I was up first today. The sunrise was amazing, and I was glad to wake up in the spot I was at. I tried calling James to wake him up but it didn't work, so I just packed up and headed down the hill. At the bottom of the hill was a trail map and some signs giving a little history about the area. The name of the hill we slept on is "Cheapskate Hill", because there used to be a racetrack in town and people would go up on the hill to watch the races for free. Needless to say I got a good laugh about that, especially since we stayed there because we were trying to avoid paying for a place.
I headed straight for a cafe that we had passed the night before, which was across the street from the train station. I had just ordered some french toast and eggs, when James called. I told him where I was, and after I was finished with breakfast he showed up. I had a few things on the agenda today, with laundry being at the top of the list. We headed over to the laundromat and used the WiFi while we waited for our clothes to be done.
Today was a day of decisions. I was trying to decide where I was going to go. Should I continue south and finish the California coast or should I head east soon? If I go east where should I head? Should I go to Flagstaff or go farther south through Phoenix? James was trying to figure his route out too. He hadn't heard from the French consulate yet about his work VISA, so going to LA would be pointless. He still had people in Flagstaff he wanted to visit with, so he wasn't sure if he should catch a train straight there or head towards LA to catch a ride with his trucker friend east. James eventually decided that he would try hitch hiking to LA, and that meant we would be heading separate directions today. I on the other hand was still unsure what I was doing.
After we finished our laundry we went to a sandwich shop. After lunch James headed to a gas station to find a ride and I headed to the bike kitchen to work on my bike. We said our goodbyes and promised to stay in touch. It was nice riding with somebody for the past 11 days, and I am thankful for meeting James. I think I made a lifelong friend, and it'll be interesting to see if our paths cross again.
The bike kitchen was closed for the day. Normally it would be open on Sundays, for whatever reason it wasn't on this day. I talked to some people hanging around outside, who said that there's a chance the guy would come back. After waiting around about an hour I decided to leave. I went and got a snack then headed for the park. At the park I took a nap in the grass and contemplated my options. I was feeling the urge to go south, but didn't have a clear plan on where or when I would be heading east. After gathering my things and deciding to keep going, I ended up leaving SLO around 6pm. On my way out of town I stopped by a graveyard to watch the sunset, which was also splendid. I love how often I get to watch the sun rise and set in the same day.
It was dark by the time I got to town of Pismo Beach. The ride there was pretty flat and traffic free. I tried stopping at the state park, but they had discontinued their hiker/biker area and were charging close to $30 just to set up a tent for the night. It's really hard for me to justify paying that much, especially since I was planning to leave at sunrise and would be spending a total of about 10 hours there. I ended up talking them into letting me take a shower and clean up, so after that I headed to find a stealth spot to camp.
I followed some dune trails into some dune brush. The farther from the road I got, the thicker the brush got. I also started walking through an abundance of spider webs, and soon noticed the giant hairy spiders that resided in them. At the same time I was getting eaten alive by mosquitos, so I headed back a little ways and found a decent clearing where I could set up my tent. I got into my netted tent as soon as possible in order to find relief from the bugs.
On my way to the dunes I noticed a lot of ranger trucks, both state and county, and was a little worried that I would be found. It seemed like the type of place that would be heavily patrolled. I was tired though, so I set my alarm and went to sleep. It was really quite a boring day, and I still wasn't sure what I was doing or where I was heading.
Miles: 20 miles
RRD: A sleeping bag
-D
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