Uphill Into A Headwind

It is a ~2km dirt track to get to the campground from CA247 but it's not too bad. A road bike would probably have trouble, but any touring, gravel, or mountain bike should be fine.

My very heavily loaded Surly Long Haul Trucker (26" x 2.00" wheels & tires) managed in & out just fine. 😎👍🏼

Because tomorrow's going to be a nasty wind day (up to 55km gusts & constant 25-30km headwind; that's dangerous). So I stocked up on groceries in Barstow & pushed a ways up I-15 to camp on some BLM land. I'll hunker tomorrow & continue on Sunday. 2/2
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Selfie of me on my bicycle wearing a lime green helmet, clear glasses, a forest green buff, a black tank top, and a backpack, holding up a hand making a peace sign in front of a sign reading Sawtooth Canyon Campground near creosote bushes in front of a rocky hill under a blue sky

Photograph of a path leading between creosote bushes and brown rock formations under a blue sky with wispy white clouds

Photograph of brown rock formations with a gravel road running across and behind them with mountains in the background under a blue sky with wispy white clouds

Photograph of a campsite at Sawtooth Canyon Campground with a concrete picnic table under a roof providing shade with a green tent set up on the gravel next to it. Beyond are brown rock formations under a blue sky with wispy white clouds

Sawtooth Canyon #California was a pretty cool place to camp, & one of the nicest free BLM campgrounds I've been to, with shaded picnic tables at the sites & vault toilets. Took 2 days there to wait out some windy weather. Would've taken 2 more if I didn't need groceries!😅 1/2
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

To paraphrase Thoreau: I rode off on my bicycle because I wanted to live deliberately. To live deep and suck all the marrow out of life. To put to route all that is not life and not, when I come to die, discover that I had not lived.
🚵🏼‍♂️
#BikeSky

Selfie of me on my bicycle wearing a lime green bicycle helmet, a forest green buff, a black tank top, and a backpack holding up a hand making a peace sign in front of a rocky desert hill near Apple Valley California under a blue sky on a sunny day

It's been a bit of a pause, but I'm finally back on the road. Got my Kobo Libra Color all set up & loaded with books, got my bike overloaded with food & beverages, & I'm leaving Apple Valley #California & making my way to Sawtooth Canyon for the night. 😎👍🏼
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

By the way, @ianhigton.bsky.social , you mentioned this trip on your stream, but I'm not posting it on Instagram (I deleted all my Meta accounts), I'm posting it all here. In case you or any other P32ingtons want to fallow along. 😎👍🏼
#Platform32

Photograph of a black Kobo Libra Colour sitting on burgundy sheets and displaying a color illustration from the Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind manga

Alright! I got my Kobo Libra Colour, and I've got the main setup done and all my books copied over. I gotta say, the color eInk looks pretty good! It's been a hot minute since I've read the Nausicaä manga, but now I can conveniently!
🥹👍🏼

#BookSky

Been a minute since I checked in, mainly because I haven't moved. A #Warmshowers host in Apple Valley very kindly allowed me to stay as long as I need while I get my Kobo Libra delivery situation sorted out. Should be on the road again by the end of the week. Next stop: Sawtooth Canyon.

#BikeSky

Haha, thanks for checking in! Yeah, I haven't been active on this on because right now I'm "stuck" in Apple Valley, CA while I wait for a package to arrive. Luckily, my #Warmshowers host here invited me to stay as long as I need!

Should be back on the road by the end of the week. 😎👍

Time to hunker in my tent for a couple of days of bad weather. Sadly, my Kobo Libra Colour hasn't been delivered yet (to a nearby UPS Store), but still have my Kindle, my Switch, & a lot of battery capacity, so passing the time won't be too bad. 😎👍🏼

#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Facts.

I am sick & fucking tired of getting run off the road on 2 lane roads with little to no shoulder by oncoming drivers passing oncoming traffic while I'm there. Doubly so when there is a fucking double yellow line!🤬

This is happening way too often, you impatient fucks! SLOW DOWN!

#BikeSky

Seriously, if anyone near me ever wants a wind forecast far more accurate than Windy will ever get you, just look at my route plans, because the wind will be blowing from my destination towards me. 😓

I could probably create a hurricane by riding in a circle.

#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

So, yesterday morning I had to turn east-northeast through Morongo to Yucca Valley. Wind out if the east. Afternoon, I went north out of Yucca Valley & then northwest into Johnson Valley. Wind out of the north. Today, I go west to Apple Valley. Wind out if the west.

Aeolus hates me. 😭

#BikeSky

Yeah. And it turns out there is a UPS store in Apple Valley, where I was attempting to have my order sent. If they'd bothered to reach out, perhaps the package could have been redirected there. But they didn't even try to contact me; just sent it back.

Very disappointing.😓

Update. Seems I got prematurely excited. 😭

Update. 😭

Well it seems I got excited too soon. I guess #UPS is unaware of the concept of general delivery or unable to deliver to a US Post Office, b/c, w/out even attempting to contact me, they decided to return my order to the sender. 😡

So, fuck anyone who doesn't have a proper mailing address, I guess.

Photograph of evening sunlight illuminating the foothills of the Little San Bernardino Mountains under a sky starting to show some blue beyond the grey clouds

And a final bonus for the day: this is the first sunlight I've had all day, illuminating the foothills of the Little San Bernardino Mountains near where I've camped on BLM land. What a difference a little sunlight makes for one's spirits!🥰

#BikeSky #BicycleTravel #California

Photograph of San Jacinto Peak at 2x zoom showing the mountain rising above desert scrub brush in the foreground. There are low clouds hugging the slopes with snow near the peak and grey high clouds beyond.

Telephoto photograph of San Jacinto Peak showing low clouds hugging the slopes beneath snow near the peak and grey high clouds beyond

A couple of bonus pictures of San Jacinto Peak as the clouds do their thing along the slopes.
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel #California

So I'll probably start off tomorrow with a ~10km walk, pushing my bike uphill, but at least the road will have a good shoulder. 😅 Then everything plateaus above Yucca Valley, & it should be reasonably easy riding the rest of the day. Unless the wind inevitably betrays me.😝
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Wide angle photograph looking south along the Coachella Valley with the San Jacinto Mountains rising on the opposite side of the creosote filled valley under a grey cloudy sky.

Photograph of San Jacinto Peak shrouded in clouds with some snow on the upper slopes from looking across the Coachella valley floor covered in blooming creosote bushes. The sky is grey with many clouds

Photograph looking along a two lane road towards the foothills of the southern end of the San Bernardino Mountains from the northern end of Coachella Valley near Desert Hot Springs, under a grey sky with clouds hugging the mountains

Anyway, had to stop earlier than I wanted to today, because next up is a 400m ~6% climb followed soon after by another ~100m 6% climb (those are elevation gain, not distance) & I just don't have the strength for it today.

Here's some views of the San Jacinto Mountains near Desert Hot Springs.

With as much joy as there is in #BicycleTravel, sometimes you just have miserable days.😓

Along those lines, I have composed a Haiku in English. Those with delicate sensibilities my want to skip.

...

...

Fuck you, wind, fuck you
Fuck you, fucking wind, fuck you
Fuck you, winter wind.

#BikeSky

I know it's my user name and all, but...

Few things are as disheartening & demoralizing as a headwind. Especially when it's a headwind that Windy insists shouldn't be happening. 😭

Really living up to the name today, looking at 600-900m of ascent depending on when I stop, all into a headwind.😓

I visited Joshua Tree on my last bicycle journey in 2022, so I don't feel bad about skipping it. 😉

So I road all the way to Coachella Valley today. Will make my way up towards Yucca Valley & beyond, getting back into my beloved Mojave Desert. 🥰🚵🏼‍♂️💪🏼

Selfie of me on my bicycle wearing a yellow green helmet, clear cycling glasses, a black tank top, and a backpack holding up one hand making a peace sign in front of a sign near interstate 10 saying Welcome to California.

Well, I'm back in the NCR.

What's that? It's not the NCR yet? Well, #California, if you were to secede, I'd take it as a kindness if you'd do so while I'm in you. 😝

Decided to go around Joshua Tree NP, b/c I didn't feel like making climbs on National Park roads w/ no shoulders & plenty of RVs.😅

I believe so, yes.

You can always double check using the USPS Zip Code look up tool. Just put in GENERAL DELIVERY for the street address and the city and state, and it will give you the zip code plus extra code. 😎👍🏼

tools.usps.com/zip-code-loo...

I don't know which of the many blossoming desert plants are causing it, but the air in the Colorado Desert in southeastern #California smells delightfully sweet and fragrant tonight. #Camping in the #desert in late winter? Can recommend!🥰👍🏼
#BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Pretty good. I had wonderful hosts in Tucson and Tempe. Right now I'm in a bit of a desert (ha ha) where hosts are concerned, but have been in touch with a potential host in Apple Valley who is happy to host but not sure if they'll be in town when I'm in the area.

It ebbs & flows. 😉👍🏼

That seems to be the case. By setting the address to:
[Your Name]
GENERAL DELIVERY
City, State
XXXXX-9999

where XXXXX is the specific Zip Code for the post office you want to pick up at.

I say seems to be, but I'll know for sure when my Kobo Libra ships.😅