Skip to main content

Day 1- Ocean Beach to Alpine



 Day 1 is in the books! Great day that started at Dog  Beach and a back wheel dip in the Pacific. Tad, Kathy, and Charlotte met me down there. It was great to see them as we headed out.




The ride was flat for the first 25 miles or so, but hot! Temps were in the 90s with blazing sun and clear blue skies. We separated out early into smaller groups. I found good peddling with Sue and Ann. We also crossed paths with Adam and Kelly, the tandem riders.


Our route took us to through Mission Gorge regional park which was absolutely gorgeous. A nice pass that cut through the mountains and made it possible for us to miss an incredible climb. No worries; there are plenty more ahead of us.




At 30 miles we made sure we were fully loaded with water and electrolytes. I’m not sure if I’ve ever consumed this much fluid in a single day. Then the climb began. On the map it looked evil, almost straight up. In reality it was less steep than it was long. It was 6 miles at about three or 4% grade. It did require me to adjust expectations in order to be successful, so I slowed the pace, looked for shade in order to rest when needed and listened carefully to my body. The result? I rolled into camp around 3 o’clock still with gas in the tank. A shower has never felt so good and I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight

Comments

  1. So glad that you’re finally on your way!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is awesome Lydia !! Looking forward to following your journey ! Pickle juice and Pickles will help along the way for sure !! -Keep pedaling ! Lynn Dreher ❤️

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love reading your adventure, and will be sure to follow it, even as my own journey begins (Oct 2). I am guessing your new mantra is rise eat drink pedal, shower eat drink sleep, repeat! You are in my prayers for a wonderful and safe trip!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great start. Keep listening to your body. So proud of you. Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  5. And here I am proud that I did 5 miles on the indoor recumbent yesterday! Hahaha I am excited for you Lydia, Pauline

    ReplyDelete
  6. Absolutely wonderful!!! Enjoy the ride! Prayers for safety and exhilarating joy :-D

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love reading about your travels & the landscape. Sounds wonderful!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 42- Jackson LA

 It rained hard all night and this morning brought thunderstorms. Again we were lucky to have indoor accommodations. It continue to rain through breakfast. Drunk Bob, our weather app, predicted  possible clearing around 1 o’clock, which meant we’d have to fit 60 miles into six hours to get in before dark. Doable, but not preferable. At around 1015, after much standing around, adjusting layers and stretching, we set off. It stayed cloudy but dry. We were thankful for that small mercy as it was chilly. The ride took us across our first bridge of the day. This time it was to cross the Atchafalaya river. From there it was a route of back roads with light traffic. The sun kept peeking out, promising warmth and we were soon peeling layers. I saw some interesting things along the way. This group of cows had loose wattles  and humps like camels.  This church had a no trespassing sign on one of the doors. Just like Jesus said we should do. And this is the machine that cuts th...

The Ducks Come Together

Since I pulled the trigger on this trip I have had the feeling that in trying to get my thoughts organized I am really in the process of herding cats. No, not cats. Squirrels. Wild, wooly, anxiety ridden squirrels. What sleeping bag? What tent? Will my bag be too heavy? Will all my stuff fit in said bag? What if my air mattress pops? What if I get cold (I hate to be cold). What if my tent leaks. What if - And then, all of a sudden, things start to come together. The squirrels are turning into ducks who are settling into rows. My bike is shipped. My backup bike has a new seat that is so comfy I might just bring it with me. I rode 80 miles yesterday and could have gone farther. I am upping my mileage and enjoying it all. I've decided on a tent and gotten the stuff to seal the seams and waterproof the fly. I've decided on a bag and today a sleeping pad came that might just suit me. I'll try it out this weekend in the backyard. The maps arrived and while I'm not sure how AN...

Day 9- Tonto Basin

 Where to start? The 6:30 AM takeoff, the Tonto national forest where there are cactus instead of trees? Maybe the ropey cactus that could be CHOLLAS. Or the incredible views of the superstition mountains that we rode through. They stunned me with how beautiful they were. I even enjoyed the 12 mile climb, even though I stopped every half mile to breathe. The grade was about 4% so it was doable, and the switch backs and wide shoulder negated the fast traffic. I had to just stop and take it all in at the top. The pictures just do not do it justice. And then we went down — 6 and 7% grades made for sore hands. I picked something up in my tire that didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. Stay tuned. We stopped in Jake’s corner at the general store for something to hold me for the last 10 miles. The sky was dark and threatening and we heard thunder closing in. The girls in the store said if we were going we should go, so Carl, Kelly, Adam and I booked to camp with a storm on our heels. ...