Joshua Tree and Beyond

Greetings from Campo, California.
The journey goes well and I shall begin where I left off last time.
From Yucca Valley we stocked up on 3 days of food, which really loaded us down. Then we cycled East into the town of Joshua Tree. After a stop at the local gear store to stock up on last minute camping gear, we downed a 22 inch NY pizza with ease. The two bros have been craving pizza in a big way. Then we filled up with water, one and a half gallons each, and began climbing into the park. The weather was hot and the climb was hard. After 5 tiresome miles we entered the park and the road leveled out. The park was magnificent! Lots of rocks, cactus, and other high desert scenery. We slowed our pace a bit, yes it was possible, and enjoyed the sights. We also had to stop at every interpritive sign along the road. This park is most certainly a rock climbers paradise! That evening after finding a campsite we headed off to explore the surrounding area. After dinner we got invited to a campfire and talked with some nice folks. By 9 we were all in bed.

The morning air was cold (42 degrees)! We got on the road and stopped after a few miles to explore Jumbled Rocks. We scrambled among the boulders and hike the nearby trail. We were like young kids exploring small caves, cubbies, and rock piles with glee. As we began to get hungry we had to down climb thru a rock strewn ravine to get back to our bikes for lunch. Having satisfied our hunger we set off downhill. A roadside sign told us we were leaving the Mojave Desert and entering the Colorado Desert, which stretches South thru Baja. It took us a while to get into camp at Cottonwood Springs, which was are first water supply point in about 55 miles. We decided to spend the next day hiking to Lost Palms Oasis. The hike to the sheltered canyon filled with exotic California Fan-Palms was well worth the effort and we hung around there for a while, enjoying the solitude. Then after returning to our bikes we descended quickly out of the park and into BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. The campsite that night was within the Box Canyon Wilderness. We found a single tree surrounded by vegetation, in the desert. Mark and I explored the surrounding area filled with numerous canyons and washes devoid of vegetation (think Badlands). We also had a good bonding talk around the campfire about the trip.

The next day we cycled to Mecca (not exciting) and along the Salton Sea. We took our first real shower in two weeks (very exciting!). That night we camped on the beach and finished off a bottle of champagne, and three wine-like beverages, all for under $12! It was a pleasant time ;-) The next day was full of suprises. We decided to do real laundry (not the usual wash bucket) in Niland, which is in the boonies. The locals told us about Salvation Mountain and Slab City. We got the grand tour of the mountain and a free meal at Slab City (the last free place in America, right next to a gunnery range). That night we had the aweful experience of camping at a county campground right next to a feedlot. Incredibly awful smell and we left the next morning without paying, all for good reason.

In Brawely we stocked up on groceries, as this shall be our last big grocery store in the states. Two cosmotology students approached us and offered free haircuts. So both Dave and I got free haircuts in exchange for a learning experience. Riding out of town we had Navy jets flying over our heads doing manuevers out of the local A.F base. That night we spent camped in the desert with a bottle of Jack (I don't like the stuff).

So onto today. We began climbing on interstate 8, which was awful, but the only way. Payback came later in the day when we enjoyed a marvelous downhill and gusting tailwinds. Tomorrow we shall enter Mexico via Tecate after almost 3 weeks on the road. We are excited and unsure of exactily what to expect. Hopefully all goes well.

Till then here's to adventure and good tailwinds ;-)

The Wind, oohh the Wind

Hiding from the wind in the Yucca Vally library, and about to enter Joshua Tree National Park. Since leaving the coast near San Luis Obispo we have experienced heavy winds in the afternoons. It was sad to leave the Pacific Ocean after only a week and knowing that we shall not see it for about 3 weeks or so. But it's better than passing thru L.A. and San Diego. The climb thru the costal range along HWY 166 was not as steep as expected. The hamburgers at the Burger Barn in Cuyama were awesome (first meat in more than a week)! The next day we had a few more hills before stopping in a small town. After a break the steep rollers were insane!! California has no concept of a gradual grade!! The scenery has been beautiful, but not great for photography as things are on such a large scale. A small photo would not do things justice. We took our first rest day outside of Lancaster at Saddleback Mountain State Park. Cooked up some burgers for lunch and a great soup with beer for dinner. Reading a whole lot, finished my 4th book of the trip. The next day we headed out and after a very tiring ride got our first free meal at the Burger Depot in very friendly Lucerne Valley. They also let us camp right next to the restaurant. It rained again that night; for the third night in a row. The long nights give one plenty of time for reading and self-reflection. Today we again experienced the wind and a bit of rain. Trying to teach Mark how to paceline and pace himself to conserve his energy.
Yet the fact that we are about to explore beautiful Joshua Tree will hopefully raise our spirits. Hopefully the wind will abait and the sunny skies return.
Till next time, Andrew

Sunnin' in Cali

Greetings from beautiful San Luis Obsipo,

First off, a 2 1/2 day train ride is a long time (beats my 36 hour record). Yet the gyros in Chicago's Greektown are awesome! It was also night to walk around Denver for a half hour, since it's the closest thing to home for me. A bit of boredom and lack of means to resupply on food were the main issues. We all slept a lot which helped pass the time. Too bad they never cleaned the bathrooms;-( The stay in San Francisco was good and gave us a chance to shower and regroup. The next day we must have walked ten miles from Fishermans' Wharf to Haight Asbury. I do like this city. (I also ended my first long bike tour here in 2001).

The next day we road across the Golden Gate brige and began our journey. So for the last 7 days we have been cycling along the coast and staying in campgrounds at night. The riding has been good, but our bodies are just beginning to adjust to the rigerous schedule. The route has been good, especially along Big Sur, where traffic really let up. The scenery is spectacular, but with the harsh sun photography is a challenge. The weather has been awesome, sunny and very warm. Everyone keeps telling us that we picked a good week, because it's usually in the 40s. The camp sites have been okay, but a bit exspensive. One night I chased a rancoon out of camp and a few hours later spooked a skunk that has its head in Mark's trailer. Navigating thru the bigger towns has also been an issue, with traffic and all. Dave's climbing ability has improved greatly and he is the strongest rider right now. I keep telling them both that we have to spend a lot of money on food because we have to eat a lot, and it has to be decent food. Plus a cold brew at days end is always good.

Soon we plan to head inland for Joshua Tree National Park, which shall begin the desert part of our soujourn.

The Time has Come

Well the New Year is upon us. I hope everyone is full of hope for good things to come in the New Year. As for me a lot is changing.
I have no place of permanent residence. I am currently unemployed. I no longer have a cell phone (resolution #1). I have a new email address (#2). I have also advanced technologically thanks to Christmas gifts. I now have a digital camera (no more film!) and an iPod. Thanks family!

Yet the biggest news, which I have only hinted at thus far, is the upcoming bicycle tour. I have not taken an extended bicycle tour since 2002 and a lot of time has passed. So now it's time for another grand adventure. I'll be riding with my two brothers on this one (Mark's blog http://www.threebrothersadventure.blogspot.com/).
Tomorrow we board the train for San Francisco. We'll arrive there 2 1/2 days later. After a recovery day in the big city we shall begin our ride southward from the Golden Gate Bridge. As the tires roll and the weeks pass we plan to cycle thru southern California, Baja, and mainland Mexico...
As a resent fortune cookie read "You will soon be crossing great waters on a fun vacation". May it be so.
So here’s to warm weather and cold beer, Salud