Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Up up up up and more up

Writing to you from live oak springs california. To reitterate what
Lenora has said, yes, we climbed hills for 35 miles yesterday. Not to
mention the 20 we climbed the day before. However, the hills we did
yesterday were 100 times worse. Yesterday was the first time I felt
completely distressed and didn't want to go on. We went 35 miles in 6
hours. We kept pushing back lunch because we were thinking we would be
in the next town only in a couple miles all day. However those couple
of miles lasted for a long long time when we were trudging along at
speeds between 4 and 6 mph.

Things seemed fine for about the first 4 hours. Sure we were climbing
the entire time then, but we knew what we were in for and thought we
were prepared. Once we hit 3000 feet we thought "fuck yeah, only 1500
to go." however, what we didn't realize is that we would be going
through a series of short steep 1000 or so foot descents which ended
in a larger and steeper 1000 or so foot ascent. By the last one we
were all pretty emotionally distressed. Lenora cried while Zach and I
were just furious. This was the longest steepish hill I had ever
climbed with long straight stretches that would curve around just
enough so I couldn't see what was around the curve. Each curve we went
around showed me yet another stretch of unending hill. At one point I
had to stop, get off my bike and put my head down in frustration.

This hill is what our elevation map had said was our last hill so we
took a short break before we were to head in to live oak springs for
lunch. We then got up from our break and sort of rode around on flat
road for a while and I started getting worried that something wasn't
right. Sure enough we turned a corner and there was yet another hill.
This one steeper than the last. About halfway up all I can remember is
repeatedly saying "you got to be fucking kidding me." I could also
hear Lenora screaming something in the distance.

This time, however, was the last hill. Unlike big sur or any other
super hill on the pacific coast, this had a very poor visual pay off
of a reservation casino. WOMP.

We then hit it again and coasted down the mountain about mile in to
live oak springs. I think it was about 3:30 or something when we got
their. Originally we were going to eat lunch then get back on the road
to blast down the mountain and try to knock out the 77 miles to
brawley which is all down hill. This could have been possible if we
weren't completely physically drained.

Instead we just ate a ton of crappy food at live oak springs lodge and
somehow 2 hours passed and we weren't feeling very invigorated. At
this point brawley was pretty much out of the question and some dude
at the restaraunt told us camp sites out back were $25. That sounded
good to us so we decided to stay. That was until the boss man said it
was 25 per tent meaning we would have to pay $75. We were like "no
way" and were about to leave and find some place free to hide out.
Then dude was like "fine I will let you guys have it for $25 but I
mean it does have laundry, bathroom and showers " trying to make us
feel like he was doing us a HUGE favor, even though every camp site we
have stayed at had super nice bathrooms and showers.

Anyway, we go out to the "camp site" we had just paid for to see that
it is basically just a plot of un-mowed grass where half the town
already lives in double wides and RVs. Not to mention that the
bathrooms and shit he was refering to as "included" were just part of
the laundromat down the fucking street that the entire town uses.
Amazing work live oak springs!

We then set up our tents and got some food at the market down the
street for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. Then Zach and Lenora went to
check out the bathrooms, in which the mens was out of order and the
womens was a stall with no latch to close it and no toilet paper. This
is also where the shower cave is located where you walk back a dark
hallway with no lights to an even darker showering chamber with no
lights or windows. It is unbelievable that dude charges ANYTHING.

All in all, after a good rest I am feeling good. We are going to ride
77 miles to brawley today which should be a breeze because it is
literally all down hill (except one small hill). So hopefully all goes
well today!

No comments:

Post a Comment