California

Day 44/45. Drove across the California Desert. The first day out I picked up a cyclist riding Interstate 10, he was trying valiantly to crank out miles riding into a 30 mph headwind. I pulled way off the shoulder of the roadway, hopped out of the car and watched him struggling against the demon wind, very glad that wasn't me. He gladly accepted a ride. It turns out that he sent all of his camping gear home and he was trying to jump from motel to motel, hoping the lack of gear would give him greater speed and thus range. I was glad to get him 100 miles further west.

Day 46, 110 miles (2740), I rode from Bakersfield to Reedley CA, through hundreds of citrus groves, the smell of orange blossoms adding a sweet smell to the long day of riding. Discovered that almost all of Hwy 99 is off limits to cyclists, which means more work plotting a ridable course homeward.

Day 47, 98 miles (2838). I rode from Reedley to Chowchilla, around Fresno the citrus groves gave way to vineyards, pistachio trees, and peach/nectarine orchards. Most of the irrigation canals are empty but plenty of water spewing from wells in all the orchards. Riding in the rural orchards is rewarding, all the workers wave, some even try friendly conversations in broken English.

I saw a heartwarming scene early in the day, out in the middle of a citrus grove a dad was carefully unloading five or six youngsters from a pickup truck, the girls were in dresses, the boys had ties, ages probably 4-8. There was a large blanket spread out, with high backed chairs for the kids to sit, I couldn't tell if it was a party or a baptism or similar, maybe it was a celebration of Lent? Whatever, they didn't require anything more than the orange grove to celebrate (they were definitely a Hispanic family). It would be hard to find a sweeter smelling place to have a celebration.

The inability to ride Hwy 99 dealt me a setback today. I needed to cross the San Joaquin River NW of Fresno, I tried to access the bridge west of Fresno but Hwy 41 did not allow cyclists, so I continued on to the Hwy 99 bridge hoping it would allow ciycists access. No luck. I only needed about two miles to cross the river, so I decided to stick out my thumb and solicit a ride. I gave it an hour, not a single car or pickup even slowed to indicate they were even thinking about giving me a ride (I was right after a traffic signal, where traffic was moving slowly, with a huge open shoulder where a vehicle could easily stop and talk to me). When my hour elapsed I decided it would be faster and much more rewarding to simply ride slightly south and another 20 miles west to utliize the closest bridge that would let me cross. It was more pleasant riding in the friendly confines of more vineyards and orchards.

Tempe and Decision Time

Day 43, 86 miles (2630). The ride from Globe, through Superior, and on to Tempe is mostly a descent, but possibly on the worst section of road on the Southern Tier. The road is twisted and narrow with little shoulder, where the road climbs the minimal shoulder is sacrificed to make a passing lane, so cyclists are forced into the drive lane where they compete for space with large trucks (many mines nearby), RVs, pickup trucks and cars. I have no gripe with the Southern Tier mapmakers, they have chosen the best route available from the limited options. But this highlights a major drawback in attempting travel by bicycle.

In a perfect world there would be roads for the autos and dedicated bike trails for cyclists, parallel networks taking motorists and cyclists alike to where ever they would like to go. The reality is that it is difficult to build and maintain our network of roads using motor fuel taxes, little revenue remains for cycling infrastructure.  The construction of an  independent network of bike trails is happening in certain areas where cycling is popular but these trails rarely provide the cyclist a reliable route to real destinations, they generally serve the cyclists who can load their bicycle on a bike rack and drive to the trail, where they can take a ride. Using these trails to cycle as an alternative to driving is limited, very limited. What this means is that if you want to travel somewhere solely by bicycle you are, sooner or later, going to be in conflict with motorists. Regardless of the route you take, even if it is a roadway with a generous shoulder, or even better, a roadway with a marked bike lane on the shoulder, at some point you will reach the spot where a sign announces "bike lane ends". At this point you are truly on your own. Your safety will depend greatly on the willingness of the passing motorist to acknowledge your existence (and legal right ) on the roadway and to behave in a courteous and generous manner. It is my experience that this is placing tremendous faith in motorists that may feel differently about cycling.

The Share the Road philosophy is an attempt to give the cyclist a chance to use roads in co-operation with motorists where complete separation between the two modes of travel is not possible. But for it to succeed, there needs to be an understanding between motorists and cyclists that addresses the disparity between a multi-ton vehicle traveling at 70 mph and a 200 pound vehicle traveling at 15 mph.

Someone asked me if I have any idea how much the presence of a cyclist on a busy highway frightens and annoys a motorist. I have been driving for 40 plus years, I have encountered my share of surprises on the roadway: cyclists, debris, live animals, stalled vehicles, etc. Sometimes these encounters were frightening and annoying, the more so when they arrive completely unexpected. The only way to eliminate cyclists from this list is to ban them entirely from our system of roads, anything less will continue to annoy the majority of motorists. That still leaves plenty of road hazards for fright and annoyance.

I believe most people are kind hearted and will lend a hand to someone in need. Encountering a elderly shopper in the aisle of your supermarket, may draw some annoyance if you are late and in a hurry, but generally you will give the shopper some extra consideration if they slow your shopping progress. Encounter that same shopper a few minutes later, when both of you are maneuvering in traffic and you may not be so generous. When we settle into our automobiles, embraced by our climate control, piped in music, linked to the outside world via our hands-free phone, we often feel like the world should move at our game speed, anything less, regardless of the source, is an annoyance.

How often do we curse the car ahead of us, who seems unable to decide on which driveway is the correct one, without noticing the out-of-state plates?

Cycling on roads where I cannot stay entirely separate from motorized traffic has taught me what it must be like to have a physical or mental handicap in our high speed society. When the shoulder narrows, or a bridge pinches me onto the roadway, or a construction zone sends me directly onto the drive lane, I become that handicapped person. With no way to plead my predicament to the passing motorist, "I am so sorry to slow your progress, I hope you can lend me some of your road space for the 15 seconds it takes for you to pass me", all I can hope for is their understanding and co-operation. Perhaps that is amazingly naive, but it is not that much different than the guy on crutches ahead of you in the airport security line (who is really making the same entreaty....I am going slowly today, please cut me some slack.....), except in the security line you aren't in your car.....

More on this theme later.

Because I have been dreading the need to cross several hundred miles of the Calofornia Desert by bicycle, on roads ill-suited for cyclists, I have been wrestling with myself. Ride the desert or rent a car?

I am currently traveling on four wheels, whizzing from Tempe to Bakersfield in comfort, in a rented car. Last night I  camped in the Desert, this morning I will tour the General George Patton museum, then cruise through Joshua Tree NP on my way to Bakersfield. There I return the car and continue north on my own two wheels.

More New Mexico, then Arizona

Day 40 , 0 miles (2347). Explored Silver City, visited the bike shop and purchased a very nice Osprey hydration backpack. On really dry days (mid-day in these arid desert-like areas often has relative humidity levels below 10 percent) it is hard to drink enough to stay properly hydrated, so a backpack should help.

Day 41, 84 miles (2431), left Silver City NM at sunup, climbed a few miles and crossed the Continental Divide and soon left New Mexico. Had a great camp in Three Way AZ where I met two Canadians (from Nainimo BC).

Day 42, 114 miles (2544). Left 3 Way at sunup and immediately had a 10 mile, 2K foot climb, followed by a nice downhill. After only 32 miles I was faced with a dilemma, stop for the night or press on knowing that the next legitimate camping site was 74 miles away! The majority of the 74 miles would be through the Apache Indian Reservation, where camping was by permit only, and permits could only be obtained very near the end of the 74 mile jaunt. No help there.

If I stayed with the short riding day, there was a camping spot nearby with 102 degree clothing optional hot springs.......but I made the fatal mistake of looking at the weather. The next days forecast called for blustery SW winds, not what I wanted for riding the narrow, debris choked shoulders of the only highway through the reservation. So I wistfully bid goodbye to the hot springs and saddled up.

In the end it was a very long day, nearly 11 hours of riding, but I am damned glad I did it. The road shoulder was crappy, frequently overgrown with bushes, and traffic was heavy and fast. It would have been much more difficult with gusty winds. Tonight I am camped at a cute RV park in downtown Globe AZ.

Emory Pass

Day 39, 58 miles (2347). I left Hillsboro NM way before sunrise hoping to get a jump on the west wind that was forecast to blow strong by afternoon. The 3K of climbing was easier in my opinion than what followed it, pedaling into a stiffening headwind. It felt like I was cycling in slow motion for 40 miles of rolling hills. The wind was so strong on some of the hills that I was forced to walk my bike on the steeper grades. I arrived in Silver City NM totally dead. Since the forecast calls for strong west winds the next two days, tomorrow will be a day to rest and stock up on food for the barren miles between Silver City and Tempe, AZ.

A note on tires. When I started the trip I was riding on a Maxxis tire 700c x 38mm that uses a Kevlar belt in the main tread for puncture resistance. I had a total of 9 flats in the first 1,000 miles, mostly from fine tire wire. I installed Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires (35mm) about 1350 miles ago and I have had only one puncture- a toothpick! The new tires have more rolling resistance but the trade-off is well worth it. If you ever want specialty bike tires that your local shop does not stock, try Bike Tires Direct in Portland OR, they worked a miracle supplying me with the tires I wanted but could not find anywhere in Houston or San Antonio.

Headed to the NM mountains

Day 38, 106 miles (2289). Rode from Anthony to Hillsboro NM, the first 90 miles  along the Rio Grande River. Although the river is dry now, the river supports a great deal of agriculture on it's banks- cotton, grain, and a lot of pecan orchards. With the river dry, water to sustain the crops comes from wells, big diesel pumps are running everywhere, pumping well water into the irrigation canals the run everywhere.

The last twenty miles my route turned away from the Rio Grande and started climbing into the treeless NM foohills. Although the climbing was modest, maybe 1000 ft of climb, the headwind made those miles excruciating. It felt like I was pulling a stalled car with my bike. I was relieved to make it to the nearly deserted town of Hillsboro, where the only open business was the wine bar, a glass of red wine helped with the leg pain.

Geoff escapes from Texas

Day 37, 124 miles (2183). The day started with the sky filled with a whitish haze, a result of the strong NE winds whipping up dust from the White Sands area and distributing everywhere. Visibility never really improved better than 3 or 4 mikes until late in the day, and the taste of dirt was available throughout the day's ride. It feels good to have Texas behind me, I know the weather, and the winds and the arid landscape won't change now that I am in New Mexico, but Texas is a big state and it feels good to cross the state line.

Texas, Texas

Day 35, 76 miles (2025). I was heartened to awake early this morning to CALM conditions, the wind had stopped during the night. But is cold, maybe 25 degrees so packing up gear before sunrise is frosty on the hands. The last road sign as I leave the town of Marfa is "no services for the next 75 miles". So it is a long, straight, windswept road to Van Horn TX.

Now that I have some miles behind me, I can share my observations on the differences between travelling with a trailer or panniers. On the plus side for the panniers, since I have four sturdy, waterproof panniers, it is much easier to organize my gear and find individual items while on the road, the trailer is just one big dry bag and finding a single item during a ride was a chore. The bike tracks a little better in calm winds with panniers.

On the negative side, fully loaded panniers have much more wind resistance than the loaded trailer. This has become very apparent here in Texas, where I have had plenty of riding days with head winds and cross winds. The bike is noticeably more difficult to pedal into a headwind with the panniers compared to the trailer, and in crosswinds the panniers catch more of the wind than the trailer, so riding is more uncomfortable- the bike takes more effort to keep it on a straight path.

Day 36, 34 miles (2059). March 18th. I hit the road right at sunup hoping to get in some miles before the winds built up strength, the forecast called for direct headwinds 10-20 mph starting the day with gusts to 30 by afternoon. They were exactly right. By late morning I was barely making 7 mph pedaling into that wind, so I made the heartbreaking choice to stop before I was stranded out in the desert, unable to make the next town before dark because of the slow going. Ended the riding day in Sierra Blanca TX.

Windy, Windy Texas

Day 32 , 64 miles (1949). Rode away from Marathon after a cold night camping, a fellow camper noted that when we awoke an hour before sunrise the temperature was 28 degrees. The morning's ride was pleasant with light headwinds and a lunch stop in Alpine to meet Kent Chandler and his bride Elise. The afternoon's ride into Marfa was somewhat of a struggle, battling a rising headwind as the sun did it's work. Found a campsite at an eclectic place called El Cosmico....sort of a hipster bohemian enclave in the West Texas Plains. Evidently Marfa is known for an artsy crowd that hangs out here, escaping from the cities for quiet time in the desert. Their shower is totally outdoors, plenty of hot, solar heated water but one does feel a bit exposed using the unit, as the enclosure has gaps sufficient to let a horse amble through. I make plans for a protracted stay, the forecast calls for winds 25-35 mph from the very direction in which I must ride for the next two days.

Day 33, winds erupt from the NW during the night, with gusts driving the Texas dust all around the campsite, fine dust filters through my tent like smoke, clinging to everything, seeping into all of my bags, threatening to foul anything left open to the shifting grit. Luckily my tent bends in the wind but stays firm against the swirling gusts, I spend most of the days tasting dirt and lounging inside the campgrounds communal area, reading books from the library room.

Day 34, Sunday, March 16th. During the night the wind continues unabated, the North wind starts to do its work on the temperature and by 3 am, when the rain starts, it is down to 36 degrees. The good news is the the rain is sufficient to wet the earth and suppress the dust, at least for awhile. I get up early to catch the solar showers before the hot water is gone and enjoy the chance to clean away the grittiness of the past 36 hours of wind and dust. Then I retreat to the communal area's library room, where there is free coffee and heat, two items that work together to make the day bearable. I cannot imagine riding in these ferocious winds, pushing my heavy, wide load against these headwinds.

Big Day Today

Day 31,  115 miles (1885). Tailwinds today allowed me to put a big chunk of West Texas behind me. The route also had some climbing. I started at Langtry before the sun was up (it was cold, packing gear before sunup) at an elevation of 1500 ft and ended the day at 4000 ft at Marathon TX. I met one cyclist today, a rather sturdy individual who, if I got his story straight, left southern Montana in January and is headed to Key West. Then on to Venezula by freighter. I gave him a map for the Southern Tier and left him struggling into a headwind as I departed into my glorious tailwind.

West Texas

Day 28, 75 rather damp miles (1674). Rode from Leakey to Bracketville TX, descending out of Texas Hill Country onto the vast west Texas plains, about 450 miles of this desolate plains separate me from El Paso and the hills of New Mexico. I spent the night at Ft Clark Springs, a wonderfully well preserved army fort that now serves as a destination for Texans who need a vacation in a quiet and beautiful spot. Met two cycling couples. Saw one of the couples again the next morning, there I found out that they live in Canada, near Owens Sound on Georgian Bay; it was fun to tell them Patty and I had just been in Georgian Bay just this past summer.

Day 29, 96 miles (1770). The first half of the day was cool and cloudy, about lunchtime I stopped for a quick sandwich, no more than twenty minutes later I emerged from that BBQ shack into bright sunlight, not a single cloud in the sky. For the rest of the day clothing was slowly shed, arriving in Langtry late in the day, a local said their thermometer read 94 degrees. I vividly recall the first time I visited Langtry it was at the end of a long hot ride, and at the local community center, where cyclists are allowed to camp on the lawn, I found a garden hose that spewed a wonderful stream of clear, cold water. That day I had the most refreshing 5 minutes running that water on my overheated head. So when I arrived in Langtry for the second time, that same hose was still there, and that 5 minutes of cold clear water flowing on my head worked the same miraculous recovery. Plus the local store, which had already closed, reopened to let me buy a cold drink. I chose an ice cold Coors.........nothing could have tasted better.

Day 30........Winds 25-35 mph, gusty, straight out of the NW. Headwinds. Since the nearest decent stopping point on my route is 65 miles away, I decided to wait out the  day in Langtry, where I can spend the day touring the Judge Roy Bean Museum and drinking lots of cold water. Maybe tomorrow the winds will be more favorable.

The best day so far.........

Day 27, 62 wonderful miles (1599), rode from Ingram to Leakey TX on a raw overcast day and had a fabulous ride. Since the weather was cool and blustery, and I had a lot of climbing and descending to do in the heart of Hill Country, I followed Ben's suggestion about temperature regulation in cold weather. The key is to exert yourself sufficiently to stay warm but not so much that sweat starts to build up and wet your clothing. This is always a challenge for me in hilly country, by drenching myself in sweat on the climb I guarantee an unpleasant and chilly descent. So I climbed all the big hills in my granny gear and enjoyed wonderful full speed descents tucked up tight in my nice and dry riding gear. Thanks Ben.

The day's ride was exceptional for two reasons, first the scenery is just like home, almost. If I was dropped here without a map, I would guess I was somewhere along the Shasta River between Mt Lassen and Mt Shasta.........the trees, rock formations, smell, and general look are the same. The second reason that the ride was so memorable was the locals. My waving quotient shot up to almost one (if no one waves back, the quotient is zero, if half  the passing motorists wave its .5, if everyone waves it is 1.0........I give extra credit for motorists who wave before I wave to them). I gave a lot of extra credit for waving on this segment of the ride. Too many of the days leading up to today the wave quotient hovered right at zero.

Rain caught me at the sweet little town of Leakey (locally it is pronounced Lakey, just to throw visitors off,  I imagine) so I decided to spend the night. The camping promised by my map was unavailable so I snagged one of the last rooms available in the only motel in town (spring break started this weekend, this is a weekend get away for city folks, so I was lucky to get a room). I was pleasantly surprised to find it run by a youngish American couple who clearly are in the middle of renovating the aging facility, most of the older motels I stop at are run by East Indian families, often multi-generational, who have always provided a decent room at a rate far below the newer motels. But whenever I check in I wonder why always Indian families? I know it must be hard work, very long hours, with small margins, but is there some secret organization taking over our cheaper motels in this country? So I was heartened to see a local couple making a go of it.

I wish I could spend more time here in Texas Hill Country; the friendly, rural nature of the area is a nice balm after the hectic miles getting through the more populated areas. This just reminds me that I am personally more comfortable in a setting where open space and a friendly wave mean more than big houses, plentiful shopping opportunities and a hectic pace. To each his own......

On to Texas Hill Country

Day 23, March 5.........The weather finally moderated, so riding conditions were good, but I spent the day in Bastrop. Since I was having a difficult time selecting roads that provided a comfortable riding experience, I had decided to purchase Adventure Cycling maps for the portion of the Southern Tier through the rest of Texas. The State of Texas does not publish a statewide cycling map (kudos to any state that has a cycling map, this is an excellent way to show local and visiting cyclists roads that lend themselves to safe cycling and roads to be avoided. Surprisingly, Louisiana has an excellent cycling map and it made a huge difference for me in that state. If you plan to go on a cycling journey where you select your own route, I suggest it is worth the time to investigate state cycling maps well ahead of your trip). The maps I purchased arrived late Wednesday.

Day 24, March 6, 85 miles (1439). Left Bastrop, rode through Austin, west of Austin started into the amazing hills known as Texas Hill Country. Riding through the city was hectic, but once clear to the west, it became very rural and for the most part it was just me and the hills. Camped at Pedernales Falls State Park.

Day 25, March 7, 58 miles (1497). A day of headwinds and hills. I saw two other cyclists headed, loaded with gear. They warned me to lower my mileage expectations in Hill Country, the hills demand a lot of energy to climb. I soon discovered how right they were. Camped in a nice little City park amongst monster RVs in Fredericksburg TX.

Day 26, March 8, 40 miles (1537).  Awoke to a steady rain, so I decided to be lazy and stay in my sleeping bag until the rain let up. So I had a later then normal start time, plus I knew there was a Warm Showers host in Ingram (Kerrville area), so I made it a leisurely day meandering through ranch country on a wonderful rural road where I saw maybe 10 vehicles the entire ride. I am so glad I took the time to wait for the maps, it is good to be away from the stress of vehicular traffic. Had pizza with my WS hosts and talked about Texas.

Winter in Texas

Day 17. 92 miles (1200).  Lumberton to Kingwood TX, rode the first 60 miles on great rural roads with very little traffic. Once I crossed the causeway on Lake Houston I was in bad urban traffic and it was tough going.

Day 18. 94 miles (1294). Leaving Houston in rush hour traffic was a chore, the first 50 miles for the day was riding on the white line (no shoulder) with a steady drizzle to make things interesting. I was reminded that many highways in Texas sport 70 mph speed limits and most motorists show little regard for a cyclist, plus it is a common occurrence to have a comfortable riding shoulder disappear entirely, leaving the hapless cyclist on the white line with high speed traffic flashing by constantly. Welcome to Texas, sucker. Rode from Kingwood to Carmine TX and stayed at WS with all the dinner I could eat.......wonderful.

Day 19. 60 miles (1354). The day started nicely with some quiet rural riding but quickly degenerated into a deadly dance along a busy highway. I ended up pushing my bike for several hours, until an intersecting road gave me a safer riding option. During my march, I was privileged to meet a cycling couple who  stopped to ask if I wanted a ride, they had been riding the same route I was on until the traffic became too much for them to take so they stopped cycling and rented a car. There was no room in their car for my bike, but luckily they had a map that helped me choose a safer route. They are Canadians, started their tour from home in Toronto, rode to Clearwater, then set out for Austin TX. They almost made it. Figures that no Texan stopped to ask me if I needed a ride, it took a couple Canadians to do that. This days ride went from Carmine to Bastrop TX. Camped at Bastrop State Park.

Day 20. March 2nd........weather turned very COLD, so a rest day. My friend from San Antonio brought me new tires, Schwalbe Marathon Plus puncture resistant tires that I hope will reduce my flat tire problems. Most flats are a result of fine wires released from exploding truck tires that lay in wait along the road's shoulder, ready to be picked up by my bike tires. The worst day was three flats, it takes about 30 minutes to fix a flat so these flats take away from the miles for the day. The low for the night was 25 degrees.

Day 21. March 3rd. More cold, more rest.

Day 22. March 4th.  Awoke to an ice coated world, during the night a "thundersleet" storm hammered the area and left all the cars, trees and roads covered with a thick layer of ice. Car crashes and spinouts happening from San Antonio to Austin. Another chillout day.