A New Month, A New Journey

The beginning of month number five of my journey coincides with the beginning of my ride to Florida. It’s hard to believe I’ve been on the road for four months. And there’s still a long way to go. As usual, I won’t look too far ahead and will just take things one day at a time. And for starters, it looks like it will be one hot day at a time for a while.

My morning began early as I was up before 6:00. I wouldn’t hit the road until until after 8:00 but Sue and Craig were heading out early and I wanted to make sure I saw them before they (and I) headed out. As I mentioned yesterday, Sue and Craig have been so much fun to meet and converse with. I hope our paths cross again someday.

For the first time in seven days, my bike was once again fully loaded (including my new tire) and ready to roll. Or so I thought. Despite spending several off days in San Diego (and Mexico) I somehow forgot to do something potentially critical while I was here.

When I was at The Bike Kitchen in San Francisco, I had inspected my chain for signs of wear or stretching. It had definitely stretched but there was still life in it. My plan was to replace the chain once I arrived in San Diego. It was a plan that entirely slipped my mind. Until this morning at about 4:00. Fortunately, it wasn’t too late as it was something I wanted to take care of before I found myself in the desert.

As you might imagine, there are several bike shops in and around San Diego. A Google search revealed one about 30 km outside of San Diego and along my route. Sure, I could’ve picked a closer bike shop, but I thought I’d focus first on getting through the city (and all the traffic lights). I figured my chain was still good for at least another 30 km. Spoiler Alert: It was.

My route to Florida began with another trip on the ferry from Coronado Island over to the city. I was on an early commuter crossing so once again it was free – plus I received a free voucher for the return crossing. Of course, since I wouldn’t be returning any time soon I figured I could give said ticket to someone on the other side. As (bad) luck would have it, there was no one looking to take the ferry when I arrived at the other side.

The San Diego Info Center is mere metres from the ferry dock so it only made sense to stop in and say hi (and bye) to Jeanette who I had met there the other day. We had a very nice mini-reunion. Before heading out, she recommended stopping in at the California Welcome Center in Alpine to assist with the rest of my ride in California. Thanks Jeanette. It was great meeting you. And this time I remembered to get a photo before I left.

As expected, there were more than a few traffic lights that impeded my efforts to put San Diego behind me. I could’ve taken that as a sign that I wasn’t supposed to leave but I suspected that wasn’t the case. That said, traffic lights really know how to put a damper on a bike ride.

With patience and perseverance I made way out of San Diego and arrived in El Cajon (pronounced SO much better by Jeanette). El Cajon is home to Inky’s Bicycle which would be my next stop.

The folks at Inky’s were very helpful and able to perform the necessary preventative maintenance while I waited. Somehow I left without getting the name’s of any of the people that worked there but I appreciated their help. It’s always nice to be able to have the work done while you wait. It was a bit pricier of a stop than I had anticipated but I rode away with a new chain and cassette (and somewhat less-squeally brakes … yes, I realize “squeally” isn’t a real word).

From Inky’s I discovered there was a Wendy’s nearby. Having not had a Frosty in quite some time, it seemed I was long overdue. Not to mention, it had been a while since breakfast and I figured fuelling up with food and water would be a good idea – especially since it was only getting hotter and most of the remaining ride was uphill.

Speaking of the heat, did I mention it was 30 degrees before 10:00? Just to be clear, I’m not complaining. Just pointing out the facts. By the time I reached Inky’s, my trip computer was indicating a temperature of 35.6 degrees. I anticipated much sweating in my future.

For the most part, the climbs during the rest of the ride weren’t too bad – although, there was a short section with a 13% grade. That was more than a little unexpected. As for the heat, well … what can I say? It was hot. Very hot. But there was also a tailwind so, all things considered, I felt it was a good day on the bike. It’s not the first time I’ve pedalled in 35 degree temperatures – and based on the forecast, it won’t be the last.

I arrived in Alpine around 4:00. It was a pretty uneventful arrival. I stopped in at the Outlet Mall which is also home to the California Welcome Center and picked up a couple of maps of California and a State Park guide for Arizona. From there it was dinner at Subway. The only thing left to do was find accommodation.

I thought I had made a great discovery only to have it fall apart at the end. The woman at the Welcome Center had mentioned that RVs are allowed to park for free across the street at the casino. After a brief conversation with a security guard at the casino it sounded like I would also be allowed to set up camp there for the night. That changed when I went to fill out the official forms. Apparently, my lack of an RV was a deal breaker.

The “logic” being if they bend the rules for one tent then they always have to. That seems like flawed logic on so many levels. Especially considering the fact that the security officer in the office told me that this was the first time he’d had this request in his 15 years on the job. Given the location, I don’t anticipate there ever being an invasion of tents looking to camp at the casino. Quite frankly, I think it’s just easier to say no. Which they did.

As a result, I ended up at the Ma-Tar-Awa Campground for $20 (Side note: the $20 would go to the Casino as they owned the campground). At least my campsite had power outlets so I was able to get some freelance work done from the “comforts” of my tent. The campground also had WiFi. Well, in theory it had WiFi. It was more like the illusion of WiFi since I could only connect for a few seconds before losing the signal. I never actually successfully connected the internet.

All things considered, I feel like it was a good day on the bike. It felt great to be pedalling again and despite the climbs, the short distance made the ride relatively effortless. As usual, I’m not sure where I’ll be going tomorrow but based on today’s heat I’ll be looking to get started a bit earlier. We’ll see how well that plan works out.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 80.84 km
Ride time: 4:44:37
Average speed: 17.04 km/h
Maximum speed: 55.41 km/h