Woke to a slightly overcast day. The forecast was for ‘scattered showers’. By the time we went to the breakfast room it was raining. It would be a ‘Yin/Yan’ kind of day.

 

How about a little breakfast conference, as we took over the whole place!

Guess who had there usually biscuits  and gravy, Barb. We all chowed down ready for a big day of miles and elevation gain . . .considering it is only our second day of riding all winter.

After finally getting everything packed and waiting for a little break in the rain we headed up hill.

One thing you noticed different in CA is evidently that can use the center turn lanes for loading zones

Our San Diego cabbie had asked us if we were ‘packing heat’ here is one we could take along.

Not uncommon on a big trip to have a ‘second breakfast’ along the way. Here is CA you have ALL KINDS of options. After a brief visit we FINALLY headed off again!

Gee . . .Tom and I were confused on what way to go . . .

But down the interstate we all went for the next 5 miles . . . in the rain!

Click photo to see the death defying feat!!!

We stopped along the way to try and view the sites . . . too rainy and foggy!

We no more exited the intestate and it started to pour and the temp was dropping as we climbed. Four miles down the road we found refuge in a small store that had just been reopened. The rain began to look more ‘solid’ in form and soon it was snow, hail, rain, switching back a forth. Tom decided a donut was in order but was disappointed there were no nut cover ones left. He got over it.

The weather issues were one of those times when I think we were all thinking, ‘What am I doing here’ If at home during a winter ride if it gets ugly, one heads back for home or short cuts to Funk’s and drink beer. Not when you are on the road. It’s the ‘yin’ of life.

It kept up fro some time and we spent so much time, and money in the store the owner, Lois, though she would be able to retire after our visit.

The weather had looked promising when we started but I had brought my leg warmers today but decided to still wear biking sandals. My toes were getting cold and with no socks along I needed to improvise. Plastic bag socks! They really worked. Not adding any additional warmth but block the wind and holding in the heat one’s feet produce. Highly recommended, although not too fashionable!

After and hour of waiting around we figured we had been getting going in order to finish before it got dark. About a mile down the road, I noticed the snow that had accumulated on the peak ahead.I stopped to wait for a break in traffic to just get Linda and the mountain but she was pulling too far ahead. So I snapped this shot, started pedaling again, and realized I had a flat. I yelled to her but she was too far ahead. I tried to call her but No Service!! I knew I would need help putting the new Continental tires back on the rims. Tom and I had trouble doing it when I installed them in San Diego.

So it was just Connie and me alone for the tire repair and the remaining 45 miles of the day.

Sure enough . . . a piece of wire had taken it’s toll. Sure enough I got as far as changing the tube and getting the tire 7/8 of the tire on the wheel but I really needed one more set of hands OR a Velcro strap like Tom and I had discussed to hold the tire in place on one side. It took about 45 minutes before I finally got the tire seated, Connie’s pieces back together and rolling up hill again!

By this time it was getting colder and starting to hail, which you can see in this unfocused photo. Hard to ‘follow focus’ on hail stones.

After much much more uphill, rain, sleet and now high winds I reached the half way point at 3:06pm. A casino/travel mart. Something for everyone!

Despite having eaten only a couple of hours before, I was famished and cold. Let’s see one needs, protein, fat and carbs . . . so had to of my favorites, roller wieners with all the fizxin’s and a 1/4 pound walnut crusted chocolate brownie. I have planned to take a photo to eat but was too hungry. About five minutes, this was all that was left.

As I  warmed up I watched the people run from their cars into the store and back getting blown off course along the way. Finally I figured I needed to get the other half of the ride done before it got any colder and dark. A quick check of the temp on the Garmin showed 39.8!!!

The rain had stopped but the extreme side winds mad for a very chilly start again. I wondered if the winds always blew like this here at the top of the pass . . . I guess the name of the road tells it all!

Haven’t seen too many road side memorials yet but saw this one coming up on this tight curve, right under the telephone pole. As I rolled by I saw there was more. You see so much when you are riding you can’t take a photo of everything, so I have developed the 15 second rule. if I am still thinking about a possible photo op 15 seconds after I go by it I go back . . .

. . . this is one deadly corner. This memorial had a sting of solar lights and a video surveillance sign!!!

I finally started dropping downhill, somewhat out of the wind, the sun was breaking though and so the ‘yang’ part of the day began. We probably had seen several hundred Border Patrol vehicle sin the last several days of all descriptions. Pickups, SUV’s Jeeps, dune buggies, 4 wheel drives, cars. You name it. If it rolls and goes off pavement I think they have it. All painted white with a green stripe. They are all busy driving around on and off road. We heard they had made an arrest of a group of several hundred the night before.

 

Lot’s of extras!

I knew we would be close to the border on this trip but had not studied the maps close enough to know it started today. I saw what I thought was a railroad trestle and it ended up being ‘the fence’.

Funny thing is ahead there was a gap in the fence. Might have happened between budget biennium’s when the funding ran out!!!???

Along that area there were no entry signs up due to ‘Environmental Concerns” I wondered if there were not buried proximity switches and motions detector’s to detect those crossing at night.

. . . and long the road I saw several of these zip tie configurations evidently a favorite ‘temporary’ handcuff used by the Border Patrol around customers wrists.

In some places there was fence only a sign to tell you which side to stay of the border you are on. I guess they use the honor system here too!!!!

Soon I ran into Mike, from Virginia, heading west on the Southern Tier. He started on Jan 7 and only had two days left. We chatted and exchanged emails and cards. I wished we could have chatted longer but we were both cold and worried about loosing daylight. I had no light with me on board.

My heart sank as I saw a sign that read Ocotillio, our home for the night, 14 miles ahead. Never make it before dark.

BUT . . . what if one had a nice downhill. Like 12 miles of it!!

So down I went with the grade varying between 4-8%. With strong winds I REALLY had to be careful but when it seemed safe I let Connie gallop at 39 mph. She need to run after struggling up hill all day. I would learn later that Gina had been blown off her bike earlier in the day because of the winds!!!

Soon a rainbow welcomed me to Ocotillo . . .

. . . as well as a wind farm strategically positioned at the bottom of the pass.

We were ‘out of the woods’ and now definitely in the dessert!

Gina had snacks and beer for us!!!

. .. and Connie and I had our own suite!!! Little did I realize at the time I had placed her rear tailrider pannier right in front of the quartz radiant header. When I returned from the happy hour the pannier was too hot to touch. Another fifteen minutes and there might have been a fire call to the ocotillo Trailer park and Motel!!!

My ‘booties’ had worked out well other than my ‘big pork chop toe’ had come through the end!

A GREAT day that started sort of rough but finished really nicely. Just like real life . . . things usually seem to work out OK.

 

Two great quote’s from the last to day’s, both from Tom:

 

Day 1: We rode through mostly through urban areas, in  fact we we didn’t leave San Diego County proper until late on Day 2. As Dan and I were huddled over the maps and our two gps’, trying to figure out where we were,  we heard Tom say, . . . “don’t worry about it we have a bike lane and are making good time” Although we were sure where we were or going!

 

Day 2: ‘’All these hills are slowing us down”