Day 3 Pictures

Day 3: east of San Diego, CA --> San Dieog Airport

Total day miles:  66

Temps:  88/43

I must have been a sad, sad sight walking down the bike path lugging my BOB trailer behind me, sleeping bag under my arm, and old, weathered camel back slung on my opposite shoulder.  Down the bike path towards San Diego Airport in search for a plane ticket back home.

It had been another long day mentally, physically, and environmentally....

The morning had started out alright.  A cool morning in the upper 40's seeing me retracing my bike steps for one last hurrah in trying to find my lost cell phone.  I thought I found it, but it ended up being a piece of styrofoam that looked exactly like the back side of the cell phone.  It was only 515AM, so my headlamp was doing the bulk of the searching.  Traffic minimal.  Success in locating cell phone minimal.  I passed by the San Diego Charger's football stadium for what seemed like the 20th time in less than 12 hours and headed off towards some new territory. 

I was really excited and ready to get rolling on the day despite yesterday's loss.  Perhaps the main reason for this being that when I called up Loretta on payphone she told me she just found out she was accepted into Exeter Graduate school program (Exeter is over in England).  I was soooo happy to hear this news and surprised how fast they were in letting her know.

I carried good spirits from the news up and over the next couple of small mountain pass climbs until I was dropped down into the small town of Santee.  Nothing but desert was around me.  High mountain peaks with the town of Santee nestled withing it's crevaces.  Again, this landscape was exactly that of eastern Oregon. 

Of course the temperature was decreasing from when I started out earlier.  But, I soon found out that that was about to change.  Within the next two hours the temperature nearly doubled and stood in the mid 80's.  Needless to say I looked like the new town fool in my oversized mittens, two pairs of tights, wool socks, and winter coat. After abandoning such images I was off and trying to make my way up what would be the start of a long day of climbing on Old Highway 8.  I was hoping to make it to the flip side of these desert mountain passes by days end and be pitching tent in the small, and first, desert town of Ocotillo.  

I managed to not get lost (there were only two turns I really had to make) and was feeling strong considering the shock my legs were put through the past two days.  I had some music going and felt confident in my ability to make today an all and all more positive day....and not to lose any major piece of equipment.  

That's when things started going down hill despite the obvious observation that I was pedaling uphill.  

My left knee had a shooting pain around outside half of the kneecap whenever I started to push the pedal down.  Seeing I needed at least two knees to pedal a bicycle, especially while going uphill, I slowed down my cadence.  That just made it worse.  So I pulled off to the side of the road (Percent grade of road 7-8%) layed down next to some mailboxes and just looked up at the sky for 30 or 40 minutes.  My mind wasn't sure what to do anymore.  I felt like everything was breaking down.  First my sense of following direction, my gear, and now by body.  I pulled out my camera to at least snag some pictures of the following desert surroundings.  The screen turned on but that was it.  None of the buttons were working on it.  Naturally I cursed about this additional good fortune and took the batteries out hoping the camera would let me start from square one again.  I turned camera on again and this time the display screen showed random "option" screens.  Screen I didn't even know existed.  Options and buttons to press I was flooded with feeling very insecure around my camera. 

Go figure.

After 5 minutes of pressing random buttons I managed to snap a few pictures.

I went back to looking up at the sky.  At least that was something I couldn't mess up, right?

My brain started making lists in my mind as to whether to continue on or to turn back and fly home whenever I could get a plane ticket.  I was only 30 or 40 miles from San Diego and would have plenty of time to make it there if that's the path I would choose.  

I could keep pushing onward, but I felt I wouldn't be enjoying the trip, and what would the point be if such were the case?  Financially speaking, I'd rather spend the money I was going to spend on the trip if I were enjoying myself.  That only seemed to make sense to me.  Furthermore, would my knee(s) get worse if I kept pushing it not just today but for the next 7 weeks of travel.  The long climb had only begun and the road was on its way to getting even steeper and more rugged.  Furthermore, I was lonely.  My first XC bike trip was great b/c I had met up with Stephen when I was only a few days into the trip and rode with him for a couple weeks or so before riding from Boulder, CO to Virginia by myself.  Plus, I was already missing a lot of my other interests.  My fingers were itching to play a stringed instrument...but it's like my fingers were going through withdrawl or something.  Of course every time I listened to David Grisman my fingers grew even more anxious.  

I thought of all the great explorers in the world.  Lewis and Clark came to mind first, naturally.  They sure as hell didn't meet success the first attempt of every endeavor they embarked on.  Maybe it was that I felt insecure labeling myself as a "quitter" so I tried to find, and make, excuses why it was ok for me to bail on this trip that I had spent so much time dreaming about, planning, and obsessing over.  

I took it pretty easy while biking back towards San Diego.  I stopped at Mission Dam State Park to explore the desert landscape and ended up using the shade cast by surrounding dessert shrub as a blanket while I napped in and out of consciousness.  The temperature was nearly 90 degrees and I was in no rush to clamber my way up 7% grade roads.  

I thought about a lot of things and so much more as I backtracked my way across roads I had just ridden across until I reached the San Diego Amtrak station.

Within an hour my bicycle was dissembled along with the rest of my gear.  The clerk said my bike and belonging box would be in Charlottesville, VA in 3 or 4 days.

I then started to make the 2 mile walk to the San Diego Airport.  Of course the sunset was amazing.  I was in San Diego of all places. How could the sunset be of anything less?  Of course I naturally jammed my hand in my backpack for my camera and was only reminded of it's malfunctioning issues while trying to capture the sunset in several frames of digital injustice.  It was a struggle 'til the very end.  

My plane took off at 9pm PCT.  I'm in New York right now.  In another hour I'll be boarding to fly back to Richmond, VA.

Already my miseries feel like a lifetime ago.  Were they even ever real?  I know it's hard for most folks who are reading this to understand, but it was a very hard decision for me to make and to confront myself with.  But, I know that the only thing I can do now is look ahead towards the countless roads I hope to be fortunate to go rummaging down with BOB trailer in tow.  I feel that as long as I learn from this trip then it was as priceless and perhaps just as significant as my first XC bike trip.  

Thanks to all the folks who followed this unexpectedly short lived adventure and as Loretta summed it up nicely, "Michael, sometimes the circumstances, which you can't control, just aren't going to cooperate..."

++My camera won't upload the last round of pictures d/t whatever reason...I'll need to use different camera with my memory card and hopefully get some up soon++

 

Pictures from Day2

Day 2: Laguna Beach, CA --> east of San Diego, CA

94 miles today

Temps:  78/52

Left Laguna Beach at 615am and started off into the early morning dawn.  Full moon still hovering above the western horizon.  A new sun about to rise from the southeast.  I made off down the Pacific Coast Highway at a comfortable pace and made things more enjoyable by listening to some music.  David Grisman Quintet was perfect for the cool morning. 

My ultimate goal was to make it to San Diego.  It was about 73 miles or so down the road and I felt confident I would meet my goal.  

Once again most of the day consisted of following bike paths that ran adjacent to the road.  

All throughout the morning I smelt that of a Sunday morning breakfast (eggs, bacon, coffee).  Every block I passed there was a refreshing new smell of the exact same thing.  

After making my way through Capistrano Beach I entered Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base. There were strict rules at the entrance stating to ride single file only and to wear no radio headphones.  I made the assumption that it meant no listening to the radio to avoid intercepting any important practice drills they might be doing.  I cranked up some Grateful Dead and rolled my way through the army base.  

The landscape reminded me of Oregon....or at least the eastern half of Oregon.  Hells Canyon in particular...right where the Snake River serves as the border line between Oregon and Idaho.

Anyways, back to California....more and more mountains were coming into view, which could only mean more and more climbing.  The bike paths continued and the number of cyclists seemed to triple and quadruple with every mile I pushed forward down the coast.  

Anyways, I finally made it to San Diego...or at least the outskirts of San Diego (Mission Bay, La Jolla, etc).  I'm not sure if those are parts of San Diego or just towns that have sprawled enough that they just all look to be one in the same.

My goal was to start heading east.  I was leaning my back against a Chevron gas station wall and examining maps.  I could easily get in another 15 miles or so to a campsite area.  I still had two hours of daylight left.  I made haste.

After following the Old Sea World Rd I met up with Friar Road and continued on and on.  I was making good time, flying by the seat of my pants.  Plenty of daylight left.  

The only thing slowing my pace, aside from stoplights, were every 10meters or so there was a break in the pavement with a 2-4 inch "bump" or pile of pavement.  My bicycle had had enough beatings since yeseterday and today I was starting to notice more and more that the ball bearings inside the fork of bike were loosening.  Whenever I would squeeze the front brake the whole front fork would wobble back and forth like a loose tooth.  Not good.  I had this fixed before the trip and figured I'd pull out the allen wrenches once I reached the campsite.

I had made if 10 of the first 15 miles at a respectable pace and went to pull out my cell phone to see how I was doing on time.

Apparently not good...or if I was good on time I'd never be allowed the time of day to find out.

My phone was gone. 

I checked again.  Maybe it slide to the bottom of the pocket I keep it in.

Nothing.  Nothing but the tube of sunscreen and pepper spray.

I couldn't believe it.

Out of the three items the cell phone had to be the one to take the dive?

I knew exactly how it could have fallen out....all the damn bumps in the road.  I had ridden over hundreds of them since I made a turn east.

Go figure.

I then spent the rest of daylight biking up and down the 3 or 4 mile stretch I assumed it could be found.  I would bike the east bound lane slow and then find an exit ramp, turn around, bike back west towards San Diego, turn around at another exit ramp and repeat this pattern until I could take it no more.

My phone was gone.  Frustrating it was because I knew it had to be somewhere within the 3 or 4 mile stretch of road where I now stood.  In a bush somewhere, a lucky person's pocket, crushed by another cyclist.  

I gave up when the sun set and snuffed out the lights.  

My day ended with 94 miles under my belt, and a nice chunk of that from just going in circles at the end of the day.

I found a payphone, called Loretta and tried to brainstorm which direction my next step would be.....

PICTURES FROM DAY 1

Santa Monica Beach, CA --> Luguna Beach, CA (71 miles)

Well, today was a frustrating one to be honest.

It started out just great and dandy.  Lauren was the best host ever and I am very grateful for how let me use her apartment as a starting base.  

This morning she drove me and my gear to Santa Monica Beach.  The sun was out, blue sky all around, sand on the ground, waves crashing down.  The bike path was there waiting for me, along with an endless amount of homosapiens promenading all the while.  Cyclists were out in full forse too on this Saturday morning.  A wind was blowing steady and fast from the southwest creating a headwind that would torture me throughout the first day of this trip.

After somehow securing all belongings to the BOB trailer I was off.  A little shaky at first, but eventually getting the hang of things.  At first I thought the world of the bike paths, but this soon left my mind once I noticed that there were quarter mile markers.  I found this to be a little excessive, but if the state of California had extra paint many years ago then by all means, use it to paint quarter mile markers from Los Angeles to San Diego.  

I pity the painter.

Palm trees lined the roads.  Million buck houses lined the palm trees.  Busy roads lined the houses.  Occasionally the mountains would sneak a peak at the ocean, but most of the day smog hung steady and fast preventing a clear climpse.

With the headwind time crawls by.  

Today was no exception.  

Despite getting a somewhat early start (0845) I only managed to go 36 miles by 1pm.  Many factors can explain this type of pace.  Perhaps the foremost:  I'm out of shape.  Secondly, the bike paths were so packed that I'd have to go the pace of the folks walking their dogs until there was room for me to squeeze around them and then repeat the same actions with the next group of weekend warrior promenaders.  Thirdly, headwinds all day.  Fourthly, getting lost several times while trying to make it through Los Angeles.  Fiftly, stoplights, stoplights, stoplights.

Ok.  Enough excuses.  But it's all true I swear.

I had one of those "I'm here and home is there" moments about 1pm when I stopped at a Whole Foods Market to get something to eat.  My legs were fried by this point.  Psychologically I was fried (and it was only 4 hours into the trip!).  I was dehydrated.  And tired of headwinds.

The second half of the day had it's ups and downs too, not to mention not making the right turn and ending up going 5 miles down the entire length of a peninsula, only to realize at the end that the road I should have been on was across the bay.  Not to mention the headwinds.  

As I cursed at all the infants and toddlers I could see I made my way back to where I should have originally made the turn and continued on cursing anything else that crossed my path.  

Following the ocean throughout the day was great though.  Traffic was little of an issue seeing I was either on a bike path surrounded by sand or the bike path was on the shoulder of traffic.  It was great to see the constant streams of folks of all shapes and sizes pushing the pedal to the ground.  

I stopped at Crystal Cove State Park (not that I expect anyone to know what or where that is) and headed onto the town of Laguna Beach.  The name really means nothing to me, even after Loretta informed me that it's one of the most ritzy and overpriced places in our solar system.  I was informed of this while watching a great sunset over the Pacific Ocean.  I was exhausted beyond repair at this point.  My body was not use to cycling much, muchless hauling over 50lbs of cargo behind me (total weight includes that of the BOB trailer).

Of course there would be no campgrounds in such an expensive place.  So, my choices were to bike another 8 miles (my legs refused, plus it was dark by this point) or check into a hotel.

So here I am.  

In a hotel.

Only left to wonder how wind is produced and if it will be as windy as it was today, except tomorrow.

(song stuck in my head allllll day:  Robert Earl Keen "Shades of Grey")

(item I wish I had at end of day:  Mandolin)

EARTHQUAKE?!?!?!?!?!?!

Well, I arrived in California land safe and sound.  A long day of traveling to say the least.

I flew from Richmond Int'l Airport to Chicago and then to San Diego, hoped on Amtrak train for a 2 1/2 hour train ride to Los Angeles Union Station which is where Lauren (one of Loretta's cousins) picked me up. 

Obviously the first thing I noticed when I got off the plane was....my appetite.  Man, I was starving like never before.  Once I had that under control I looked up and...voila!.  Palm trees and a Pacific Ocean sitting right where I assumed they'd be.  I looked around at the variety of people walking around me and suddenly felt out of place in my brown pants, flannel shirt, and puffy down winter coat.  

Lauren gave me a small tour around the UCLA campus after we grabbed a bite to eat at a local sushi restaurant and then I was starting to fall asleep on the living room couch by 7:30pm California time.  Right when I was about to be out like a light I felt my entire surroundings start to shift back and forth for about 3 or 4 seconds.  My eyes bolted open and I just looked around wondering what to think.

This shift in surroundings couldn't have been timed better seeing just an hour prior Lauren and I had been talking a good bit about earthquakes and how they are right on the fault line, etc.  Furthermore, right before I dozed off to sleep I was starring at the ceiling wondering what it would be like to be in an earthquake and how disasterous it must be....all very strange happenings, eh?

Lauren bolted out of her room and was like, "Did you feel that?  That wasn't people walking on the roof was it? Do you think it was an earthquake?"  I filled her in on my assessment as she looked up on a earthquake website specifically for California areas.  Indeed, within a few minutes it was updated saying that a 5.0 magnitued earthquake occurred right in our area of Los Angeles.  

Lauren and I discussed our game plan incase there was a bigger earthquake on the way and I was then out like a light, sleeping like a jet-lagged passenger should.  

(Friday Lauren is giving me a quick tour of Los Angeles area, and I also need to assemble my boxed up bicycle and BOB trailer).