Grab Bag
[ Day 13 – June 25, 2012 ] There’s no narrative for today; I didn’t want to force a story that wasn’t there. For a change of pace, here are a few random thoughts from the road: Personal experience can benefit from compounding interest just as well as monetary investment can. I think a lot […]
Judging Ashland
[ Day 12 – June 24, 2012 ] I spent the morning getting my money’s worth at Callahan’s, putting hot water to numerous good uses and loading up on all the pancakes I could fit in my stomach. In between short stacks I chatted with other diners, including an older couple from New Zealand on […]
Too Legit to Quit
[ Day 11 – June 23, 2012 ] I woke around 6:15 to the pitter-patter of light rain on my tent and the sounds of Tom and Christy leaving camp. I marveled at their early departure; it generally took me an hour and a half from waking up to hitting the road. To be sure, […]
Characters All
[ Day 10 – June 22, 2012 ] The day’s ride led me out of one national park and towards another: I was set to reach Crater Lake in five days. There I planned to meet up with Scott, a former college teammate and bicycle touring buddy. I would have liked another day in Lassen, […]
The Right Approach
[ Day 9 – June 21, 2012 ] The climb into Lassen was strenuous but manageable, involving approximately 4,000 feet of climbing spread out over 44 miles. I was surprised by the park’s beauty as well as its distinct visual character, a product of geology altogether different from that of the Sierras to the south. […]
Luck and Double Bib Shorts
[ Day 8 – June 20, 2012 ] I was up shortly after six, and though the sun was already out, I could scarcely tell by the air temperature. The cold made for a hasty morning: I ate breakfast, broke down camp, and readied my bicycle in short order, leaving the Lower Little Truckee Campground as empty […]
Yes
[ Day 7, Part 2 – June 19, 2012 ] I changed into my cycling clothes at a nearby town park and rode counterclockwise around the lake towards Tahoe City. Dean’s generosity had saved me an entire day of hard riding and I rode with great levity of spirit. The fifteen miles around the lake […]
Serendipity and a Silver Tacoma
[ Day 7, Part 1 – June 19, 2012 ] By 8am, I’d positioned myself at the edge of town, standing on the northbound shoulder of SR 395, across the street from a gas station. My bike leaned against a billboard post nearby. I’d made a sign the night before using a borrowed marker and […]
Along the Range of Light
[ Day 5, Part 2 – June 17, 2012 ] A town of two hundred passes quickly, and quicker still in a midday, midsummer heat. High temperatures have a way of sapping both my curiosity and general awareness; I rolled through Lee Vining with a foggy disinterest that would become commonplace on hotter days, a […]
The High Sierra
[ Day 5, Part 1 – June 17, 2012 ] I slept until almost nine, which for those unfamiliar with backcountry days and ways is far beyond normal waking hours. When I finally crawled out of my tent, the campground was almost deserted and the sun peered down from its mid-morning perch. Mindful of both […]
Heaven (With Mosquitos)
[ Day 4 – June 16, 2012 ] I woke up before five and packed my things in the dark, determined to be on the road by sunrise. I was far from fully rested, but I had no interest in sharing the tunnels of Big Oak Flat with motor vehicles, nor did I wish to […]
The Devil Saddle
[ Day 3 – June 15, 2012 ] Though I’d anticipated a tough climb into Yosemite, I soon found myself dealing with an altogether different challenge. My firm, unforgiving saddle and lack of prior training dealt me an unexpected handicap: sitting on the saddle hurt! This unforeseen discomfort soon colored every mile, dampening the pleasures […]
Once More a Traveler
[ Day 2 – June 14, 2012 ] I woke up early, hoping to beat the midday high temperatures across the Central Valley. Back on the road, I continued my descent through Del Puerto Canyon. The narrow roadway dropped about 1,000 feet over 20 miles, through ranch land that suggested a way of life far […]
Raising Anchor
[ Day 1 – June 13, 2012 ] Late morning sunlight poured into my living room, highlighting a mess of touring items. From spare bike parts to flip flops and dental floss, I had everything I needed and then some; there was nothing holding me back except my own sense of time and place. I […]
Crystallization
[ Day 0 – June 12, 2012 ] In 2008, I rode my bicycle from Seattle to Boston with four friends from college. I have lots of fond memories from that trip, but one made a particularly strong impression: It was late afternoon in a small North Dakota town. I was chatting with an old man […]