It may be hard to leave

11/13/11
I slept in a little again. I think I woke up around 7:45am. Before rolling out of bed I texted Cat to see if she was awake, and to see what the plan for the day was. The night before we had made tentative plans to take a bike ride, and I just wanted to check to see if it was still on. She invited me over for coffee and breakfast, and I told her I'd leave the bike house in about 20mins. The forecast called for rain, so I wore appropriate attire, but the morning was blue skied and sunny. After getting ready, I rode the half mile over to her place and could see the clouds in the distance.

We chatted over coffee and toast, and we also discussed options. The plan was to ride up to Pinos Altos, about 10 miles north and around 1100ft higher in elevation. Seeing as how I love the air up in the pines it sounded good to me, but ultimately I just wanted to get my legs moving since I was planning on sticking around town for the day. We had both remember that Cat left her van out on highway 180 the day before, so we changed plans to ride out about 16 miles to where her can was, then drive up to PA and ride bikes up there if the weather held up.

The ride to the van was easy. The first 2.5 miles were up hill, but the rest of the way was mostly down. The conversation made it go by quick and I was happy to get a morning ride in. At the van we loaded the bikes in and head up to Pinos Altos. Along the way it had started to sprinkle, but the ride up was still beautiful. Cat had grown up in the area and was a great tour guide giving me fun little facts along the way, like showing me the intersection where another local cyclist had hit a deer while riding his bike. Although we skipped the riding because of the rain, I was happy to make it up that way and see the area. That little trip pretty much ensured that I would make plans to return to the area and check out more of the Gila Wilderness.

Back in town we were both starved so Cat treated me to lunch at Don Fidencio's, a local burrito spot where you can get a lot of bang for your buck. We also had a great conversation, and I was super grateful for meeting her. After lunch she went home to finish a report she was working on, and I headed to the bike shop. We exchanged contact info and agreed to stay in touch.

At the local bike shop, Gila Hike & Bike, I met another really awesome person named Dave. He was working at the shop but we ended up talking for a couple of hours in between the occasional phone call and customer visit. Everybody seems to know each other in the Silver City bike community, and Dave introduced me to everybody that came into the shop. At some point Dave closed the shop for a few minutes and we went back to Don Fidencio's where I got another burrito. I just feel like a bottomless pit, even on my days off. Dave told me about the community bike shop, Bikeworks, which would open around 5pm. Having seen similar community shops in Portland, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara, I was curious to check out what Silver City had to offer. It wouldn't open for another couple hours so I went to a local coffee shop, Javalina, and worked on the blog.

It had been raining most of the day in Silver City so I was kind of pleased that I decided to stick around, as opposed to riding all day in the rain. While I was able to make a little progress on the travel journal blog (it feels like two steps forward, two steps back with this thing) the sun went down, and around 6pm I headed over to Bikeworks.

Bikeworks is located on top of a fairly steep hill. I thought it was a kind of weird location, but honestly nothing seems out of the way in Silver City. When I walked into the giant warehouse I could tell right away that this was one of the best community bike shops I had been to. It was bigger and better than the Bike Kitchen in San Luis Obispo and even better than Bici Centro in Santa Barbara. There were 8 different stations each with their own set of tools, a section that was still being built for welding, shelves full of well organized parts, and even an upper section full of tires, wheels and tubes. The space was provided by the city so there was no overhead for rent, and other funding was provided through grants and donations. As a result, Bikeworks tried to give back to the community trough an earn-a-bike program as well as offering free help with bike repair.

Dave gave me the full tour of the space and although there was still a lot still coming into fruition with the place, it was still a really great space. At some point we got to talking about my bike, and I mentioned a problem with my rear derailleur. Dave seemed all too curious about the problem and we set my bike up on the stand to check it out. He showed me how to lube my cables and then we took the rear derailleur off to find out if the arm was bent at all. Before we could do that I needed to true the rear wheel. I had tried (and failed) to do it while in the bike, but now with the proper tools it was making much more sense. I feel like I could've drove myself crazy trying to perfectly true the wheel, and after getting it plenty good Dave just made a few adjustments and it was great. After that we used a tool that checks to see if the derailleur arm is bent at all, and it seemed like it may have been a little off but not much, so we bent it back into place. We put the derailleur back on and Dave showed me how to adjust the settings. We still couldn't get it working perfect, and he noticed the chain seemed a little loose. Finally we checked the chain and it was very stretched.

You run a risk simply replacing a chain as stretched as mine was. With a chain stretched a lot it's possible that the gears on the rear cassette may have become spaced as well, so replacing the chain sometimes means also replacing the cassette. If you don't replace the chain you run the risk of the chain breaking, especially on an uphill...and that could leave you stranded. I decided to take the risk with replacing the chain, and that cost me $16. I tested the bike out, as did Dave, and everything seemed alright. Luckily the gears weren't slipping, so it appeared that I would be alright with the cassette that was on there for now. With that said, I may have to replace it sometime down the line.

In the end, I had learned a lot about my bike. It was great having Dave, who is such a wealth of knowledge when it comes to bikes, to help me work on my bike. Wherever I end up living I really want to find a community shop like this one, and spend some time down there volunteering and learning as much as I can about bicycles. I'm super grateful to Dave for showing me a few things and helping me with my bike. He ended up staying later than usual just to help me out, and even more than that he just seems like a genuinely cool guy. I'm pleased to have met him and I was super happy to have my bike running smoother. Having fixed the problem in the rear derailleur, I was now curious to check out the front one as well as see how true the front wheel is. I guess I'll save that for another day.

On the way back to the bike house I picked up some salad and ice cream. Ben had made some pasta, so for dinner we had pasta and salad. Everybody was out in the living room of the bike house, and they all seemed super happy that I had brought ice cream to share. As we ate and chatted, I could see how living in that house would be interesting, because it just seemed like such a tight circle of friends. From the art and puppetry projects (the whole upstairs was designated to projects), to the rants by city council member Jamie, to having random touring cyclists like myself always passing through, I could definitely see the appeal. Not too mention how completely comfortable I felt there, and how welcomed everybody made me feel.

After going back for seconds of both dinner and ice cream I headed to bed. I was planning on getting a late start out of town because I wanted to stop by the local co-op grocery store to get a few things. Once again I retired to the guest room and laid in bed. I thought back on my day and felt very accomplished. Silver City is a cool little town, and I never expected to meet so many awesome people there. It was cold again in the unheated room, but I fell asleep easily and looked forward to getting back on the road the next day.

Miles: 23 miles outside and around town

RRD: A camouflaged left hand glove

-D

Silver City, Golden people

11/12/11
Waking up in the pines at over 6300ft in the Apache National Forest was amazing. This was definitely one of my favorite places to camp. The morning was cold, and I actually decided to stay bundled up in my sleeping bag until about 7:30am, long after the sun had come up. The morning air so brisk and fresh almost burned the nostrils as I breathed it in, but as I took some deep breaths I really felt like my lungs were filled with good clean oxygen, and I was instantly awake. I took my time taking down camp and enjoyed some granola and an apple before leaving my little mountain hideaway.

Most of the morning ride was downhill, so the absence of the need to pedal and the cool breeze kept me from warming up right away. I ended up stopping to put on my $5 gloves in order to keep my fingers warm as I continued through the mountains. I also stopped a few times to walk around and wiggle my toes as they too were getting chilly. Traffic was light, but the few trucks I did see on the road seemed to be hunters, and most of them gave a little wave as they drove by. Six miles up the road and I had crossed the border into New Mexico, and the Apache Forest changed to the Gila Forest.

Not long after crossing state lines, while continuing downhill, the forest abruptly ended and rolling hills covered with tall brown grass continued alongside the road. There were also patches of deciduous trees covered with yellow and red leaves. Their presence seemed to indicate that there must be some source of water nearby. I didn't see one cactus along the route, maybe I was still too high for that, but besides that the scenery definitely seemed different than anything I saw in Arizona. The ride was nice, although some of the hills wouldn't let me gain much momentum while coming down one and before going up the next. All that meant is that I had to work a little harder, but seeing as most of my morning was downhill, I wasn't really worried about it. At about 15 miles into New Mexico the road I was on crossed with highway 180, and I decided to stop at the intersection to snack and hydrate before heading south.

Having finished all my water, I looked at the map and saw the next spot to fill up would be the tiny town of Buckhorn, about 10 miles away. I'd survive without water for that long, and just focused on enjoying the ride. I noticed that the biggest thing in some of the towns that I had passed by that morning was the fact that they had a post office, which ended up ususlly being nothing more than a shack on the side of the road with an American flag out front. I could see how people would enjoy living out there, so far from everything, although I'm not sure that I personally was looking for that at this point in my life.

At Buckhorn I stopped at the Last Chance Liquor Store and Market, which looked like something out of the set of an old western. First thing I noticed when I walked in was the warm temperature and the wood burning stove in the middle of the store. The kitchen was open and I was hungry. I ordered a chicken sandwich and fries, which I think may have interrupted the relaxed conversation that the two ladies in there were having, but there didn't seem to be any fuss about it. They were curious about my trip, so I told them but the conversation eventually turned into one of local gossip, which must've been what they were talking about before. Both women were super nice and weren't shy about complimenting me on how handsome I was...which is always pleasant to hear. One of them joked about taking me home to meet her daughter until I told her that I was 30 years old, and then she said I was too old. Ha!

During my hour rest in Buckhorn I charged my phone, which was still without signal, and filled my water bottles. I had already made it over 30 miles and it looked as if I had about 40 yet to go. The day was still young and I figured I'd be in Silver City before nightfall. As I set out down the road I hoped that I'd get cell service soon because I needed to figure out where I was going to stay in Silver City. I had tried to contact my cycling buddy James about three days prior in order to get the contact info of his friend Ben who lived in Silver City, but I still hadn't heard back from him.

Maybe a good 20 miles down the road I finally got a weak signal on my phone, so I took the opportunity to stop and snack and check my messages. There was still no word from James, but if nothing else there was camping close to Silver City where I could stay the night. Just as I was getting ready to get back on my bike I noticed another fully loaded cyclist coming down the road. He stopped and we went through the usual touring cyclist routine of "where are you from?" "where are you going?" "where did you stay the night before?" etc. After all the formalities I noticed he was riding a Co-motion bike, which are made in Eugene and pretty rare to see...and which I coincidentally remember is the same brand that James' friend rides. I asked his name, and he said "Ben", then he asked mine...and then we both shared an "Aha" realization at exactly the same time. This was James' friend Ben that I was hoping to get ahold of! He had remembered my name from talking to James back when we were riding together, and here we were 20 miles outside of Silver City having a truly serendipitous encounter. Ha! This is the kind of thing that bicycle touring is all about.

We soon got back on our bikes and rode together back towards town. It was good to talk to a fellow cyclist, and I actually felt a little more talkative than usual. I guess I had been feeling a little conversation deprived the last few days. I learned that Ben was just coming back from Brock Canyon Hot Springs, where he had spent the night. I think we both were still reeling in the randomness of our meeting, and cracking some jokes about it when a cute blond girl with glasses pulled up in a minivan. It was Ben's friend Cat, and she was meeting him out there so that she could ride back to town with him. It seemed a little odd to me that she was just going to leave her van out there while she rode her bike the rest of the way back with us, but I also thought it was awesome that it was the kind of place where you could feel totally comfortable doing something like that.

Having two new and interesting people to talk to really made the uphill road into Silver City go by quick. We crossed the Continental Divide, and were soon heading downhill into Silver City. Ben had previously invited me to stay at what he referred to as "The Bike House" and I jumped on the opportunity. When we got into Town we split up with Cat and Ben brought me to his house. It wasnt hard for me to identify "The Bike House" as we rolled up to an artsy looking two-story house with bicycles welded together to form a fence around the front yard. We headed up a dirt road that ran alongside the hose, and entered the property through the back yard where bikes were leaning up against everything. Then we entered through a sliding glass door into a kind of covered back porch area which was filled with bikes, bike tools, and giant paper mâché creatures. Then we wheeled the bikes into the main quarters where a wood stove was keeping the place warm.

The Bike House is basically just a big house where 5 artistic bike enthusiasts live together and share resources. It definitely reminded me of a few places in Portland, and I just thought it was awesome how welcomed everybody made me feel as soon as I got there. I was really just a stranger passing through town, but they made me feel like an old friend and even offered me the spare bedroom with a bed to sleep in. I had the feeling I was really going to enjoy Silver City.

Ben invited me out to a little local place with live music where some other of his friends would be. I was looking forward to meeting some more people so we got ready and headed out. We stopped by Cat's place and picked her up and then rode to downtown Silver City and stopped at a little restaurant/bar called Diane's where we met up with two other people. I think the three of us were super hungry from the ride, so we ordered food right away, and as we waited for our meals other friends trickled in until there was a table of about 10 of us. Everybody I met that night was super friendly, and it seemed extraordinary to me that so many interesting people were all sitting together at one table in this small town. I was more or less convinced to stay an extra day in town by everybody there, and I had a feeling that I wouldn't be disappointed.

The night didn't go on too late, and soon we all dispersed. Ben and I rode back to The Bike House together, and we shared another laugh about the randomness of our crossing paths. I was very pleased to meet both Ben and Cat, and looking back it seemed like quite an amazing day. Once again I hit my usual wall after a full day of riding and went to bed early. The room I was in was unheated, but it was still warmer than if I were to be outside and I fell asleep quick in my warm sleeping bag on the spare bed.

Miles: 69 miles

RRD: A broken bicycle frame

-D

Apache Gold

11/9/11
Oh my god was it cold! This was definitely the coldest morning of my trip. I'm glad I had my sleeping bag liner to at help keep me a warmer, but the wind howled through the night keeping the temperature near freezing. I had waken periodically throughout the night and would curl up in the fetal position with my head in my sleeping bag to try in an attempt to keep in all the heat I could. In the morning a couple of my toes were numb and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I immediately took down camp in hopes that it would warm me up. It did for the most part, but my toes were still numb and I think my brain was frozen because I wasn't making the best decisions.

I set up my stove in the sunlight where It was a couple of degrees warmer, and started boiling the last of my water which was barely a cup and a half. While the water heated I tried to warm my toes over the flame, which only resulted in a burned sock and disn't really help my toes. I tried doing some jumping jacks and pushups while I waited for the water to heat up which helped a little in my body, but not my feet. When the water was hot enough I even tried dipping my toes in the hot water. I tested it with my finger and it didn't seem too hot, but when I dipped my toes in I had to pull them out quickly a spilled some of the little water I had left. Eventually I could keep them submersed for a few seconds and I was getting back some feeling.

When I looked at the water, after my feet had been in it, there was some weird stuff floating around that grossed me out. I wasn't sure when I would have the chance to get more water, so I dumped some instant coffee in there to and poured it into my water bottle in case I really needed something to drink. My toes were still a bit numb, but I felt better about them, and got ready to get on my bike to ride. I had no cell service and my cyclometer with temperature gage wasn't working, so I don't know what temperature it was. All I can say is that it was damn cold, and the wind wasn't helping. As I started pedaling out of the campground, the cold air and breeze felt like a million little needles piercing my face.

The next portion of the ride was grueling. I had yet to reach the summit of the mountain I'd started climbing the night before. My toes were still numb, and the air was freezing and I had to deal with a cross wind that continued to blow. After a rough hour, I felt somewhat accomplished when I reached the pass at Top-of-the-World, AZ at 4600 ft. The residential town there was actually really gorgeous, and the name suits it well, as I did feel like I was on top of the world...a frigid windy world, but a beautiful world none-the-less.

I wasn't looking forward to the ride downhill to Miami, AZ but I have to say it was pretty easy. The wind blew hard as I shot down the mountain and I tried to keep my feet behind my front panniers to keep them from getting too cold. It helped a little but by then my toes had been numb for about 2 hours, and I was just trying to get somewhere warm. Luckily the sun was shinning bright by now and the world around me was slowly warming up. I came up to a small diner style place just on the edge of town and figured I could use some warmth and food and water.

After filling up on water and getting something warm in my belly I looked for an outdoor store. Walmart was the only thing around and I figured it may be the only place I'd have a chance to get some warm weather clothes. I stopped in and got some wool socks, pocket warmers, some cheap gloves, and some more snacks. My rough morning was over, the feeling in my toes had returned, and the wind had even let up a bit.

The rest of my day seemed to go pretty smooth. I stopped in at a grocery store in Globe and stocked up on more food. Just east of Globe is the San Carlos Apache Reservation. As soon as you enter the reservation you reach the Apache Gold casino. I didn't have any desire to stop so I kept on riding through, but the parking lot looked pretty full. It was sad to see, but the sides of the road through the reservation were riddled with trash and booze bottles. The scenery was beautiful with distant mountains to the north and south as I rode through the rolling desert hills. The reservation is actually quite large, and I didn't expect to be making it through before the end of the day. At one point I stopped at a roadside memorial that caught my eye. I believe it was made in honor of the Apaches that lost their lives fighting in world war II. A few miles further and I was near the center of the reservation, so I stopped at the next town, a place called Peridot.

Peridot was the only town for miles, and I wanted to stop and eat. I made some lunch, and got some ice cream at the gas station. A few young locals started up a conversation with me, and despite their gang-like tattoos and overall demeanor they were actually really nice and interested in what I was doing. In fact, I'd come to find that most people on the reservation were very pleasant to talk to. A lot of the Apaches were sure to identify themselves with pride that they were indeed Apache and that they lived on the reservation. It was also common for them to end the conversation with "God bless," which was unexpected but received as a nice gesture.

The sun started to set as I got outside of Peridot, and I began thinking about finding a camping spot. I didn't expect it to be as cold as the night before, because of the lower elevation, but without a tree in sight I kind of expected wind. I found a trail that lead off of the highway, and I followed it back until there was just the faint sound of the highway in the distance. The area was very open and full of cacti and desert brush, but nothing that stood over 6ft high. The ground was a mixture of white dirt and rocks covering a harder rocky crust just a couple inches below. I swept away some rocks behind a big bush, hoping that the bush would keep me sheltered from the wind, and made a smooth area to set up my tent. The ground was hard, but flat, and the night was bright. The moon was almost full, and shone like a headlight through the net of my tent. I wasn't much bothered by it, and enjoyed looking up at the sky as I fell asleep somewhat early. I was going to work on the blog, but my phone was almost dead so I instead hoped to get an early start on the next day.

Miles: 52 miles

RRD: Lots and lots of booze bottles

-D

What a great day!

11/11/11
At 7am my alarm sounded, but I was already half awake just kind of waiting for it to go off. The motel room smelled musty and when I opened my eyes I noticed that the ceiling needed a paint job. When I rolled out of bed I was shocked to find that my rear tire was completely deflated. Well, that's my first flat...not too bad after 1600 miles of riding. I wanted to deal with it before I showered since it would be a little dirty, but getting my rear wheel off while I still hadn't quite woken up proved tricky. Eventually my brain kicked in and I decided to take all my bags off and flip my bike over, instead of struggling with is weighted down. After removing the tube I filled the sink with water and searched for the hole. I ended up finding two. I searched the tire for the cause and found one persistent little thorn, goat heads no doubt, which I was pretty certain caused the bigger hole, but I could find anything for the smaller one. After a quick patch I put it all back together and crossed my fingers that I had gotten rid the culprit.

I checked out of my room at about 9am, having been delayed by the flat, and headed over to the Main St Cafe. I swear there should be a Main St Cafe in every town with a Main St. It just seems practical. I ordered a coffee and the Breakfast Plate: 3 eggs, sausage, hash browns, and toast...all for $5. That's probably the best deal I've found on the road so far. I worked on my blog and I worked on my food, and 3 cups of coffee later I was finished. When I went to the counter to pay, the giant cinnamon roll that was sitting in the display case refused to let me leave, so another cup of decaf and a cinnamon roll later it was now 11am and I was ready to set out.

It took me a while to get focused on the road ahead. In downtown Safford they had speakers on the lamp posts blasting the local oldies station, which I was quite amused by. A little ways outside of downtown I managed to roll through another bramble of goat heads, and had to carefully pick them out of both tires. It's crazy with those things, it's not like you just get one or two...it's more like ten or twenty! Then I was distracted by the 1987 Bounder RV that was for sale and looked nearly the same as the infamous RV in the show Breaking Bad. I also found it interesting that the RV was within 50 miles from the New Mexico border...hmmm, maybe I watch too much tv. When I turned North onto highway 191, I think I finally got into the groove of riding and was moving well. I could see the road ahead as wound into the hills, and thought to myself things are looking up.

For about 20 miles I was in awe of the view. I was surrounded by desert, but i found it absolutely stunning. The baron mountains surrounding me and the random rock formations, which created unique landmarks among them kept me smiling all day. I hardly noticed the climb as I went from about 2900ft up to about 4700ft, but it was still apparent that I was ascending. I had seen on the gradient profile that I'd be headed to over 6200ft, so when I started to head down into a valley my usual speedy and fun descent was a little bittersweet. Although I sometimes look forward to going downhill after an extended climb, it's always a little rough when you realize you'll be climbing even higher on the next set of hills. It almost feels as if all the hard work is for nothing...well, it would be for nothing if it weren't for the spectacular view.

At the little junction town of Three Way I stopped to get some hot coffee and a snack. I wondered why it was called three way, because it seemed to me that where highway 191 meets highway 78 it actually creates a four way intersection. I didn't think to ask about it, and just got my snacks. The two women working at the little market seemed pretty interested in what I was doing riding my bike through there. The younger one called me crazy. The other one warned me that the temperature was supposed to drop tonight up in the mountains, and that since it was Friday and hunting season, I'd be vying for camping space with a bunch of "drunk ass-hole hunters." She also told me of a place nearby where I could camp, so I thanked her for the advice and left.

I decided to think about camping closer to Three Way over an early dinner. The ranger station for the Apache National Forest was right down the street, so I headed there and found some picnic benches to make dinner. I ate 4 pesto/salmon/avocado wraps and figured that was probably good enough. I then finished my coffee and ate a package of chocolate ho-hos, and watches as a gaggle of geese flew overhead in flying V formation. By the time my meal was finished it was 4:30pm, and through my deliberation I decided to at least bike another 10 miles before setting up camp. 10 miles more today is 10 miles less tomorrow...right?

I was once again thrilled with the scenery. This area of Arizona was turning out to be my favorite on this trip. The first 6 miles of my evening ride were of a marginal grade, but eventually the hills got steeper and the road got windier. The sunset wasn't anything special. Maybe because it was overcast, or maybe because I hardly noticed since I was heading east. No matter the reason, the ride was still spectacular and as I gradually gained elevation I enjoyed the air up high more and more.

It was soon dark. The moon was hidden from view behind the mountain I was climbing, which meant the only light guiding my way was the weak little headlight I have on my bike. It seemed to be enough as the road was smooth and the traffic light. I had to stop occasionally as my mouth got dry and when the grade got steep. At times I could tell that I was probably missing out on some great views of the Black Jack Canyon below, but when i neared the summit I noticed the nearly full moon acted like a flood lamp filling the canyon with light and shadows from the mountain, making it a unique way to experience it all on its own. When I rounded one of the final curves, the stunning moon came into full view, having been hidden from me all evening, and my eyes literally needed a second to adjust to its magnificent glow.

Now with the bright moon guiding my way, I could make out some things as clear as day. The edge of the road seemed to fall off fast, deep into the canyon, but at times giant stone structures standing tall like statues would shoot up high over the road. All this illuminated by the pale moonlight was simply gorgeous. I could feel a slight thinning of air, but for whatever reason my lungs seemed to welcome it and I was able to power through the rest of the way to the top of the pass. I felt accomplished for making it up there, but was ready to take a break.

The road seemed to plateau for a bit before descending, and I found a little trail off the highway that lead up the mountain a little higher. I decided to investigate, and eventually found a great place to camp. The site would be one of my favorite spots on the whole trip. The air up at the top of this mountain was crisp and clean, and I set up my hammock up as a regular tent in between some pines. A month on the road has definitely made me better at setting up camp. Not only was the spot ideal but the actual way I setup my tent turned out to be one of the better arrangements as well. As I laid in my comfortable little cocoon, I spent some time recollecting about the day and fell asleep with the cool night air caressing my face.

Miles: 50 miles

RRD: A blue rectangular storage bin

-D

Everyone knows its windy

11/10/11
I woke up sometime around midnight to the sound of the wind howling past my tent and the moon shining bright through my tent. It was very windy, and as far as I could tell it was coming from the north. I was thinking about the day before and how the wind died down sometime during the day, so I was hoping that this wind would die down as well. I soon fell back asleep and woke up every hour or so until I finally got up a little before sunrise.

The wind continued through the morning, but it wasn't too cold. Taking down camp was difficult because every time I tried to roll up my tent, it would get blown out again by a big gust. Eventually I got it all taken care of and made some breakfast and watched the sunrise.

As I headed back to the road I came across a cactus that still had fruit on it. I wasn't sure if it was edible, but it looked like prickly pear, so I picked a couple and saved them for later. At the road the traffic looked light, and there was a decent shoulder to ride on. It's always been a concern riding east at sunrise, because traffic really has a hard time seeing me. When I got to the road I realized the wind seemed to be blowing hard in more of a west-northwest fashion...just the direction I was heading. Either way I needed to make some miles do I headed off.

The rest of the ride through the reservation was rough. I was getting a 30mph headwind all day, and probably traveling at about half of my normal speed. Just outside the town of Blythe I got bombarded by 5 dogs. I had heard them barking and seen them running in my direction from about 300ft away, but I also saw two fences and hoped that they would hold them. The fences did nothing, and because of the strong wind I was helpless at outrunning them. Traffic prevented me from crossing the highway, and three of the dogs managed to surround me. I shouted at them to go back home and looked for an opportunity to cross the road. Oddly enough, once the dogs had me surrounded, it seemed like they weren't sure what to do and they just ran back to their house. It was a pretty scary situation but now I laugh at those silly dogs that were just in it for the chase.

On the other side of Blythe, just as I was leaving the reservation another small dog ran after me. The dog resembled Toto from the 'Wizard of Oz' and actually ran all the way across the highway to come get me. Even with the wind I was able to get away from that little guy, and as a semi was headed our direction, I hoped that it made it home safe. All the wind and dogs were starting to get to me, I just wanted to make it to a town with a restaurant so I could et some warm food and shelter myself from the weather.

Now I'm not an angry person, but I was working hard to get nowhere and at some points I was shouting at the wind, challenging it. The problem with challenging the wind is that it's a loosing battle. When I would get frustrated and pedal harder, I would just get more resistance and more frustration. You really just have to accept it as it is and go at whatever speed is comfortable, even if it's 5mph. It felt as if I'd been riding all day, but eventually I made it to Fort Thomas where there was a market/restaurant/gas station where I could stop and get a burger.

At the restaurant I was able to charge my phone and update my map, as well as just eat and rest. I chatted with the people working, and I think the owner also owned the bar down the street. They were short staffed so they were closing up the restaurant at 2pm in order to open the bar. I got some more ice cream and relaxed until they closed up shop. I had hoped that the wind let up, but it hadn't, and I had to continue on my way.

If I would have been traveling the other direction I would have loved the wind, but heading east continued to be rough. My cell service was cutting in and out, but a few miles from Pima, AZ I got notice from my friend Michaelangelo that he had made a very generous donation/sponsorship. As he put it, "I'm buying you lunch." It was coming a great time, as I was over budget and beginning to wonder if I'd be able to make it all the way to New Orleans.

I was about 4 miles outside of town when the signs for Taylor Freeze started. Every several hundred yards there seemed to be another sign advertising everything from root beer floats to burgers to milkshakes to burros to nachos to cold soda. One thing about Taylor Freeze is they know how to advertise. My mouth was watering, and although I had no idea how far away I was, I knew I was going to stop and eat there. When I finally did arrive I order two burritos (the special that day) and a large milkshake. It was great to take a break from the wind again, and I think I was trying to sweeten my frustration with the ice cream from earlier and now the milkshake.

As I left Taylor Freeze the sun was getting low on the horizon. I wasn't far from the bigger town of Safford, and wasn't sure if I was going to stop there or head 6 miles off course to the campground. The wind continued to blow, and I felt as if I had worked harder that day just to make 46 miles, than on any day prior. I was sore and tired, and I think I was mentally exhausted as well. I found a motel and was curious to find out how much they would charge. I had called the hostel earlier, which was about 4 miles off course, and they were going to charge $25. I really needed a shower and to do laundry, and talked with them and eventually got a room for $35 even.

It was still early in the evening, but I really didn't want to head off course or fight the wind any longer, so I'm glad I stayed at the motel. The room was set up like a furnished studio apartment with a stove, microwave, tv, and a bed. It pretty basic and looked like what you'd expect for $35. I did a load of laundry and took a shower and even rearranged the stuff in my bags a little. I ate my prickly pears from earlier that day and they were ok, but not great. I couldn't believe how exhausted I felt and I looked forward to getting some quality rest. I don't think I had slept well the night before so I definitely needed it. The road ahead of me looked interesting, and I expected to be climbing a lot. I fell asleep around 10pm and slept hard through the night.

Miles: 46 miles

RRD: A dead dog = (

-D

A nice hike and a cold night

11/8/11
The morning was cool and I didn't want to get out from the warmth of my sleeping bag. I would look out at the sunrise periodically through the screen in my tent since I had slept without the rainfly on. The hill I was on overlooked the town of Apache Junction, and just above the waking city along the horizon was a thick line of orange, like somebody had taken a broad tipped highlighter and swiped it across the sky. Although it was cool, the amazing sunrise was telling me to get out and seize the day. I rebelled as long as I could, but by 7:30 I was packing up camp.

On the agenda today was a hike that had been recommended to me by Kim, the woman whose property I had camped on. Somewhere along my adventure, maybe it was in Santa Barbara, I had decided that I should take the advice and suggestions of the locals...especially fellow cyclists. I was able to park my bike behind the house that was on the property and started to walk out to the trail. I wasn't quite sure where the trail was or where it was going to lead me, but I was hoping it was up to the top of a ridge that I could see off in the distance. I started walking east and when the pathway ended at the top of a hill I realized I had gone in the wrong direction. After taking a few moments to enjoy the view from the hill, I set back down in the other direction and eventually came to what was clearly marked as the trailhead.

There were a few people in the parking lot getting ready to hike as well, and I said hi and walked past them like I knew where I was going. I really had no idea, but the way had been briefly described to me and when the trail split I did my best to remember what was told to me. I'm not sure if the other hikers knew where they were going or if they had seen me looking deceivingly confident, but they were close on my heels for the first portion. When the trail split again, I chose the road less travelled, followed the trail down into a dried up ravine, then caught another trail on the other side, and it probably looked as if I did know where I was going. Once on the other side of the ravine I could tell I was heading straight toward the ridge.

The whole area was covered in Saguaro cacti. The Saguaro are protected in Arizona, and a special permit is needed if you plan to remove one. The Saguaro bloom is the state flower, and they are truly a symbol of Arizona. They grow slow and may live for hundreds of years. When I learned that it may take up to 75 years for a cactus to grow an arm, I looked at all the armed Saguaros in a whole new light. For some reason they resemble tall human like figures to me, especially as I was riding past them in the dark the night before. Even on the trail that day some of them looked to have distorted faces where elf owls had made homes in the upper portion of the cactus, where the head would be. I wondered if there were any native american stories about the origin of the Saguaro.

From the top of the ridge, I could see for miles in all directions. To my north were different mountain ranges and to my south I could just make out the area where I had camped and could see the city just past that. It was a gorgeous morning and promised to be a beautiful day. The hike was much welcomed as I had been itching to do some kind of outdoor activity off of the bike. I sat at the top of the ridge for a while just taking in the view and breathing in deep the dry desert air.

Back on my bike I was riding through Apache Junction and decided to stop for some coffee, charge my phone and update my blog before leaving town. As I was sitting in the comfy leather chair at the Starbucks something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Out from behind the trash crawled a medium sized scorpion! Can you imagine my surprise?!?! I notified the staff and one of the baristas grabbed an empty cup and escorted the stingy insect outside. He said that they find them inside from time to time, but he wasn't sure where or how they get in.

Once I got out of the city, I really enjoyed the ride. The sun was powerful, but the temperature wasn't over 70F. The desert is beautiful in its own way. There's not necessarily a lot of biodiversity but it's pretty miraculous to me that all these plants and animals have evolved to survive in such a climate. Riding past all the different cactus types and desert brush, I was hard pressed to find one plant without thorns or some other type of defense system.

The climbing in Arizona is gradual. I didn't even realize I was going uphill, but before I knew it I had gained 1000ft elevation. I had gotten a late start on the day, and the sun soon set. I stopped in the town of Superior to get something to eat just as it was getting dark. I talked to some locals, and they warned me that the road ahead was steep and there wasn't much of a shoulder. After eating I set out on the road in the direction of a campground that was about 6 miles ahead, but all uphill. Sometimes it's easier to climb hills in the dark, because since I can't see much of the grade or even where the hill ends, I don't set limits on what it is I need to accomplish. I had been warned about a narrow tunnel and when I arrived at it, I was a little worried myself. I made sure I had all my lights on and that I was wearing my reflective vest covered in LEDs. I managed to time it just right so that no cars were coming in either direction while I was in the dark narrow tunnel. Just as I exited a semi followed by a line of cars all heading the same direction I was entered the tunnel, and I was glad that I hadn't taken any longer to get through.

The campground was very primitive. No water, no electricity, no anything. I was still warm from all the climbing I had done and as I looked for camp, I wondered what was sparkling all over the ground. I soon realized it was frost! I had failed to notice how cold it was up there, but by the time I found a spot and set up my hammock, I soon realized that it was really chilly. I think I was only at around 3800ft elevation, but there must have been a cold front coming in because it was easily becoming one of the colder nights I had encountered. My tent was set up like a hammock, in between two trees, but on this particular night I probably should have set it up like a tent. As I lay in my sleeping bag trying to stay warm, the wind began to whistle between the trees and my rainfly began whipping about as the wind swelled. I slept as best as I could, but the hammock sitting in the course of the wind didn't provide much insulation and I would wake up occasionally shivering from the cold.

Miles: 50 miles

RRD: A dead rattlesnake

-D

It took all day just to get across town

11/7/11
Sleeping in a little bit had me feeling refreshed, not to mention sleeping in a comfy bed. After saying good morning to Dave, I took a shower and gathered my things. To see me off on my way Dave had offered to take me to breakfast, which was an incredibly nice gesture. We were going to his favorite breakfast place in the area, Bobbie's. I had the Baja Chicken Hash which was amazing, and as we ate we discussed my route options. He offered to drive me to a spot where I'd get on the designated bike trail that goes through the canal, another super nice gesture.

On the way to the bike trail I was playing navigator, but because I didn't know the area, I ended up leading us in a massive loop. Eventually we made it to the drop in spot, and we said our goodbyes. I wouldn't have minded staying another day, and I think Dave would have welcomed the company, but as Dave put it I was "a man on a mission."

I found the canal system trough the Phoenix a pleasant way to get across town by bike. The city had set it up to be a bike path, as well as using the space for recreational purposes. I passed by several large soccer fields, some parks, and even a whole disc golf course all inside the canal. The bike path also goes for a long time, maybe 25 miles, so it was nice to be riding traffic free.

Most of the day was uneventful. I was just taking my time cycling through the cities, which goes from one into the next, and stopping for snacks and coffee every now and again. I started near Sun City, went through Glendale, Phoenix, and somewhere around Scottsdale I had to leave the canal. I met a couple of other touring cyclists near the end of the bike path, Vern and Dave, who had left from St Augustine, FL and were doing the whole Southern Tier, coast to coast.

The rest of my route through Tempe and Mesa were along roads with wide bike lanes. I was starting to realize that the area was really bike friendly. I also noticed that it was flat, so that too was a plus to cycling across town. My biggest observation was just how spread out everything was. I mean it was going to take me all day to get from one edge of town to the next.

In Mesa I stopped at a health food store to stock up on food which was starting to run low. I got a bunch of trail mix, granola, apples, bananas, yogurt covered pretzels, fresh ground peanut butter, and tortillas. You know, all the good energy filled cycling food that I had grown to rely on. While I was trying to fit it all in my bag a woman started talking to me, and asking the usual questions. Her name was Kim, and she too was a cycle tourist. She told me all about her recumbent bicycle, from Eugene, OR and a few of the trips she had been on. The conversation could've ended sooner, but it seemed like we both had more to say so we talked for maybe a half an hour. Before saying goodbye she mentioned a piece of land that her and husband have that edges up against the national forest. She said there was no water there, but no neighbors either, and that I was welcome to camp there for the night. I was super excited to stay there, and she said she wished she could have invited me to dinner or something but that she had other plans. I said a good camp spot was more than awesome and after getting directions we went our separate ways. It just goes to show that although everything in the desert seems spiny and poisonous, the people can be warm ad friendly.

Now that I had a destination in mind, I set off in that direction. The property was right on the border of Mesa and Apache Junction, and butts up to Usery Mountain and the Tonto National Forest. It got dark on my ride and even started sprinkling a little, but the sunset left a gorgeous orange haze over the entire horizon, even to the east which is the direction I was headed in. The final road up to the property was up a small hill that was a couple of miles long. It was so dark I had to use both my headlamp and my bike light in order to find the spot. There was a house on the property that was gutted, and other than the Saguaro cacti and a wide view of the town below, I was pretty much alone. After exploring the property just a bit I set up camp and fell asleep quick. The wind was blowing a little that evening, but I had found a good spot that kept me sheltered for the most part. I was super grateful to Kim for letting me use her land, and looked forward to watching the sunrise from the property.

Miles: 53 miles

RRD: A broken crib

-D

Two days in LA

11/5/11
I spent my morning in LA on my own. My friend Nick had to go to some sort of audition/read through for a pilot he wanted to do. I walked down to a local coffee shop and enjoyed the sunshine drinking my iced chai latte on the patio. I eventually started a conversation with a couple that was going hiking, Mike and Paulina. They were super nice and told me that I should check out Griffith Park before leaving town. Paulina also gave me her card and number in case I had any questions, and Mike gave me his information and told me to contact him next time I wanted to go to Warped Tour. They were both super cool...who says LA doesn't have nice people??? While at the cafe I had also managed to solidify a ride to Sun City West, AZ through Craigslist, and would be leaving the next day at 2pm.

Right after I finished my conversation with Mike and Paulina, Nick rolled up to the cafe in his black and orange Pontiac muscle car, and we cruised around town for a bit. After running a few errands, we decided to go up to Griffith Park and hike up around the observatory there. There seemed to be quite a lot of people out, seeing as it was Saturday it made sense, but the weather and view were both great from the park.

After our trip to the park we walked over to the Hollyhock house, which was originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It's quite a magnificent design, being built at the beginning of the 20th century. It has more recently been designated as a National Historic Landmark by the US Department of Interior. Although they were doing some renovations on the main house, from what we saw of the rest of the complex was interesting. One neat design of the house is that it was purposely positioned in such a way that from the hill that the Hollyhock House is located, you can look across town to a hill where you can clearly see another Wright house, the Ennis House.

In the evening we took the LA Metro down into Hollywood and walked the strip a bit. I had to of course walk along the hall of fame and check out the Chinese Theater. While there I actually got to see John C Reilly who was attending an AFI event at the theater. I guess that would be my celebrity sighting for the trip. I found humor in the fact that a lot of people on the street couldn't remember his name and just called him that "Shake 'n Bake guy."

On the way back to the Metro we stopped for some pizza and garlic knots at a little pizza place off of Hollywood Blvd. The pizza was pretty yummy, and I somehow managed to get a slice for free. Score!

That night Nick and I both crashed out early. My plan was to get up early and take the Metro across town to Long Beach where I'd be meeting my ride to Arizona.

11/6/11
Because I had gone to sleep so early I woke up quite early. It was 6:30am, although because of the time change it was more like 7:30am. As I gathered my things together and for ready for the ride across town, Nick woke up and let me know that he would give me a ride. That was awesome news, because it was going to take me over two hours of commuting to get to Long Beach, plus I wasn't super comfortable riding the Metro across town.

We spent the morning just chatting, and Nick's roommate Andrea made us some super strong, but good, coffee. Eventually we loaded up my bike in the car and drove over to Long Beach. We realized that we hadn't gotten any picture together, so we decided to snap a few shots before parting ways. I had good visit in LA, and actually ended up liking the city just a little bit more than I expected. I expected to kind of hate it there actually.

I met Aaron in a parking lot near the water polo pool. He seemed like a good guy, a Ventura native, maybe 50, driving a Chevy Tahoe. Last I heard there was going to be a woman with cats riding with us, but it looked like that fell through, so it would be just us. Aaron said that he could drive me right up to the doorstep of where I would be going in Sun City West, where my friend Mailman Dave lives. I called Dave as we left Long Beach to confirm that it was still ok that I was coming. He seemed fine with it, and I had talked to him the day before to let him know that I'd be coming through town soon, but I still wish I could've given him more than 6 hours notice of my arrival.

The ride to Arizona was smooth. Aaron had good taste in rock music, as well as a good stereo, so when we weren't talking we were rocking out down the highway. We split the cost of gas, and it ended up costing me $30 to get to Sun City West.

I guess this brings me to why I decided to get a ride in the first place. Well, the truth is that the California coast ended up costing me a bit more money than I had expected. I suppose I spent a little more time exploring the coast than I had expected as well. There is no doubt in my mind that I could've made it through the California desert to Arizona, but I ultimately decided that it would be better to get a ride. First, it would help me make up a little time. I figure it may have taken me a week to get to Phoenix. Second, it would save me money. Seven days on the road with a $25/day average would be $175, so the $30 for a ride really didn't seem like much in comparison. Third, I thought that with the time and money I was saving I could spend time exploring a little more interesting places by bike. Don't get me wrong, I love places like Joshua Tree and the Mojave, but I have been there before and would go there again, but ultimately wasn't super excited to ride across the California desert. I know some people will call that cheating, but guess what...this is my trip and I can make the rules.

In Sun City West Mailman Dave lives in a kind of gated community. He met us out at one of the entrances and it was good to see him. I know Dave from Portland, where we both are regulars at a place called Chopsticks. We call him 'Mailman' because he worked for the postal service for a number of years, but was now retired. We had always just been acquaintances, but about two months earlier when I found out that he was spending his winter in Arizona, I told him about my bike trip and he invited me to stop by. I'm very grateful that he opened his home to me, and I think we had a really good visit. We ended up having quite an extensive conversation that evening, and I feel that we got to know each other on a more 'friend' level.

We had made plans to get breakfast in the morning, and then called it a night. It was nice to be indoors, as the forecast for the evening was rain (first LA then Arizona...what timing!), but I opened the windows wide in the room I was staying in and enjoyed the fresh air and sprinkling as I fell asleep. It reminded me of being outside camping, which is more of what I've been used to. I longed to be back on the road.

Miles: 360 miles by car

RRD: Trash

-D

This aint no disco. It aint no country club either.

11/4/11
At some point in the middle of the night I woke up because I thought I had heard sprinkling. That forced me to get out of my tent and cover all my bags with a rain cover. I also decided to fasten the rainfly down on my tent just in case. I did notice while I was up how comfortably warm it was. I was only covering my body halfway with the sleeping bag and was totally comfortable. At sunrise I woke again to what I thought was some people talking off in the distance, but didn't hear or see anything after that. I also don't think it had rained at all. Maybe that echoey canyon carries more than just the sound of waves.

I hit Malibu quick, but according to the signs Malibu is "27 miles of scenic beauty," so I didn't expect to be leaving anytime soon. The morning was blue skies and clear, but the forecast was that rain would soon be on the way. I decided to stop at a Starbucks/Pavillion (which is like Safeway or Vons) and made myself some breakfast and got some tea to warm my insides. Before I knew it two hours had passed and the clouds had come in and they were threatening rain!

As I headed out of the little strip mall area, deI ran into a retired Swiss couple that had spent 3 months cycling down the coast from Vancouver, BC. We got to talking, and somewhere mid conversation the rain came pouring down. I had been there for three hours with dry weather, and now as I was trying to leave the rain started in. Maybe I should've planned better. I wasn't too worried about it because LA seemed within reach, so as the Swiss couple went to get some lunch for themselves, I made myself something to eat and watched as the drops of water falling from the sky turned into puddles around the parking lot.

The rain continued to fall and I figured that I should probably get going despite the weather. I headed over to where the Swiss couple was so I could say goodbye, but we got caught up in another conversation and soon the rain had turned to a sprinkle and we all decided to hit the road. I thought that I better cover my bags and put on my rain gear just in case it started up again, so now all three of us were suited up and riding toward LA. Of course, we didn't end up needing all the rain gear, and a few miles down the road the sun was blaring and we suited down.

The Swiss couple, Werner and Elisa (I think?), were super nice but I felt that they were moving a little slow for me. Once again we said our goodbyes and I shot forward to Santa Monica. When I got out of Malibu, I was able to ride quite a nice beach bike path that took me all the way to Venice Beach. It was good to get away from the crazy LA traffic that crowded the streets, which may have been more crazy since drivers seem to freak out when it rains. The beach, from the Palisades all the way to Venice, was pretty unoccupied, I'm guessing due to the rain. I had decided to take Venice Blvd into Hollywood rather than Santa Monica Blvd because Venice has a bike lane. When I checked my phone I was surprised to find out that I still had about 18 miles until my destination. Damn LA is spread out.

The ride to my friends place in Los Feliz near Hollywood actually went quick. Even with a fully loaded bike I was faster than the buses, and as fast as some of the cars. Commuting by bike didn't seem like such a bad idea in LA, although I always imagined it would be hellish because of the traffic. I did have to engage all my senses to deal with the typical city riding obstacles like pedestrians crossing between intersection, reckless cyclists in the bike lane, cars changing lanes and turning at the last minute, and of course buses cutting me off to get to their stop. In fact, it seemed to me that the buses were some of the most erratic vehicles on the road. Watch out for those LA bus drivers!

Around 4pm I made it to my friend Nick's place, who was just trying to park his car after returning from the gym. Perfect timing. It was good to see my friend. We were friends since about the age of seven, but lost contact with each other after 5th grade until the wonderful world of MySpace reconnected us about 5 years ago. He was living in Washington at that time so we managed to hang out a couple of times before he moved down to LA. I was looking forward to hearing all about his life in LA as a struggling actor as well as seeing a bit of the city from a local's point of view.

The rest of the evening Nick and I just caught up and talked about what we've been doing with our lives. We got some awesome tacos, like only SoCal can do, at a little taco stand near his place. We also got a steak that we would be broiling for dinner, and picked up his roommate, Andrea, from her work. It was good to hang out with Nick, and his roommate was super awesome and they invited me to stay another night if I wanted...well, I kind f invited myself, but they said it would be fine. Haha.

As usual, I hit a wall in the middle of the night at about 12-12:30, and crashed out early on the couch. I guess just because I've been on a different schedule and spent my day being pretty active, I really have a hard time staying up as late as I used to. All-in-all, I'd say it was a good day and I was happy to have made it so far down the coast by bicycle. Now I just had to decide where, when, and how I was going to head east...

Miles: 54 miles

RRD: Half a surfboard. Wipeout?

-D

Who do the Mugu that you do?

11/3/11
I hit the snooze on my alarm and waited to get up until I heard movement in the kitchen. Mark was up making coffee and cooking oats and I gladly took a cup-o-jo to help kick start my morning. Nancy met us in the kitchen just as the oatmeal was done cooking, and Mark cut up some fresh oranges that he had picked out of their tree in the backyard. He said that because they have both Navel and Valencia varieties, they pretty much have fresh oranges all year long. They also brought out some yogurt, wheat germ, honey and a few other things which turned breakfast into quite the feast.

We talked some more as we ate and they asked if I had any plans before leaving town. I said no, but that I was open to suggestions. They recommend that I check out the mission and court house, and that if I felt up to it I should ride Mountain Drive out of town. All the suggestions sounded great, and I planned to just feel it out as I headed south.

I was still packing when Mark and Nancy left on their bikes to go to a farmer's market. They showed me how to lock up before they left and wished me a safe journey. After saying our goodbyes I gathered my things, double checked to see if I was forgetting anything, and then locked up and headed toward the mission. When I left the house I wasn't sure if I was going to do Mountain Drive, but figured I'd check out the mission then go see the court house. While at the mission I was really intrigued by the ruins, which dated as far back as the 1600's, and walked my bike along a path that lead to different sites. On the path I met another cyclist that recommended doing Mountain Drive, so I decided to ride up the hill.

Mountain Drive has a few climbs, but nothing too extreme, and overall was a serene ride. The route winds through the hills, which at times offer wonderful views of Santa Barbara, and passes by many beautiful and expensive houses and estates. The route that I took isn't any longer than 5 miles and it drops you off back at the east side of the Santa Barbara Beach, which put me in a good position to head out of town. I continued on my way and saved the court house for another time.

The last town I hit before a long stretch of highway was Carpinteria. I stopped to get a coffee and a snack. There didn't seem to be a lot going on there, but there was a bicycle shop called Bikesmiths, also known as "The Biggest Little Bike Shop in the World", that acts as an "Oil Addiction Treatment Center." I thought that was awesome. Has your use of fossil fuels made your life unmanageable? The Oil Addiction Treatment Center has answers...

The next 20 or so miles along the Ventura Freeway was full of beautiful scenery...and RVs. There were long stretches of parked RVs lining the coast. I had never seen anything like it. Actually, maybe only about 1/4 of the spots were full, but in the summer when every spot is taken, I can imagine what a spectacle it must be to see one single file row of RVs that continues on for miles upon miles.

Ventura seemed like a decent place, and when I arrived I was hungry. I stopped to get a bite to eat, but was back on the road within the hour. The sun was starting to set, and I had quite a bit further that I wanted to go. I'm not sure if it was the route I was on or what, but it seemed as the town of Oxnard went on forever. I got a little worried as the road became a little more bumpy and the windows of houses became a little more barred, but I kept on riding into the night.

Eventually I got back on the PCH which wrapped around Point Mugu Nas Naval Base. I knew I must be getting close, because I was planning to camp at Point Mugu State Park. At that time my friend Nick in LA called me on my phone and I stopped pedaling to talk with him and see if I could crash at his place. All was good, and I continued on a few more miles until I got to the La Jolla Canyon section of Mugu State Park. I think the area was closed, but it was late and I was tired so I headed back anyway. At La Jolla Canyon you have to hike in 2 miles to the campsite. Since I was on bike and tired, I decided to hike in about 300ft passed the parking lot and make my own campsite.

The ground was rocky, but the sound of waves echoed through the canyon was soothing. Even though I was probably a mile inland from the ocean I could still hear the waves like I was right there. I was amazed at the acoustic properties of the canyon, but even more so it was just a relaxing sound to fall asleep to.

Miles: 55 miles

RRD: Baby Crocs...like the shoes

-D