3/4

11/1/11
Waking up in a hotel room (or any room for that matter) feels odd to me. I've really grown accustomed to the fresh air and open sky. I got that slight claustrophobic feeling again, from being indoors. I think I've mentioned it before, but some of my favorite experiences on this triphave been the random spots I've found to camp. They're usually off on their own, away from any traffic and human noise. More often than not I get to fall asleep with a clear view of the night sky, the soothing sounds of the natural world, and then get to wake up to a spectacular view. Even most state parks have had hiker/biker areas that are separated from the regular campers, giving a more open wilderness feeling.

After eating some breakfast, cleaning myself up and repacking my bags I checked out and headed to the bike shop. I arrived a little before opening, but caught them setting up for the day and was able to check my bike in. They said it might be done by early afternoon, and noted that normally it would go into rotation and take a day or two but they like to cater to touring cyclists. Most bike shops seem to go out of their way for touring cyclists, and Ira's is no different, so I thanked them for the extra effort.

Most of my day was spent just walking around "the village" area of Arroyo Grande. I stopped at a cafe for a bit, then walked through the park, then got a burger and a shake, found a WarmShowers host in Santa Barbara and then walked halfway across town to the library. At the library I did some research on the Southern Tier bike route. For 20¢ I was able to print out some useful maps that would help me cross the country by bike while enjoying scenery and avoiding major highways. The only problem is that I would still have to go back and mark the highways & roads. Another option would be to buy the 7 Adventure Cycling maps that route it out for you at about $12/map. Needless to say I felt like my hour at the library was well worth it.

I got the call about my bike a little after 3:30, and it took my about half an hour to walk to the bike shop from library. On the walk over I was trying to figure out how far I could still make it today. I had kind of decided I wasn't going to make it too far, and my only goal was to be in Santa Barbara by the next evening to meet with my WarmShowers hosts. I had talked to a man named Mark who offered me a place to stay, with him and his wife, when I get to Santa Barbara. They both are avid cyclists and I agreed to meet him at BiciCentro the next day, a bike co-op where he was volunteering.

As I hit the road I was feeling pretty strong and happy to be pedaling again. The route I was heading down seemed pretty good, away from the highway and smooth road with plenty of shoulder. As the sun started to set, the shadows cast from the foothills were pretty amazing and I once again was feeling fortunate to a part of the beautiful scenery. When I got just outside of the town of Santa Maria the sun had disappeared and I was once again rolling through farmland and into the Santa Ynez valley.

Foxen Canyon Road proved to be one of my favorite rides. It was dark out now, but the moon and stars provided plenty of light for me to just make out the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains and hills. For a long stretch, maybe 25 miles, I would only see 1 car every 20-30 minutes. I had my headphones for that section of road, which brought me past wineries and through smooth, open countryside. It was truly amazing being out there all alone, and for whatever reason I jut kept pedaling through the night.

Eventually the silent country road met up with the not-so-silent commuter highway 154. Despite having a bit of traffic in the middle of the night, the shoulder was plenty wide and cars were respectful of my presence. Once again the bright yellow reflective vest with blinking red lights that my dad gave me was helping me be seen. My plan had now changed so that I would make it to Lake Cachuma, which was about 3/4 of the way to Santa Barbara. It was a gorgeous night though, and I enjoyed the ride a lot.

At Lake Cachuma I found a found a great spot right away, that overlooked the entire lake to the east and I was sure would make for a gorgeous sunrise. As the temperature dropped I didn't hesitate to set up camp and get in my sleeping bag. The ground was hard with sharp rocks sticking out, but I managed to find a spot that seemed just wide enough for me to slip between the rocks and fall asleep. I was surprised and thankful for making so much progress, but knew that I wouldn't get much sleep because of the hard ground, and the fact that I wanted to be out of there first thing in the morning.

Miles: 60 miles

RRD: Dust masks, a pillow, couch cushions, a recliner, lawn furniture, a mattress & box spring...too much random junk on the side of the road.

-D