Arnoldo, awesome host in Santa Cruz
Drive-by shot
Sunset over Santa Cruz
Good beer and homemade pizza, the good life
Ghost tree
Pebble Beach
Ze Germans
Big Sur
Joey and Vincent
Craig and Ginette
Great spot near Lompoc
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Making Progress
I know I have started to cover some serious ground, when I get an excited response from telling people that I have been biking since Canada. It really doesn't seem all that long ago (and really isn't, barely a couple months). There are some parts do seem like a long time, like flying to Seattle.
A lot has happened over these many miles. I feel myself changing; changing my opinions and outlook on certain things. I have thought a lot about what's most important in my life, what goals I want to accomplish before I die, and how to go about doing it. I think about how when people are told they are going die soon, they change their life dramatically, rekindle relationships and make amends. I think it would be great to try and live like this all the time, holding nothing back nothing, embracing everyone and everything.
I finally left Santa Cruz, another gorgeous, fun town, with beautiful people. Amazing the climate change just on the other side of the bay. Monterrey was cold and cloudy, where Santa Cruz was sunny and hot the whole week I was there. Winding my way through Big Sur was breathtaking to say the least, another spectacular section of the route with jaw-dropping views and scenic vistas.
Leaving the last hill of Big Sur, I came across a couple younger guys that were traveling by skateboard. One of them had hit a rock and crashed badly. He had what appeared to be either a broken hip or femur. He was in an extreme amount of pain, and screamed anytime he tried to move. I gave him some acetaminophen and some water, hoping it would do something. We were trying to get him in the truck, but to no avail, the pain was unbearable for him. The paramedics finally arrived and took over. As I was leaving, amidst the crowd of health care professionals, he made a point to look up at me, smile, and gave me a hearty thank you. That tiny gesture hit me hard, I was so happy to have tried to do something for him, albeit little.
I ended up seeing two other cycling tourists, Joey and Vincent, at the bottom of the hill. I had met them previously near Pt. Reyes, they are making the journey to Argentina as well. The headwinds were terrible that day, we took turns drafting, and still got blasted by wind and rain all the way to San Luis Obispo. Fortunately for them, the awesome Couch Surfer Andrew I was to be staying with in SLO, had other couches and let them stay for the night.
I stayed for an extra day in SLO, my old stomping grounds (only place other than San Diego I have lived in) and relived many memories. I'm in Arroyo Grande at some family friends' (Craig and Ginnette). The weather has been real cold again the past few days, but sunny at least during the day. I should be back in San Diego within ~1.5 weeks, where I will scramble to prepare for the next huge portion of my expedition. I am trying to line up another couchsurfer for Santa Barbara, where hopefully I will be able to upload more pictures.
A lot has happened over these many miles. I feel myself changing; changing my opinions and outlook on certain things. I have thought a lot about what's most important in my life, what goals I want to accomplish before I die, and how to go about doing it. I think about how when people are told they are going die soon, they change their life dramatically, rekindle relationships and make amends. I think it would be great to try and live like this all the time, holding nothing back nothing, embracing everyone and everything.
I finally left Santa Cruz, another gorgeous, fun town, with beautiful people. Amazing the climate change just on the other side of the bay. Monterrey was cold and cloudy, where Santa Cruz was sunny and hot the whole week I was there. Winding my way through Big Sur was breathtaking to say the least, another spectacular section of the route with jaw-dropping views and scenic vistas.
Leaving the last hill of Big Sur, I came across a couple younger guys that were traveling by skateboard. One of them had hit a rock and crashed badly. He had what appeared to be either a broken hip or femur. He was in an extreme amount of pain, and screamed anytime he tried to move. I gave him some acetaminophen and some water, hoping it would do something. We were trying to get him in the truck, but to no avail, the pain was unbearable for him. The paramedics finally arrived and took over. As I was leaving, amidst the crowd of health care professionals, he made a point to look up at me, smile, and gave me a hearty thank you. That tiny gesture hit me hard, I was so happy to have tried to do something for him, albeit little.
I ended up seeing two other cycling tourists, Joey and Vincent, at the bottom of the hill. I had met them previously near Pt. Reyes, they are making the journey to Argentina as well. The headwinds were terrible that day, we took turns drafting, and still got blasted by wind and rain all the way to San Luis Obispo. Fortunately for them, the awesome Couch Surfer Andrew I was to be staying with in SLO, had other couches and let them stay for the night.
I stayed for an extra day in SLO, my old stomping grounds (only place other than San Diego I have lived in) and relived many memories. I'm in Arroyo Grande at some family friends' (Craig and Ginnette). The weather has been real cold again the past few days, but sunny at least during the day. I should be back in San Diego within ~1.5 weeks, where I will scramble to prepare for the next huge portion of my expedition. I am trying to line up another couchsurfer for Santa Barbara, where hopefully I will be able to upload more pictures.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween!
Got to Santa Cruz from Half Moon Bay on Wednesday, after the worst day of touring I have had. There was such a strong south wind that day, I remember going down a decent hill, and looking down to actually see that I was slowing down. This is the first time I recall, that I was not pleased to be riding (at one point cursing the wind aloud). The weather was excellent, sunshine, warm... just a damn headwind!
I continue to meet awesome people on the road. Not sure if I mentioned it previously, but it's interesting that most of the touring cyclists I meet are from other parts of the world, and not typically american. Coming from Half Moon Bay alone, I met two guys from the Netherlands, and another couple German dudes.
Leaving San Francisco, I was greeted with another day of terrific weather (see the Golden Gate shots). Winding around the coast and down to Half Moon Bay, I checked out Mavericks, a famous big-wave spot I have never seen before. Standing there on the bluff, looking at the break, I could feel the potential power and energy there, a very humbling place.
I have been enjoying myself tremendously...as usual, haha. My friend Jad, has been staying his friend's in Santa Cruz, and fortunately let me stay there as well. Arnoldo is our host, a very generous, kind man with roots in Columbia, and has offered lots of great advice and interesting stories. I have been having an excellent time in Santa Cruz hanging with Jad, surfing, working out, partying...a great mix of everything.
Hosted my first touring cyclist, Eric, had seen him on the road several times in his recumbent. After surfing and heading home one evening a few days ago, we spotted Eric riding through town. We had him at the house, cooked a meal for him, and sent him on his way the following morning (with excellent timing, it had begun to rain just as we met him that night).
I'll be back on the road mon/tues, should be to San Luis Obispo by next weekend.
Hope you have an excellent halloween.
Enjoy The Ride
I continue to meet awesome people on the road. Not sure if I mentioned it previously, but it's interesting that most of the touring cyclists I meet are from other parts of the world, and not typically american. Coming from Half Moon Bay alone, I met two guys from the Netherlands, and another couple German dudes.
Leaving San Francisco, I was greeted with another day of terrific weather (see the Golden Gate shots). Winding around the coast and down to Half Moon Bay, I checked out Mavericks, a famous big-wave spot I have never seen before. Standing there on the bluff, looking at the break, I could feel the potential power and energy there, a very humbling place.
I have been enjoying myself tremendously...as usual, haha. My friend Jad, has been staying his friend's in Santa Cruz, and fortunately let me stay there as well. Arnoldo is our host, a very generous, kind man with roots in Columbia, and has offered lots of great advice and interesting stories. I have been having an excellent time in Santa Cruz hanging with Jad, surfing, working out, partying...a great mix of everything.
Hosted my first touring cyclist, Eric, had seen him on the road several times in his recumbent. After surfing and heading home one evening a few days ago, we spotted Eric riding through town. We had him at the house, cooked a meal for him, and sent him on his way the following morning (with excellent timing, it had begun to rain just as we met him that night).
I'll be back on the road mon/tues, should be to San Luis Obispo by next weekend.
Hope you have an excellent halloween.
Enjoy The Ride
Pics
Iraq memorial
Uncle and fam
Sister and niece
Santa cruz, frisbee with Jad, Monterrey in the background
Cyclist Eric
Start of a great night
Party in SC
Friday, October 22, 2010
Thousands of miles, one pedal stroke at a time
112. This is the amount of weight I have to lug around with me. That's ~112lbs, fluctuates based on groceries and amount of water, but it includes 75 pounds of gear, and a 37 pound bike. I finally had the chance to figure it out when I stayed at Janet's house in Arcata (thanks again Janet).
Here is a summary as a refresher from previous:
After leaving Astoria, I continued South, only to meet some more touring cyclists within the next day or two (Russel and Lauraly - two brits, and Ben - canadian) I would camp with them a couple times and occasionally see them on the road, and ride with them when we were on the same schedule. A highlight of being with them was camping at South Beach State Park, riding bike paths to Rogue brewery under the bridge in Newport, and riding back in the dark = very excellent time.
I took a week off in Crescenty City at my good friend Miles' place, that can be summed up with a basic description of our day: coffee, surfing, beer, food, friends, repeat.
Leaving Crescenty City and my friends was difficult but I felt the road calling, and the weather looming with fall swiftly approaching. Up a huge hill, couple camp spots, and I'm in Arcata (place I have wanted to live in for years). Meeting people was easy and having a generous warmshowers host - Janet, and awesome new friend and couchsurfer host - Kristin, I again I found myself having a hard time leaving this town, and had to muster some motivation to keep moving.
Riding through the redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants, was probably the best time riding for me yet (I knew it would be spectacular). With little cars on the road, and relatively flat land, my mind could wander through the trees as I pedaled. I thought a lot of the people I had met on this journey and where this trip has taken me. I thanked myself for making this trip happen. I was astonished that I had already ridden halfway to San Diego, and over 1,000 miles. I was (and still a bit) filled with mixed emotions. On one side I was thrilled to have ridden as far as I have, and proud of myself. On the other side, sad, that the trip would be ending soon, and that this was likely the last cool scenic leg of the trip.
Fortunately, there has still been tons to see further south and I don't feel like the excitement has been lost. Also, I already made the decision to continue my journey south of the border once I sell belongings. After roughly a week, some serious hilly, curvy and varied terrain, the 1 finally brought me to the bay area. Riding across the Golden Gate at night, no fog, I could see the entire downtown SF skyline, even the bay bridge. Riding to downtown to catch the BART to Lafayette and my uncle/aunt's house, I looked back to see the ENTIRE Golden Gate. A cycling commuter I had ridden with across was saying that in the last four months of riding to/from work daily, he has never seen it that clear...
Here are some random thoughts:
It's funny how while riding, the journey itself seems very difficult, i.e. going up huge hills, dealing with traffic/winds/weather, etc...but all of the hardships are soon forgotten when arriving at a place and meeting fellow touring cyclists, or just seeing something amazing. It's funny to me how sometimes I'll just plain be tired of riding, body hurting, but then off my bike on some detour, or hanging with new friends, it all seems perfect and fun.
I think it's funny how different things seem while riding. For example: I have driven the entire California coast numerous times over the years, even driving the 1 from San Francisco to Humboldt once going North, yet a lot of it seems so unfamiliar now while biking. There are certain places (bars, beaches...) that I have seen many times and have the same fee now, but others...just so exotic. It's crazy to me how much more I am seeing while on the road, passing a body of water for instance, instead of seconds in a car, I have minutes to analyze the area.
I have definitely noticed the weather cooling down within the past 2-3 weeks. Very noticeable shift in the weather. I have not been rained on in so long...I don't even remember the last time! Coming down off Legget hill, into the valley before the next hill, I have never been so cold riding. Flying at around 25mph, for a few miles, with just a T shirt on and bike shorts, with probably temp around 50, I felt the cold wind chill me deep down to the bones. I actually had to stop and put a sweatshirt on, and was still cold until the next uphill.
It's amazing how many touring cyclists are out there. I remember I barely saw any in Washington, then I hit Oregon and from then on, I see lots. Now they are almost dime-a-dozen (but not really) and sometimes just exchange hellos instead of emails and blog addresses.
I have been thinking a lot recently, the whole notion of meeting people on the road. Lots (most) are very nice and interesting people. There are some particular people that I make a serious connection with. These people that I can see right away, already have a profound effect, would make awesome companions, and just better my life altogether, are only temporary. Somebody recently said how I would never see someone ever again, and the thought has plagued me since I heard the words. It has been difficult to think how when I meet someone that stands out in the awesome category, I will shortly be saying my goodbyes and possibly never seeing that person again...that sux haha! I think, of course, it is much better to have maid connections with people (hopefully learned something important, or at least had an outstanding time), some strong bonds, and hope that one day we will hang out again and reminisce...but it is difficult to deal with for me nonetheless.
The guide book I am following uses some statements that I hate. Things like "the miles fly by" - describing certain sections of the tour that are supposed to be easy...which never happens!
I have probably mentioned this previously, out of all the things to deal with while riding on the road, the wind is the worst. I will take rain, cars, logging trucks, even incapable/inconsiderate RV drivers, over a strong headwind. It just saps my motivation and turns riding into a struggle to move.
Well I'm off to bed for a long day of touring around SF on my bike tomorrow. I'll probably stay in the area through the weekend and move South on Monday (I'm hoping to find a reasonably priced handlebar bag, and some new bike shoes, both of which are expensive)
Total mileage: 1334
Here is a summary as a refresher from previous:
After leaving Astoria, I continued South, only to meet some more touring cyclists within the next day or two (Russel and Lauraly - two brits, and Ben - canadian) I would camp with them a couple times and occasionally see them on the road, and ride with them when we were on the same schedule. A highlight of being with them was camping at South Beach State Park, riding bike paths to Rogue brewery under the bridge in Newport, and riding back in the dark = very excellent time.
I took a week off in Crescenty City at my good friend Miles' place, that can be summed up with a basic description of our day: coffee, surfing, beer, food, friends, repeat.
Leaving Crescenty City and my friends was difficult but I felt the road calling, and the weather looming with fall swiftly approaching. Up a huge hill, couple camp spots, and I'm in Arcata (place I have wanted to live in for years). Meeting people was easy and having a generous warmshowers host - Janet, and awesome new friend and couchsurfer host - Kristin, I again I found myself having a hard time leaving this town, and had to muster some motivation to keep moving.
Riding through the redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants, was probably the best time riding for me yet (I knew it would be spectacular). With little cars on the road, and relatively flat land, my mind could wander through the trees as I pedaled. I thought a lot of the people I had met on this journey and where this trip has taken me. I thanked myself for making this trip happen. I was astonished that I had already ridden halfway to San Diego, and over 1,000 miles. I was (and still a bit) filled with mixed emotions. On one side I was thrilled to have ridden as far as I have, and proud of myself. On the other side, sad, that the trip would be ending soon, and that this was likely the last cool scenic leg of the trip.
Fortunately, there has still been tons to see further south and I don't feel like the excitement has been lost. Also, I already made the decision to continue my journey south of the border once I sell belongings. After roughly a week, some serious hilly, curvy and varied terrain, the 1 finally brought me to the bay area. Riding across the Golden Gate at night, no fog, I could see the entire downtown SF skyline, even the bay bridge. Riding to downtown to catch the BART to Lafayette and my uncle/aunt's house, I looked back to see the ENTIRE Golden Gate. A cycling commuter I had ridden with across was saying that in the last four months of riding to/from work daily, he has never seen it that clear...
Here are some random thoughts:
It's funny how while riding, the journey itself seems very difficult, i.e. going up huge hills, dealing with traffic/winds/weather, etc...but all of the hardships are soon forgotten when arriving at a place and meeting fellow touring cyclists, or just seeing something amazing. It's funny to me how sometimes I'll just plain be tired of riding, body hurting, but then off my bike on some detour, or hanging with new friends, it all seems perfect and fun.
I think it's funny how different things seem while riding. For example: I have driven the entire California coast numerous times over the years, even driving the 1 from San Francisco to Humboldt once going North, yet a lot of it seems so unfamiliar now while biking. There are certain places (bars, beaches...) that I have seen many times and have the same fee now, but others...just so exotic. It's crazy to me how much more I am seeing while on the road, passing a body of water for instance, instead of seconds in a car, I have minutes to analyze the area.
I have definitely noticed the weather cooling down within the past 2-3 weeks. Very noticeable shift in the weather. I have not been rained on in so long...I don't even remember the last time! Coming down off Legget hill, into the valley before the next hill, I have never been so cold riding. Flying at around 25mph, for a few miles, with just a T shirt on and bike shorts, with probably temp around 50, I felt the cold wind chill me deep down to the bones. I actually had to stop and put a sweatshirt on, and was still cold until the next uphill.
It's amazing how many touring cyclists are out there. I remember I barely saw any in Washington, then I hit Oregon and from then on, I see lots. Now they are almost dime-a-dozen (but not really) and sometimes just exchange hellos instead of emails and blog addresses.
I have been thinking a lot recently, the whole notion of meeting people on the road. Lots (most) are very nice and interesting people. There are some particular people that I make a serious connection with. These people that I can see right away, already have a profound effect, would make awesome companions, and just better my life altogether, are only temporary. Somebody recently said how I would never see someone ever again, and the thought has plagued me since I heard the words. It has been difficult to think how when I meet someone that stands out in the awesome category, I will shortly be saying my goodbyes and possibly never seeing that person again...that sux haha! I think, of course, it is much better to have maid connections with people (hopefully learned something important, or at least had an outstanding time), some strong bonds, and hope that one day we will hang out again and reminisce...but it is difficult to deal with for me nonetheless.
The guide book I am following uses some statements that I hate. Things like "the miles fly by" - describing certain sections of the tour that are supposed to be easy...which never happens!
I have probably mentioned this previously, out of all the things to deal with while riding on the road, the wind is the worst. I will take rain, cars, logging trucks, even incapable/inconsiderate RV drivers, over a strong headwind. It just saps my motivation and turns riding into a struggle to move.
Well I'm off to bed for a long day of touring around SF on my bike tomorrow. I'll probably stay in the area through the weekend and move South on Monday (I'm hoping to find a reasonably priced handlebar bag, and some new bike shoes, both of which are expensive)
Total mileage: 1334
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Vivid Details
Miles' house, a very good friend that I stayed with for a week
Nothing like taking a break for some waves. Note: nice right peeling wave behind me
A few steps from my friend's place in Crescent City
...and nobody out
so excite!
Janet, awesome warmshowers host
True story, pizza and beer in a movie theater = amazing
Goodtimes with couchsurfer kristin
speechless
The very spot I first heard about going on a trip like this and gave me the idea.
Cypress barrel
Tim and Allen, touring on a weekend.
Norcal is cool.
Fellow cyclist Emily after breakfast warming up
Probably best stealth camp spot yet, mere 20 meters from a kelp bed
Red-tail gliding, on top of Mt. Tamalpais
Not doing it justice... could see the ENTIRE bridge and downtown skyline.
Monday, October 11, 2010
More Pictures
Hiked a mile to get this shot. Look familiar?
Great free-camp spot, complete with cooking log (so nice getting up to morning sun).
Creek, next to our camp site near Crescent City
New friends from the hostel
Morning glow, side of the road
Brits on the left, canadian on the right
Rare carnivorous california pitcher plant
Astoria, OR. Taken from the monument
If you wish to donate, see the "Donate" button at the bottom of the page.
If you wish to donate, see the "Donate" button at the bottom of the page.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)