Staying healthy when it's hot out....

I met two gentleman on the road today who were walking in the opposite direction. They were travelling the historic California Trail. They had completed one section from Independance, Missourri on a previous trip and were now walking from where the Oregon Trail split from the California Trail near Pocotello, Idaho. They mentioned a section called the Forty Mile Desert. There were no services at all, had to carry all their water and they told me they walked most of it in one day. 

The early settlers of the west had similar trials and many of them died along the way. The two gents were expecting to make Sacramento in about five days hence. The older of the two goes by tge name, Nimblewill Nomad. He was 77 years old and had completed the coveted Triple Crown (Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Appalachian Trail. When I asked him if he'd ever consider the Way of Saint James he said, "I don't know darlin' there's more I want to do here and I don't know how many days I got left. The Good Lord gave me this one and I'm thankful for that." 

Check out his web site: nimblewillnomad.com

It was about 92 or 93 degrees when I pulled into Fallon, Nevada on my bike today. By my standards, at 3 in the afternoon it was a little early to quit riding but I drank all but one of my six water bottles and still felt parched. That's a good indicator that I need to be done. When I saw the pink lemonade on  ice in the lobby of the motel where I decided to stay tonight, I abandoned my credit card and license with the front desk and went straight to the cooler full of said liquid and chugged about a quart. Then I could actually carry on a conversation as my mouth no longer felt like it was full of sand.

In my quest to discuss and be honest about safety on the road, there is another consideration.

Weather.

Even I can't control that. As much as I'd like to believe I'm the All Powerful Oz, I am not.  I have no say what so ever in the daily conditions.  With the ambient air temperature hovering in the 90s and the heat radiating off black pavement jacking up the heat on my face to about 100, I need to be careful and stay "safe". I'm well aware of "Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke". Leg cramps are somewhat inevitable toward the end of the day but Exhaustion and certainly Heat Stroke would ruin a lovely day of riding.

I guided for two summers in some lower elevations in the Utah desert before the company I worked for was able to secure permits in higher elevations in Colorado. Needless to say, it sucked and it was miserable!

We tried as guides to structure the day so we were up and moving by 6:00 AM. Then we could siesta at noon and hike again at 5:00 PM or so but it just never really happened. As a result we didn't move much and by 2:00 in the afternoon, I was ready to pass out but it was too hot even for that. But I digress.

In the upcoming sections I plan on riding, "services" are non existent. Those would be mostly convenience stores and gas stations. THEY have water if nothing else. How did those early settlers do it? It's no wonder they were such God fearing people. I don't fear God but I have much respect for the weather and the brutal heat that can come with a Nevada summer.

I considered cycling at night or from 3:00 AM on. It's still a consideration but the road is narrow in spots and today I had about 20 miles with a narrow shoulder of rumble strips. I was riding the white line for the most part. The good folks of Nevada do give a wide birth as it's a popular route with cyclists. However, it only takes one knucklehead in an RV or some sot out for their fourth or fifth DUI. Seems to be alot of that here.

As such, I'm putting the bike in a truck and transporting me and her about 200 miles up the road. But don't worry, I still have another thousand or so across the rest of Nevada, Utah and part of Colorado.

So, If there are any purists out there who want to poo, poo this idea, I say, "Step right up and come cycle this with me." What, No takers? Shocking. 

Thanks for reading.

A Great Ride

So far it's been an incredible ride! 

When I think back to an earlier post and I posited the question: Why ride? I had a thousand reasons or excuses NOT to do this ride and could not come up with a single reason why I should.

Well, the answers are becoming more clear.
For one thing, the people I have met so far have been amazing and phenomenal people.
I could start by mentioning my friends Mick and Kelly without whose help I would not have even  gotten off the ground. There was Jim in San Francisco whom I barely knew and collected me and my 70 pound bike box from the airport, helped me put it all together and actually changed out some of the parts for me in his living room while hosting me for 3 days.
In a campground ouside of Winters California, I met Rom. He's a Venezuelan by birth whose parents were from Italy and he had cycled from Argentina and was on his way to Alaska. Our conversation was half Spanish and half English. When I asked him what he was going to do after Alaska, he said, "I don't know, I'll figure it out when I get there".

The next day, after the rear rack fell ff my bike the one bike mechanic on duty at the bike shop in Winters on Sunday worked for an hour on my bike and would not take any money.
Two days later on the American River Bike Trail, I met Katy whose daughter in law and son survived the Boston Marathon Bombing but both lost limbs.
We had a conversation about "feeling safe" in a world that seems to get crazier and more dangerous all the time.
It was aan interesting conversation considering that my thoughts are often consumed by personal safety. And when I talk about safety there are many considerations. There's the obvious safety regarding traffic on the roads. But there is also the added factor of being a single woman on the road alone. I have not always camped in designated campgrounds. I camped for two nights in the woods on the American River Trail. A sort of suburban camping experience. As I traveled through the foot hills I thought back to when I worked in Yosemite 20 years  ago and four women were murdered pretty much in plain sight. The perpetrator was eventually caught but how creepy!! And this thought is consistently dogging me.
But like my conversation with Katy on the trail, we can't live in constant fear. We have to get out and live our lives. Even as I live with the constant reminders of my own traumatic experiences, I will live my life as though there is nothing to fear and that danger does NOT lurk around every corner or behind every tree.
I have to admit that prayer helps a lot.
So from where I write this post in the home of some very kind folks who took me home from downtown Genoa, Nevada, Cathy and I had a vey similar converesation as Katy and I. This resulting in Cathy offering me her personal pepper spray. It weighs almost nothing and though I have considereed it at as a possibility, I wasn't sure I really want to take someting like that on this trip. The question is a philosphical one more than anything. As America becomes more and  more obsessed with guns and high powered weapons, do I want to contribute to the craziness?
So far, so good. I'll keep you posted as I consider the question further.
Thanks for reading.

Miles vs Days

AND NOT A SINGLE BUNGEE!

According to the Adventure cycling maps at my disposal, it is approximately 1,221.5 miles from San Francisco to Dolores Colorado. That is  IF I follow their route to the letter, or the mile as the case may be. 

I am hoping to arrive in Durango (which is about another 25 miles from Dolores) on the 26th of July plus or minus a day or two. There are 43 days between the 13th of June and the 26th of July. Having said that, according to my math (which is not very accurate) I need to average about 28.4 miles a day. That, of course would mean riding every day without a day off in order to reach my goal. That seems a very tall order.
To date,  I've replaced the front caliper and rotor (brake), the rear cassette (gear ring assembly) and chain, put new tires on the bike and even found some better shoes. So, it's time to just pack the bike and go.
And what's the one thing I really need and don't have? One gosh darn bungee! Where am I supposed to put the ukulele?
Until next time,
Thanks for reading.

How To Begin A Very Long Bike Ride.....

 

 

GOTTA START SOMEWHERE

 

When I mention my upcoming long distance bike ride (San Francisco to Durango, CO), folks ask, "How do you get ready for that?"

The following is the very simple answer:

I don't.

I mean I do pack my bike and make sure it's in good working order. For example, I just had the front disc caliper replaced along with the rotor. I installed all new cables and housing, replaced the bar tape and when I arrive back on the mainland, Ill try and find a decent set of touring tires.

Folks ask if I train. Not really. I have done a few long rides and for some I trained for others I did not. It doesn't seem to matter. The first week is a suffer fest either way. It's like the first few days of a backpacking trip. The pack is heavy, it takes a few days to get the systems dialed and things get lost. This is all part of the fun. 

I've also tried planning my route down to the mile and I've pretty much given up on that too. I know where I am beginning my ride and I know where I hope to end up. Hope being the operative because you know what they say, "If you want to make God laugh, make a plan". I'm not sure to whom they are referring when using "they". But, you get the idea.

The most important thing is the mental prep. As my departure date gets closer, I ask myself, "Really"? To which I answer myself (thankfully in my own voice), "Yes, really"!

Furthermore, to make things more interesting I have come up with a litany of reasons not to do this ride. But for the life of me I cannot come up with one good reason to do this ride. All the more reason.

So, ok. There you go. I'm off to practice putting donuts in my mouth because it works the muscles in my hands and that is a very important training exercise.  I have to hold onto the handle bars for many a long hour on the bike.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned.
(Thanks to Adventure Cycling for the unsolicited use of their map)