Day 50? Blimey, that came round fast.
A long day of mostly uphillness. Finished with an even bigger hill and then the fun descent. I used to hate hills, but now I can just grind up them and know the top means a free-wheeling whizz to the bottom. Just don’t give me headwinds (sorry, went all Scottish for a minute there). So in total it was about 78 miles, but like I said, that was mostly uphill so I’m feeling a little knackered now. But I think I’ll push on tomorrow. At some point I’ll need a rest day, but I feel fine at the moment so may as well carry on.
A slight detour around Leggett, took me through a tree. This one, in fact.
As a concept, it’s pretty amazing, but they have to enhance it with a gift shop and piped music. No basking in the tranquil majesty of mother nature. No, let’s blast Britney to the plebs and try and sell ’em a burl carving of a hobbit. They go nuts for burls over here. That and glass blowing. Not sure why, but there are lots of opportunities to blow glass in northern California.
On a personal note, I was close to tears at several points today. No external reason, and I couldn’t identify any inner turmoil, so I think I was just happy to be alive. Either that or I’m going through the ‘change’. I was certainly hot and flushed at times today, but I thought that was down to lugging me and half a tonne of stuff up a bloody great hill. On reflection though, I think it was just about being happy. There are lots of things to think about, but not many to worry about, and I think I just appreciated that today.
Love
Pete
Patagonia Pete 
A gift shop and piped music in the tree? Impressive. If you want Hobbit paraphernalia to the extreme, however, you need to come a bit further south to get the real stuff…well not yet, but I’m sure after the film comes out it will be like the Lord Of The Rings merchandising (remember Queenstown?). At the moment it’s all about the rugby of course… .
Hi Pete,
we have been in France for nearly a week, camping by Lacanau Lake. There are loads of cyclepaths (not psychopaths) around here and the inland scenery is exclusively tall pine trees with huge cones that sound like a gun going off when they fall and hit the roof of a caravan or car. I wonder, have you had any narrow misses with local flora at terminal velocity? Owen and I did a huge 9 miler the other day in about 40C heat and it was like Ice Cold in Alex at the end of it, as we’d completely run out of beer.
Great photos and video, you’re making everyone very jealous. Although the hand tan marks are a bit freaky and you should do something about that. You will be in UFO country soon, and what with the Ed Straker hairdo and alien hands, that ‘Pie in the Sky’ artisan bakery could be happening a bit sooner than you anticipated (remember I own the trademark on that. I’ll discuss terms with you and Bridget later, just get on with the cycling for now).
Did the Far Side palm reading lady start with ‘you are going on a long journey’ ?
Steve
Aw, that’s really touching. Sitting outside joe’s brasserie and Lauretta has just read day 50 out loud. We’re both with you Coombes; all the way buddy!!! Those thighs must be bulging? Oof! Lots of love to you and bridget. Lauretta and alex Xxxxxx
Ps, what exactly is a burl?