Summer 1997 - Yukon to California
Journals - 19 August 1997
Day 40
19 August 1997 (foggy; slight rain in PM; mileage = 38.3; Ft. Bragg) -- X -
We woke up on the beach with a semi-wet tent. We didn't use the outer tent,
but we don't think it rained since we tracked the full moon all night. We
had a quick take down and breakfast and lugged our bikes out of the sand.
Then the climb out of Usal Beach -- wow! It was quite a climb. There was
fog near the top with shafts of sunlight streaking through. We had to brake
break on the drop, but we finally popped out on Highway 1. What a treat
that was -- smooth, flat road. It was like flying. We got to the last big
climb out to the coast and it seemed easy to me. I cranked up it at 7 mph
(much faster than yesterday's average speed!). When we got to the coast,
the scenery was obscured by fog, but it was still nice. It was slightly
hilly, but at least with lots of effort, you could get some progress,
unlike yesterday. We passed the campground that Dennis and I stayed at. The
road lost its shoulder and the traffic was very annoying. We passed some
unloaded riders on expensive-looking bikes (always fun). We were both
getting tired when we pulled into McKerricher State Park at about noon. I
washed the dust off of the bikes and lubed the chains. We cooked some rice
for lunch. A cyclist (Randy from Monterrey) came in and we talked to him
for a long time. He had nice! 48-spoke wheels and T.N.F. tent. We left at
about 4:30 and took the Old Coast Road (now a bike path -- cool!) into
town. We found a bike shop and I bought new tubes (whew!). We called V.M.
and then our Ft. Bragg contact (Carolann W.). She wasn't home, but we
got the semi-green light from her daughter-in-law. We ate at a mediocre
Mexican restaurant and then went to the house. She still wasn't home, but
we checked the place out and wow! Was the guest house nice! We rounded up
our laundry and walked to the nearby laundromat. We had frozen fruit snacks
and chocolate milk from the corner store. We're back at the house now, and
our hostess is still not home. We are in the garage hanging out. It's very
nice. (*-Picture -- guest house)
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