Big Sur

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This is the first of my installation of old travel blogs, before I blogged. I am posting all the emails I sent and the best of my digital photography(I got my digital camera while in Big Sur). The writing is bad, but I hope, at least it is interesting.

In the spring of 2002 I biked down the Pacific Coast from Portland to Big Sur, where I worked for 5 months. I did the ride in four weeks, with a week spent in San Francisco. I took the MAX from downtown Portland to Hilsboro, Pedaled Rte. 6 to Tilamook, then rode Hwy. 101 all the way to Leggett, CA, where Hwy 1 begins. These are the sophmoric emails I sent on the trip. All my photos from the ride are in non digital format, so all you get are these post Big Sur images.


Apr 29 2002

Oh NO!!!! Steve-o lost his address book with all the addresses and phone numbers of the ones he loves. I can only imagine where that thing is laying right now. Hopefully it's not in the hands of some wacko, who will torture you all with phone and e-mail harrassment. Maybe this isn't steve writing now and is just some wacko who found an address book in a redwood grove or on the beach. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.
Nope. It's steve(maybe).

If you want a postard send me your address and telephone number, the only addresses I remember are my parents so that means all of you all.
I'm in Arcata now, had a short ride this morning from last night's camp and today I'm just bumming around this funky hip little town. It's very nice to get some culture after many crusty, decaying logging towns in Oregon and Northern California. It's good to have both culture and intellectualism as well as natural beauty. Few places hold that balance between city and rural, which is why I liked Portland so much.
Still no rain on me. It's raining back up the coast behind me though and It did rain, but not on me. I decided to stay in a hostel the other night after much deliberation, and it rained all night and then cleared up right when I started riding the next morning(Karma?).
Yesterday was a crazy day. Rode out 10 miles on a very steep muddy trail through redwood forest to a dirt road that took me to this really secluded beach and this awesome little Fern and moss covered canyon. It was tough on the rough trail with my road tires and 60+ pounds of a baggage. Got real muddy, but it was amazing.
Well I'll stop writing now, but please send me your addresses otherwise I'll have to give you your postcards by hand, which would be just plain silly. well I've got to go, but really I've got nothing to do and nowhere to be so I'll just flow along now to wherever that might be????????????????? BYE BYE LOVED ONES, STEVE


May 02 2002

mmm mmm so good mushy mashy milky buttery salty peppery spuds and gravy, yum.
I like to eat without a chew I'm lazy and I like it so blah.

So here's another one from this Beatnick bike riding madman storming down the coast of California with red fury in his eyes and a cigarette hanging from his lips, puffing away leaving a trail of smoke behind him and killing as many cute little critters he can with his rolling rubber tires.

well not really, I'm not going fast at all except when going down hill. Today I made it to good old California route 1. I climbed and climbed all morning over Legget hill back to the coast and the descent was a crazy 15 mile steep and windy thrill, nothing like it I've ever experienced. It's real nice to be off of US 101, which turned away from the coast and into a freeway around Eureka. It was two days riding with the 70 mph traffic. It was all right though. The shoulder was wide and the scenery real nice through Humboldt county. It did rain on me, a real good one too, but it's sunny today and I've finally dried out.
Well I could be in San Fran in 4 days, but I think I'm going to take 6 or 7 and explore and relax on this here sunny coast. Well not too much else going on. I must say that I'll be happy if I never see another logging truck again, those things are every where. Loud obnoxious elbow brushing evil, those things are. It's crazy how much logging goes on in the northwest, all of these towns are based on nothing else, the only life these people know and it breaks their backs, destroys their land and they're still poor as hell. I also learned that only 4% of the original redwoods remain and they still log them. Anyways I am perplexed by this sad situation up here. At least from the road you can't see most of the clear cuts so all is still beautiful to my little eyes as I glide along down the edge of America. I look west and there is no more America to see. It's good to look away, sometimes, from all that madness to the east. Looking out, the USA abruptly ends and beyond is only endless blueness sinking off into infinity.
Well,
From this center of the universe to the one you reside at: Adios

may 08 2002

hello all,
well I made it to San Fran safelly and I am excited to be here. It has been an amazing trip as I've expressed before. Well I'll be in the city till Monday before I continue on down to that Big ol' Sur down there, so it's not over yet as I try to keep my life adventurous for now.

Well that's all for now,
STeve

may 16 2002

dear every last one of ya,
Hmmmm, and so it goes. It's all over now and just beginning as well. I'm now a day away from the big ol' sur. It is the end of this adventure and the beginning of another one and many more after that(eternity I suppose). Wow. I left my front porch in Portland a month ago and now here I am, on this foggy rugged coast where Steinbeck, Kerouac, Brautigan, Miller and many others once explored, were inspired by, and wrote about. Well I'm off for the days ride, down and up and winding on route 1 to make my home for the summer. Hopefully now I'll have more time to write more personalized e-mails instead of these broad generic ones. It is fun though to have you all in palm of my brain, frothing psychosis, dripping red madness, channeling energy to your eyes your brain and neurotic filter where it forms into perception and alters you forever, hahahahahhahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa. I laugh sinister and it echoes through miles of digital cyber space channels only to bounce around on the walls of the dark deep canyons of your mind. Hear it?
STeve

May 17 2002

Hola mi familia y amigos,
Well I made it. Here I am. It's Bigger and more beautiful than I remembered it or imagined it, Big Sur. I got here yesterday after running into my friend, Angie on the side of the road, who was walking back to the campground from a hike. The road from Monterey to here was absolute madness, incredibly steep windy and narrow with awesome views. Only in California would they build a road like route 1.
So I spent last night at the campground where I'll be working and living for the summer. It's a really nice campground in a redwood forest and everyone that works there is incredibly nice. The work will be hard and they'll keep me busy, but the job will be totally stress free, which is what I was looking for. The cabins I'll be staying in are definately not luxurious, but are comfortable and very much my style: simple and rustic. It should be a very relaxing summer with lots of time to explore, hike, swim, read, write, play my guitar or just sit and watch the trees grow. My only complaint is the horrible allergies that I am suffering. Anyone who wants to come and visit me here is more than welcome, just let me know (Big Sur Campgorund and Cabins Route1).
takecare, STEVEEEEVEOEOEO1shak

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Comments

[ben leadbetter]

holy shit!
hey, i recognize that fellow in the last 2 pictures, that's cary! what's up man? i was actually just in big sur again last month, my first visit back to the left coast since i departed 3 years ago, it was just as beautiful as i remember (maybe more). but hey, glad to see you're still alive and righteous, hope to hear from you ben