Ride the West--Day 13 Petaluma to San Francisco

Hello again from the land of the Golden Gate Bridge! We pedaled about 50 miles from Petaluma to San Francisco and what a last day of the ride we had. Since the ride was shorter than normal we had a later load and departure time, so that gave us a chance to catch an extra half hour of sleep and/or breakfast. The early departure riders who move a tad slower left about 7:30 am while Larry, David, Greg and Scott left at 0800 to get to San Francisco in time to attend a Crosby, Stills and Nash concert later tonight. I left with Bill and Dave about 8:30 am. When I walked to breakfast and then when I loaded my bag for departure I couldn't help but notice a ripe aroma in the air. Yes, the clear, unadulterated whiff of cow manure was ever present. We are obviously in the agricultural belt of California and our survey of the country roads in the area confirm what our noses identified.

The ride today was full of .7 miles on Olema and then 2 miles on the bicycle path, then right .8 miles, etc. We meandered from one town to the next with some good country hills thrown in to help us remember that this ride is not for wimps or whiners. Even the absolute easiest day has some ups and downs to get the blood pressure elevated and the wind blowing swiftly in our faces. After climbing out of Petaluma, the California golden mountainside erupted with splendor and then asked us to sweat all the way to the top in 80 degree temperatures. Along the way, a couple of gorgeous horses ambled around their arena and a patchy gray deer skipped across a hillside. I stayed with the late departing group for about 15 minutes and as the hills got steeper, I pulled away and decided that if I put my head down I could likely catch Larry and gang ahead 30 minutes or so. Slowly but surely, I caught Dave the professor and Nancy the librarian assistant, and eventually, I caught Larry, David, Greg and Scott. I then throttled back and enjoyed a winding ride to the SAG stop at San Anselmo. I relaxed and watched countless locals buy their $5 latte from the drive up and had my usual handful of peanuts and a couple bottles of cool water. I decided to ride the remaining 20 miles with Bill Rankin, Bill Bergen and Dave the Pet Supply Store Manager.

The navigation for the ride to the bridge and hotel became quite intense, with us moving on and off bike paths and riding up and down hill and dale. The most interesting jaunt was up Chapman Road, a one lane road that made multiple hairpin turns up the side of a mountain that overlooked the town of Larkspur and Sauselito. The houses were built closely together while embedded in the trees and the setting reminded me of a neighborhood in Italy. And while the conditions for us were close, the drivers and cyclists found a way to mutually coexist without threatening one another or traveling arrogantly in the other's space. Pretty cool to see and experience!

The four of us stopped several times to take photos like the ones displayed above. The splendor and beauty is so widespread around here, it is almost impossible to take a bad picture.

After we glided through Sauselito, a chic, French Rivera-like town, we made the final assault on the Golden Gate Bridge. To get across the bridge, you have to hand carry your bike up and down a couple of steep staircases to ride on the side of the Golden Gate that is most crowded with neophyte bikers and oblivious pedestrians. I'm not sure of the exact strategy of the California Department of Transportation, but I have never seen more clueless mounted and unmounted passersby all in one hazardous place at the same time. I'll forever have a nightmare of a completely unstable mountain bike coming at me with a front mounted carrying bag that says "Blazing Saddles". The driver of said vehicle is watching 1)the bridge itself 2)the large ship moving under the bridge 3) the helicopters and airplanes dropping fire retardant on the fire of a nearby hillside 4) the rear end of their girlfriend or boyfriend on the bike in front of them. Suffice it to say, absolutely ZERO PERCENT are watching any other cyclists or pedestrians. At any one time there are countless Darwin Award nominees (Google it!) on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Nevertheless, all four of us took some great pictures and made it to the bike path on the other side. And although we were a bit unsure of where to go thereafter, we found our hotel, the Comfort Inn, with few wrong turns. The ride was now complete.

Those of us ending our ride here, had our "good-bye rap" while those going down south another week heard of their rest day in SF tomorrow and about Sunday's ride to Santa Cruz. With rap complete, we headed to a great diner for dinner and enjoyed some genuine American cuisine like hamburgers, fried chicken and Portabello mushroom sandwiches. Did I mention this is an eclectic group?

When the meal ended, we all gathered outside the restaurant and exchanged handshakes and hugs, knowing that we'd all be moving in different directions soon. There were smiles all around and promises of future rides and the desire to stay healthy via cycling. And like all good cyclists, we broke from there and headed to the nearby ice cream/chocolate store, Ghiradelli's for some of the greatest treats known to man (and woman).

I hope you enjoyed the ride through beautiful Oregon and magnificent California. I can only smile when I think of pedaling through these classic American experience areas. Stay tuned for the next retirement adventure and twists and turns in the road that make our lives interesting. A special thanks to Mike and Barbara Munk, Karen and Jim for making this a tremendous experience. And lastly, thanks to Arlene, DA, Sara and Adam for indulging me in something I truly love almost as much as I love you.

Ride the West Sep 09--Day 11 Ft. Bragg to Cloverdale

Hello Family and Friends, We awoke to a clear blue sky and 50 degrees this morning in Ft. Bragg, CA, across the street from the Pacific. Looming about 5 miles off shore was a huge fog bank that never did intervene with our ride today.

After a light breakfast at the hotel, I rolled out of the parking lot with Mike Munk at 8:15 am. Mike and I rode together several times during my cross country trip in 2006 and we know how to push one another. That said, we did not hammer each other, but we did make sure that neither got cold over the next 20 miles.

We rolled along at about 19 mph riding out of town and then turned it up to 20-21 mph as the hills began to appear on the horizon. Taking turns on the front, we both felt our legs warm up and start to fire. Unfortunately, Mike has a hip injury that is definitely affecting him and stealing some of his energy. Nevertheless, Mike can still turn the bicycle crank swiftly. As we rolled along, we were both looking at the amazing views that the California coast offers. Some of the best vantage points are from the bridges that span the valleys and harbors along the coast. We stopped about 4 times to take photos of God's handiwork.

After about 10 miles, we headed back into the redwood forest for more cycling to die for. The roads are wonderful, the traffic very light and the view of the majestic redwoods is superb. Mike and I pushed hard for about the last 4 miles to the SAG stop and we were both happy to stop at the Paul Dimmick campground area.

I shot the bull and refueled over about a 30 minute period. Since most of our folks were moving a tad slower today after a tough day of climbing yesterday, the riders slowly arrived for their morning snack.

I left the SAG stop for a short dash (13 miles) to the next sightseeing tour, an Apple Cider Stand. I pedaled through the forest for about 7 more miles until the roadside transformed itself into a scene of golden rolling hills with occasional sprinklings of grape vineyards and olive trees. As I crept closer to the Apple Cider Stand, I suddenly felt like singing America the Beautiful having seen so many "amber waves of grain and purple mountain majesty . . ." I couldn't help but think that in just 30 miles I'd seen ocean and beaches, giant redwoods and now the golden hills of California. I cruised into the Apple Cider Stand and ordered a large cup of apple cider that tasted delicious! I found a warm place in the sun to sit down, dry my gear, and enjoy a taste treat. Eventually, several of my buddies arrived and we all enjoyed something none of us has on a regular basis, apple cider.

The SAG stop was only 7 more miles down the road, so it came quickly in the town of Booneville. Bill Bergen and I talked with a husband and wife that were doing some light cycling around the area in preparation for an upcoming retreat. These happy folks were very interested in our trip and wanted to do something like this in the future. By now the temperature was about 80+, so I had a chockolate shake from the Redwood Cafe, ditched my underarmor shirt for the first time and put my game face on for the climbing ahead.

The original climb was billed as about 5000 feet but turned out to be closer to 3000. And to top things off, we had a 15 mph tailwind blowing us up the hill most of the way. I was flying up the lower 5 miles of this hill at about 19 mph until I hit the business end of the mountain. I climbed at about 7-10 mph for about 30-40 minutes and the temperatures were now approaching 90. Yes it was hot, but it was a dry heat! As I pushed up the tougher part of the hill, I heard some rustling in the trees on my left on the side of a hill. I glanced left and saw two young deer staring at me and I told them, "I'm too tired to stop and take your photo!" They never moved.

The climb was reasonably even with a few really steep hills to provide some drama. I kept telling myself, "Only x miles before the downhill, stay steady, keep shifting to keep your pedal pace even and your speed even." Sometimes I listened to myself and other times I did like Arlene does, and I ignored me.

After cresting the hill, the ride down into Cloverdale was a blast. Nicely designed turns and steep enough to get me moving around 40 mph for a long time. And as always, I was relieved to see the Best Western Hotel sign.

Eventually, everyone arrived, we unloaded the luggage van, hit the pool for a swim and hot tub and had our debrief of today's ride and reviewed the schedule for tomorrow. I then returned to my room to relax a couple minutes before dinner. Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door and since it was left slightly open I could see a police officer standing at my door. As I approached the door, he asked if I was Steve King and if I had been riding my bicycle down Cloverdale Boulavard at 35 mph? I told him that, yes, I am Steve and that, yes, I did just ride into town. He then told me that 35 mph is a speeding violation. I soon thereafter looked for a video/TV camera and smiled, knowing one of my good buddies had set me up! The officer smiled and was kind enough to take a photo with me at my request. There is a story behind this story that you'll have to ask me about sometime.

We had a good dinner at a local brew pub and then I hoofed it 2.5 miles roundtrip to MacDonalds for an evening meal supplemental. Yes, I was still hungry. And when I returned, standing in the parking lot were Scott and Kathy Terpstra, friends from my ride across America in 2006. The Terpstra's, along with Larry Fariss, David Holloway and Greg Robinson all went next door to a local Sports Bar and caught up on old times.

More wine country riding tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Ride the West Sep 09--Day 10 Garberville to Ft. Bragg

Hello Cycle Blogging Friends,

I'll make this short and sweet so my friend Larry Fariss can also complete his blog. Suffice it to say, we had a ride and a half today!

We knew in advance that there were a few hills out there, but when it was all over, we discovered there LOTS of hills out there. The first 20 miles took us through some more beautiful redwoods in the Richard Grove and along several "over the river and through the woods" roads adjacent to US Highway 101S. When we pedaled back onto 101, we crossed two brand new bridges constructed by CALTRANS, the California Highway guys. Both of these bridges were massive and named after two ladies. That made me think, how do you get a bridge or a highway or a redwood grove named after you? I know, I can Google it and find the answer, but I'm in a hurry here! After climbing the bridges, I passed Confusion Hill and confirmed what Mike Munk had called the tourist trap of all time. At the SAG stop at Standish Hickey, I did some long distance business with my bank, called Arlene and refueled for the next 55 miles and 5000 feet of climbing.

I absolutely love pushing up the hills and Leggett Hill and I got along swimmingly. The climb is listed at about 7 percent and that equates to moderate and forever. This 5 mile long hill takes about 45 minutes to climb when you are moving at 11, 10, 9, 8 or 7 mph. I used all these numbers along the way and kept trying to get back to the bigger numbers. When I left the hotel it was 50 degrees and I was darn cold. Climbing up the hill I was hot and dripping sweat for most of the climb. The road was smooth and the scenery spectacular throughout. When I finally crested the first hill I was tired and relieved to get at least a short rest.

The next 3-4 miles down hill was a blast with turns and twists that required my balance and steady braking given the limited sight distance. I was also looking for falling rocks and rocks hidden in the shadows that these giant trees cast.

And after enjoying about 10 minutes of 30-40 mph down hill, it was time to climb the next monster one crank at a time. Very few cars passed and the road remained nice throughout. The coolest part here is after another 30 minute climb, the down hill ending is followed by a grand view of the Pacific that has been hiding while we explored the redwood forests. As I screamed down the hill, the Pacific's beautiful faced poked out between some lush branches. As the road pitched and turned, more and more of the Pacific appeared and finally I was again standing on a vista that displayed views of the California coast that have awed me day after day. I said a quick hello to Debbie, a self supported cyclist traveling with a friend. Debbie took my picture and explained how much she enjoys the freedom that self support allows. She travels from hotel to hotel just like we do, but she drags all her stuff with her. Although this sounds somewhat appealing, I prefer to have America by Bicycle drag my stuff while I pedal as light as a 200 pound cyclist can be!

I pulled into the last SAG stop and immediately took off my Underarmor, my biking jersey and gloves and let them dry in the 65 degree sunny sky. Our stop was right on the embankment next to the beach. As I walked around and surveyed the area, I spotted 5 sheep grazing around the area, acting as if they owned the place. Eventually the SAG wagon showed up and I again refueled and shot the bull with arriving riders for about an hour and a half. I stretched, rehydrated and heard everybody's story about climbing the hills.

The last 20 miles were supposed to be much easier than the previous 48. However, I soon discovered that while the beach may be flat, the road along the coast is proverbially up and down and up. By the time I spotted the hotel, I was ready to call it a day and then some. When some of my buddies, including my roommate, Brian Cox, showed up, we all walked a block to get a scoop of ice cream. Mmmmmmm! Eventually I helped unload the luggage truck, took a hot tub and swim in the pool and called my brother John, Adam and Arlene. For dinner we killed lots of pizza dough and then figured out how we are going to attack the hills again tomorrow at the end of the day instead of like today, at the beginning. Join us tomorrow for yet another day in the saddle!

Ride the West Sep 09--Day 9 Eureka to Garberville

Goodevening Friends and Family,

We had a great bike ride today, traveling lots of miles through the Avenue of the Giants, a huge state park full of redwoods that are striking and strong.

We departed our hotel at 8 am and were happy to see only clouds above us and no rain. Our cyclists wandered through Eureka for about 3 miles before we got back on Highway 101S for a short time and then wandered through farm country to the first SAG stop in Ferndale, a small town filled with Victorian designed houses and buildings.

I rode part of the way with Larry, Greg, and David, and after getting some on-road maintenance help from Mike Munk and Karen Bauer (my front deraileur--gear changer), I rode with Mike and Karen. Eventually, I put my head down and roared down the last couple of miles into Ferndale at 30 mph with the aid of a nice tailwind. Sure is fun to feel fast for a little bit.

The ride through the Avenue of the Giants is really nirvana for a cyclist. The forest is extremely quiet, the road well paved, and the traffic very light and well-behaved. A couple times I was "feeling it" and then decided that I needed to savor this exquisite opportunity. I even took off my dark goggles since the redwoods create an enormous amount of shade, the entire forest has a low light effect. These giant trees permit us to visit and gaze in amazement at a living life form that makes giant whales seem small and frail. Their resiliency is as amazing as is their size.

One of the amazing things I saw today was a post that denotes the water height in the forest during the flood of 1964. The water rose 34 feet above the base of the trees in an area that would make anyone wonder who a flood could possibly occur here. Despite the relatively shallow root system of the redwood and the incredible amounts of water, few of the trees were damaged or downed. Another wonder by a wonderful Creator.

By the time I arrived at the final SAG stop, I was soaked from a climb over the last 3 or 4 miles. I stretched out my gear to dry and refreshed myself with a handfull of peanuts, a couple bottles of water and some delicious peanut butter crackers. And while I relaxed for a few minutes, Barb showed me some wonderful photos of her 5 grandchildren, including one month old Claudia Julliette. Barb is the official America By Bicycle team Mom and a fantastic person.

The last 26 miles I really felt the effects of riding 9 days in a row. I left the rest stop feeling cold so I put my windbraker on to build up some heat. After about 10 miles, I started climbing again and felt warm and comfortable and my legs finally were ready to kick for a few more miles.

One of the highlights of the leg was a roll down main street in Miranda. Miranda was the hometown of the late Darryl Fariss, Larry's Dad and Nita's husband. I saw Darryl's old high school and took a photo with my back up camera of the sign that looked like it had been there a very long time. As I glided through this small town, I looked left and right and wondered which buildings were there when Darryl roamed these streets. Darryl was a great man and a great friend that I still miss very much.

The next 15 miles were up and down and more work than I probably would have requested. Over the last 5 miles which were mostly up hill, I kept thinking of the great skit I could write that would depict the America By Bicycle planners, pouring over the route plan and figuring out how they can put almost every hotel at the top of a long hill near the end of a ride. Yes, after 75 miles today, I was indulging in a little self pity that manifested itself in warped humor developed on a bicycle.

After arriving at the Best Western Humboldt, I headed for a quick downtown tour via bicycle and searched for a Radio Shack to find a battery charger for my Sony camera. Viola! Success! They had exactly what I needed and as of now I have two charged batteries for the remainder of the trip.

And the beat goes on!

Ride the West Sep 09--Day 7 Rest Day in Gold Coast

Hello Blog Readers,

The rest day in Gold Coast came as a welcome treat for all the riders and the staff. Most of us slept in a little later, ate a leisurely breakfast and washed our dirty riding and hanging around clothes. I arranged with Karen Bauer, one of our ride leaders, to ride a couple hours around the local countryside.

We headed down a country road for a couple miles and then up the side of one of the nearby hills. This hill was about 50 percent steeper than anything we had climbed in the last week and after about a mile up, up, up, I needed a snorkel with my biking jersey I was sweating so much. We pushed up , up, up for about another mile until the road went from good pavement to dirt. Subsequently, we decided to glide back down the hill and head out of town back toward the north and west, kind of in the vicinity of our inbound route to Gold Coast. We rolled along smoothly for a couple hours, enjoying the quiet of a Saturday morning with few or no cars and lots of laid back dairy cows. One of my favorite signs along the way was "Seeds, hay and DVDs."

We finished up our ride again along Pebble Beach and the overwhelming beauty hit me right in the face again. Crashing waves, prominent rock outcroppings, sloping sandy beaches, surfers, seals, sea lions, and rolling fog that comes and goes and comes and goes. I could easily work for the Oregon and Northern California tourist commission as I truly love this area.

Refueling with a "$5 dollar, $5 dollar, $5 dollar foot loooooong!" at Subway while simultaneously washing my clothes and watching college football. I don't even remember what game I watched but it was sure fun! On second thought, I did see Michigan come from behind to beat Notre Dame.

Later in the afternoon, I borrowed a bike lock from my roommate, Brian Cox, and went on a mission to find a battery charger for my Sony TSC-5 camera. I left the official charger at home because I mistakenly thought I could charge the battery with the same cable that I download photos. As my hero Maxwell Smart says, ". . . missed it by that much." I rode to Walmart, Radio Shack and Walgreen's and went 0-3. With no luck finding a charger or new battery, I dropped back and bought a digital throwaway as a backup.

I then raced back to join Bill Bergen and about 4 other guys for dinner at the Larry Fariss recommended Chart Room restaurant located just minutes from the hotel and on the water. Suffice it to say, Larry was exactly right--this restaurant had the freshest, tastiest fish and the portions were huge! But as they say on TV, ". . . but there's more!" After ordering, Bill and I walked out to the piers behind the restaurant and saw the highly tauted sea lions and seals hogging more than their fair share of the piers. I counted 30 overweight and out of shape sea lions and seals on one pier and about 6 of the same on another. Bill was much more bold than I, walking to about 10 feet of these big boys and girls. About the time he got within the personal space of these amigos and amigas, that gave him several "Arg, Arg, Arg's!" Bill moved a bit farther away and I snapped his photo, and soon thereafter he reciprocated and took mine, although I remained well outside the personal space of the residents.

After dinner, we hoofed it back to the hotel and I watched USC come back to beat Ohio State late in the game. Larry borrowed my computer and listened to USAFA narrowly lose to Minnesota. I also cleaned up my bike for the big ride on Sunday through the redwoods and on to Eureka, CA. One week down and one week to go to San Francisco.