Happiness Is Unexpected WiFi

Not many mornings have started with a shower. Today was one of those mornings. It also started with blog updates, a much needed load of laundry, and a fantastic serving of French Toast with maple syrup. As days go, this one was off to a good start.

Side note: Despite managing to avoid saying, “Eh” (much to Pierre’s disappointment), he did (apparently) catch me saying, “aboot”. Clearly, I did not actually say “aboot” but I have accepted the fact that from time to time a bit of a Canadian accent sneaks into my vocabulary. C’est la vie. (that’s my French du jour)

Pierre had to work at noon so by 11:30 we were heading out. I still needed to get new brake pads for my front wheel as the past few days of steep descents with sharp turns have been particularly hard on the brakes. As such, Pierre was kind enough to lead me the nearest bike shop. Sadly, they didn’t have the brake pads I needed. From there, Pierre needed to get to work so he could only give me directions to alternate bike shops. It was an extensive list of options. As it turns out, I only needed the first one, The Freewheel.

With new brake pads installed, I resumed my ride towards San Diego. Only 1,000 km to go (give or take a few kilometres).

I very leisurely pedalled my way back over to the ocean via Golden Gate Park. It was a very scenic ride with generous bike lanes. From there I was back to following the coast while avoiding mini sand-dunes that had accumulated in some sections of the bike lanes.

I don’t know why but I certainly wasn’t moving particularly quickly today. No, I wasn’t hungover from last night’s beer. My legs just didn’t seem eager to be pedalling. As such, after just 20 km my legs seemed more than happy to stop at the Subway in Daly City. I have to say, once I finally get my blog caught up I really need to make more of an effort to get a Subway sponsorship. Seriously, I’ve now been to over 60 locations on this trip. Did I mention they have sourdough bread in the California stores. SO good.

The biggest surprise of today’s ride was appearance of a rather large tunnel. I’ve gone on record as to how much I dislike tunnels so I really wasn’t looking forward to this one. It turns out my concerns were unwarranted. I can safely say that this was the most I’ve ever enjoyed cycling through a tunnel. Okay, that doesn’t necessarily mean much considering how much I’ve disliked previous tunnels. However, this one was actually enjoyable. Really. There was a HUGE shoulder. It was reasonably well lit. And the air flow pushed me along with minimal effort. It’s the way a tunnel SHOULD be.

It was after 1:00 before I actually left San Francisco so I suspected today would be a short mileage day. My limited research had revealed the potential existence of Hiker/Biker sites in Half Moon Bay. That research proved to be accurate. Not only were there Hiker/Biker sites but the campground was also in close proximity to the services of Half Moon Bay … including another Subway. Sometimes short days are a good thing.

With a fresh supply of Subway sandwiches in my panniers, I made the short trip over to Francis Beach Campground in Half Moon Bay State Park. I paid $7 for a site and pedalled over to the Hiker/Biker area.

Despite it being a clear afternoon, I opted to go with the full tent set up tonight. The decision was less about the weather and more about the number of other campers in the area. As Hiker/Biker sites go, tonight’s was probably the busiest I’ve seen – with Burlington Campground being the only other exception.

Most remarkable about tonight’s campground is the presence of WiFi. Good WiFi. Good, fast, reliable WiFi. As has been noted repeatedly, that hasn’t been a regular occurrence along the west coast. The downside being the lack of power outlets, so even though I have WiFi access I won’t be able to use it for long as my batteries are about to die again. Sigh.

The decision (for lack of a better word) to go with the full tent set up tonight ended up being particularly good as a very thick fog moved its way onto the campground through the night. Even with the fly on my tent, there was still a noticeable dampness to everything inside my tent. Particularly my panniers. Fortunately, they still had their rain covers on so the contents remained dry. Unfortunately, the fog seems to have come with significantly cooler air which is causing me to shiver uncontrollably. I can’t be sure but I think hypothermia might be setting in.

Based on that diagnosis, I’m officially shivering so at the end of this paragraph I’m shutting off my laptop and stuffing myself into my sleeping bag for the night.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 51.62 km
Ride time: 2:56:51
Average speed: 17.51 km/h
Maximum speed: 50.37 km/h