Monday 22 October 2007

Thinking that we would sleep like the dead last night, we were awake again before midnight and then sporadically through the night, a nature call allowing us to view the wonderful million star show in the heavens before the cold of the night drove us back into the tent and the welcoming warmth of the sleeping bag.

Waking early we stretched the leg muscles to test the level of hurt before sneaking in a few more minutes in the warmth. Rising from the tent we found a heavy dew over everything and the sun only a third of the way up behind the trees.

Packed up and leaving we stopped to talk to the most heavily armed ranger we have ever seen (pistol, clips, asp baton and all sorts of other goodies). She informed us that the road we had wanted to ride yesterday was closed after 5 inches of rain caused some ground slides and trees to fall, adding almost casually that we could have got through it we had wanted to - Grrrrr!

Leaving our ranger lady and campsite we were wondering if we would see any of the wild elk that the signs told us not to approach on foot, when there on the side of the road were some of the very animals we were thinking of. Raising their heads as we approached they continued eating and totally ignored us even though we were riding past no more that 20 feet from their noses.

Back on the highway again, light traffic buzzing past, we began heading towards Orlick through relatively flat terrain, the road winding its way through segments of forest. Arriving in Orlick the whole town seemed to be there for the purpose of selling some very nice and some very large, redwood carvings or large redwood off cuts, most of the carvings being done right there in the front of the shop, large piles of sawdust and shavings testament to the work that had been done.

Leaving Orlick we came across some buildings that appeared to be an old RV park and some buildings, the buildings and surrounds of no real significance, but there wandering around were two bull Elk, their giant antlers giving them away as they munched on what was a lawn.

Since way back in Alaska we have been seeing signs that said there were Elk around and yet we were never able to spot any, leading me to mock the signs and say that the animal they depicted were mystical or figments of peoples imagination, but as nice as yesterday and today's sightings of the females and calves were, these big guys were what we had really wanted to see, and here they were, wandering around in civilisation!

Leaving the now non-mystical Elk to their breakfast we began climbing again as we wound our way around headlands near various lagoons, often separated from the sea by a small sliver of sand covered in driftwood. The road narrow, uneven and full of blind corners we were riding on the edge- literally inches away from a drop down the side and where the Armco railing had not yet been installed.

Interesting and challenging riding over, we left the highway and began working our way along the quieter road (old highway) and a climb towards Trinidad. Riding along the top of the cliff we were again afforded great views of the Pacific coast before we dropped down through the forest and into the small town that is Trinidad. Not wanting to continue on we decided to have a shorter day and found ourselves a nice little RV park.

Today's Stats

From: Prairie Ck State Park

To: Trinidad

Ride Time:
3 hrs 29 min's

Distance:
45.81 km's

Av Speed:
13.1 km/h

Max Speed:
58 km/h

Max Altitude:
m

Av Climb: 3 %

Max Climb: 12 %

Weather: 5-25 deg C. Sunny.

Camp Location:

N: 41°03'43.4 "

W: 124°08'15.7"

Tuesday 23 October 2007

Waking to a warm morning and views of the horrific fires in Southern California on the TV we got onto the road and commenced our short trip towards McKinleyville and Arcata. Climbing for a bit along the highway before a short fast descent back to sea level and a turn off onto a quieter road where we met a local man by the name of Ben.

Ben was on his way to the bank in McKinleyville but as it was such a nice day decided to assist us by taking us right through to Arcata and to the bike shop.

We began by riding the Hammond Trail, and old railway line that has been converted into a bike and horse trail, running along the beach, then through the narrow lanes that run between the various farms before crossing the old railway bridge and finally running past some very nice homes overlooking the beach and then into town.

Ben, a retired teacher from the college in Arcata told us of his cycling tours and we enjoyed chatting with him about touring and the local area. Arriving at one of the bike shops, Adventures Edge, Ben organised for us to get into the back yard of the shop and to talk to the bike mechanic - Brian. We really appreciated the help and company Ben afforded us.

We told Brian that we wanted to check the bearings in our front wheels and to do some maintenance and cleaning. No problem said Ben. He checked the bearings and deduced that the drag was brake drag not bearing problems when the axles were nipped up tight, so replacing and realigning the brake pads on James seemed to be the thing to do, especially as the brake pads that we replaced in Calgary were almost shot. We spent around 3 hours in the yard with the trikes in pieces and cleaning the chain, rear cluster, chain-rings, rollers etc before paying for our goods and riding off. We really appreciated the help Brian gave us and the chance to use their back yard to get all the work done.

Looking for somewhere to stop for tonight we were joined by Ben, the recumbent rider we met in Gold Beach and caught up on our respective trips before we booked into the Hotel Arcata and ride our trikes through the lobby and parked them in the conference room for the night.

Today's Stats

From: Trinidad

To: Arcata

Ride Time:
1 hrs 55 min's

Distance:
26.92  km's

Av Speed:
13.9 km/h

Max Speed:
58 km/h

Max Altitude:
m

Av Climb: 3 %

Max Climb: 13 %

Weather: 10-31 deg C. Sunny.

Camp Location:

N: 40°52'08.8 "

W: 124°05'08.9"

Wednesday 24 October 2007

Leaving the hotel this morning was as interesting as it was going in yesterday. Packing up and riding (because it was easier than pushing) down the wheelchair ramp, through the lobby and out the double doors into the town square was a blast. The town square was quiet and almost empty except for a few cars parked around the square.

Leaving town we stopped at a traffic light where the Police were supervising the removal of a broken down RV, the tow truck driver asking us if we could help by towing the RV around the corner for him - something we declined. Perhaps we should have had a bet with him and seen if we could have moved it?

The freeway out of town was flowing quite fast and Joanne was trying her best to keep up with the traffic, testament to the successful maintenance and cleaning of her trike yesterday. Arriving in the large town of Eureka we stopped for some shopping and then continued on, turning off to take the quieter road to Ferndale.

One large hill and then a drop down into the small town of Loleta, home to Loleta Cheese and a small community struggling to survive. Stopping for lunch in the middle of town and needing a nature call, a question to a lady out walking regarding the whereabouts of public toilets resulted in her taking us a few blocks to her home to complete the job.

Moving on from Loleta we made our way into the Victorian style town of Ferndale, the quaint homes and nice looking shops with their intricate gingerbread detail testament to some hard work by the residents. Just driving through the main street was nice, but an even better view of these quaint houses awaits anyone willing to explore the back streets.

The campground in the fairgrounds however, was totally opposite in looks. The windswept, leaf covered RV parking lot with its overgrown grass and dirty shower block were not worth the $10 they were asking for a nights bliss, so we moved on to the only other accommodation in town.

Today's Stats

From: Arcata

To: Ferndale

Ride Time:
3 hrs 18 min's

Distance:
49.31  km's

Av Speed:
14.9 km/h

Max Speed:
60 km/h

Max Altitude:
78m

Av Climb: 2 %

Max Climb: 7 %

Weather: 8-15 deg C. Overcast.

Camp Location:

N: 40°34'39.6 "

W: 124°15'45.4"

Thursday 25 OCtober 2007

Leaving the quaint town of Ferndale was pleasant because of the way the homes look, so taking in a little tour of the back streets as we left made for a nice exit from town. Up and over a couple of hills on a road that looked more like it would take you back into town rather than out of town, we passed through more farming country, the unmistakable bovine aroma wafting through the area and our noses. In keeping with the theme that Ferndale has, many of the farm houses were also prettied up, looking somewhat out of place sitting next to the cow shed. More climbing to get over a ridge resulted in some slow ascents and then fast, exciting, winding descents that we enjoyed as we sped down them. Not much in the way of road kill through these parts, just the occasional carcass of something that looked like a possum, but the biggest we saw was a freshly killed female Elk lying in the middle of the road, blood leaking out of hits head and across the road and its eyes staring blankly into space.

Arriving in Rio Dell we rejoined the busy Highway 101 as it wound its way South. Rio Dell looked like it had had more profitable days, probably when it ran on the back of the timber industry that was big through here a few years ago. A number of kilometres later we gladly left the busy highway near the town of Stafford and turned off into the Avenue of the Giants, home to some of the oldest and biggest Redwoods in the USA.

Riding among the giants was a wonderful experience, the cold damp air settling on us as we rode through underneath them and where the sun doesn't get to very often. Craning our necks to see the tops of the trees as we rode caused the occasional bump as the wheels began to leave the road, the bump jolting us back to reality and the task at hand. Taking the lane as we rode caused the tourist traffic behind to slow down and to stay behind us on the narrow and often blind cornered road at the same time gave us all time to enjoy the forest and the trees.

Eventually arriving at the Burlington State Park Campground we located the hiker/biker campsites and took up residence for the sum of $6, and for once the hiker/biker sites were near to the toilets and showers and not just in some left over area that you couldn't get an RV into.

Today's Stats

From: Ferndale

To: Burlington State Park CG

Ride Time:
4 hrs 3 min's

Distance:
57  km's

Av Speed:
14.0 km/h

Max Speed:
61.5 km/h

Max Altitude:
129 m

Av Climb: 3 %

Max Climb: 13 %

Weather: 10-13 deg C. Overcast.

Camp Location:

N: 40°18'33.6 "

W: 123°54'35.0"

Friday 26 October 2007

Thinking we would have the hiker/biker area to ourselves we set up camp in the best spot and enjoyed a nice warm 50 cent shower and then two other cyclists turned up on their way North to Seattle. Then just as they got in Ben on his two wheel recumbent turned up, and then Alex on his two wheel recumbent and another guy Bradley on his upwrong and towing a Bob turned up. So there we were just the two of us and before we knew it the two of us had turned into seven! Naturally the evening was taken up chatting about each others ride and the road ahead. It was great to look around the camp and see nothing but tall trees, tents and bikes.

Waking this morning we were first out of the starting blocks and as we left the two guys heading North were about to leave and Bradley was packing up. The Avenue of the Giants is 31 miles long so naturally we were still amongst the giant trees, the road quiet except for the occasional park vehicle. Riding through the trees with the morning fog hanging over the top was an eerie experience, the river off to one side flowing quietly in the opposite direction.

Passing through the small communities of Myers Flat, Miranda and Phillipsville we continued to follow the scenic route through the giant trees, the road climbing up and down and making us work in the cool of the morning. Rejoining the highway our riding was faster courtesy of the smoother surface but noisier and not as enjoyable because of the traffic. Climbing along hill we stopped just outside of Gerberville and were sitting on the side of the road when Ben turned up on his recumbent. He was heading into town to use the Internet so after a short chat he departed and left us to our lunch.

Up and up we went before eventually arriving at the Richardson Grove Camp Campground where we took an early mark on the day to rest and relax for the huge hill we have to climb tomorrow, found ourselves a nice camp and enjoyed another hot shower - 25 cents this time.

Bob and Jane, a couple from San Francisco turned up and set up camp in their caravan on the site opposite and came over for a chat which was most enjoyable. A short time later Alex, our German two wheel recumbent rider turned up. A little while later Bob brought some firewood over so along with Alex we got it going and enjoyed a campfire as the cool of the evening descended upon us.

Today's Stats

From: Burlington State Park CG

To: Richardson Grove State Park

Ride Time:
3 hrs 45 min's

Distance:
50.31  km's

Av Speed:
13.7 km/h

Max Speed:
68 km/h

Max Altitude:
225 m

Av Climb: 3 %

Max Climb: 14 %

Weather: 10-13 deg C. Overcast.

Camp Location:

N: 40°01'10.1 "

W: 123°47'38.4"

Saturday 27 October 2007

An early start and pack up with the fog again hanging over the top of the trees we enjoyed another chat with Bob and then with Alex before heading off down the road and into the tall trees again. Cycling into a small location we came across a true log home, built into a trunk of a 2,100 year old redwood in 1946.

Leaving the log home we began climbing and climbing. Today was Leggett Hill day and the ride was living up to all that everyone had told us about it.

Climbing up the hill on the side of the freeway was bit of a slog, low gears and plenty of stops along the way. As far as freeways go it was fairly typical, wide and with plenty of fast flowing traffic. The weather was quite warm and we were raising a big sweat, the weather warm enough for a young couple to be skinny dipping in the river some 50m below where we were riding.

Stopping for lunch on the side of the road outside Gerberville we were enjoying not only our lunch but the break from riding when Ben turned up on his two wheel recumbent. He was heading into town to use the Internet and to do some shopping before heading on way past where we were heading to so as to get most of the long hill that is Leggett Hill out of the way.

Lunch over we continued to the top of the hill and the end of the freeway. Back into narrow, winding we climbed and climbed again, this time past where a construction company was building a new bridge that would take the road well away from the rock slide road we were riding on. Passing yet another redwood chainsaw carving shop we eventually arrived in the small town of Leggett with just a market (grocery store) and a service station to its name. Turning off of Highway 101 we were now about to follow Highway 1 which continues our trip along the coast.

After buying a few supplies it was time to tackle the real hill, and what a hill it was. Starting with a fast curvy downhill to a bridge the road then turned upwards. Climbing up and up and up, passing along a narrow, winding road with lots of blind corners, trees over the top of the road thick enough to block the signal to the GPS yet providing us with a cool, shady place to work. Traffic thankfully was light which gave us some peace of mind on the blind corners, of which there were plenty.

Stopping for lunch 2 kilometres short of the summit we spread our sweat soaked clothes out in the sun and added our camping gear to it, people driving past obviously amused at the site of it. Lunch and rest over our legs reluctantly took us up the remaining part of the hill which never seemed to arrive. Finally, and with a huge sign of relief we crossed the top of the hill at 572m rode along the top of the ridge before commencing the long awaited and anticipated downhill that many people had told us was around 15 miles long.

Tight corners and short straights were the nature of the downhill. Trying to enjoy the downhill as much as possible it was a case of using the brakes to assist steering around the corners as well as leaning over to keep the trike balanced. Having been overtaken by an RV towing a car on the way up, it was with some satisfaction that I came round a bend and there it was, its driver taking really cautiously down the hill. Having me sitting on his rear must have been un-nerving because as soon as the first opportunity presented itself they pulled over and let me go whizzing past- what a blast!

Downhill over we leveled out and were riding through a swampy sort of area, the ocean on the other side of a large hill which we had to climb to get a glimpse of. Starting our climb where the town of Rockport used to be we were climbing and climbing yet again, our legs wondering what the heck was happening and why they were working so hard again after our brains had told them it was now downhill all the way. With more blue sky than trees in front of us we began our final ascent before coming out of the forest and into the sunlight. There below us was the Pacific Ocean, the sun glimmering on the smooth water, large rocks sticking out of the water along the coastline as the small waves slid up the brown volcanic type sand that is the beach along this part of the coast.

Riding along the shoreline highway, perched on the side of the cliffs, the ocean just 50m or so below. We were heading towards the Westport Landing State Park Campground, itself perched on the side of the cliff. Arriving at the campground we found a windswept car park with a toilet and a few tables and fire pits at which some RV's had parked to take advantage of the views and cheap overnight cost. Being low on water we were looking for a tap to get some water for overnight, otherwise we were going to have to ride on to where we could find some. Riding onto a second part of the campground we found a camp host headquarters, some tents and like the other part, a toilet, some tables and fire pits, and, a tap. Setting up camp we were almost immediately set upon by the camp host who cheerfully collected our $6 before departing. Seems he sits in his RV and then jumps on anyone who enters the camp to ensure the fee is paid.

Alex turned up shortly thereafter and set up camp next to us, the three of us spending the next few hours trying to keep out of the cool wind that was blowing in off the ocean along with the huge fog that this part of the coast is renowned for. Rugged up with plenty of clothes on we cooked and enjoyed our evening meal before settling into our tents for the evening as the surf pounded away just metres from our bed. It had been quite a big day.

Today's Stats

From: Richardson Grove State Park

To: Westport Landing State Park

Ride Time:
5 hrs 27 min's

Distance:
67.65  km's

Av Speed:
12.4 km/h

Max Speed:
59 km/h

Max Altitude:
572 m

Av Climb: 4 %

Max Climb: 12 %

Weather: 10-13 deg C. Overcast.

Camp Location:

N: 39 °40'31.4 "

W: 123°47'25.9"

Sunday 28 October 2007

Awake at first light we could hear the ocean as it rolled in to the shore and a look outside confirmed that the fog had been in and eveything was wet, soaking wet. Alex was still in his tent on the site next door and there was no sign of movement. We began to pack up, using the chamois to wipe the excess water off of the tent and to dry the trikes as much as possible. Alex emerged from his tent as we were about to head off, waving us off as we hit the road.

Having done so much climbing yesterday we were looking forward to an easier day today, so you can imagine how disappointed we were when we began to climb, and climb, then descend and climb as the road followed the coastline, perched on the side of the cliff one minute then dscending while darting inland to where crossing the creek was possible via a tight hairpin bend, then heading back towards the ocean higher up on the cliff than before, all the time the ocean pounding in below and the sea mist starting to get thicker. The sea mist was sitting offshore when we started our day, a large bank of it sitting out over the ocean and running the length of the coast as far as the eye could see, darker than the sky and looking like another country across the way, and now it had consumed all around us reducing visibility to almost nothing.

Further along the road the mist began to clear providing us with more views of the ocean and the large rocks jutting out from it. Eucalyptus trees growing in various places along the road we so nice to see and reminding us of home, the avenues of them providing a concentrated area of eucalyuptus aroma, a delight to the nose.

Arriving in the small town of Cleone we stopped at the small shop come RV park to buy something to eat and to see if they had laundry facilities. A 4xe pulled up and a very large (fat) man got out. As he was walking into the shop as Joanne came out he said "idiot". We were not sure what he was on about but it became abundantly clear when he came back out and got in his vehicle. Safely inside his vehicle and with the engine running, he started on about how stupid we were to be riding this narrow road, and especially on an extra wide bike, and then he started with the old chestnut about how he was paying for the road and we were not, and how we should not be on the road because we were paying for it, etc, etc, etc - a total redneck. Interestingly he has really been the only person that has been that bad this whole trip, and by the size of him he could do with riding a bike to reduce his chance of a heart attack.

Although the State Park Campground was only $3 each we moved on from Cleone to get somewhere we could visit a laundry etc. Riding the 2 miles that separates Cleone and Fort Bragg didn't take too long and then we were really amongst the traffic. Fort Bragg, a large town of over 7,000 and where we figured that we would get a good campsite turned out to be an interesting place. The tourist information centre was closed, as was the bike shop. The supermarket was open and while Joanne shopped I laid the tent and things out to dry in the sun. A few people came over for a chat and that helped passs the time until Joanne returned with a trolley full of food to load my trailer up again, something she hasn't done for a while - thankfully!.

Dodging the 4 lanes of fast flowing traffic we got across the road and began our hunt for a campsite near a laundry and preferably with Wi-fi. We stopped into an RV park where the sign said they had tent sites, but as usual, the tent sites were overgrown, damp, muddy lots way down the back and about as far away from the toilets and showers as you could get, and all for the princely sum of $20 thank you very much!. We opted out and began to look for another, but with the prospects very scarce we ended up in a small cottage with a full kitchen, Wi-fi and undercover area for the trikes and all a kilometre from the laundry and another supermarket. Sometimes you just have to be prepared to pay to get the things you want.

Trike maintenance and cleaning were the nature of the afternoon and an removing the rear gear cluster on Pip revealed a crack along the length of the spindle that houses the cluster, so it will be a trip back into town tomorrow to visit the bike shop.

Today's Stats

From: Westport Landing State Park

To: Fort Bragg

Ride Time:
3 hrs 9 min's

Distance:
40.99  km's

Av Speed:
12.9 km/h

Max Speed:
54 km/h

Max Altitude:
84 m

Av Climb: 4 %

Max Climb: 13 %

Weather: 8-15 deg C. Clear skies/sunny.

Camp Location:

N: 39 °25'13.0 "

W: 123°48'19.8"

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