Day 13 | California Here We Come

Nanaimo, British Columbia

Distance

59.5 miles

Elevation Climbed

3,007 ft

Landscape

Long stretches of rock scattered coast, farmland, wildflowers, mossy tree-scape

Weather

Overcast and windy, 55 F

Kirsten’s Notes: 

Today we made it to California! The distinction between all state and country lines up to this point were obvious: Canada and Washington because of Border Patrol, Washington and Oregon because of the Columbia River and Astoria bridge but Oregon to Washington? Very random. We saw a checkpoint that my mom said checked for fresh fruit and firewood but that was it. Turns out a surveyor from over a century ago drew the line through a town arbitrarily and current residents have a peculiar experience with different schools, laws, DMVs, etc. feet away from them. 

The headwind, chip seal and early ride climbs didn’t make things easy on us today…it was difficult to avoid some type of resistance. We tend to push through the resistance seated and when paired with having to pedal to stay moving against a headwind downhill, our butts get no relief – ow. We were fortunate to have enough visibility through the overcast skies to see the smaller and more plentiful intertidal structures behind blooming, pink and yellow wildflowers though and that grounds us to why we’re out here in the first place. 

Wildflowers and rock scattered coast, Oregon

Lars’ Notes: 

Yesterday, we said farewell to our friends Jim, Erin and Kelsey and today, we said goodbye to Oregon. Apparently, Oregon didn’t want to see us go, they gave us strong headwinds again, as if trying to push us away from reaching the border. About the only time a strong wind wasn’t directly in our faces was when we were climbing! If yesterday was a character builder, we have even stronger character today! Today was also the first day I needed long pants while riding, the wind from the pacific was chilly and we vacillated between sweaty ascents and cold descents. It was actually pretty wild to see an inland cloud descend upon us bringing noticeably colder air as we pushed through. All five climbs today were in the early part of the ride; I prefer that. Despite the cold and the wind, Oregon bestowed upon us many beautiful views as we departed. At about 2:00, we entered California. As Kirsten noted, the wind was supposedly going to let up a bit in the afternoon. Thankfully she was right. We enjoyed a lighter wind in California, also clearer skies and warmer temperatures. The California section was mostly off Route 101, a nice break in traffic. We were slightly away from the coast, and biked through beautiful farm country. I have been so surprised and grateful to see the abundant wildflowers that grow in the open meadows. In our final few miles, we got a view of the California coast line. For the most part, it is similar to Southern Oregon, with isolated rock outcrops just offshore from the rocky beaches. Lise met us at the Pebble Beach Lighthouse, she was a sight for sore eyes…and legs! We then drove south to our next Airbnb about 70 miles south. The drive led us through the Redwood National and State Forests and gave us a preview of tomorrow’s big 75 mile ride! As we descended one of the long hills, we were greeted by a large herd of Elk, they were magnificent! A hot shower, a cold beer and a great dinner completed the day.

Gang of elk
Storm-struck sailors
Day 13 Complete