Over The Hill Bicycle Touring

Napa Valley, California

May 28, `80

I'm waiting for my clothes to dry, sitting on a large rock, in the
waning part of a beautiful afternoon. I just washed them in the
sparkling green river that runs before me. Looking up, I see 75-foot
riverbanks and the tops of California Redwood trees above that. I
hiked to this spot. When I return, I'll take my last shower and buy
some beer. Tomorrow I will see if I am fit enough to bicycle in these
California hills.

When I headed north from JFKU, I knew I was facing lots of up and
down bicycling, so I chose not to bike the coast. Instead, I headed
towards Napa Valley, into wine country. I hoped to condition myself in
the valleys, so when the time came, I would be in shape for the
coastal mountains. Biking the Napa Valley, the crem-dela-crem of
California's wine country, was really nice. The only thing that could
have gone wrong, though, was the weather, and it did. I rode through
two rain showers before I finally gave up and found a place to put up
my tent. I had the right idea, to head north through the valleys, but the
wrong timing. A strong headwind put an incredible strain on my left knee.

I was up against the wind again on my second day. I followed along the
shores of a lake, and, in the afternoon, I found myself biking some
beautiful rolling hills. My knee just about broke under the pressure.
I thought my route would keep me out of the hills, but Northern
California is very beautiful and that means hilly. I ended up camping
in the Mendocino Lake area. The rain persuaded the three fishermen
that were there to call it day, leaving me to enjoy the wilds of
California hill country alone in my tent. I have a somewhat different
attitude than on past trips. I guess you could say that I'm now a
veteran bicycler. I expect the bad as well as the good. That attitude
makes the bad not so bad, and the good much better. And further, I
chose to do this bicycle trip, not because I needed to prove something
to myself, but rather, because it seemed like the nicest way possible
to spend my time. That motive, even with my sore knee, keeps my
attitude positive.