Sunday in King City dawned gloomy & drizzly so our hearty band of out of town bicyclists was not too eager for a second day of adventure. However, I couldn't contain my beginner's enthusiasm. After all, since I'm used to driving alone in Africa, how bad could a ramble in the California countryside be? I bought my first bike less than a year ago & so I haven't bought all the "required" accoutrements but I figured my mountaineering rain gear would work just fine in the drizzle. I even got a new pair of RainRider booties supplied by Howard Shafer to keep my feet dry. After the group was assured I had enough food & water & the knowledge & equipment to change a flat, they gave me a fond farewell from the comfort of the motel room & I was off.

On the outskirts of town I passed through huge swaths of farmland. It's nice to be reminded of our agricultural heritage. In Silicon Valley, we're just a generation removed from this life style.

The first hour contained rain & some wind but then the rain stopped. I was moving a bit slowly since I was tired from the previous day's ride, which at 46 miles was the longest I'd ever done in my life. I also had sore knees & well, uh, other parts of my anatomy that can't be mentioned in mixed company. Since I took a leisurely pace I was able to enjoy the flora & fauna of our great state. The plants I saw in bloom included California Buckwheat & Lupine. I got a thrill from seeing a covey of quail run up the hillside. Magpies are always a delight. I was amazed to see many American Kestrels, our smallest falcon. The Red Tailed Hawk & Northern Harrier were beautiful to view. And how can one not be enamored by the beautiful song of the Western Meadowlark? The cows must have thought I was going to feed them because they kept running along beside me on their side of the fence.

I was told it's 14.5 miles of uphill, which ends at the town of Bitterwater & then it's all downhill from there. I was biking up a valley, surrounded by very green rolling hills with a few farm buildings scattered here & there & very few cars on the road. I thoroughly enjoyed the serenity of the area. At the very top, instead of being in a valley I was now on top of a ridge & could see the rolling hills falling away below me. The clouds remained very thick & obscured the tops of the higher hills, seeming to be resting on the peaks. They stayed high enough so I was never in the fog. It was a great lunch spot. The scenery was spectacular but I was a bit concerned. There was no town. There hadn't been a single sign or cross road the entire way up. I don't have a Trip-O-Meter & since I'm a beginner, I couldn't gauge my speed very well. Could I have made a wrong turn at the beginning? Could I be lost? I decided to keep going & took the steep drop before me. Within 0.5 miles I found the "town" of Bitterwater (made up of two houses). What a relief. I was on track. Now it was downhill all the way, to complete the 40 miles. The road was in very good condition. Although it had no shoulder, with so few cars, it really wasn't a problem.

As I turned a corner, two huge dogs came charging after me with jaws snapping. My life flashed before my eyes as I imagined one clamped down on each of my ankles as I desperately tried to shake them off. I sprinted ahead & was able to out run them. What a relief. It was rather frightening, though not as bad as when the elephant charged me in Africa.

The road followed Lewis Creek for awhile, which was a delight. Rolling green hills are beautifully pastoral but after seeing a gazillion blades of grass, it was great to have a bit of visual relief. The creek was more a swirling mass of mud than water. It even had an unexpected horseshoe bend to observe. I also smelled a bit of sulfur. Could there be a hot spring near by? At one spot along the river I saw many cars that had been dumped along the creek bank. I sighed with resignation at the thoughtless people that trash our countryside. Then I realized all the cars were evenly spaced & were all at the same angle. Maybe this was a form of erosion control. Or even a work of art (a la Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX)? It will remain a California mystery to me.

It turns out it wasn't all downhill after all. There was a substantial upgrade, right when the wind & the rain picked up. My rain gear protected me well but the rain still found my exposed face. Stinging rain in my face was a bit of a drag. However, it didn't last long & the last hour was mainly rain with just a bit of wind.

As I returned to the outskirts of town, I saw huge piles of something. What could it be? As I got closer I caught a whiff. Ah yes, piles of cow manure. After being surrounded by peace & solitude for most of the day, it was a rude awakening to come back into town. I got onto a narrow road with absolutely no shoulder & the first vehicle that wants to pass me is a huge 18-wheeler. I thought I'd be smashed to smithereens. Luckily, there was no mishap & I made it into downtown. As I was making my way to my car, I made a mental note as to the location of the bakery. The rain let up when I got to my car so I could easily pack up. I then got my pastry & the obligatory ice cream bar for the trip home & I was on my way. I then endured 2 hours of torrential downpour during my drive home.

It was wonderful to spend the weekend away from town, bicycling with the friendly Western Wheelers. I'd like to thank Steve Kramer & Linda Tudor specifically for organizing this trip & all the volunteers at Western Wheelers for helping out with the club. As a newcomer to the sport of bicycling, it's wonderful to have a club full of friendly people to show me the ins & outs of bicycling.

--Vicki Pelton