The guy who ran the campground told me about the nearby Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park
He said there was a "smooth dirt road" you could ride through the giant redwoods.
But I neglected to consider that it had rained overnight.
So it was a little muddy, but not too slippery.
I stopped to take a picture, but decided to turn the bike around to pose it for a better shot.
That's when I discovered that the pine needles outside the tire tracks were covering very slippery mud.
Anyway, the bike started going over, my feet were slipping and down she went.
I hate it when that happens.
He said there was a "smooth dirt road" you could ride through the giant redwoods.
But I neglected to consider that it had rained overnight.
So it was a little muddy, but not too slippery.
I stopped to take a picture, but decided to turn the bike around to pose it for a better shot.
That's when I discovered that the pine needles outside the tire tracks were covering very slippery mud.
Anyway, the bike started going over, my feet were slipping and down she went.
I hate it when that happens.
I tried to lift it, but it was too heavy and I couldn't get enough traction for the 'backwards lift' technique.
Of course I had just filled the tank (7.5 gal) minutes before.
With a full tank of gas and all my gear strapped on, it felt like 700 pounds. Oh wait... It is 700 pounds!
After removing all the luggage and duffle bag, I was finally able to grunt loud enough to get it upright again.
Then I took my stupid picture and loaded all the stupid luggage back on the bike and continued down the stupid road.
The road was so narrow I didn't expect to meet anybody coming the other way - surely this must be one-way road.
Then a car came around a turn and surprised me - I was just able to get stopped in time to avoid going into the pine needles again.
But the worst part was her warning as she passed me...
"There's a school bus behind me!"
=:-O
It took us a minute or two to get past each other. (The dark shoulder on the road is the muddy part.)
The road was so narrow I didn't expect to meet anybody coming the other way - surely this must be one-way road.
Then a car came around a turn and surprised me - I was just able to get stopped in time to avoid going into the pine needles again.
But the worst part was her warning as she passed me...
"There's a school bus behind me!"
=:-O
It took us a minute or two to get past each other. (The dark shoulder on the road is the muddy part.)
Then I started having flashbacks of the Dalton Highway.
Uh-oh. There's that nasty twitch in my left eye again... and my therapist almost had me cured...
Uh-oh. There's that nasty twitch in my left eye again... and my therapist almost had me cured...
After all that, I was able to take a hike into one of the redwood groves for a closer look...
I stopped at a KOA campground today in Benbow and was told that I could pitch my tent for $45.
I said no, thanks.
So I ended up here in Fort Bragg, CA in a motel for $58 with a continental breakfast.
And I don't have to set up and tear down my house and bed.
;-)
WOW Rick, those redwoods are majestic....and I hope they made up for the laydown. Silver lining? That you didn't lay it down in view of the school bus....and have all the kids razzing you from the windows as they went by ;-) Your pictures are just GORGEOUS.
ReplyDeleteAnna and I read this update and she kept saying,"Pa, mokasaka, fall-down?" over and over. You made quite an impression. :) Ride safe and keep posting the beautiful pictures, we are eating it all up back home.
ReplyDeleteOh, man - I wish I could hear that!!
DeleteI can almost hear it now.... especially after hearing her talk about the wookapekka we saw in the back yard.
This trip is weighing heavy on me - I had a dream that I came home and Sandy put her on my lap and she started crying because she didn't know who I was.