On to Bodega Bay

We woke up Saturday morning stiff and sore from the previous day’s ride. The 57 miles had felt good the evening before, but this morning they were all knotted up in the muscles of my legs. Worse was when we looked out the window and saw the rain clouds overhead. They broke and we broke for the road. Betty and Gillette were concerned for us riding in the rain, but we were feeling lucky and so took to the road.

The luck lasted about six miles and then the sprinkles began. They were nice refreshing sprinkles for along time, but gradually developed towards rain. The ride was a series of climbs and descents around the coves along the coastline, nothing too strenuous, but a continuous up and down. My front derailleur was still malfunctioning, so I became very good at what is call the “heel shift”. You move the derailleur to where it should shift the chain and then knock the chain with your heel to get it to move over. I felt positively “old school” as I zoomed up hills, shifting down with my heel.

On we went towards Bodega Bay, but first we had to pass Ft. Ross the southernmost incursion of Russians and Eskimos onto the western edge of this continent. At the gate we ran into Vladimir again, who rode by chuckling that he was stopping in at little Russia. Vladimir is a Russian Geography teacher who was finishing a 3,000 mile ride through the US to study our land. He had videotaped us riding the night before, loving the look of our bikes.

After Ft. Ross came the climb up the Jenner grade. In the book it showed one climb to a peak then a long descent into Jenner. We climbed and climbed (remember I am heel shifting into the lowest gear) and came to a peak and looked over it and said “Ahhhhhh the long descent into Jenner!” Then we zoomed down. Only to find another long climb, not as high as the first one, but pretty long. Going up it we met a guy coming down from the other direction, a Canadian doing our ride from South to North. He smiled and said the peak was just ahead; we smiled and told him there was another steep climb as soon as he finished the descent. So he pulled out the same book we use and said, “Look at the map, one long climb then a descent.” So we explained that we had just learned the map was wrong. So off we all pedaled.

We finished the second long climb and Dave asked is we were at the Summit. I was afraid to speculate because we had been fooled once already. But zoom we went down this looooooooooong switched backed descent, two miles of screaming twisting road. And at the bottom? Another climb. Aaaaaargggh! Again we climbed rise after rise and then, when all seemed hopeless, we made it to Jenner.

Jenner is not a happy town as best I can tell. The little gift shop by the water does not stock local artists’ work because they are too pricey, but he carries the same set of trinkets we have seen in other shops. Dave did not want to eat in the fancy lunch place because we have been having so much luck with delis. So we went the gas station deli and noted that the owner had raised all the prices for the weekend. Dave got his sandwich, then the guy waited on several people. The made mine, and brought it to the check out counter. Only there was a local guy there complaining that the nightcrawler cups were all half dead. “See,” he exclaimed, opening the cup over my fortunately well-wrapped sandwich, “look at them!” Sure enough they were big lazy nightcrawlers. So he bought them and the shrimps bait and wandered off and I got my sandwich. There is no ambiance in Jenner.

11 miles to Bodega Bay but first: a hill! Not too bad really, especially since I had the shifting thing to a science. We made it into Bodega easily, if not a little winded and tired from the day. Dave’s dad gave us directions and we made it to their home. They have been taking excellent care of us and so today (Sunday the 25th) we took the day off from riding.

I spent the morning fixing the bike to make the low gears shift more easily. After lots of little tweaking I think I have it working. Sadly, in the original exchange that broke the chain, my cycling puter cord was torn out so know I have no sense of how fast or how far I have gone. Just one of the casualties of the ride. Like my pants. Now so covered in chain grease and such that no amount of Shout seems to get it out.

I got myself cleaned up and helped Dave’s mom with some bread questions. We made a batch of pain de campagne whipping it by hand. That provided some good upper body work. So tonight we will have fresh baguettes. It is the first time in three + weeks that I have made bread.

Tomorrow we are off to Corte Madera and then San Francisco. We have been blessed this week with great weather, compelling rides and great people giving us shelter and feeding us and going way out of their way to support us in this ride.