Rick Marson
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Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Day 7 san clemente to the boarder of mexico
85 miles! After 1959 miles we have completed our journey! Again city riding leaves a lot to be desire. So at your leisure Lift a glass of Korbel Natural Champagne, and celebrate our safe and fulfilling journey.
Now it is time to head for home. After much needed rest Joe will head north for another season with CAL FIRE in his best shape ever. A.J. Will continue to manage and operate his odd jobs and yard work business (If you need something done he can definitely go the distance, and I will return to work and thanks to a knowledgeable and hard working staff catching up will may not be as difficult as it might seem.
Rick Marson
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Monday, June 15, 2009
To journey or not.
Is a bicycle venture a good outing for a venture crew or senior scout patrol? When my scout master, Mr. Estes first suggested I complete the cycling merit badge and ride a 50 miler to the Marin Cheese Factory, I never would have guessed that one day I would be able to say that I have bicycled from coast to coast and boarder to boarder. Now my oldest son can also say he has crossed our nation on a bicycle and his brother is soon to follow. Scouting does many this for a young man, but what it does well is it allows you to "Be Prepared". Is a bicycle trip right for a scout group? If the will is there anything is possible. It takes planning, proper fitting, special skills, and most of all desire. Would I prefer van support or carry all the gear and have a sense of independence? Personally I prefer to be independent but for this trip it worked well to have the van to support the efforts.
If your troop or crew is interested in such an undertaking give crew 27 a call, we would be delighted to present our journey and answer your questions. Just email us at rcmarson@comcast.net and we will see what we can work out.
Rick Marson
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Malabu to san clemente.
115 miles. LA city riding, locking it up on the train tracks and flying over the handle bars, thorns and flat tires, the last camp site.
Today was the biggest day this whole trip. The end is near and ever ounce of energy is going into each and every mile.
It was 2:45 and I still needed to get a site for the night on a sunday night. Because we are on the move and subject to change due to many factors we are running we the luck of the irish to be sure we get a site. Well I get to the state park and the host say we have a site but they do not take personal checks and I had no cash. I said that is strange the other three state parks took my check and I thought the state took my check to pay my taxes. But the host insisted it had to be cash. So I raced across the street bought three candy bars and 40 dollars and got back to the site to learn they had one camp site left. The people that had it left earlier today leaving it vacant. The ranger said you are lucky, this campground is booked 7 months in advance.
Rick Marson
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Saturday, June 13, 2009
Day 5 gavalota to malabu
97 miles coastlines. Tired but only 175 miles to the boarder. We are camping on the beach front in malabu. The traffic, people and surfers have all increased the further south we travel. Thanks Pat the remedies suggested have helped to improve the knees.
Rick Marson
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Friday, June 12, 2009
Day 4 Morro Bay to Gavlota.
100 miles two 1000 ft climbs. Sore knees but the journey continues. When I got to the state park we were planning to stay I found out the whole coast was booked for the weekend so I back tracked on 101 to find an rv park with hot tubs and a swimming pool just what we needed. Because of the busy weekend I booked another rv site in malibu on the beach with hot tubs.
Rick Marson
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Thursday, June 11, 2009
Day 3 big sue to Morrow bay. 101 miles.
Two big climbs with equal down hills. Ever thing you buy seems like you are paying double. To take our minds off the ride we went out for pizza and watched the nba finals. Overtime what a game.
Rick Marson
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Day 2. Santa cruz to Big Sur. 75 miles
Some head wind while peddling to monterey but turned into a decent tail wind once we turned south again. Mostly the terrain is flat farm land with lots of strawberries. As we reach the bluffs along the ocean we roller coaster along with no climbs being over 300 ft.
As I let my shin heal from last week and run the van support I see the trip from a new prospective. One my desire to be cruising down a 1000 ft decent will never go away, but to share the way of the road with my son's carries an unmatched joy.
I got the opportunity to try out my brother-in-laws racing bike to day what a difference but at the end of the day I will have to say I will stick to touring and the granny gears. .
Rick Marson
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Day 1 part 2 Golden gate bridge to Santa Cruz
Had a great first day making it to santa cruz in 8 hours for 85 miles the city was a little crazy but all went well. AJ had a flat after 26 miles and was back up and running. Now AJ know what I was talking about when I talk about S.B. Tomorrow we climb to Big Sur over 1000 ft.
Rick Marson
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Monday, June 8, 2009
Golden Gate to the Mexican Boarder
After four days rest and relaxation, we are beginning part two of our boarder to boarder bicycle adventure. The seconded half we will be joined by crew member A.J. We will be running with a sag wagon. The plan is to have Joe and A.J. ride the distance and I will drive ahead secure a campsite then ride back to meet them. Below is our itinerary the next seven day.
June 9
June 10
Big Sur Pfeiffer State Park 72.9 miles
June 11
June 12
Refugio State Park 85. 6 miles
June 13
Sycamore Cove 77 miles
June 14
June 15
San Elijo State Beach 65.4 miles
June 16
Frontera Mexicana 45.3 miles
June 17
Friday, June 5, 2009
Day 16 Salt Point State Park to the Golden Gate Bridge
110 miles heavy morning fog to light rain, wet slipper roads on beautiful
It was great to see Stephen in the morning. He was a great inspiration and his encouragement gave me the extra I needed to go the miles ahead. It was good to see my parent, and the dinner at the Timber cove Lodge and breakfast the following morning was an added benefit.
We arrived at the bridge at 9:00 pm the City lights were lighting up the San Francisco Sky line like I have never seen before. The bridge was closed after 9:00 to only bicyclers, so it was just us on the bridge after completing over 1000 miles. What a trip!
I know this story has a few readers and as we take a few days off the ride before continuing the last leg of the trip to
Van damme to salt point
60 miles rolling coastal unfortunately you can not take advantage of the down hills as the turns cause you to brake in the middle. My parents met us mid ride with a bucket of kfc and some cold drinks. The day started out with a shower, but the rain held off. Thankfully the breeze was pushing us most of the day.
We crossed the Navarro River which started me to wondering. Why am I riding a Novara and my son riding a Cannondale? Is it because during my youth in scouting I went to one summer camp, Camp Navarro, and during my son's youth, like many scouts in our council, he attended three and mostly out of council. We do not share the same passion for the camps we attended as he was unable to attend one camp while a scout do to the lack of a waterfront.
For nearly 100 years scouting has taught sustainablity. The 4 c's of the outdoor code and leave no trace. For our council to maintain its sustanability it needs our scout from Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Sebastopol, Rohnert Park, Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Eureka, HealsBurg and every community in the Redwood Empire to be 100 percent vested in our council camps. We can do this by attend a summer camp session, by pledging to this bike a thon, and by showing an enthusiastic interest in building of the lake at camp masonite navarro.
Dick, Lee, Alan, Gary, Tim, Bruce, Ray and many others who grew up in our scout camps and worked as young adult in the camps know about sustainability as they are now part of the process that keeps it going.
We need a water front at camp to make the camp and the council are sustainable and by contributing to this bike a thon we can all have a vested interest in the success of the camp.
We are going to finish the 1959 miles from Canada to Mexico, so make your pledges emailed to rcmarson@comcast.net or send your contribution directly to the Redwood Council Service Center at 2240 professional Drive, Santa Rosa, Ca. Payable to the redwood empire council and memo bike a thon waterfront, scholarship, or both. If you want you contribution to be part of the troop challenge then indicate which troop or pack you are from.
Rick Marson
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Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Day 14 richardsons grove to van damme state park
78 miles 3 1000 ft climbs and one 1500 ft climb. Of coarse for every exhausting climb there is a sweet down hill to follow. The last few days we have been biking with an engineer from the south bay. Who dropped his daughter off in eugene or. And rode his bike home. He has been a great inspiration and companion for joe and me. We will part company tomorrow, but I know we will meet again.
Almost at the bridge of all bridges the golden gate. Tomorrow my parents will meet us for dinner at salt point. What a treat that will be.
My shin has been giving problems the last few days. It does not hurt when riding only when I walk. Ibuprofen helps the swelling. The climbs really pushed it. We will see what tomorrow will bring.
Rick Marson
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Monday, June 1, 2009
Day 13 fortuna to richardsons grove.
60 miles almost all up hill. Rode thru the avenue of the giants which if it is not on your bucket list it should be. If your are going for your cycling merit badge it would be a good route for the 50 miler but start at garberville and have it approved by your counselor .
Rick Marson
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Day 12 prairie creek to fortuna, ca.
69 miles 3- 4 400 ft climbs. We were low on fuel and food and the power was out in the area so we rode 25 miles for breakfast to celebrate being back in ca. Of course we both had a lumber jack breakfast and a strawberry shake. In the morning we ride to leggett, the tuesday to mendocino, then salt point state park making thursday a long day to the golden gate. Then sunday we well pick up the ride again at the golden gate for the ride south.
Rick Marson
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Do a good turn daily
Why do people ride? Some ride to get some where, some are working on a documentary, Joe and I are ridding to raise money for camp masonite navarro waterfront and for my dad who is living with Parkinson disease, and Dave is ridding for his daughter's memory.
We first met dave as he was riding out of newport or. As I was passing him heading south. I ask him if he was ridding with another rider we had met in town. He was not very talkative, but I could tell he had a lot on his mind.
Yesterday some time in the middle of the night I rider showed up. When he emerged from his tent he asked if we had bike tools and could help him fix his bike. Joe pulled out his tools and fixed his brake which was lodged under the rim. Dave told us how he was trying to get to camp site down the road after dark with no lights when a person swirled front of him. He swirled to miss the car and hit the curve. When the bike hit the curve he flew over the handle bars and crashed into the guard rail. Once he got up and found he could walk he pushed his bike to a place that had a phone and call 911. They took him by ambulance to gold beach hospital where they checked him out and release him. The hospital gave him a taxi ride back to brookings where he pushed his bike to our campground.
He then told us he was making this ride in memory of his daughter angela who at 17 took her life after living with depression. His message was simple parent talk to your children try to understand. To learn more of dave's journey look at bikerideforlife@yahoo.com.
Dave was hurting both emotionally and from the accident, but by sharing his story he was beginning to heal.
Rick Marson
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