Wheelin', and Dealin', mostly with racoons.

Hello, cyclists and pedestrians, and yes, drivers (unless you drive an RV. In which case, please get off my elbow)! That should cover all of you that read this blog, unless anyone commutes on a pogo stick. In which case, I want photos.
So, I'm at a public library in the Arcata, CA region of the world, kicking it around in my padded bike shorts looking like a bad-ass (per usual). We've put somewhere just over 650 miles on the bikes thus far, which has gone (touch wood) without a hitch. Well, some minor chain slippage and brake issues, as well as a few adjustments of various natures -- but no flats, major breakdowns, or even serious bodily injuries! Except for one morning, luckily on an off day, when I was awoken by a very odd twinge in my upper back that led to symptoms reminiscent of a pinched nerve (not that I've had one, but from what I've heard anyway). A few days and 2 trips to the chiropractor later, it basically cleared up, but I'm looking forward to a little more healing this weekend.
Because this weekend, which starts tomorrow, Jon and I rent a car and drive it down to San Francisco. From there, I catch a ride with some awesome friends (including WT Kirschner) to the Gathering in Sacramento, the big martial arts seminar I attend every year except last year (I was in Uzbekistan). I'm going to reconnect with my martial arts family, share stories and hot tub time, and get some healing arts practitioners to work on me a bunch. Not to mention learn a ton, work out the leg muscles in a different way, and relax off the bike for more than 24 hours. It's probably going to be a little weird.
Post SF, Jon and I plan to bike down the coast of CA to LA, and then to take a train across some mountains to Flagstaff, AZ. We plan to reunite with one of my friends from my semester abroad in Tze, which is going to be amazing, and do a weekend driving tour of the Grand Canyon, Zion Nat'l park, and anything else we see along the way. The route beyond Flagstaff is as-yet-to-be-determined, but it will involve some biking and some public transport over any particularly large bumps in the terrain. Because you see, friends, I'm on my bike because I think this is fun. Whenever it stops being fun, I don't want to do it anymore. Following the path of reason, going up hill for anything more than about 2 miles (at a relatively decent grade) stops being fun. Therefore, why not take a train or something to preserve that feeling of funness for as long as possible? I've got nothing to prove by going over big mountains on my own two-wheeled machine. And yes, to close this subject, I may be the laziest person whose ever tried to ride a bike across the USA. I've already dealt with that fact. I leave it up to you to interpret the rest of my posts with such knowledge at hand.
So, what else? Well, we keep meeting really cool bikers on the road -- its amazing how many people set off and try to bike long distances. We met this couple who are biking from Alaska to Argentina -- which is a little crazy -- expecting to take somewhere around 18 months. I want to do that trip, too, but I'd prefer to do it with motor-assistance. I keep eating minute amounts of bike grease, since it pretty much gets everywhere anytime you touch anything on your bike besides your handlebars (and now, even if you touch those, because you kinda have to once you touch anything else if you expect to keep riding). I hope it's non-toxic. Finally, we had this great dinner last night, because we ran into a little event called "Tastes of Trinidad" (thats a town in CA, not the little country) and got to sample multiple wines and restaurant fares for only $10. It was convienently located at the visitor's center of the park we were staying at (Patrick's Point State Park), and so we couldn't resist. Much better than the cous-cous chili beef-stick dinner we were planning. (By the way: does anyone else think that "cous cous" sounds like some exotic, perhaps extinct, bird, similar to the dodo? I do.)
Okay, I'm done here. Hope you find this mildly entertaining, though I suppose if you didn't, you wouldn't still be reading by now. And please, on the comments, let me know what sort of news you'd like to know from this bike trip -- play by play of each mile? Where we camp between riding? Stories of the people we meet? I'll try to mix it up, but I'd love opinions.

Yours,
Jess

Biking the West Coast!

Fans, friends, and family, let me tell you: after biking 500 miles, you definitely still notice the hills, regardless of whatever anyone else tells you. By around 500 miles, the only real thing that's changed (in my opinion) is your ability to convince yourself that the next hill can't possibly be THAT bad, and that, the next morning, the hill the previous day didn't actually exist. Oh, and the increase in the amount of food you can consume in one day. Today, in one sitting, I ate a HUGE slice of lasagna and half a bagel and cream cheese and a cookie. After snacking on a baked potato, some beef jerky, and a few baby carrots on the way to town.

But hey! I've biked 500 miles! 505, to be exact (well, mostly exact anyway), all the way from Seattle, WA to Bandon, OR, where I currently sit in a public library writing this little missive to you. Shortest riding day: 23 miles (today, actually). Longest: 48 miles (about 3 days ago). Usual average: 40 miles, give or take a couple. We meet seasoned bike tourers who average around 55, fully loaded (with stuff, rather than with a nice friend who follows them around in a car carrying all their stuff, which I totally need next time I do this), so we're not feeling too bad about our days, considering we hadn't biked a single day fully loaded prior to Seattle - ever.

Our days, in case you are curious, work out approximately like this:

Wake up, between 6 and 630am.
Change into biking clothes (sexy), pack up, eat breakfast, Stretch
Start biking (between 730 and 8)
Bike/hydrate, stretch, eat, water the bushes, repeat, until between 230 and 4pm
Find a spot to camp, and hopefully, shower. Cook, set up camp, read, wash laundry, pet dogs.
Sleep (no later than 830pm). Do it all again the next day.

So, there's a lot of time for thinking, and looking about, and checking out viewpoints, and saying mean things about hills and people who design roads to go up hills, and deciding when you're next going to eat (usually between 5 and 15 minutes), and daydreaming, and thinking about whether that RV that's just about to pass you is further than 3CM from your elbow, the usual clearance. Even logging trucks are better.

Okay, my legs are cramping from sitting down for so long, so I'll sign off by telling you about this wonderful group of bikers we stayed with last night. It was a bike ride for charity, The Arthritis Foundation -- 6 days down the OR coast, about 50 riders, each one raising $2500 for the foundation. This ride was FULLY supported, complete with traveling porter potties AND a hot shower truck -- that's right, a truck with hot showers in it. Amazing. We met them just before we camped, and they invited us to share their camp, company, and FOOD. Cooked by chefs. Amazing, again.

Okay, good riding people. This is Jess, signing off!