Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2008

 

 

Florence to Sunset State Park 56 miles

 

 

Left Florence this morning talking to myself about yesterday. The inclination was to beat myself up, but I tried not to. Some days are just not your days. That’s all! 

It’s another cold, foggy damp morning and it’s hard to get the juices going. But I need to get on. Heading out slowly up a couple of hard climbs that are hard on the legs first thing. But slowly get the power back and start to move. Eating up the miles now. I soon pass a guy pulling a bike trailer and he tells me they are a group of 15 on an un-supported American Adventure holiday and heading for San Diego. After a while I come upon more of the group and we cycle together for a while and I'm enjoying their company. They have these weird folding bikes with a trailer. The trailer is a suitcase. Contains all their clothes. When they finish the trip the bike folds into the suitcase they dump most of the clothes and the suitcase goes into the hold of the plane. Ingenious!

There are 3 Aussies, a couple of English, and some Americans. They are heading for the same campground as I am tonight and I’m looking forward to spending the evening with them. 

As three of us approached the bridge at Winchester we find out that it’s illegal to hold up traffic in this area, and that means bikers! So, we were forced to ride on a very narrow side path at the edge of the road, all the way over the bridge, which was about a mile long. The path was 2ft wide with a one ft drop off to the road and a railing on the right, with traffic racing by. Boy it was scary. You really had to concentrate the mind and forget the traffic. Cause if you come off that path you’re dead meat for sure!! Some decided not to risk it and  to walk over instead rather than cycle. I tried cycling it but the better part of valor was to walk.

So, after that experience we stayed together for the rest of the day. By evening we had reached Coos Bay and I pulled into a Wal-Mart on the outskirts for some food for the night. In the carpark I met one of the guys from my original (CCCTS) 'support group'. They had a rest day in Coos Bay and this was the food detail replenishing their stores for the trip. I said I would probably see them tomorrow somewhere along the road. 

In Walmart I purchased a new mattress for my tent because the one I had was not giving me great comfort. Although, I think I needed some retail therapy and some food. 

Arriving at the camp ground my crew from today were booked in and settled. However, we are not together as all the good sites were taken, and I had to go into the hiker-biker site. Hiker-biker sites are cheaper option, usually without facilities close by and are used by hikers, bikers or transients and can be a lot more interesting sometimes because of the casual nature of the sites. There I met two young guys on their way cycling to Monterey. There is also an old transient in the camp sleeping under a tarpaulin. Chatting to him he reveals he was in the Marines for 40 years in Vietnam flew Blackhawks and also in the CIA for 44 years. Knew (J Edgar) Hoover. Interesting guy. I never knew anyone from the CIA before. Who am I to say if he was dreaming it or not.

Later we are joined by two other bikers on their way to San Francisco and a young couple, a German and a Canadian who are hitchhiking. We had a fun evening sharing our food over a camp fire

 

 

 

 

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 I have no internet or phone coverage. So that’s why the blog is late. Sorry to all those who are waiting with bated breath for the next installment.

 

 

 

 

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