one hundred forty eight

STEEP BOTH UP AND DOWN

The streets of San Francisco are ridiculously steep. The cars are parked sideways for a reason. This was a poorer neighborhood with sub million dollar homes, well maybe just the low millions. 

My eighty five pound bike was geared to climb almost anything but these grades were not worth the energy. I walked up several of the really steep ones and actually walked down this one. 

I started down and realized my brakes may not hold. I took care to put extra strong brakes on my bike because of the heavy load, but these hills seemed to be past to their limit. I don't know how they poured the cement on these streets. 

This picture doesn't really show the angle, but you get some idea.

one hundred forty seven

BIKER WEEKEND IN WASHINGTON

Sunday afternoon in Washington State, the motorcycles were thick. It was the Oyster Run, that’s all I know. The bikes were everywhere, both beautiful and loud.

one hundred forty six

HANGIN' WITH MY PEOPLE

I was the only bicycle in town, they were joking with me about my Surly peddle bicycle. However, they asked a lot of questions and were really interested in my trip. 

The woman looking at the camera had commented about my ass and actually patted it. They were serving a lot of alcohol that day.

one hundred forty five

WORKS OF ART

The bikes were works of art and very expensive. The bikers today must have money because these bikes aren’t cheap. These are baby boomer lawyers, psychologists, brokers, and realtors. 

It's probably a lot of fun to dress up like outlaw bikers and ride on the wild side palm pilots, cell phones and all. 

The amount of leather clothing is interesting. I do believe if anyone owning a pair of butt less chaps has have them on at least once naked. 

Now that's a disturbing mental picture.

one hundred forty four

THEY ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT

In the light of day this tranquil campsite looks quiet. When the sun goes down the raccoons, red fox, possums, and who knows what swarm the camp for anything they can find. My trash vanished, but the little food I had was safe in my tent. Some camps had food lockers, this camp needed a few.

one hundred forty three

SAFE AND WARM ANYWHERE

Some nights you can find a quiet corner to pitch your tent, eat, sleep, and go. If I have food, water, a shelter, bedding, and warm clothes, all I need is a safe private spot of ground. The basic idea of loaded touring to be self-contained. If I am anywhere at any time I have enough to be fairly comfortable for at least a full two days. Anything more than safe and I'm in sweet tall grass.

one hundred forty two

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

This was the before picture as I was driving west to San Francisco in a rental car to begin my next journey. I took this picture myself.

one hundred forty one

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FIRST CAMPS ALWAYS SUCK

On my first night on the road I free camped in a small park along a swamp lake. It was cold and damp amongst the cat tails and mud. Not every night is in a pristine location, safe is my primary focus. The first days usually suck and are filled with second thoughts.  I know this will pass as my body begins to adjust to the daily grind of the road. I indulge in my favorite evening meal chicken top ramen.

one hundred forty

OLD HIPPIES

The little towns in the North West are filled with coffee shops. I love espresso straight no cream or sugar just caffeine in mud form. The drive through shops only charged a dollar for a double and some only fifty cents. 

The other thing I noticed was the old hippies. They were balding, with gray pony tails, tie dye clothes, and walkers. The all natural organic recycled politically correct solar powered we are the world people. They display their authenticity through bad hygiene and bad teeth. 

Save the or stop the fill in the blank protests is cheaper then golf.

I graduated from high school in 1969, we did the hair thing and life style for a while, but most of us grew up. 

one hundred thirty nine

BOATS THAT SHOULD NOT FIT

I reached County Line campground on the Washington side of the Columbia River. The sun was setting as I arrived and the camp host had just told me bicycles were free. The camp was only twenty trailer spaces, a half dozen tent camp sites, a bathroom and drinkable water. 

I was about to pitch my tent when I saw this cargo ship. The channel was over forty feet deep so these large ships can travel inland. It was just shocking to watch them so closely.

one hundred thirty eight

FISH STORIES

This harbor in the islands of Washington State was filled with working boats. The fishermen I talked to worked other jobs and fished part time, so these are small businesses. They had a common connection with the New England fishermen, fish stories.