By David Freeze
I have decided that California isn’t my favorite state, not even close. I started out from Pine Valley this morning. I will admit to spending an almost sleepless night. I listened to the weather late and discovered that serious heat was just ahead, much of it from the same system that is gripping the northwest. I had a plan, sort of, but not good enough to sleep on it.
I had some more climbing to do and hit two peaks above 4,100 feet. I am writing this early because I took a break to do it while cooling off in Seeley, a little farming community. I am going to submit the story and ride at least another 20 miles. I have a room in Brawley tonight and it will take 2 1/2 more hours to get there with water stops, if I can find them. I have to make Brawley because it starts possibly the biggest adventure day of my life tomorrow. I’m keeping it secret until I do it.
Other towns visited today’s so far were Boulevard, Jacumba Hot Springs, Ocotillo and I am about to hit El Centroi with hopes to sleep in Brawley. Nothing special about any of them to this point. Lots of hay has been harvested near Seeley, amazing to me because I haven’t seen anything green all day.
I did see the border wall, one of goals for the trip. It is very substantial and well guarded at least in this area.
I cycled over a live snake racing across the road and though about picking up the rattlers from a dead rattlesnake, I met Mary from Tucson and her sister Ruth from Portsmouth, Virginia. Mary had done my same trip years earlier and plans to follow along.
I had my first law enforcement encounter just a short while ago. All cyclists, and I haven’t seen another long distance one yet, were told to exit I-8 and take a frontage road called Ethan Howes Highway. The road has not been paved in years and is in sad shape. After a half mile, I found it block with barricades that said “Road Closed”. I turned around and went back onto the interstate to the objections of a convention store owner who said, “They will write you a ticket.”
I had that encounter with California Highway Patrol officer an hour later who told me that he was about to take me in. I told him that without the other road passable, I had to be allowed a way to keep going. He told me I was making matters worse and should have called 911. I said, “It wasn’t an emergency, obviously to your state which doesn’t put a priority on fixing roads.” There is more the story but I’ll save it for later.
Send those prayers for tomorrow. And keep following along, this trip certainly has the makings of something special. The amount of emails and texts has been amazing so far.
Can’t wait to see how this ride develops. Thanks to all the readers!