ALC Day 2: June 2, 2008 (Santa Cruz to King City)

Above: Miss ALC7. Rest Stop 4

Below: Otter Pop Stop at Mission La Soledad

105.70 miles

If Day 1's lesson was to stay ahead of the pack, then Day 2's lesson was how to repack on the fly in the morning. Poor Michael covered for my lack of repacking experience by taking down the tent in the morning, which he had put up the previous afternoon. I clearly was not pulling my weight when it came to tent duties. No fear, it only took me that morning's repacking experience, the jumping and sitting and stuffing of the suit case (see day 6's post when it comes for a great light bulb going off moment) to figure out I needed a routine in the morning. On days 3 - 7 it went something like this: 1) Get up and go rest room around 3:30 - 4 am, 2) get another half hour of shut eye, 3) Michael gets up and out of the tent around 4:45 am, 4) I get dressed into my bicycling clothes that have been pre-warming in my pillow case, and put warmer clothes over 5) pack up my stuff (wake all the neighboring tents while I let air out of air mattress, roll sleeping bag, etc...) 6) exit tent and beat the lines at the breakfast tent 7) While I'm eating, Michael finishes and goes back to the tent to get ready 8) I finish eating, go clean up, and head back to tent, 9) I arrive back at tent while Michael is getting finished and I start to pack up the tent and then strip off my layers and squeeze them into the suitcase. That routine worked for the most part the rest of the week, but that was nothing at all like what I was doing on that first morning in Santa Cruz. Lesson learned again.

I was out of bike parking and on the road shortly after the route opened at around 6:45 am (route opens at 6:30 am). I was a lucky one from the horror stories told later. Evidently much later and I would have been in the packs trying to leave. I heard stories of it taking 45 minutes to leave bike parking and another hour to make it across Santa Cruz because of all the bicyclists. I repeat, learning to stay ahead of the packs was so yesterday's lesson.

Above: David, Michael, Patrick, and Jon at the first rest stop.

Below: I know it doesn't look like much, just waves crashing on the beach. But expand the size of the pic and see if you can find the pod (school?) of dolphins. I counted upwards of eight dolphins. Of course that tale stretched to 12-15 later in the day.

Below: Passed through a lot of agricultural areas on Day 2. Strawberry picking going on.

Day 2 is the longest day mileage wise. It also has the most 'distractions', such as the Ugly Mug in Santa Cruz, Artichoke stand, Otter Pops, Skinny dipping bridge, and the Cookie Lady. This being my first year and not sure of my abilities I only stopped at the Otter Pops (Awesome Bears) and the Cookie Lady (Awesome cookies, ugly drag ;-)). I would have stopped at the skinny dipping bridge but there was no one there when I went by. Next year maybe I shouldn't leave first thing in the morning ;-).

Above: Diane and Carol sharing a cooking.

Below: The Cookie stand.

After the cookie stand it is only a few short miles to Rest Stop 4 and the Miss ALC7 pageant. I should mention that all the rest stops all week generally have themes. Rest Stop 4 generally had the most decadent and delicious. The first pic of this post is of the 'contestants'. Leaving Rest Stop 4 there were 15 miles left before arriving at camp in King City. Usually I would be crying after 90 miles and knowing I had 15 miles more, but damn there was a nice tail wind pushing us up a hill and into camp. That tailwind is why the ride never goes from LA to SF. On day 1, there was a tail wind into Santa Cruz. We passed Sequoia Century riders going in the other direction and they did not look happy. Once into camp, I was able to set up the tent since Michael wasn't in yet. Not as tired as Day 1 overall. Felt great after 105.70 miles.

Larry's Day 2 Slideshow:

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