When I found out on Monday that this weekend is a three day weekend, and that my friend and his lady are car camping for the weekend in Big Sur, I got the bright idea to bike down to Big Sur myself. This will be my first big ride, and it looks like I'm going it alone. I tried to get a few friends to role with me, but everyone already had plans for the weekend. I guess I'm a little late on the big plans for the weekend wave.
I put an Axiom Journey rear rack on my bike on Tuesday. It's got a 70 kg max load and it's lines really compliment the bike (or my friend Paul was just blowing smoke up my rear). I had to borrow a list of things for the weekend, though. I have a really warm sleeping bag that won't stuff down smaller than my torso, so I had to borrow one. I couldn't drop a hundred or two on panniers just yet, so I borrowed some from a different friend. I put some bottle cages on, but had to borrow bottles. I might go buy a ground pad on the way out in the morning. I've tried sleeping without one in the past, and well, it would be difficult to call what took place sleep. My tent is a two person, so it's good- albeit a little big. I scratched together a first aid kit- Advil, Band-Aids, Neosporin, Vicodin, you know- just the stuff I had lying around. I bought a bike map of the Monterey Bay Area which looks to be pretty valuable. I snagged some fruit from the farmers market, a few Lara bars from the grocery, and stole some bread from Beckman's dumpster (and received a generous donation of breakfast bars from the friend who lent the sleeping bag). I think I'm ready to go. I've also managed to stuff Tom Sawyer into one of the panniers, so I can keep up with my reading over the weekend.
The route I'm taking, as of right now, is a little up in the air. I know that by Saturday afternoon, I want to be in Big Sur. I have two friends from the Bike Church that are biking to Sespe Wilderness. I was going to head out with them Friday morning, but I haven't heard from them. I might be doing the entire trip solo. If I did what I thought I was going to do leaving with them, I'd bike to at least Hollister, then head south by south-west, camp some where then go on to Big Sur on Saturday morning. If I'm leaving without them, I have no idea what I'm doing (besides not skipping class in the morning).
Well, I guess this is it. I'll have really broken in the bike by the next time I write.
Wish me luck.
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