| Distance | 80.18 kms | 49.71 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 305 meters | 1,001 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 4.76 | - |
| Avg speed | 10.4 kph | - |
| Avg climb | 2% | - |
| Max grade | 11% | - |
| Distance | 29,159.16 kms | 18,118.56 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 306,225 meters | 1,004,675 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 2,060.42 | - |
Thursday, June 5th, 2014
I wake up at 8:30 and immediately start castigating myself for the late hour. Why? Does it matter? It stays light so late now I'll have no trouble putting in a decent day. I've got 7 miles of rough road to get back to 44, very sandy with washboard. Not long after I hit 44 I come across a rest area where I can fill up my water bottles. The faucets aren't working so I find an employee who lets me into a back room to fill them. She says they turned off the faucets because RV's were coming and taking 50 gallons at a time, with the drought the Caltrans people decided to cut that practice off. Cyclists can have water though!
I'm not on the pavement for very long. I come to the turnoff to Pittville through the National Forest and as I'm standing there looking at my map, debating whether to go the dirt or the pavement route, a railroad employee pulls up and asks me what I'm doing. He says it's a nice ride through the forest but there is no water up there. He gives me some of his water along with an orange. That decides it for me: forest road it is.
It is a nice ride on red clay through pine forest. About 15 miles in a big drop off starts, almost 2,500 feet worth, down to the valley where Pittville is located. I'm only on the pavement for a couple of miles when a guy flags me down; it's Bill, a cycle tourer himself, and he offers me a place to stay for the night. Kindness of strangers week continues! I don't hesitate to accept. I ride back the way I came to his house where I meet his wife. I hop in the shower, I can't believe how dirty I got on just that one stretch from 44 to Pittville. We chat about cycling, Bill has done some long tours and is getting ready to ride to the east coast in September. A big dinner and some more conversation then I'm out like a light in a nice, comfortable bed.
