Getting back on schedule

I tried to get going on time today to make up a half day of travel time.  I was rolling at 7:30am and looking to eat breakfast down the road about one hour.  And I did stop in Chemult and joined a fellow named Don from Tucson who was on his way back home after a long solo ride.  He had traded for a new bike along the way and was enjoying his new ride.  He gave me reason to think I'd still be at it for some years - he is 76 years old!

He spent some time and care in folding up his rain gear.  Yes, it was raining this morning again.  And when we got done eating it was raining again.  My big red suit is my only gear and it is rainproof.  No changing gear for me but the disadvantage that it is pretty hot.

 

First view of Pacific at Crescent City

Now today that was not a problem.  I remember reading in the book that the author and his son Chris were really cold on the day they rode into northern California. So was I!  I got as far as Eureka, California and called it a day as it started raining again.  Entering California was a surprising boost to energy levels.  You can likely tell from the blog entries that I have gotten really tired and looking at the screen after a day of riding is very hard to do.  I am planning a day off in San Francisco and I should be able to regain some of that vitality before heading east and seeing a new part of America.  Hang in there!

Snow along road at Crater Lake

Today's ride included Crater Lake.  I took some photos but really - there are much better pics online.  It was overcast, rainy, in the low sixty's and, in general, ugly.  I will include one of the bike and the snow on the west road.  The snow in the picture is not the deepest, it is just at a place that was safe to stop and take the photo. The east road is still closed by snow!  I think that this is another place most people would enjoy.  Much smaller than Yellowstone, it still displays and describes a unique geological and environmental place.  Besides, where else in this hemisphere would you see two buses of boy scouts having snowball fights in July?

Lastly, I got a tip from the interesting guy running the laundromat for a restaurant called Marcelli's Ravioli and enjoyed a quick dinner while my stuff was drying.  Roberta greeted me with the news that it was closing time and maybe sensing my disappointment, offered to serve me anyway.  Great menu that allowed one to shose a pasta and a sauce and to have either just a plate of that or a complete dinner, I chose spinach fettuccine and tomato basil sauce with a glass of wine.  Perfect!  Thanks, Roberta for serving me well.

Sunday takes me off the ZAMM route again to visit a long-time internet friend, Duane, below Sacramento.  After a night with him I will be completing the route to San Francisco and be writing some book related stuff.  This end of the book is pretty tough stuff, but the ride completion for me should be great.  I am happy to report that I do not have a previous personality nor a 11 year old kid along on this ride!

Lessons Learned: A good meal at the end of a long, cold day cancels out all the aches and pains.

Stats: 327 miles Saturday, 4268 total for the trip so far, almost half way!

Thanks for riding along!