Some of the last scenes of San Francisco as we rode south towards Santa Cruz.

I haven’t disregarded the beauty of San Francico, but I’ve truly become restless with this booming metropolis. I’ve heard the echos of police sirens day and night through the city, seen masses of people stroll the sidewalks and warily watched traffic as I rode the streets. It’s been a great week in San Francisco, but it’s time to say good bye.

Alex and Bates left a day before Dan, Will and me and rode to Half Moon Bay, 30 miles from The City. The duo met Chris Manchester of HMB Kayaks for breakfast. The meeting went very well and Alex and Bates were able to sign HMB Kayaks on the spot.

On Tuesday, Aug. 4, Will and Dan met the Oceanic Society, a non-profit devoted to conservation of endangered marine life, stationed in San Francisco. The Oceanic Society is an incredible non-profit that shares like values with SWAE: Conservation and a dedication to local outfitters was what drove the conversation.  The Oceanic Society also organizes expeditions all around the world, from Antarctica to Sri Lanka and Will and Dan got them excited enough to join up as an Adventure Vendor on the spot!

A view of the beaches along Highway 1 were a relief to us as we rode to Santa Cruz.

We rode through San Francisco that afternoon towards our next destination, Santa Cruz. We began by riding south on Highway 35, which would eventually link us up to Highway 1. Dan, Will and I arrived at a junction, but were put into a dilemma as a street sign warned us to stay off Highway 1. Another cyclist confirmed that we should continue on 35 and it would eventually meet back up with our desired highway.

Mile after mile passed with no sign of a junction. We rode so far that we hopped onto Interstate 280, where we stopped a highway patrolwoman to ask her where we were and where we should head next. We were lost. She said we had missed the turn to Highway 1, which meant we had to backtrack three to four miles to continue in the right direction. It was 4:00 p.m. by the time we actually got to Highway 1 and we still had 65 miles until we would reach Santa Cruz.

The sun paints the skies with an array of bright colors. We didn't reach Santa Cruz by sun down.

We ate dinner just outside of Half Moon Bay and continued to ride, the sun slowly setting into the Pacific Ocean, painting the sky in pastel pinks, purples and soft hues of blue. As we rode, the sun yielded itself to a full white moon, rising over the crest of a hill as the evening light turned to dusk.

Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to Santa Cruz Tuesday evening. However, Dan found an awesome place for us to camp, in a grove of trees right along the beachfront. We could hear the ocean waves crashing against the shores, the froth from each surge fizzing as it dissolved into the sand. The wind rustled through the trees around us and kicked up small amounts of sand as we set up camp.

Will woke up especially early the next morning and was on the road by 7:30. Dan and I took a little longer to get packed up, but we still arrived in Santa Cruz at a reasonable time. The weather is as you would expect it in a town built on the beach. Bright blue skies, warm sunlight and a cool sea breeze was in the forecast for the day.

SWAE will be in Santa Cruz for the next several days. More to come as we explore the boardwalk and the beach of the city’s surfer’s paradise.

My culture shock aside, I’ve probably learned more about the adventure travel industry in these last few days than in my whole tenure as a SWAE Sports Adventurist. This is, in large respect, due to the fact that the industry was pretty much born in the Bay Area by people with an incredible amount of foresight.

On Friday I had a meeting with Dr. Olaf Malver, the CEO of Explorers’ Corner and I can’t begin to speak to the trove of knowledge this man possessed. In addition to running one of the most respected companies in adventure travel, Olaf’s resume of “firsts” ranges from sea kayaking Hao Long Bay in Vietnam, to exploring the uncharted island shorelines of the southwest Caribbean – populated only by the remnants of Carib Tribes.

Additionally, in recognition of his “true” explorations, Olaf is a lifetime fellow of the world-famous Explorer’s Club. It was an absolute privilege to sit down with him for almost three hours to talk about business strategies and long-term growth, what potential partners SWAE needed to speaking with, and how the systems we’re developing have the potential to truly affect the direction of eco-tourism.

Let me speak to the last point for a second. Because SWAE will never accept money for superior placement on our sites, it allows smaller companies to be able compete beside the big guys. The quality of each guide service is based upon user reviews and the niche in the market they’re filling. In addition, 10% of our company’s revenue is actually dedicated to providing local guides in the developing world with the necessary start up capital and expertise they’ll need to create their own eco-tourism business. Once their company has been created, they’ll have access to targeted marketing and the world of adventurists via swaesports.com.

In doing this, SWAE Sports has the ability to promote true eco-tourism, poverty relief, and sustainable outfitters in the developing world.  This model has been tailored in large respect to meet the challenges outlined by Bill Gates in the book Creative Capitalism, where he calls for a new form of capitalism that works to both generate profits and solve the world’s inequities.

It’s when I start talking about this aspect of SWAE, which is truly at the core of our mission, that I start to get really excited. It was wonderful to speak with a man like Dr. Malver, who in addition to the resume I’ve already lined out, also served as an eco-tourism development specialist for the United Nations.

I guess what I’m getting at is despite being taken out of my comfort zone of blue skies and expansive vistas, the Bay Area certainly has been one of the most important pin drops on our Pacific Coast Bike Trip. In addition to partnering with Explorers’ Corner, we’ve met, spoke, and partnered with some of the greatest companies out there from hang gliding outfits, to scuba diving and kayaking guides. Though we’re all ready to get back on the road, what we’ve learned from being in the city is sure to stay with us for a long time to come.

Bates in Sausolito before our trip up Mount Tamalpais.

I decided to follow Bates into Sausolito, where he met with Adnan Kadir of Life Cycle Adventures. Bates had breakfast with Adnan, who said he would ride with us to Bolinas. As an avid cyclist, Adnan knew the bike routes through the parks and he showed us a local trail up Mt. Tamalpais, over into Stinson Beach and towards Bolinas Bay.

We met Adnan at his house, where we prepared to set off towards Bolinas. From sea level, we rode through Mill Valley, up 2000 feet through trees, a winding road and at one point, a dirt track. The climb was amazing and it was a relief to get back on the bike.

While Bates and I rode up the hill at about 80% of our effort, Adnan, a former elite cyclist and mountain biking pro, was riding along at 45% of his normal power. It was amazing to ride with such a strong cyclist, plus his bike was SO rad!

Bates and Adnan at the top of Mount Tamalpais. Stinson Beach looked tiny from 2000 feet above sea level.

The grade of the climb was not bad, which meant Bates and I had a good time working up to the crest of Mount Tamalpais. At 2000 feet from sea level, Stinson Beach looked tiny along the coast. The white beaches and small shops seemed miles away, although it would only take us minutes to reach sea level again as we began our descent from the top of the mountain.

The road was smooth, the weather was beautiful and the downhill was amazing. Adnan flew past us like an arrow, hunched over his handle bars and taking each turn by bending his knee and turning his hip. Bates and I followed, enjoying every second of the ride.

We were just beginning to come into our first turn when I started to ride ahead of Bates. I pressed my back brake to slow down, but was astonished that it did not do much. The turn caught me by surprise and my experience of the next several seconds turned into slow motion.

Road rash and a gash in my elbow after a tough digger descending Mount Tamalpais.

My back wheel came off the road and my bike began to lower into a skid. I flipped over my bike as it hit the ground and my right hand met the concrete before any other part of my body. My elbow was next, scraping across the ground before I rolled over my right shoulder and onto my back. Fortunately, my backpack broke my fall and I did not hit my head. But I stood up to find a great gash on my elbow and blood running down my fore arm.

Our beautiful ride had been cut short. I was dizzy from shock and sat down to take a breather. My ribs were sore and my shoulder throbbed. It hurt to breathe, which worried both Adnan and Bates. Of course the bleeding down my arm and the hole in my elbow didn’t seem to surprise anyone.

We were able to get in touch with Adnan’s wife, Stacy, and she drove up to pick us up from the top of Mount Tamalpais. Stacy drove us back into the city to an emergency room to make sure I wasn’t broken. Bates and I were both grateful for their help throughout the entire day.

I spent the rest of the afternoon in the hospital, waiting, waiting and then waiting some more. I was eventually called in at 6:30 p.m. and admitted into a room to change into a hospital gown. Both the doctor and the resident nurse had a look at my cuts and started the process of getting the concrete out of my skin.

After getting x-rays of my elbow and my shoulder, I was given topical anesthsia for my wounds. I must have left a chunk of skin on the top of Mount Tamalpais, because not much was left at the tip of my elbow. An hour later, my cut was deemed clean enough for the doctor to get to work repairing my body.

After three hours, three x-rays and eigtht stiches in my elbow, I was let out of the hospital. The doctor said the x-rays were negative, which meant no breaks to speak of. Since I had taken such a vicious fall at 20 miles an hour, I was lucky to leave the mountain with only a few cuts and scrapes.

I am out of commission for the next several days and my bike is also stuck in a shop to get repaired. I’ll be a bit sore as well, but nothing that a little tylenol won’t cure. More to come from SWAE’s adventures in San Francisco.

Elliott hard at work in Peets Coffee on Chestnut Street.

Dan, Will and Elliott spent the day doing research in a coffee shop on Chestnut Street in the Marina District of San Francisco. There are over 50 adventure outfitters in the Bay Area, which means the next several days will be devoted to setting up meetings to make the process move as efficiently as possible.

In the afternoon, Alex Pelley finally met up with the trio and will be helping sign outfitters down the California Coast.

Because there are such a large concentration of outfitters, the planning that has to take place between the team means that Will, Elliot and Alex will divide and conquer the Bay Area. Each adventurist will be riding to a different neighborhood in San Francisco, Oakland and the surrounding areas in order to move expediently.

Dan is interviewed by Christian and Miles from Conquer the Land.

Christian and Miles of Conquer the Land met with SWAE to do a short video on the motivations behind our cycling tour. Stay tuned.

The Marina District is a cozy neighborhood along the waterfront, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. The Palace of Fine Arts is a major attration to the area and is home to the Exploratorium, one of the first museums to develop hands-on exhibits in 1959.

The Palace of Fine Arts was built in 1915 during the Panama Pacific Exposition to commemorate the rebuilding of San Francisco. A destructive earthquake had levelled the city in 1906, and the Palace was one of the last structures to be finished after the devastation.

I had a chance to explore the palace for the day. Check out our most recent photos in the Rad Photos section.

The Palace of Fine Arts.

“Adventures in San Francisco” will begin a series of posts and photos of my adventures in The City and continual updates of SWAE’s progress with Bay Area outfitters. Check out the adventures through photos in our Rad Photos section.

Our team will now consist of six people; Elliot Bates, Alex Pelley, Brendan Mullholand will join up with Dan, Will and I. Bates was on the first part of SWAE’s trip in Washington, but had other engagements in Boulder, Colo. to attend to when I met the team in Seattle. Al and Brendan will be flying into San Fran in the next couple of days; more to come as I get introduced to the new members of our crew.

Our room in the Monarch Hotel, stuffed with every possession we had.

Our room in the Monarch Hotel was not built to accommodate five people. The room was 15′ x 20′ with a bathroom, two queen-sized beds, a T.V. and a desk. We were able to stuff four bikes, as well as the rest of everyone’s luggage, into the cramped space, two people sleeping in each bed and one person crashing on the floor. It wasn’t comfortable, but we were used to being closely tucked into tight spaces together.

Bates’ alarm began to ring at 6:15 a.m. on Sunday morning, July 26. His girlfriend Sarah had woken up at 4:45 a.m. to get ready to run with her wave of the San Francisco Marathon starting at 5:50. I willed myself out of my sleeping bag to join Will and Bates to see Sarah finish in Golden Gate Park. It was irregular for me to wake up this early, but I had been getting use to early wake up calls since I’d been on this trip and I was interested to see what all the commotion was about.

We made it to the park just after Sarah finished; she was clocked for the half-marathon at two hours and 10 minutes. Streams of people could be seen along the streets and paths surrounding Golden Gate Park. Some, marked by their bibs, shoes and sometimes interesting running outfits, participating in the race. Others were wrapped up in warm clothes against the chilly morning fog, cheering the runners on, passing out bananas and other goodies.

Since we were up, we moseyed out of the park and found a bike-friendly cafe called the Velo Rouge and sat down to eat breakfast.

The Conservatory of Flowers, built in 1878.

Afterwards, Sarah and Bates left for the hotel, while Will and I decided to explore the Golden Gate Park, a 1,017-acre space in the middle of Downtown San Francisco full of recreational opportunities, greenery and cultural experiences.

Our first stop was the Conservatory of Flowers, which has been a landmark in San Francisco since 1878. We only had a look at the outside of the conservatory, but the flowers were gorgeous. There was a statue of James Garfield next to the conservatory.

From the Conservatory of Flowers we rode deeper into the park and tried to sneak into the Japanese Tea Gardens. I was halfway through the entrance before a cashier caught me. Luckily I didn’t get in trouble and just got a cold finger wag and reprimand.

Flowers glow in the sun in the San Francisco Botanical Gardens.

The sun payed a visit mid-morning as Will and I rode on towards the San Francisco Botanical Gardens in the Strybing Arboretum. The sunlight touched everything.

Green leaves glowed brightly on trees. Flowers were illuminated by the light throughout the gardens, creating a perfect opportunity to snap photos. Birds chirped in the ponds, bees buzzed in flowers and a turtle sun bathed on some rocks.

The sun seems to energize all activity in San Francisco. Considering the constant fog and overcast skies, the sun is a greatly desired commodity in this part of the country.

We left the botanical gardens to go back to the hotel at around 1:30 p.m. to meet up with Bates and Sarah. We got an opportunity to go to the Legion of Honor Art Museum, which housed some amazing Impressionistic artwork from Van Gogh, Monet and other classic artists. Scultpures by Rodin were also housed in the museum, as well as an exploration of etching techniques from the late 1800’s.

Our first full day in San Francisco was full of excitement and I feel like I couldn’t capture enough of the atmosphere. It’s great to be back in a city and we will rest and prepare for a hectic week in the Bay Area.

To check out our adventures through pictures, check out our Rad Photos section on this blog and scroll down to the photo slideshows.

The rides through Washington and Oregon feel like they were in another lifetime and now, instead of dreading the next ride, I relish the opportunity to get back onto my steel steed.

Fog engulfs the coast as we rode along Highway 1. The rolling hills were a welcomed change from our grueling rides.

We left the tiny town of Westport, Calif. on Thursday, July 23, fog engulfing the coast like a specter from the sea. Our first full day of riding on Highway 1 was a welcomed change to the rugged, steep and hot uphill battles we experienced throughout Washington and Oregon. The hills of Highway 1 were simple and we were able to see the crest of each incline with every push of our pedals as we rode.

Up one hill, through fog and a cool sea breeze, down the other side, gliding through the dip and meeting the next hill at a consistent pace. The road felt like waves in their own rite and we skimmed the surface like surfers in the waters of the Pacific.

The coastal highway set me into a rhythm as I rode with Dan. My gears clicked briefly as I shifted up and down with the inclines and declines of the road. My legs moved my pedals, one foot over the other, the constant sound of my chain churned to create the motion necessary for me to ride forward. The sound of my tires on the pavement, buzzing with every push of my pedals. My breathing was steady, in and out, through my nose, out my mouth. I could almost taste the salt on the wind rushing from the sea to the west.

During times that the fog cleared, we had a view from Highway 1 of a picturesque coastline full of color.

Highway 1 was straightforward and stress free, which made for ideal riding conditions. As we pressed on down the coast, we were continually greeted by other groups of cyclists of all ages, enjoying the rolling hills and co0l temperatures that the California coast provided. Everyone we met who had ridden the coast before told us we were “in for a treat” the rest of the ride to San Francisco.

So far, the scenery had been gorgeous, but the fog had put a damper (literally) on our ride. We arrived in Point Arena Thursday evening and ate huge burritos at the Pirates Cove. Dan, Will and I were lucky enough to make it to the town before the restaurant closed.

A woman named Adell was kind enough to let us sleep in her yard and the next morning, took us out to the port for breakfast. Point Arena was a town of approximately 300 people and a well-known point for surfers of all skill levels. The breakfast hut was filled with surfboards and pictures of the locals lined the walls.

A surfer paddles out to meet the waves along the bay at Point Arena.

Friday consisted of a 95-mile ride to Point Reyes Station, 40 miles from San Francisco. We met two young cyclists along the ride and were excited to find out we all had quite a bit in common.

Christian and Miles were film students from Los Angeles. They were on their first cycling tour and were also going from Canada to Mexico. They had been documenting their trip through film and were riding to raise money for the World Bicycle Relief. Check out their Website at www.conquertheland.com.

Dan and I arrived in Point Reyes Station at 8:00 p.m. Will had ridden ahead of us and throughout the ride, we wondered where he had gone.

There was an intersection just outside of the agrarian town of Tomales and Will had taken a 20-mile detour, inland to Petaluma. Dan and I shared a laugh about Will’s adventure, but were relieved to hear from him as he met back up with us at around 9:30 p.m.

Will chats with Kevin and his daughter Ruby in their backyard in Point Reyes Station before our ride to San Francisco.

We ate another big burrito and afterward attempted to find a place to sleep. I had several doors shut on me before Dan knocked on Kevin and Rhonda’s door. The couple had moved to Point Reyes Station eight years ago, just before their daughter Ruby was born. Kevin let us into their backyard, treated us to a beer in the evening and then gave us coffee in the morning.

I was excited to get to San Francisco on Saturday morning. We rode out of Point Reyes Station with only 40 miles left between us and the Golden Gate Bridge. From Point Reyes Station, we traversed a higher section of Highway 1 that wound along the cliffs of the coast, above the low-hanging clouds floating above the beach below.

Our first glimpes of the Bay Area as Dan rides along the sidewalk towards the Golden Gate Bridge.

More cars, traffic lights, more cyclists, more people in general. This was our first real interaction with a bustling city since we were in Bend, Ore.

Tourists, walking and cycling, lined the streets of San Francisco as we rode into town. A bike path led us towards the Golden Gate Bridge. The spectacle of the massive structure attracts thousands of people to the city each year.

The bridge was everything I had imagined and it stretched for at least a mile as we rode across.

Dan and Will at the beginning of the Golden Gate Bridge. Fog engulfs the top of the massive structure, making it impossible to see the top.

The large, orange-bronze structure reached up into the sky, engulfed in a constant fog so the tops of the bridge remained invisible. Wind gusts made riding across the bridge interesting, particularly since there was so much foot traffic. I stopped to take several pictures and was surprised at how powerful the winds were, like a fan turned on high, as I stood and stared out from my vantage point.

We will spend the next week in San Francisco, as an incredible concentration of outfitters call the Bay Area their homes. Elliot Bates has met back up with us and soon, SWAE’s riding team will consist of five people. More to come as I explore this metropolis and reinsert myself back into the city life.