Windy Miller

Well I survived last night's storm, just. It really hammered down for most of the night and the wind kept howling. I took the advantage of an early morning lull in the rain to pack up my wet tent, wrap up warm and hit the road.

I suppose the Tehachapi area is famous for its wind given the literally thousands of wind turbines on the hill. That wind blew me for most of the morning as I hammered towards Palmdale. Only when it turned into a cross wind did I slow. The Sierras are well and truly left behind now, and the landscape is now chaparall, much drier, but still high. It could be much warmer too but it's become unseasonably cold and wet for my visit.

Stopping in Palmdale for internet and directions for tomorrow's route through LA, I got a coffee, sandwich, lots of questions but no supplies. Idiot. I thought here would be one last shop on the route out of town. There wasn't and stupidly I didn't turn round. Instead I made a decision on my full stomach rather than the empty one I have now.

The final leg of the day was a long one up and over a mountain pass, dropping into a remote campground. Remote enough to have no water!

So I am on serious water rations tonight. I had 2 bottles to get me to the next water source in LA itself, and after my dinner, a small pack of noodles and a sip of water, I have 1 and a third. I have a few peanuts left over but am afraid to eat them as they make you thirsty, don't they?

Anyway, I had a pathetic attempt at making another fire tonight. Aided by meths from my cooker I had a good start but a lack of logs let me down. Just as the sun went down over the hill, the wind picked up drastically blowing down the mountain. As I chased my rubbish flying down the campground I didn't notice my map take off and land on the fire, not so pathetic now that it couldn't burn the relevant section of the waterproof, tearproof, but not fireproof map.

Here's to a still day tomorrow, with few hills to dehydrate on, and clear sign posts to LA in the middle of these last desolate mountains. Wishful thinking I guess. Should be fun.

Tehachapi Loop, di loop

Like some boyhood designed trainset, the Tehachapi Loop is a stunning piece of ingenuity and engineering. In the 1870s the railroad company needed a route through the mountains from Bakersfield. The problem was that the steam trains could only climb a 3% gradient maximum. Near to the town of Tehachapi (where I am hiding from a storm in my tent tonight) the valley was too steep. The solution? A 1/4 mile section of track that looped 360 degrees over itself. This was just enough to gain the 50 feet or so in height to allow the train enough puff to get up the hill. Brilliant.

I puffed and wheezed up a few hills too myself today. I've developed a bit of a bronchial fluid on my chest, which makes me sound like I've been smoking too many Woodbines. Don't worry, I am very brave, I'll be ok.

It was a day of 5 climbs culminating in the road alongside the Tehachapi Loop, by far the most interesting and enjoyable, aided as it was by a nice tail wind. As I climbed the road approaching the loop I heard the classic US train whistle as a train approached. I put the hammer down (OK I sped up a little) and found myself at a lookout point just as the massive goods train with 4 (yes 4) engines, entered the loop. What chance that, I asked myself, feeling like the 8th luckiest man alive that minute, as I got my pictures for the album. 15 minutes later as I continued my climb however, I heard a whistle from a train just behind entering the loop, perhaps it wasn't that rare after all. Anyway, it was a great sight, and apparently it took 3000 Chinese labourers 3 years to build.

My arrival in Tehachapi itself was swift on a rare tail wind. Then, just as the rain started falling, I realised I had overshot my campground, and had a 4 mile slog back into the teeth of the driving rain and wind. My reward for persistence, rather than curling up by the side of the road, crying, and dying of exposure, was to be greeted at the campground with hot (well more like warm) showers - a feat of engineering to rival the Tehachapi Loop in my book.

Campground heaven

Arrived today in Camp Nelson, in Sequoia National Forest (again). Beautiful spot right by a river and for the first night whilst on my own, I made a camp fire. And a good one too.

California is really blessed with campgrounds, most of the ones I have stayed at have been publicly run. You get your own pitch, picnic table, grill fire, and fire pit.  Most nights I have made use of the picnic table only, to lay out all my shite, and cook up noodles - I've been so tired and focused on bed.

Today I was tired too bit the beauty of my pitch, the abundance chopped wood, a half read newspaper, and temperature approaching freezing made the difference. It took all my cub scout skills with old leaves, small twigs, pine needles, and newspaper to get it going but it's roaring now.

Today was a cold and slighty wet start as overnight rain cleared. Then a lovely ride past citrus fruit farming land into a beautiful cattle valley - hopefully the pictures still capture the light.

As I started the inevitable first stiff climb of the day, I saw and got overtaken by another cyclist! Shock horror. He was in lycra, looked to be in a hurry, and continued for a mile ahead, about 1/4 of the total climb then headed back down. He was about the 6th cyclist I've seen in 2 weeks. Lycra clad riders rarely stop to speak.

First 2000 ft climb of  day completed, I rolled into a small town for fuel. No I've not attached a moped engine, it's what I've come to see food as.

Then came a wonderful 4000 ft climb up to Camp Nelson. The sun came out, the wind was at my back, the road surface was good, the club sandwich was burning well in my stomach and the road really interesting with switchbacks and little sharp inc lines. I really enjoyed it, and I find it really cool to see myself writing that. I've found a climbing mode and speed with all my gear that really suits me. Weird.

Anyway, as I await the sun to go down tonight I have the company of this literally roaring fire and gentle white noise of the river to enjoy. No need for ear plugs tonight.

2 week limit on camping in California shocker

Would you believe it? There's a law in California that states you cannot camp under the stars in a tent for more than 14 days in succession.

Yes I've bailed out into a Lodge for the night. I drive a hard bargain and it turned out only twice as much as the campsites in town, so I couldn't turn it down.

I'm in Kernville, a cool rafting town on the River Kern. It's got everything of importance - I'm in the microbrewery as we speak enjoying the Sequoia Ale.

Today was bloody cold. The first climb was sweaty and I was happy to find a lodge at the top to eat pie and dry by the wood fire.

From there it was basically 40+ miles of descending 5000 ft. A few ups here and there, there was a headwind, and it was flippin cold, but I cannot complain.

The beer, food and Californian camping laws are all good.