That Bites

Day: 86

One last look at the map before I left at six AM.

I can take the 70 mile route to Pismo via PCH with a 400 foot pass and lots of coastal wind, but only a few hills.

Or I can take the 101 (which isn’t really recommended because its dangerous to be on the freeway). I would start my day of with a 918 foot climb over 4 miles, have lots of downhill after that (918ft to sea level at the beach), but lots of rolling hills and less wind.

I decided on the shorter, more dangerous route; of course. The first pass was horrible, I had to walk my bike up like half of it because the wind was gusting right down in my face and it was a 6% grade uphill. It took me an hour to go the first four miles. Now I was kind of worried that I had taken on to much and was going to get stuck in some small town paying $50 for a hotel. The ride down the other side of the pass I made another four miles in like ten minutes. I kept counting the miles, trying to convince myself I’d make it. After about five hours of some the hardest riding I have ever done, I arrive in Santa Maria; where I stop for lunch. As soon as I was off my bike, my legs seized and my back cramped. I drank two liters of water and a burrito, hoping I could force myself back on the bike. I knew the next part was mostly downhill (Santa Maria is 350 ft) but I just couldn’t make myself get up for the better part of 45 minutes. I stretched and forced my back on the 101. only 12 miles to go.

My countdown wasn’t as bad as yesterday (less wind) but I was truly exhausted when I rolled into the Oceana (Pismo) campground and set up camp. I showered and jumped back on my bike with my computer to backtrack (without all my gear) to a Starbucks a couple of miles back to get yesterdays blog up edit some photos (in a place with power) and find some dinner. I spent a couple of hours at Starbucks, just thankful to be indoors and playing online. After I grabbed some beer and decided on a picnic dinner, that I had picked up earlier, back at the campsite.

When I got back I opened a beer and headed out to see what kind of pictures I could get before dinner, but after a few minutes I stumbled into a swarm of mosquitoes and had to run back to escape to dinner. After dinner I started talking to a group of five 24 year old guys who were just setting up for a weekend bachelor party. I kept drinking beers and hangout and before I knew it I had drank my six pack of Bohemia and was feeling quite buzzed (I think all this exercise is lowering my tolerance), and the guys wanted to make the mad dash down to the beach. Through the swarming mosquitoes, drunk, a half mile up and down the dunes of Pismo to watch the sunset. I got eaten alive by the time we got back. I sat by there fire for a little while longer until I began to fall asleep, then told them all good night, wished the groom a great marriage (sucker), and headed of to bed, itching already.