Tour De La Dead V2

75 Miles

I woke up early today and took advantage of the campground's showers. On my way there, I noticed the biker from last night with his bike leaning against the bathroom door. I didn't see him again, so I assume he didn't have to pay.

Deciding to have breakfast at Denny's, I then hit a trail that led me to a road I traveled for some time. The temperature rose quickly, and the roads became less flat than before. There was one section where I had to dismount and walk up; it was the steepest hill I've encountered so far, made worse by the blazing heat.

By the time I reached Lockwood, things worsened. The sun was relentless with no shade in sight, and there were countless steep, rolling hills. Pedaling so slowly, I even wondered if my tires were deflated (they weren't). Eventually, I found a shaded spot in the middle of a hill climb where I had one bar of service. Checking my map, it showed Paso Robles was 29 miles away. This made me really nervous. My water was boiling hot, and so was I.

I spotted a pizza place 11 miles ahead and knew I had to reach it. Enduring more steep hills and hotter temperatures, I finally arrived at the plaza with the pizza place. It was a relieved because I was fighting demons like Ken Carson along that stretch.

At the pizza place, I asked for ice water, and the lady working there kindly let me fill up as much as I needed. I also stocked up on food and drinks from a supermarket next door. At this point, I had to decide my next move. The nearest campsite was two miles downhill from where I came, and the town I wanted to reach was another 18 miles away. Eager to leave that challenging section of California behind, I resolved to push onward.

After refueling, the next section wasn't as bad. I felt immense relief when I finally saw Paso Robles. Opting for a motel for the night, I treated myself to a cold shower, did laundry, and got food from a local market. At the laundromat, I texted my friend Joe (who I met while studying abroad in Italy) If he wanted to meet up once I got into Los Angeles. He seemed keen on the idea. I also messaged a couple on Warm Showers in hopes of finding a place to stay tomorrow.