Made it to Alpine today!
Forgot I had a cousin living here until I was about an hour away, and only about 45 minutes of proper sunlight left to guide me to the campground I would stay at. A traveling miracle, then, went down and here I am, snug as a papoose in this, the Kumeyaay Indian Reservation, drinking tea and typing on a couch...
The days journey began with me riding from Chula Vista up Harbor Drive about 20 miles before I could even really get started. As I didn't set off initially until past 11:30am, was a little worried about how far I could make it before sundown and where I would sleep when that happened. For the tour's formal, ritual, beginning, I had to "touch" the coast. A nice man on a little afternoon ride himself showed me round some street construction and planted me right on the culdesac end of Ocean Beach bike path. He said, "Yeah," a lot, and gave kindly of his time while I fumbled with my phone and finally got it set to take a photo. Three tries later, a bit shy, he took the photo, wished me well, and rode off. I am already feeling a little out on a limb, here, so good to start with some
I sat and ate some crackers and trail mix and contemplated very briefly what I was looking at and why I wanted to see the other side of it. Then I flipped my bike around and rode into the most gorgeous mudland area I'd ever seen. So sweet to be on an actual bike path, in such marshy goodness as lots of reeds, frogs, and orange seas of blooms with sand dunes gathering against the banks, finally on my way, I couldn't help but sing. I did so for a few miles...
30 some miles later, after a calming mosey off the highway through rocky Mission gorge and pounding through the steady dusty, wooden, farm and tack shop laden series of country punk towns surrounding San Diego County, I arrived at the home stretch.
Turned off on Olde (yes, they even use the olde spelling) Highway 80 towards a menacing hill. Even though it was still out of sight, I knew it was coming, started to fret and was put in a humble place by the magic hour sun streaming behind me. The fact that the interstate cut right through the vista couldn't even ruin its beauty. I have a friend who has a very informal "Sunset Club." His enthusiasm made me start noting these daily wonders of the sky more often some months ago. And it has been like discovering the truth in Buddhism. No, I'm not that Zen-wise. But when I do turn around and see it, when I walk outside at just the right time and the glow is beginning to take over, I stop if I can, and look. And it is one of the reasons I get out on the road, because in some ways, on the stretches of big sky American west style, one becomes more a part of them.
**
I made it 2000 feet and around 60 miles today. Oddly, just a little neck pain. Tomorrow: shooting for Pine Valley at 3750 feet, then there's Live Oak Springs and Boulevard. But to cross the entire In-Ko-Pah pass, you have to go up over 4000, thrice. Don't know where I'll be sleeping tomorrow then, either! Sleep well, friends, and write me!
I remember, ages ago, you and I doing a separate rendezvous to Bombay Beach during Salton Sea II. You highly likely do not know who I am, but for some reason we were ahead of the group and was like, "Fuck it", will just trek this out at a good pace. I guess that was the whole idea, riding to Bombay Beach at a decent pace for the joy of the ride. The joy of just biking.
ReplyDeletePoint is, I had the pleasure of meeting you; not at a deep level, but at least riding with you for a short trek. Fuck, could totally feel the spirit in you (the bike spirit)--if that makes any sense.
Anyway, wish you the best of luck... Really.
Most impressed by you. Most inspired by you.
Sorry for the rambling.