There’s going to be a different site for my PCT adventures because I haven’t finished the bike tour posts, and I don’t want to switch back and forth between them.
New site:
Angelinatakesatrippct.wordpress.com
See you all there!
Fellow Bicyclists
Here are little blurbs about all the bicyclists also doing the Pacific Coast Route (I’ll try to expand later).
Southbounders
Cara
Cara and I ran into each other often, almost to the end of the border. I can say that riding with her after my knee problems was great because the distraction really helped me not freak about about my body. She finished graduate school and was looking to do something cool before she started a job. She’s from Nebraska.
Robin
Robin’s also from Seattle and wanted to do something in between quitting her job and heading off to SE Asia with friends. Her goal was to get to San Diego but ultimately she wanted to get to a concert in Santa Barbara so she cut the trip short and ended there.
Alex
Robin and I met Alex while biking. We stopped and chatted, and found out that he had started on March 17th, whereas we’d started early March. So we let him zoom off. Later we met him at Half Moon State Park, when he’d slowed down some. He’s from Bainbridge, WA headed to LA.
Mike
Mike got a new job that was starting in two weeks so he hopped on his bike to do the CA coast in that time. He really loved riding and whizzed by me on our way to Santa Cruz.
Michael
I met Michael at the height of my sickness, and near the beginning of his journey. He’s doing a loop around the country. Also, his gear was really dialed, because he was trying to save his knees.
Pat and Gary
Pat, Gary, and Michael were friends who would occasionally see each other at campsites. They were doing a similar route, but I can’t remember where their ultimate destination was, because they weren’t looking to do a loop. Also, dialed gear. Ah to be wiser.
Tim
Tim was a super chill dude. He’d done the Pacific Coast Route a couple of times already, and he was doing it a third time and then decided to back track. Why, I also can’t remember. Sorry, I met Michael, Pat, Gary, and Tim while I was sick, and I was barely functional those times.
There was also a guy named Brian who was also heading South who I never ran into, but heard about from other folks.
North Bounders
Wtf were you guys thinking? And why are there so many of you!?
Isaac
Isaac got a flight from Toronto to SD, bought a bike there. Once he reaches Vancouver, he’ll head back east. He needed a change from his landscaping job.
Alex
Alex was from England. He stayed in NYC for a couple of weeks, flew to SD, and then once up north, he’ll go diagonal back to… I can’t remember which southern state. He wants to stop by the Adventure Cycling Association headquarters in Montana.
Nicole and Tilly
Yep, she’s biking with her dog, Tilly. Tilly will help her go up the hills, but apparently is pretty resistant to running quickly alongside the bike when going downhill.
Stephan
Stephan is one of those guys who does hundred mile days and doesn’t bring rain gear because it’s too heavy. Also, look, he’s got legs for days! He’ll be a new transplant to Seattle with his gf, who’s flying over there.
Shark
Shark’s doing a loop around the US starting and ending in Mobile, Alabama. He told some good stories, and he’s collecting pictures of DIY bikes/gear that he encounters along the way. He decided this is what he’d like to do now that he’s a retired high school teacher.
There were also three other couples, and one group of three people who I saw on the road heading the wrong direction too. Why?! Why go against the wind!?
Take the Beauty! Take it All!
The coast was beautiful! Stunning in a way that I didn’t expect, and I want to share some of these pictures. I wish I could be more organized about posting these pictures but I’m starting the PCT TOMORROW, so I’m just trying to get these out ther. Hopefully, later on I’ll caption them. For now please be awed.
April 18th Venice Beach: the Only Beach I Need
I loved Venice Beach. Love Loved Loved it. I’d write more about it but I’m trying to get some sleep before I start the PCT tomorrow! AHHH!
Pictures will speak for me, but I wish I could’ve captured all the diversity, beauty and shenanigans that Venice and Santa Monica had to offer. Also, I witness a segway/beach cruiser collision at 2mph. Only in Venice.
Blue Lines: the Pacific Ocean
It wasn’t until I road along the Oregon coast that I realized how awe inspiring the ocean is. This is coming from someone who has lived near in Seattle for years now. Unbroken lines of blue that stretch out farther than I’ve ever seen before is a completely different experience than the visual noise of cargo ships, cranes, harbors, with scattered sail boats throughout. The vastness of that space is captivating in a very primal way. It seemed like it was sucking me in, and I couldn’t stop staring in the same way that it’s hard to look away from a burning fire.
It might seem uninteresting seeing all these blue lines, but for me I couldn’t believe that this body of water continued on for hundreds of miles.
April 7th Perfect Timing
Santa Cruz, Monterey
Once the trip started, it seemed I loosed up enough to tap into the right groove so that things had perfect timing. Say I ran out of water while on the road, well just as I realized this, I looked up to see a sign for a campground only a quarter mile away. Or when I was going up the Klamath Lookout hill and one of the residents came out just at the right time and that all led to staying at a gorgeous lodge on the river. Or the time I just happened to turn my head, spotted a bike shop, it turned out to be a coop, and I ended up staying with one of the employee’s lovely family.
Then one day everything felt wrong. I started complaining about the hills, and felt uneasy with the descents, so I started to tell myself that I would enjoy flats more. Well that day finally had the first couple short flats of the whole trip. Complained about that too. Also, I couldn’t tell what time it was. Normally I just get a feeling when the day is at eleven, one, and four that’s confirmed when I focus on the sun or check my clock. This time, looking at the sun didn’t seem to help, instead I just felt more confused.
Finally I got to Santa Cruz and I was so stoked! But once I sat down and calmed down from the consisting pedaling, it became obvious- I was sick. I could feel the subtle ache in my shoulders and the general fog that was settling in my body.
It took eight hours to bike 35 miles to Monterey the next day, where I’ve settled down to get better. Overall, I’ve heard good reviews of the Vets Memorial City Park from bikers, but it seems like my perfect timing is working against me now, so I’m stuck with a weird crowd at this park… actually this whole city seems mad…
April 4rd Chain Eater
On my way to San Francisco I spotted a bike shop and went in to check my chain. I thought it’d be at roughly 50 percent wear and I’d do the good person thing and change the chain. Turns out I walked into a coop, and when I popped the chain checker on it showed max wear! When did that happen?! How did I eat through my chain like that? I had to change the chain and cassette and I saved a bunch of money since I could do all my own work.
One of the guys, Luke, was really nice, and I ended up staying at his place with his dad and brothers for an extra day to rest up and plan out the rest of California, which is pretty much just checking in to see if the hiker/biker campsite are open.
April 2nd iSlay
I’ll start at the Mackericher State Park just so I can mention my neighboring camper, Joseph. Joseph was a tone deaf middle aged man, with beady eyes, and very saggy skin, who sang almost every minute of every hour he was awake. He sang about communism, and his dog named Sabaka (meaning dog in Russian, although I don’t know if he knew that). At one point I thought he stopped, but really he was in the shower. I know this because a fellow biker, Mike, took a shower at the exact same time. Here’s a snippet, though he actually stopped singing at the end for the first time. My luck.
After Mackericher, I ended up at the Manchester KOA, to run into none other than Cara again. The next morning, a Friday, she looks up when the post office is open at Bodega Bay because I was expecting my package with my sun screen. There were other important things in the package, but I really wanted the sunscreen I already bought. First it was sent to Eureka, but I arrived there Easter Sunday, so I had to forward it to the next biggest city, Bodega Bay. Turned out it was the last day until Monday that I could pick up the package. I freaked out a little. I had to do 70 miles before 5pm. I was now biking by myself, and the most I had done by myself with the knee was 45 miles. Shit.
I hopped on the bike with a focused and forgiving attitude. Whatever happens, happens. All I really thought was do 70 miles, and had the song Formation by Beyonce on repeat in my head. And check it! I slayed those 70 miles. I got to a kite shop right at five, learned that there were still two miles to go, cursed the gods, and got there a little after, but the guy was really nice and still gave me my package. Honestly, I wanted to cry I was so happy that I managed to do the most miles I’ve done yet with a time limit! I don’t give a shit if it’s not impressive to some. And since I’m postdating these, I can say, looking back all the terrain I’ve done, that that section was one of the more difficult ones because it was constant up and down, pin turns, and lots of elevation gain.
Here’s a little video about it:
The Redwoods: An Artist’s Statement
Let’s all close our eyes and pretend for a second that I’m a “real artist” showcasing my photography at a gallery. Here’s my short Artist’s Statement:
“In the Redwoods of Northern California, what struck me about the groves of these ancient giants was not their undeniable massiveness. It was the textures of the forest. These trees grew to such grand portions that the details of bark were enlarged and now their beauty engrossed me. There were valleys and peaks and lovely color changes from one ridge to another. There were plants and fungi that created completely different environments on different ridges on the same tree. I was Alice and I had drunk the potion that shrunk me, and now I was seeing all the textures that went unnoticed.”
Ninety percent of these pictures are of Coastal Redwood tree bark from the two of the big three Redwoods parks- Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The third being Redwoods National Park with the Avenue of the Giants. The trees in Prairie Creek captivated me so much that I spent three hours doing a short two mile nature loop taking most of these pictures. I wish I had enough power to capture the trees along the James Irvine Trail, because they had even more personality.
Jedediah. The contrast of delicate seasonal spring greens with an 1800 year old giant, both reaching for the sky.
Jedediah. In the right circumstances these molten lava looking parts of the tree will sprout new stalks of redwoods.
Jedediah. Bark
Jedediah. Yup
Jedediah. This tree is still living. The resin in Coastal Redwoods prevents fires from destroying the tree.
Jedediah. Fungi
Jedediah. Roots
Jedediah. Bark
Prairie. Bark of a fallen tree
Prairie. This is a branch, but the picture isn’t flipped.
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Trunk of fallen tree.
Prairie. Three different trees
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Fungi
Prairie. Roots from a fallen tree.
Prairie. Roots from a fallen tree.
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Roots on a pathway.
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. This is bark, believe it or not.
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Section of cut trunk
Prairie. These trees were lovely amongst all the Redwoods.
Prairie. This was about half a foot long on the trunk.
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. Burnt trunk of a tree
Prairie. Bark
Prairie. A root system crawling out between trees.
Prairie. A group of trees. some are sprouts of trees near by
Prairie. A white trillium looking up to the tree. Not flipped
Prairie. Bark
And, of course, these trees are massive!
Robin
Me
I apologize
I apologize for my erratic blogging- posting only a little bit, with half baked thoughts and sentences, sometimes no pictures, and then continually updating it for days after. It’s because the combination of my crappy tablet and weak wifi signals make it difficult to post and upload pictures, so I try to get something out there and hope that later my tablet/WiFi will work well enough to finish. Each post takes an inordinate amount of time, at least two hours.
angelina takes a trip 