Day 40: A wrong turn leads to an adventure!
Today would be a relatively short day at about 50 kms. Not many hills, no flats, manageable heat, what could go wrong?
It started with just a road block due to construction work. Some of the workers told me to cycle back and take the turn before. This I do though I think they meant 2 turns before. I say this because I cycle down a random road that ends in a closed gate. As I approach the gate though I notice that there is a walkway for pedestrians to pass through it. There is also some notice about Park usage and to be aware of mountain lions. This means it is a park and I am allowed to go through it. I confirm with Google Maps that it will merge with the road I am supposed to be on… Yes, in 1 km or so. Perfect, so I decided to lift my bike over a little gate and go through the “park”.
Almost all of my cycling has been on roads, so some car wide gravel was a nice change. This rapidly narrowed into bicycle width.. And then started to get very rugged with steep uphills and downhills. I have heard of “single track” terrain before so this must be what that is. This I enjoyed. The path narrowed some more to barely the width of a shoe with dense overgrowth on either side, which constantly caught in my panniers threatening to drag me to one side or the other. By this point I couldn’t cycle the uphills as they were far too steep and wheels would slip on the terrain and any mistake would put me in danger. And I couldn’t cycle down the hill for basically the same reason. Occasionally I would say something out loud as I think you are supposed to do this when in such environments so you don’t accidentally sneak up on mountain lions or bears or something. By this point I was mostly pushing and hauling my bike up and down rough terrain on loose footing. At some point I decide that I am not supposed to be here and that what I am doing is stupid. But after checking with Google Maps I see I am about 2/3 through it so decide to continue.
The path then leads to the edge of a clearing which is a mostly dried up river bed though there is still a stream passing through. Would be a cool spot to camp if I wasn’t such a scaredy cat. I walk along the dryed up river bed and the terrain becomes stupid rocky to the point I am lifting my bike over rocks. I decided to abandon my bike and scout ahead. Good that I did as the “path” I was on wasn’t a path and became proper impassible. I haul my bike back about 30 feet to the clearing which takes about 5 mins.
I checked with Google maps again. I am only a hundred meters or so from what looks like a drivable road. So after thinking a little I decide it makes no sense for the path I was following to go into the riverbed, even if the riverbed is dried up, so go back to the point I entered the riverbed. After some inspection I decided that the path might at one point have continued on the bank of the riverbed but this escaped me earlier as it is so impossibly overgrown. So I walked along the riverbed again and found a point 20 feet or so further upstream where I could climb up and scout out. I quickly find the remains of a trail so follow it to some “danger, high pressure gas lines” type of signs next to big concrete things in the ground. The other side of this was a much wider path that must be used by some workers. So I have found my way out.
I retraced my steps back to my bike. The next problem was hauling my bike up this embankment. I would basically have to lift my bike up 6 feet, try to wedge it against a tree, half climb up to it, and then lift it to the next section and try to lie it such that it doesn’t slide down. Then I could scramble up the rest of the way and drag the bike up the remaining bit. This I had to do twice as I had to go back to get my panniers.
After sneaking carefully around the concrete thing in the ground with warnings all over it, I was led to a drivable dirt track that quickly led to a main road. So that was exciting detour.
Checked into camp and all good. Except I believe I left my spork in the sink of the last motel. This I realized after making dinner. If you have never tried eating stew with just a knife before, it is an experience.
Campsite is right on the beach. Can hear the breaking of the waves against the shore while admiring the stunning ocean views with the shades of red and pink and violet across the horizon as the sun sets. That is enough poetic shit for one day. Goodnight!
