3/19: Cambria, CA- What Would Jesus Sell?

Friday night was more of what I expected from this quick layover in Cambria, while it also introduced the theme for the immediate future. With Nick (’08) and Rael (Slab City), this was the never-before-seen opportunity of melding two of my distinctly separate experiences into a third, and I was curious to see what conversations, thoughts, and ideas spawned from the three of us.

3/19: Cambria, CA- Moonstones & Battlelines

I finally exhaled Thursday night and slept like a corpse. The Sierra Designs tarp shelter performed admirably on its first night of active duty, keeping the dew and Pacific moisture off of me and the backpack while providing the privacy and space not offered in a bivy alone. For the gearheads, the Origami is a lightweight, floorless tarp shelter utilizing five equilateral triangles and a telescoping pole/ walking stick/ guy line as a center support. It looks like a little teepee. The Origami can be set up in countless configurations depending on terrain and doesn’t weigh much, so I envision it as both a compliment to the bivy and as a replacement for a full tent.

3/18: Cambria, CA Revisited- Azrael's Karen

Pulling into San Simeon Beach State Park, memories came rushing back. The nostalgia was as thick as the persistent fog in seeing spots that have scorched themselves into my psyche; places only seen in my own photographs for the last couple of years. It had been less than two-years, but the Odyssey as I now know it began with Pat in San Luis Obispo, and literally took off after mending my blisters in this very place. Meeting Rael here seemed fitting as a kick-off to whatever adventures lie ahead in 2010. The few minutes before seeing Rael felt a great deal like "coming home."

3/17 & 18: To the Coast- Melody & Marci

I originally contacted Melody via her Craigslist ad around the first of March. She was to be moving from Austin to Portland, stopping in Taos to see friends, then continuing on toward San Francisco. I had also been in chatting with Rael since Slab City, and discovered that he was in fact still on hiatus from his walk, and would be heading to the coast toward San Francisco instead of Yosemite due to climate concerns! It would be a bit warmer along the central California coast, and a good time to see some of the southern portions of Hwy. 1. Between the two, it was obvious that this was an alternative to a dreaded trip east and a partial repeat of 2008's West Coast Run- one of my favorite's to date. It would also presumably provide an opportunity to dig deeper into some of the "Camel Ideas". This could be quite cool indeed...

6/19: San Simeon- Big Sur: Florian

This was a day of contradictions. Maybe the most intense day of the trip as far as the extremes go.

I was up and sadly leaving my little piece of $2 camping Nirvana at about 11:30 or so, loaded up with water and tea and back on Hwy. 1. I had learned from my neighbors the night before that there would be a place in the next town, San Simeon, to get water etc., so I didn't fully top off and felt remarkably light as I left.

What a great walk the first few miles was! I stopped off at a Vista Point to rest my feet, and tend to the re- developing blisters. Such a beautiful place! The squirrels and birds are quite bold here. They'll literally climb on top of you to get peanuts. I got a picture of a squirrel doing exactly that, and actually reaching his front paws up to take the nut from my fingers. I dig squirrels. Sue me!

I must have sat there for a good hour (not in a hurry, remember?) and got back at it. William Randolph Hearst's Castle was a few more miles up the road, and is right across from W.R. Hearst State Beach, complete with a sign proclaiming him a 'Great Patriot'. I plopped down in the shade up against a fence, smoked, chugged water, and gazed from a distance upon the most extreme, blatant, and disgustingly obvious self- congratulatory display of Capitalism and the pursuit of money I can ever imagine. Hearst Castle. I really loved the irony of looking at this thing while sitting in the dirt beneath a tree next to my backpack, and I called Karim to let him know.

For thóse that don't know, Citizen Kane was based not- so- loosely on WR Hearst. He was a newspaper giant in the early 20th Century. I couln't help but think how this man had built this Tribute to Greed by collecting five or 10 cents at a time from working class people. I could envision someone locking themselves up in this cage and while dying crying 'Rosebud'... to no one.

I sat there for 45 minutes or so, then went inside the park and filled my water. Everything this time. I knew I was heading into the middle of nothingness, this would be my last chance to fill up and it was obvious that eventually ´the thumb would have to come out.

Onward I went, my feet getting worse by the step under the increased weight of another full boca bottle and the from the heat of the asphalt under the afternoon sun. I went another couple of miles when I began to fizzle out. I plopped down on the side of the road in a section that was coming out of a curve. I quickly realized the ignorance of this and moved on. Shortly thereafter I felt something in my left foot... the same place I was feeling the discomfort earlier in the week before I had removed the inserts. I had re- inserted them before I'd left but this was different. It felt like something was stinging or biting me inside the boot! I stopped, found nothing and realized the tendinitis had returned. Grrr!!!

I began looking for places to bed down for the night, found a good spot that seemingly had been used before several times for either sleeping or hiking and resolved to keep trying to catch a ride until dark, and if I got nothing to sleep there.

I sat down back on the road, put on my Mp3 player, and sat there in virtual isolation. Hwy 1 traffic is pretty steady early in the day, but I had noticed that it quickly and steadily fades around 6 or 7 pm, and trickles to next to nothing on the northbound side... since most people (except for me) travel it south. Oddly enough though, with my feet blazing with blisters and other various pains and with next to no hope of a ride, I felt oddly at ease. An insane calm came over me. I realized that I'd seen and expected this simple vision for a few years, and here it was. I knew I had plenty of water and food, and was learning to just 'trust it'. Things work out. A nice moment of clarity.

After an hour or so of no rides, I decided to walk up a bit further and see if there may be better places to camp, ignoring the lesson I thought I'd learned in Cambria. For whatever reason I was just compelled to keep going. The sun was much lower, so the heat off the road had lessened making it a bit easier. I got back into a nice rhythm, and spied a lone pine tree wayyyy up the road where the coast seemed to cut north. I thought that would be a wonderful place to catch the sunset so I thought I'd do my best to get there racing the sun.

Walking was remarkably easier at this point than I expected it to be, and made pretty good time. I got to my lone pine tree which turned out to be another Vista Point and since I had gotten no rides with my thumb out the whole way there I resigned myself to crawling beneath this lone pine and sleeping, despite the 'no camping' signs that were posted all over the place. I wasn't 'camping' I told myself; I was 'resting'.

Turns out it didn't matter.

I had walked into the Vista about 30 ft. when I spied an RV on the horizon coming north. Against all logic, I had a split second vision of this being significant. No one ever believes me when I talk about these things, but they're real! I told myself, I'll try ONE MORE time to get a ride, and if it doesn't work... screw it. I'll sleep beneath the tree.

Yep.

They stopped.

Inside was a German couple from Munich along with their 4 year- old son. Florian asked me where I was going, and I said as far north as I could. He said they were just going to the next campground, but I could ride if I wanted to. I figured at worst I'd have a decent place to sleep, so I eagerly took it.

Veronika let me in, and I sat down as we headed up the coast as the sun was dropping beneath the horizon. As soon as I sat down their son, Paul, just stared at what he must have thought was a strange road- creature that just climbed aboard! He was funny.

Florian offered me a Miller, which may have been the BEST tasting beer I've ever had after being in the unusually hot sun all day! We continued on, enjoyed the increasingly intense landscape, and got to know each other.

What a nice family. So happy and just seem to enjoy each other! They had rented the RV in San Francisco and driven down to Death Valley and were now heading up Hwy 1 back to San Fran to catch a flight to Seattle on Tuesday.

It turns out that, fortunately (for me anyhow), all the campgrounds were full. Florian kept driving and driving until he finally found Pfeiffer- Big Sur State Park. It said the only openings were for 'self contained' campers and he needed to 'dump' the RV.

That was one of the funniest things ever, especially if you've seen the movie RV! They had used the wrong paper in the toilet and he had to unclog the septic system. When he did, all hell broke loose! He was doused in the chemical that disintegrates the ummmm... 'waste'. I speak a little German, and caught him saying 'I have shit on my face!'. I hated to laugh at him, but couldn't help it! He was good natured about it and saw the humor in wearing 'liquid shit'! I'll never forget that!

He found an open campsite, pulled in and settled down for the night. Veronika and Paul went to bed rather quickly, and he offered me the RV's couch to sleep on. We sat out by the fire talking while he tried to BBQ chicken and a pepper steak for me to eat. He's not the most experienced of BBQers so it took forever, and in the meantime he put 'Snatch' on his laptop for us to watch while I fought to stay awake. Funny little movie, and when the food finally got done I gorged myself!

Warm food: Gooooood!

We had a few more beers a a couple glasses of champagne, and I went to sleep contemplating how things just seem to work themselves out. They invited me along to ride toward Santa Cruz with them on Friday, and since my feet were shredded I gladly accepted. Quite an eventful day, and I had made some new friends.

6/18: San Simeon State Park: Day 2

Wednesday

At $2 a day? Hell yeah I'll stay another! Nick got up at about the same time the sun turned my tent into a sauna and pushed me out. We exchanged info, I got a picture, and he was off on the 50 mile ride home. A good guy; glad he was there.

Nothing much else to mention other than the fact I took my first shower since the day I left Santa Fe. To me anyhow, that was a MAJOR development. Another bike tourist came thru and stayed, an older guy who I tried to chat up but seemed to me to be an old paranoid hippie. The rest of the day was spent tending to my feet, collecting firewood from the unused campsites and the beach, rather than paying the Wood Nazi $or a bundle! I charged my cell phone at his little setup, and he went on and on telling me how the wood was brought in by a contractor and that's why it was so expensive. Typical. I wanted to laugh at him and ask why exactly I should be expected to pay for something I can just walk around and pick up. I let it go.

The full moon rose at about 10:00 while I was tending my fire, and it was AMAZING! I even got my little point- and- click to get some photos of it.

I chatted briefly with the neighbors about the abundance of law enforcement driving thru the campground (Well, 2 cars- I needed a conversation starter) and went to sleep.

6/17: San Simeon Beach State Park

I woke up at what appears to be my new usual time: 8:30. I slept well but woke up still pissed off at myself for my field- folly and losing SOG. I made a cup of nasty coffee then got up to answer nature’s call. I took about 4 steps to the other side of the bush, and guess what I saw…

SOG!

I had slept literally 10 feet from it! There was NO way in heck I should have found that thing. NONE! Considering where it could have been lost AND my aimless wanderings and inability to find my original trails, it should have been gone. I know some people think life is full of silly coincidences. I’m not one of them. Remember when I said that when I met Pat, I wasn’t making a conscious decision? The same thing happened with my meandering path back to the SOG reunion… and would recur later in the week.

A great start to the day.

I got out of Cambria pretty much as expected, after charging my cell phone and taking my time getting out of town. My feet were bugging me quite a bit with blisters after wandering around in the fields the night before with feet soaked by the river the night before, so I set the modest goal of getting to the Hike & Bike supposedly a couple miles up the road. I wasn't really sure rather to trust the info and some people had said that many of these handy little outposts were shut down, so I packed extra water making the pack heavier and bugging the blisters even more. Just a nuisance really, but a constant one!

It occurred to me as I started out that I was FINALLY getting on to Hwy 1. I wasn't going to hitch; just walk no matter how long it took. The scenery and sounds/ smells of the ocean right off the road was hypnotizing. I stopped several times to take pictures and just enjoy it. The weather on the California Coast is surprisingly cool. Low- mid 70's for the most part because of the north- to- south currents bringing colder water from Alaska as cooling things. This is especially true in the evening and at night. It's as though there's a natural air conditioner!

Eventually, I had gotten far enough that when I 'crossed the bridge' the guy had told me about, the right turn was into a State Park. I initially thought the guy was a´n idiot for not simply saying there's a park up there and that there would indeed be NO Hike & Bike, but to my pleasant surprise there WAS one there. For $2 a night! Two fricking dollars! Plus ´there were showers and access to the ocean. I was quite pleased.

I set up camp enjoying the fact that I wasn't stumbling thru a field to do it nor was I hiding from anyone!

Shortly after I was settled in, a bike tourist came in and began setting up his camp. We got to chatting and I learned that he was from Arroyo Grande, which is 50 miles south, a bit past San Luis Obispo. His name is Nick, and it turned out we had a lot in common. He had recently decided to quit his job with a map company because he simply hated the 9-5 life. When he tried to resign, the owner asked him if he just wanted to do it 6- months out of the year- giving him Spring/ Summer off. Good for him! So, he's off until October and was at San Simeon on an overnight bike trip. I built a nice fire from the extra wood people had left lying around, and we just chatted and watched the nearly full moon until midnight or so. A VERY enjoyable night, no doubt.