Day 9: Benton, CA to Hawthorne, NV

Today's mileage: 89!
Total mileage: 538!

We started our day at the hot springs just outside of Benton, CA. It's amazing that the same stretch of road can be so incredibly different going the other direction. The night before, we were struggling and pushing the last three miles to the campsite... but this morning we practically flew those same three miles back to the main route.

We had the good fortune to talk at great length with Diane, the owner of the hot springs. She is an avid touring cyclist and had lots of information to share about the area. After much deliberation, we decided to take a route that puts us somewhat more north and west than we'd prefer, but that at least promises some water along the way. (The other way to Ely via Tonopah would have put us through a 130 mile stretch with no access to water: not an option).

After six miles on Highway 6, we entered Nevada! We promptly began the three-mile climb to Montgomery Pass, where we cleared over 7000 feet of elevation.

Then we enjoyed a 25-mile downhill that took us back to almost 4000 ft. It was a good thing that it was downhill, because we traveled over 50 miles with no access to water except the dwindling supply we were carrying.

Things would have been great, but I got pulled over and ticketed for running THE ONLY STOP SIGN WITHIN 50 MILES! The citation will cost me $112 - ugh.

Downtrodden and demoralized, we stopped for lunch in Mina, the only inhabited place between point A and point B on today's ride.

Because there was nowhere else to stop, we had planned to make it a long day and continue the remaining 34 miles into Hawthorne. The last 25 miles were SO BRUTAL. Headwinds kept us from traveling more than 7 mph, including on the downhills. The air was hot, and permeated by the smell of fresh tar (which also made our tires sticky, slow, and covered with debris). It took over an hour to ride the last 9 miles of the day.

We were thrilled to check into a hotel with a pool, shower up, and relax. Best of all, our room was right by the ice machine. Ah, the simple things that make life so good.

Day 8: Big Pine, CA to Benton, CA

Today's mileage: 58

Total mileage: 449

We awoke early to pack up our camp and head the remaining 16 miles into Bishop, a larger town where we could resupply. Specifically, I needed a shirt and Dave needed new flip flops. It turned out that Wesley didn't need a new tire after all, so we didn't delay there too long... Just a short detour to Mahogany Smoked Meats for some of their beef jerky I had been hearing about since San Diego.

We were all happy to get onto a new road, taking highway 6 northeast towards Nevada. Our plan was to stop in Basalt, NV, just over the state line.

For whatever reason, the going was slow. Flats felt like hills and downhills were deceivingly flat. The topgraphy made it difficult to judge distances, and I founf myself on several long uphill stretches that had initially presented themselves as molehills.

When Alpine and I caught up with Wesley in Benton, we were still 23 miles (and at least one mountain) away from our goal. Luckily, he had spent enough time yakking with the locals to find out that, in fact, there was NOTHING along the way until Tonopah.

Luckily for us, the locals also informed us of some camping at hot springs only a few miles off our route. We opted for this, and were pleased to find ourselves set up with a private hot tub for the night.

Even though it was still warm out, we all enjoyed lounging in the water until we were well past prune fingers. All in all, this little setback turned into a nice surprise.

Day 7: Rest Day!

We woke up in an ant hill, I mean HELL, and decided to try another spot for our rest day. After all, stamping our feet while standing in place and swatting at our ankles did not exactly seem appropriate for a rest day. Wesley and Dave scouted out another camping spot while I lounged around on the picnic table, doing crossword puzzles and catching up on phone calls.

It turned out there was a great spot just up the hill, so we packed up and made the switch.
We spent the day lounging around and jumping in the freezing cold stream a couple times. Wes was feeling sick most of the afternoon from overdosing on apple juice, and Alpine and I recharged our systems with fresh fruit.

Day 6: Olancha, CA to Big Pine, CA

Today's mileage: 72
Total mileage: 391

We got a late-ish start for the day, and decided to pedal the first 22 miles to Lone Pine for a hearty breakfast.

Along the way, Alpine and I caught up to Wesley, who had his first flat of the trip. Because he was almost done fixing his it, and since he tends to be a fast cyclist, he waved us on and we continued riding to the visitor's center to get some information about the area.

After waiting a while, we figured Wesley had continued into Lone Pine, so we went there to meet him for breakfast (which at this point had become lunch). Unfortunately, Wesley's tire had developed some kind of weird lump or warp after (as a result of?) changing the tube. But the tire issue was more annoying than actually a problem, and Wesley decided he could ride like that to Bishop, where he could buy a new tire. I was secretly hoping this might slow him down for a change, but I was out of luck.

We had very few miles under our belt, so we pushed on to Independence, saying Farewell to Manzanar as we passed the WWII era Japanese internment camp. In Independence, I exalted in the simple pleasures of a cold ice cube on my neck and munching on some sweet boysenberries under a shady tree. These days, the little things mean so much more.

Our butts were really starting to hurt, and I was beginning to worry that saddle sore might put this trip to a short stop. A stop at a rest area allowed me to reapply chamois cream to my most tender areas. I was happy for the opportunity to dip my feet into a cool stream, until it turned out that "cool" was actually bone-chillingly icy.

The last few miles were quick. We arrived in Big Pine to see that Wesley had already staked out a camping spot... right on top of a huge red ant colony.

The rest of the evening was spent hiding from the ants atop the picnic table.

Our butts told us in no uncertain terms that the next day would be a rest day.

Day 5: Johannesburg, CA to Olancha, CA

Today's mileage: 70
Total mileage: 319

The ride out of Johannesburg started with a huge, fun descent for several miles. And like all huge, fun descents, it was followed by a brutal (2 mile) climb.

The rest of the day was a series of rolling hills through desert terrain much like the day before. What made everything better were the slightly cooler temperatures and the promise of water ahead.

Once again, Wesley took off like a bat out of hell and left Alpine and me in his dust. This day, we were lucky to find a really shady resting spot under a bridge, where the water of a now-dry river had washed the ground into a smooth comfortable place to stretch out for a few minutes.

The next stop was for lunch in Coso Junction, which was full of flies. Wesley had given up waiting for us after the first hour or so, and continued on to Olancha. As we were pulling out of Coso Junction, Wesley called to give us the option of pushing ahead an extra 25 miles to Lone Pine, because the only campground in Olancha was "just a patch of dirt"... but that sounded like crazy talk to me, especially because my butt was getting really sore by that point.

When we arrived at the campground in Olancha, we were very pleasantly surprised. The "patch of dirt" had a pool, showers, and laundry, as well as a store stocked with cold beer.

After a deliciously cool and refreshing dip in the pool and some much-needed bathing, we sat around and talked about aliens and other creatures that might come for us in the dark. We even saw some stars!

Day 4: Hesperia, CA to Johannesburg, CA

Today's mileage: 69
Total mileage: 249

The day started out GREAT! The first 20 miles or so we were flying down the road with a nice tailwind pushing us along.

We stopped for lunch at Kramer Junction, and I promptly fell asleep on the sidewalk next to the restaurant. Whether it was the heat, a full belly, or the combination of the two -- I was incredibly drowsy!

After about an hour, by the time the midday heat should have cooled off, we started on our way again. It was a good thing we had lots of water because there wasn't a single thing between Kramer Junction and our final stop for the day.

The two "high" points of the day were the ONLY twospots of shade along the road: the first, a huge Joshua tree, and the second a tiny sign post that provided about 4 square feet of respite from the sun. (Dave took this as an opportunity to nap for a half hour while I fried in the sun).

Finally, after what seemed an eternity through a bleak, unchanging desert, we arrived in the "town" of Johannesburg, just in time to resupply at the gas station before it closed.

Again, Wesley saved the day by having scouted out a community park where we could pitch our tents for the night.

Day 3: San Bernardino, CA to Hesperia, CA

Today's mileage: 52
Total mileage: 180

Today was the day we were all excited for: Dave Fox was driving up to meet us and carry our gear up the mountain by Lake Arrowhead. The only sad part of all this was that it also meant losing Rosemary, as she had to return to work the next day.

I was feeling pretty crummy before the ride even started (read: vomited 3 times at the hotel). My bike gears were a mess, cranking and clanking every time I shifted. But we got going. Wesley soon left me and Alpine in his dust, so Alpine decided to ask some "reliable" guys on the street for the nearest bike shop so I could get a tune up before starting up the mountain. The search for the bike shop led us on a wild goose chase through a questionable (read: sketchy) part of town. Finally we found the elusive bike shop, where the fellow fixed me up for a mere $4.

Less than two miles later, I was a goner. The nausea returned and I was quite sure I wouldn't make it up the mountain in one day. As I lay dying, I found what I'm claiming is an arrowhead (how appropriate at Lake Arrowhead!) and some strange berries that tasted okay but I wisely decided against swallowing.

Luckily for me, Fox and Rosemary came to my rescue and endured my moans and groans of car-sickness as they carried me and my bike up the mountain.

Wesley powered up the mountain like the champion that he is, and Alpine Dave followed. We had a nice lunch in Crestline (by this time I was keeping down both fluids and solids).

Fox and Rosemary drove me and my stuff down the other side of the mountain to Hesperia (or Hysteria, as Fox aptly dubbed it) where I checked into the hotel and rested up. I bought some medicine, because by this time I had a full-blown hwad cold, and waited for the boys.
I was bummed to have skipped out on the third day of the trip, but I was lucky that it happened on a day when the generous help of good friends was available.

Thanks to Dave and Rosemary for taking such good care of me, and a job well done to Alpine and Wesley for conquering a truly brutal ride up the mountain.

Day 2: Temecula, CA to San Bernardino, CA

Today's mileage: 58
Total mileage: 128

The day started out promising. Our route didn't include any major hills.

After passing up a water/supplies stop in Hemet, we began riding on a really really long stretch of nothingness.

Dave had a flat tire, which he fixed only to find that his new tube ALSO had a hole in it. So after about 45 minutes we continued on our way.

Once again, I was at the point of collapse. This time, I was not the only one who was horribly dehydrated and demoralized. Luckily, Wesley came through with an extra couple of water bottles to get us through.

When we thought we had finally gotten to a town, we realized we were wrong. We stopped at the first house we saw to borrow a hose for water and beg for mercy. We were pleasantly surprised when the lady of the house offered us ice and refreshments, as well as a spot to rest in the grass under a shady tree. We seriously considered pitching our tents and never leaving.

But it was on to San Bernardino, and after some pretty country, we finally arrived. We decided to wait behind a bush while I sorted out the details of our hotel. A hotel, it turned out, that didn't exist. We found a cheap place nearby and were thrilled to jump in the pool and cool off.

Day 1: San Diego, CA to Temecula, CA

Today's Mileage: 70

Ugh. That's pretty much all there is to say after today.

The day started out beautifully. I was happy to have many friends meet me at the Ocean Beach pier, where a surf competition was in progress. After some sad good-byes, Wesley and I dipped our tires in the Pacific and started the ride with 16 friends in tow. We had expected the day to be really hot but the weather felt great once we were moving up the coast.

Our first stop was in Solana Beach, to meet up with more riders. We took pictures in front of Pizza Port, a favorite stop for post-ride beers. But since it was early still, we rode on to the Pizza Port in Carlsbad for lunch.

We continued up the coast to Oceanside, where I took my last look at the Pacific Ocean before heading East.

And then there were four: me, Wesley, Rosemary and Alpine Dave. The ride took us on a scenic bike path along a river.

At a certain point, things turned ugly (for me; everybody else was fine). It's hard to say exactly what my problem was, but I was NOT cut out for the last part of the ride. A long steady incline got the better of me and I had to stop several times to consider dying on the side of the road. Between the heat, the hills, dehydration, carrying extra weight, some inexplicable arm pain, and my general wimpiness, I had a really rough time. I was so glad to jump into the pool when we finally got to a motel in Temecula.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Countdown to Big Bike Ride

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm excited to announce my big bike ride, in which I plan to ride my bicycle from San Diego, CA to Washington, DC. Am I crazy? Probably, but I'm going to do it anyway.

After six great years in San Diego, I've decided to move away and start fresh somewhere else. This Spring, I was one of many unlucky teachers who received a layoff notice after California planned to reduce its education budget drastically. That's when I decided it was time for a new adventure. Eventually, after a lot of support from my union, my layoff was rescinded... but I liked the bike trip idea so much I decided to go for it anyway.

My bike trip ends in Washington, DC and I may decide to plant roots there for a while... or I may decide to find a teaching job somewhere else. For now, I'm just looking forward to my trip and worrying about the rest later.

I will be accompanied on my ride for the first few days by some San Diego friends who are part of my regular riding group (Dave Fox, Rosemary Braun, and "Alpine" Dave Brockway) as well as another cyclist (Wesley) I met online.

For those who are far away: please visit my blog, where I plan to write about my trip and post pictures and maps: http://ceciliaanderson.blogspot.com/

For those who are in San Diego: I'd love it if you would send me off by joining me for the first leg of my journey! I will be leaving on Sunday, June 22 at 8:30 a.m. from Newport Avenue, just north of the pier in Ocean Beach. Whether you'd like to ride the whole way across the country, or to Temecula for the night, or ten miles, or one mile... or just show up to say to good-bye, I'd love to see you there.

Thanks to all for their support! I'll be in touch via e-mail and updating the blog, so please don't hesitate to contact me.

With love,

Cecilia

FAQ

1. Are you insane?!?! Perhaps :)
2. Aren't you scared? What scares me the most are the hills (unavoidable), the saddle sore, the bike breaking down, my body breaking down, and theft. But other than that, I'm just excited!
   
3. Will you be staying in hotels? Some, but I'll be carrying camping gear for most nights to keep costs down.
4. Do you have a route planned out? Yes, some of which I came up with on my own, and some which I borrowed from Adventure Cycling's great maps.
5. How much gear will you be carrying? About 40 lbs.
6. Will you come visit me? I'd love to, if it's anywhere near my route. Let me know if you want some company.