Day 12: Please turn off the fog machine!!
(Brookings to Prairie Creek Redwoods, California)
date: Friday August 16, 2002
daily miles: 75 miles (121 km)
total miles: 962 miles (1,548 km)
I didn't look at my clock this morning as it was still on the handlebars of the bike and I didn’t want to go get it before falling asleep last night. Eventually I would get up as soon as the fog lifted I figured this morning. After going back to sleep multiple times, I decided to get up and check the time. It was 11am!!!! There was still fog!
So I rushed to pack and get going. All I could see is fog around me. I headed out of Brookings and into California. More fog for miles. The city of Crescent City was covered with even more fog. The Redwood Forest itself?? Yup -- even more fog!! Visibility at times was down to five feet. With the poor road shoulders (or non-existent ones!) -- it wasn't fun riding for large sections of today. No serious problems though – is my BOB trailer with my American flag waving so proudly off the back causing people to give me a larger space while passing? I think it must be true in comparison to some other stories I’ve been hearing from people – and none of them have trailers. Also there were some MAJOR hills to climb through the redwoods -- and the road construction didn't make the fog and road shoulder problems any better. I seriously considered parking my butt somewhere until the fog lifted -- but who knows when that will be?? If I remember right, this area is in perpetual fog historically and is why the redwood trees themselves thrive so well here.
Eventually I just pedaled through it all.
My bike is in there somewhere...
I finally found my turnoff for the Prairie Creek Redlands State Park. It is a truly incredible road (tough first mile though as it feels almost vertical to climb) that meanders for miles via a scenic tour of the redwoods trees themselves. With the fog and the low light (remember the late start today?), I got a couple of pictures of the bike in an old tree -- we will see what actually turns out. Also I wonder if I ever warmed up today at all. Dressed with everything I had and I was still freezing at times (and the resulting shaking that goes with it because of the cold). Even when climbing, I pared off a few layers to stay somewhat cool and didn't get too soaked from sweat -- but being so close to the coast with fog today -- let's just say that it wasn't pretty and I wasn't in my prime riding mode today. I need a good 100-degree day to do that - and hopefully it will appear again soon.
I need to found out how to get out of here in the morning. My poor map is about seventeen years out-of-date. Hopefully I can head into the valley and then south to 101 again -- else I will have to climb through the seven miles of 6%+ grade that I partially descended to get here.
Note: Considering that climbing isn't my fore on the bicycle -- I have lots of witnesses to that throughout my life (right Kenny!) -- I have gotten pretty dang good at keeping the bike and trailer going uphill and at times at a pretty decent speed while I’m doing it. (Can you hear a slight glimmer of hope here for myself??)
Amazed that this is already day ten of the Great Pacific Coast Escape. It feels like I just left two days ago. I didn't even realize it was Friday either -- amazing how simple it is to fall off the face of the earth in regard to what's happening and in regard to time...
Sweet Dreams -- I hope there are no black bears around here tonight -- I'm not in the mood to deal with them.
Mark
