Day 15: Running on empty
(Weott to Leggett)
date: Monday August 19, 2002
daily miles: 51 miles (82 km)
total miles: 1,126 miles (1,812 km)
Today everything started good. I rolled out of camp at 9:30am down the "Avenue of the Redwoods". Nice ride, nice sites, nice road -- and almost no cars. It was even moderately warm. Just about as perfect as it gets.
One major problem though – my internal gas tank is empty -- and there isn't much about in terms of stores or restaurants to help refuel it. The few restaurants I found were closed or out-of-business. It wasn’t looking too good for myself. More hills on the way also -- I did the highway 101 route versus the more scenic Adventure Cycles route because I didn't have the maps. (I found out via Steve later his route was MUCH better)
I rolled into camp where Steve was. I was going to do a long day today, but given my current state, it is refuel time instead -- and my number one priority as I’m not going to make it much farther without getting a lot of carbohydrates into my system.
Steve showing off his new haircut!
While sitting around the picnic table comparing notes with Steve (same guy from Georgia), in rolled an old broken down motorhome. Scary looking people get out and say they are from Berkeley. Two guys and a gal. They are "scouting" the scenario as I see it via how their eyes are looking over our stuff. Immediately one pulls out a large Bowie hunting / survival knife -- and I have my hand on my Gerber immediately and pull my 'personal protection device' out of it's bag and put it under my jacket beneath me -- he offers the knife to us for twenty bucks. Ummmmm, no thanks – were not interested. Then Mr. Heroin junkie himself offers a camping tent for twenty bucks -- ummm, no thanks again. They are looking at our bikes and tents and equipment -- this might not be too cool....
Finally Steve points these characters over to some other people whom we think live here in the hiker/biker area of the campground. Somehow Mr. Heroin junkie actually sells the tent to one of them -- actually really nice tube tent truthfully -- makes you wonder where they actually found it to begin with. Is there someone out there missing a tent?
While all the above was going on, his fiancé is walking the dog and acting as a scout watching for rangers -- pretty obvious in fact what she was doing. She is obviously a couple of months pregnant and not much of a future given the two guys she is with. Some things you don't want to ask questions about or even want to know.
Finally the rangers are over "working" -- ie they are driving around the camp. Mr. Heroin gets everyone back in the camper and down the road they go. Relief on my part as well as Steve's I think. Steve's wonderful idealistic attitude about California keeps going downhill... the people are different in this part of the state…
Time to start the refueling process for tomorrow courtesy of Steve and his great cooking skills -- big hills supposedly at the start of the ride.
Until next time.
Mark
