I woke up early but was in no rush. My camp mate Brian and I had more conversations including about him trying his new tarp setup for sleeping. He is not convinced yet and is learning towards staying with a tent. A raccoon came and visited him at night, but no harm and he said the bugs didn’t bother him either.
I didn’t have phone service at the park last night which is surprising because we are so close to town. So in the morning, I rode about a mile to the main road and market and had access. I was able to upload yesterdays blog and get some more food for the day.
I continued up the coast with some more amazing views and rolling climbing hills. I then headed inland into the mountains and forest.
There are two significant and sustained climbs today. First is a 700 foot steep climb. It goes up then straight back down 700 feet. For “fun”, I set a goal to do that whole climb in one go without stopping. So no pictures (only video).
The next climb is 2000 footer and I didn’t set a “fun” goal for this climb. You are really deep in the forest and big trees. Often having steep forested drop off to the right.
Part way up, I stopped to get some photos of a creek. While there, I met Rob and Lily (I think that was their names) who stopped their car at the same spot. They are traveling the California area by car and also stayed at Fort Bragg last night. They were interested in my travels, so I gave them one of my contact cards.
On the climb, I enjoyed the trees, forests and curvy roads. I was hoping to see some wildlife, but I didn’t. The forest is so dense that I don’t think there was a great chance. This also meant there were only occasional and fleeting glimpses of distance vistas.
The descent was thrilling. The roads were mostly smooth with new pavement. I was able to press the speeds especially since I have gained some confidence in my rear wheel.
I made it to the Standish-Hickey SP and procure a Hiker / Biker site for 5 dollars. There are nice provisions here with a covered area and outlet for charging. Bathrooms are nearby with quarter showered. However the one I picked didn’t work and it could only manage slightly warmer than cold water. I took a quick shower. When I arrived, there was only one other camper. But by evening, three other bikers. The park is heavily forested and the mosquitoes are out in full force. There is no mobile service here. There is a nice cafe within walking distance but I already brought food. So I ate in camp while fighting the mosquitoes.
Tomorrow I continue along inland on Highway 101 and expect more forested travels. I may do a shorter ride and stay at another state park or make a bigger run for the coast and find a hotel. I don’t think I can find a campground if I make the long ride.
Ride summary: 6/10 difficulty, 43 miles with 4300 feet of climbing. Was clear skies and hot most of the day. Winds were mild and not a factor when climbing in forest. Today’s ride detailed GPS. Tour totals: 1229 miles (47 / day). 72,625 climbing feet.