Day 12 - Redway to Leggett (27 miles / 559 total)

Hard times.

I don’t know what possesses a mom working at the only market in Leggings, CA that is not going out of business to call her 16 year old son and ask him to pick up a stranded, homeless looking bicyclist. But that is what Missy did.

When Ryan picked me up I had just spent the past two hours hiding in a post office that was dry. I had heard there was a motel two miles down the road but that it was most likely booked – a high school reunion. I decided to try to make a run for it (or better put, a ride for it) and see if the motel would let me camp in their backyard or something to that affect.

Here’s the thing. The weather was getting worse and worse. Worse than forecasted and I was at about 1000 ft in elevation – not too bad but bad enough to bring on the cold. A rain so thick and persistent that cars where pulling off the road. Riding was not an option. I have equipment for cold. I have equipment for wet. But when the combination makes an appearance the potential for something bad becomes real.

Besides, there was no place to legally camp for ten miles. I couldn’t make it ten miles. I considered camping behind the post office but I had no cell reception and I had made promises to call every 24 hours. I wanted to keep that promise. So I started riding to the alleged motel.

The good thing about riding is there is little risk of hypothermia, which I was afraid of. More on that later.

So I rode and I happened to find a market on the way that was in business and open. Thank god.

I rode in and must have looked like misery. When I made it to the register I politely asked if she knew of any lodgings or campground around. (Camping was still a bad option but it was one that I would accept.) She knew of a lodge that had not yet opened for the season, in fact, she used to work there. She called her friend that owned the place, yep, they would take me. It was four miles down the road and one mile down a bad dirt/gravel road. That’s fine I said, I’ll walk my bike down the road. She disregarded the comment and called her son.

So about the hypothermia, not only was it raining, I should also mention that this rain was hail. I have never ridden in hail.

My shoes are my weakest link. I have a waterproof cycling jacket, I have waterproof pants. My shoes are designed to let hot feet breath not keep feet warm during hail. My feet were gone, in place of them a brick with no feeling was connected to each leg. (Where my feet clipped in? I could no longer tell by feeling I had to listened to each one to gain confidence that I was ready to ride.)

I had to ride through the hail for two reasons; to stop would be to get extremely cold – too cold, and where would I stop? On the side of the 101? So I kept riding. I rode until I got to the next exit, Confused Hill – a local amusement type attraction that has it’s own railroad. They were nice enough to make me some nice, strong, hot black coffee even though their snack bar was closed. They close up when it rains as they can’t run the train on wet tracks – did not know that.

Anyhow, I can truthfully say that this is not what I had planned when I started this ride. My current thought is to make it into the Bay Area (further than I thought I would go). My right knee is a sore (but still able) and more important, this rain is worse than the Olympics in Vancouver.

I’m playing some Johnny Cash I put on my computer. Funny to think I’m in the middle of nowhere but I can use a computer.

This freeze dried chicken teriyaki I’m eating is the worst. At least it is warm. I just now realized I didn’t have any lunch – everything I passed after noon was out of business or a bar that doesn’t open until later.

A word about pay phones.
There are none. They have been replaced by cell phones. The place I’m staying at has converted a regular phone into something that somewhat resembles a pay phone but is basically a regular phone.

But back to me. Ryan picks me up with his younger brother, Kenneth in the back seat of the family pick up. Turns out Ryan just finished doing some little league umpiring. Something I know a little about. Kenneth, however, controlled the conversation with his latest triumph in a video game I did not recognize. I would guess he’s about 10. An age I’m good with from volunteering at Camp Laurel. He was more than happy to have an interested party to discuss his accomplishments with. His brother translates the conversation at times explaining the video game to their new homeless friend.

It was my first time in a car in awhile and man did I appreciate it. I would have survived the four miles, even the ride down the dirt road but I would have been a mess. It would have easily taken an hour (yes that’s four miles an hour). A head wind full of hail will do that.

So we pull into River Runs Lodge. Again, it’s not quite open but Missy’s friend gives me a cabin right next to the river. She even gives me a discount for no apparent reason. At this point I remind myself to stop saying “thank you” as she might get freaked out as I’ve said it 138 times.

The cabin I’m staying in is in the middle of the forest and smells but not as much as me. Most importantly, it is dry and has a heater. I asked about phones in room or wifi. She chuckled. Just the one pay phone outside her office. Works for me. I called Christine told her I had a great day and got off the phone before we were disconnected – three minutes per dollar. I’m sure I could have gotten additional change but it wouldn’t help either of us to discuss my day.

Now you’re almost up-to-date on my day. You’re not going to believe this – I’m not sure that I’ve processed it myself. I had rock slide happen right as I was riding past. The hail had knocked some rocks loose and I could all the sudden hear cracking rocks rumble down and hit the pavement behind me. Unbelievable. (You see those rock slide signs on the road but you don’t treat them seriously – how can you?) I never accelerated so fast in my life. Suddenly the hail was not my biggest concern. I couldn’t safely look behind me a bridge was coming up so I didn’t. I peddled across the bridge like it was a matter of survival cursing as loud as I could the whole time. Maybe the rocks were big, maybe they weren’t, I don’t really care – I’m sitting next to a warm heater alive and well.

I suppose I feel like a gambling addict sitting at the blackjack table complaining that he is due better cards.

Now you’re up-to-date. I need a shower. I’ll post the trivia winners at a later point – I have little internet access.

Tonight’s trivia is in Jeopardy style. The answer, a city “Where the boats land”

sellers

Tomorrow I’ll have to hike my bike out. That will be exhausting but I can’t think about that right now.

Towns I passed:
Garberville (pop. 1,200)
Benbow (pop. unknown)
Piercy (pop. unknown)
Leggett (pop. 192)