove trails that weave through the redwoods. I just feel like there is so much history among the trees. I have great respect for the Redwoods, and I'm happy that the conservation efforts began when they did before it was too late. A century of logging had diminished these great trees to less than 5% of what they were, but thanks to some conservationists and some wealthy folks at the beginning of the 20th century, the state parks were establish so future generations could marvel in their beauty. There are actually only 3 types of Redwoods on Earth, found in 3 very specific climates: The Dawn Redwood found in Sichuan-Hubei region of China, the Giant Sequoia found along the Sierra-Nevada range in California, and these Coastal Redwoods found in a select coastal region, about 40 miles wide from the southwest tip of Oregon all the way to Big Sur, just south of Carmel, CA.
By noon I had exited the state park, and decided to stop in the town of Orick to eat some lunch. I couldn't believe it was noon and I had already completed nearly 30 miles. My goal for the day was to reach Arcata, and I was just about half way there.
Continuing south, the weather remained amazing and the temperature perfect for riding...around 68F. Passing through Humboldt Lagoons State Park and Big Lagoon County Park gave me plenty of opportunity to stop, rest and take in the sights. I had a new found appreciation for lagoons, as I had never really taken the time to soak in their serene beauty. Several cars would honk in support as they passed me by on my bike, and although I was a tourist in this land, it made me actually feel like part of the scenery. I think that's the appeal of bicycle touring. You're not in a climate controlled capsule seeing the sights, you truly get to experience the full environment of region you're passing through. It makes you feel part of the experience rather than just an observer of it.
About 5 miles outside of Trinidad, I encountered another bicycle tourist. He had started in Seattle and was heading back home to Southern California. He was staying in hotels along the way, which meant he wasn't carrying much gear and was making about 80 miles a day. We rode and chatted until Trinidad, which made the time go by pretty quick. Once there, he continued on and I stopped to get some food and to charge my phone. Most of the day I had either been without service or without charge, and I was falling behind on taking pictures ad making updates.
After eating a good lunch and getting some ice cream, I called ahead to Arcata to reserve a hotel room. I guess I decided that I needed a warm, dry night indoors and could use the room to clean and air out my bags. I was still about 15 miles out and expected to check in to the hotel around 6pm. About half the ride was on 101, which was beginning to feel more and more like a freeway, and much less bike friendly. The other half consisted of a very nice designated bike path, situated between the highway and the shore, on the other side of some sand dunes. It was well paved and smooth for most of they way, but did have a few rough and gravely moments. I got to the hotel right about the time I expected and checked in.
In my room I immediately emptied all of my bags and set everything out to dry. Some of my things were still damp, and I really needed to dry them out to prevent molding. This was also a good chance to take inventory. In addition to losing my quick release hammock straps, it also appeared that I had lost my windproof/waterproof gloves and my cold weather cycling cap. Both of which I think I should probably replace before cycling through the south. I also figured this was a good opportunity to do laundry and clean myself up, which would prepare me well for the next week on the road I have before San Francisco.
With my laundry done and my bags cleaned and dry, I considered going to downtown Arcata since it was a Saturday night. It's funny, weekends don't seem to matter so much when on the road and I wouldn't have even noticed if it wasn't for the hotel receptionist mentioning something about it. Like I said, I considered it, and although I thought it would be fun I just wasn't up for it. I had been riding all day (all week, for that matter) and was content with eating some junk food and watching some junk tv from the comfort of a warm bed. By midnight I was fast asleep dreaming of my cycling adventures to come...but kind of missed the crisp, fresh air that camping provides.
Miles: 62 miles
RRD: a full US road atlas and a bunch of maps...who needs direction anyway?!?!
-D
http://www.trackmytour.com/b5k7d
Nice scenery!
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