Slept till 8-counting on a short day-want to catch ride up mt.  Stayed on 101-very little traffic-bike route didn’t look good.  Get to Leggett (pop 123)-hungry-need to find a ride.  Stop at small (very small) old gas station (like you’d find in west TX).  How far to town? This IS the town!!  Do you know anyone I can pay $20 to take me to the top? NO!!!!  Have Gatorade & 2 bags of chips-sitting on ground-looking pathetic–big dog walks over to share my chips.  ATTITUDE-I NEED AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT.  Leader is mounting up-that’s my clue.  Now off 101-beginning of 1-Narrow, steep, no shoulder, very winding & curvy.  Turtle rides again-5 m to top-going down riding brakes-going faster than speed limit for cars.  Luckily very few cars on rd.  Oh-NO-Another 3 m climb-why am I doing this?  Finally get to the ocean & Westport Inn ($88) @ 3:30.  Inn says closed but key is in the door.  Jean is great at finding us places to stay.  Man has caregiver who is trying to open Inn again.  Room is very clean-have electric fire place-eat at little market across street.  Jean says we climbed 4,800 ft.  Have map meeting-compare adventures-& knees-Lynn’s look much worse than mine.  We also agree that we need different bikes w/lower gears.  WE ARE WORKING WAY TOO HARD.  WE ARE TRULY BLESSED TO EVEN BE HERE.  Tomorrow is another day.

53 MILES  9.8 MPH (3-35 MPH) 5 HRS 20 MIN BIKING TIME  4,800 FT OF ELEVATION

Didn’t sleep well-need 2 pillows-Motel 6 refused to give me another 1-OH NO-looks like a truck ran over my face-eyes almost swollen shut.  Can still see policeman take 1 of our neighbors away.  Leave at 7:46-it’s 46 degrees-didn’t like Eureka.  Few miles off 101-start climb-knee hurts-get off & hike up hill.  Now in land of COWS-love it-COWS everywhere-terrible rd-but don’t care-sun is out & no rain.  More COWS than I’ve seen on entire trip.  Get to cute, adorable little town of Ferndale-have Loleta cheese factory nearby-impressive cemetery too.  30 m-eat lunch at cute Mex café in Rio Dell-Australian girl in same shorts comes in-name is Nickie.  Now on AVE OF THE GIANTS for 30 m.  Most fantastic rd so far on trip-RED WOOD TREES EVERYWHERE-very little traffic-put down new asphalt rd just for bikers-no real hills.  Still working on it-see rd closure in 1 mile.  Ask & find out they may let bikers through-workers help carry our bikes over.  Smoothie in Miranda-on to Phillipsville-no more rooms where Jean & Lynn are staying.  Get to Redway-ask for directions to Brass Rail-man tells us it’s a seedy place-we stay in seedy places but when we see it-it’s even below our standards.  Go a few more miles to Garberville & stay at Garberville Motel ($75).  Get food at grocery store for dinner.  Like it here a lot better than Motel 6-gave me another pillow.  Plan to meet up w/Jean tomorrow.  Have huge 5 m mt to climb-thinking about asking for a ride-not sure knee will take it.  Put ice on it (Whitney (dr) & Lynn (nurse) both said to do that. Take Aleve & sleeping pill.  Wonderful day of biking-Love California.

78 miles  10.8 mph (3-34 mph) 7 hrs 11 min biking time

CA HAS A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING.  COLD to start-like winter in TX.  101 to a park rd-trees absolutely breathtaking-climb takes my breath away-have freezing forest to ourselves-fingers & feet are numb.  Out of forest into sun-see 4 bikers we met yesterday-one is a girl from Australia-she’s in short, spandex shorts!  Camped out last night & got rained on-said our motel was great-even had breakfast for us.  Most of day was on back roads-next to ocean-through forests-rough torn up rds-good rds-bike path that turned into gravel rd (also for horses-could tell by the poop on trail)-best of all we had a tailwind.  OH-NO-back on 101 for last 5 m-now have terrible cross wind-traffic non stop.  No bike lanes going into Eureka-make our way to Motel 6 ($60).  Jean & Lynn staying at different motel.  Spent $40 for dinner-terrible-except for the pecan pie & carrot cake.  Armand is sound asleep-tomorrow is another day. 

66.5 MILES  10.6 MPH (4-34 MPH)  6 HRS 15 MIN BIKE TIME  (8:00 TO 4:15)

Left at 8:30-OR postcards to write-55 degrees.  6 m-we’re in CA-sun comes out-YES!!  2m-OH NO-rain-seek cover under trees-lets up-4 more m before downpour.  See covered shed-have to chase 8 chickens away.  Mex store next door-eat 2 Mex sugar donuts-try to stay warm.  30 min later head for Crescent City-buy stamps-lady said she just came through HAIL.  Sky is dark-20 m to go-try to outrun storm.  Been pretty flat so far-back on 101-OH NO!  5 m climb w/little or no shoulder.  I’m struggling-what’s slower than a turtle?  Left knee hurts w/every pump-getting worse everyday-not sure I can make it to San Diego.

Think of ANNE (CO)-took her 3 tries to successfully bike across America.  Did I mention that she had both hips & knees replaced?  In 2001-hip went out-had to fly home.  2002-made it to El Paso-fell over bike-hip went out again-flew home.  2003-completed entire trip-unbelievable her determination.  She still leads bike rides in Denver.  Then LYNN tells me that she needs a knee replacement too-she’s in pain all the time.  Suggest I take Aleve & ice it. 

Rd is difficult w/all the big trucks & RVs.  Jean said this ride is NOT for the feint of heart-& it’s not.  Have to hold bike steady-& pray.  Finally start going down-see signs to break-slow down-rd goes to 1 lane.  Wal-Mart truck blows by me-& comes to screeching halt.  Pull to front-light turns green-huge RV waves us on-protects us as we make 2 m decent-& pull over.  SUN is shining again-pass through tree lined roads & bike next to ocean-sit on rock.  Stop at Trees of Mystery-see talking Paul Bunyon-take hike through awesome forest & take gondola ride to top.  Meet lady from Peru-tell her we loved Peru & Inka Trail.  4 m to Ravenwood Motel ($80)-in Klamath on Indian lands.  Jean & Lynn come in right behind us.  Eat our 1st CA meal at gas station-casino-chicken restaurant.  Have chicken wrap & fries-starts to pour down rain-have another ch wrap & fries.  Nice room for only motel in town-no internet-sleep well.