Respect your elders in Northern California

As we woke up in Wilderville on Sunday, July 19, I began to think of some interesting numbers.

6 weeks since Dan, Will and Elliot set out from the Canadian border. 7 mountain passes have been conquered. 28 blog posts. 2 states and 1,000+ miles of riding total. Over 50 outfitters signed to SWAE. And countless photos.

What a journey so far. By the end of the day, we would be nearly halfway through this adventure.

Will and Dan share some bagels and peanut butter before our ride into California.

It was 8 a.m. and I began to pack up with the sound of a tractor rumbling through the fields behind me. The sun was already beginning to heat everything around me and I could tell it was going to be another scorcher of a day. We rode down to a gas station in Wilderville and ate bagels and peanut butter, before we set off for our last ride in Oregon.

Highway 199 was hot. As we rode, a mixture of smells filled my nostrils. Hot concrete, skunk cabbage, road kill, car fumes and whatever else carried in the wind. Although it was difficult to cope with the heat, we were fortunate enough to ride through several small towns along the highway, which meant we could cool down in some shade. A gas station attendant told us it would be 105 degrees during the day.

Our dread turned into relief as more trees began to lean over the road, providing a decent amount of cover from the heat as we continued to ride south. Forty miles into the ride, we came across a sign which read “Oregon Thanks You, Come Back Soon.” About a mile later we were greeted by a sign which read “Welcome to California.”

Two states down, one to go.

Dan and I let out a shout. We had officially crossed into California. We had 40 miles to go before we were in Crescent City. I was inspired by the fact we had made it into California. You have to remember, I had never done a tour like this in my life and to ride through two states was a great victory for me.

Big hills rose up on either side of the Redwood Highway as we rode into California. The afternoon sun shined down on trees which freckled the hills and a creek flowed below the road. The shoulder was only six inches wide in some places, but the scenery was so gorgeous I barely noticed cars and trucks whizzing by me at 50 miles per hour.

Before the region was explored, there were over 20 million acres of Redwood Forests. Today, there are only 40,000. These forests are part of the reason we ride. Our hope is to preserve the natural wonders of the world. These forests were old. They were ancient and have been in the region for thousands of years. Granted they are a valuable resource, logging has put a strain on much of this natural habitat.

As we rode into Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, the majesty of these forests left me speechless . A bug flew into my mouth as I stared up, jaw hanging, at the trees reaching up into the sky, blotting out the sun. To our relief, the trees enveloped the road in shade and the temperature dropped significantly as we entered the forest.

Our first introduction to California Redwoods.

Although these trees were big, I knew there were bigger ones to come. But for now, this was an amazing precursor to what we had in store for the remainder of our trip. Trees loomed high, some rising over 80 feet in the air. It was all I could do to crane my neck to view the canopy above. It was a tremendous experience to be among natural lands that had withstood countless eras throughout history.

Dan, Will and I rode out of the Redwood forest with 10 miles to go on the days ride. We were making good time, even with the head winds on Highway 101. We pressed hard along the shoulder of the highway, each taking turns drafting behind each other. I led the pack for the last four miles as we entered Crescent City.

I learned a valuable lesson after the day’s ride and that was to respect your elders. Those trees own this land, we’re simply sharing it.