A Month Now Past
A storm is on the horizon. Gusts of 45 miles per hour out of the southwest with thirty foot seas south of Coos Bay, and I am planning to ride 57 miles south to Humbug Mountain State Park. Plans, like the winds, have a way of changing.
One month month ago today I left Vancouver, British Columbia with the intention of riding the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco. The first week of cycling was absolutely brutal with every hill a struggle and gust of wind a curse.
September 21.
I did not set up my map before setting up camp, no tent, just a ground cloth and sleeping bag to avoid detection. I had no idea where I was or how close I had come to reaching the Keystone Ferry Dock before nightfall. That night was miserable. I barely slept, and it followed my first fifty mile day of cycling after a four day hiatus in Bellingham. Legs and back were terribly sore, and by day's end I had lost feeling in my hands. I was scared, cold, and wanted desperately to go back to Bellingham. To quit. Have a nice meal and a drink. A laugh with some friends. Every little noise woke me up as I slept near that service road out of the sight of everyone, maybe myself, wanting desperately to rest up for the ride that was waiting for me in the cold morning ahead. I laid awake dreaming of sleep and slept dreaming that I was awake. Waking up that Thursday morning, cold and tired, facing an unknown road ahead, I wanted to be somewhere else, in another time or place. My will nearly broken I pushed on. South to better times.
A short ride from camp brought me to the Keystone Ferry Dock. It was here where I met Helen, an artist and cyclist from Port Townsend, who helped me through these diffiuclt times by sharing with me her home - a warm bed and a hearty breakfast soothing my aching spirit - before heading off to conquor the Olympic Peninsula.
I have learned much from my time on the road since I scribbled these words in my journal just weeks ago. No matter where you ride in life there will always be another hill to climb, or pounding headwind to test you along the way. You accomplish nothing by fighting these obstacles or allowing them to dissuade you from accomplishing you goals, whatever they may be, along the long and winding road of your life.
One month month ago today I left Vancouver, British Columbia with the intention of riding the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco. The first week of cycling was absolutely brutal with every hill a struggle and gust of wind a curse.
September 21.
I did not set up my map before setting up camp, no tent, just a ground cloth and sleeping bag to avoid detection. I had no idea where I was or how close I had come to reaching the Keystone Ferry Dock before nightfall. That night was miserable. I barely slept, and it followed my first fifty mile day of cycling after a four day hiatus in Bellingham. Legs and back were terribly sore, and by day's end I had lost feeling in my hands. I was scared, cold, and wanted desperately to go back to Bellingham. To quit. Have a nice meal and a drink. A laugh with some friends. Every little noise woke me up as I slept near that service road out of the sight of everyone, maybe myself, wanting desperately to rest up for the ride that was waiting for me in the cold morning ahead. I laid awake dreaming of sleep and slept dreaming that I was awake. Waking up that Thursday morning, cold and tired, facing an unknown road ahead, I wanted to be somewhere else, in another time or place. My will nearly broken I pushed on. South to better times.
A short ride from camp brought me to the Keystone Ferry Dock. It was here where I met Helen, an artist and cyclist from Port Townsend, who helped me through these diffiuclt times by sharing with me her home - a warm bed and a hearty breakfast soothing my aching spirit - before heading off to conquor the Olympic Peninsula.
I have learned much from my time on the road since I scribbled these words in my journal just weeks ago. No matter where you ride in life there will always be another hill to climb, or pounding headwind to test you along the way. You accomplish nothing by fighting these obstacles or allowing them to dissuade you from accomplishing you goals, whatever they may be, along the long and winding road of your life.
posted by Yonder Vittles at 5:50 PM
1 Comments:
Great Reading! Nice keeping track of you!
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