Day 6: weather, accidents, paradise pit, and candles

Day 6 started with a rude awakening. For the 6th time in a row it was cold and damp when we woke up and got in our biker clothes and made our bags and tent and got on our way. It was cloudy, cold and wet and the general consensus was that the weather was going to clear up sometimes between Lompoc and rest stop 1.

Had breakfast, stayed in yet a few lines for coffee and to use the port-a-potties and we were ready to go. Day 6 is the day the ride crosses over the hills in Santa Barabara county and emerges out on the southern California coast. Unfortunately the weather never cleared out. It stayed pretty cold and damp throughout the day.

On the way out to the coast we climbed yet another hill followed by a significantly steep downhill. This is quite frankly one of the most dangerous days for the riders as most of it is spent on highway 101 in sections of freeway where the traffic is intense, the shoulder narrow, and the pavement highly irregular. I didn't hear about this until later on that day but apparently a rider fell on that stretch of downhill at a speed high enough to blow his helmet away... The consequences were serious but not fatal. He was taken to the hospital with a head ingjury but returned to camp that very night. Thank god. Later that day a girl turned to check on her friend as she was riding on the shoulder of a very fast stretch of 101 right in front of me and lost her balance. She did not hurt herself but it was only thanks to the fact that I could avoid her that we didn't end up in a pile up. Scary stuff actually.

Coming out of the hills and see yet again the ocean for the first time was emotionally charged. I wish the weather was clearer so that the colors would have been brighter but even in that gloomy light it was quite a scenery.

The rout continues on day 6 through the coastal towns of Santa Barbara where we spent lunch. The last few days have been filled with newly formed frienships. I have met an incredible variety of people on this trip: different races, genders, age (people young as 18 and old as 72 were riding, and even older people supported us throughout as roadies), sexual orientation, hiv status... Each with a different reason to ride, each with a different attitude, each with different stories. I maade a few new friends I hope to be able to keep in touch with...

By this time I had so many people to catch up with at each rest stop, that I spent way too long at lunch in SB that I had to speed through most of the remainder of the ride if I didn't want to still be on the road when the route closed and be swept up.

The route took us on the SB boardwalk through SB and eventually to Ventura where we camped for the last time.

I'll post again in a few about the last day, and about the thoughts and events that followed, so if you're reading this, continue checking in for a few days. I think I'm going to have much more to write about as I process more and more of this incredible experience.

PS the highlight of day 6 was certainly dinner time, when, after 5 days of eating variations on theme of salad, dry chcicken in some sauce, and garlic/corn bread, we left camp and took the local In'n Out burger joint by the storm... With a line of people that I'm sure they only experience this one day a year.