Thursday, June 15: Well, we made it into CA today. Damn, all the time and effort across, I don’t know, like 13 states to get to this point. Feels amazing. BUT, we had to bit the bullet today and do about 20+ miles of paved roads. It’s like this…Judy, myself and Dave have to be home at the end of June, and honestly, we could have gotten this thing done, all dirt, around Reno up to Heness Pass Rd in CA. But it would have taken more time, maybe several more days, and several more hours of time getting beta from people as to what tracks go where. I truly believe that you can get from the Atlantic to the Pacific all on soft surfaces, save for crossing over asphalt roads. BUT you need the help of locals to guide you onto the right tracks. That takes time. And time is precious right now, heck, at any time. 

So with that in mind, Dave downloaded a Map My Ride from where we left off yesterday, up to Verdi. We just had to get this in the bag and move on to NoCAL. Worked out great save for the absolutely boring, distasteful, disgraceful road riding. Now I know why I don’t road ride anymore. I hate the traffic, cant’s stand getting caught at a light for 5 minutes, and I detest the concrete jungle. We both just wanted that to be over. Now we did skirt the downtown area in lue of riding on the western side of Reno, through some swanky suburbs. But really, it was a necessity ride at most. 

We ended up riding along I-80 for a stretch and then met up with Judy close to our end point in East Verdi. Now back in the bowels of Reno, Dave and I did a very small little jaunt on some vegetated and gravel berm, just to feel like we were being honest to the cause, and when we came to a stop Dave noticed a bunch of goatheads stuck to his tires. Be damned of those little devils - out here they’re called “The Devil’s Testicles” - were all over our tires. Dave has tubeless and the holes were bubbling out the fix-a-flat goop prior to sealing. Me, thank God Steve had installed Kevlar liners in my tires so I was good to. We spent a good 15 minutes picking goatheads out of our tires. Made me think about getting some backup for us while we’re out in NoCAL. 

So when we got back to the van I called my bike mechanic, Steve, and asked him if he’d installed the kevlar liners. Said he wasn’t sure, and later called back and told me he had indeed installed them. No wonder I survived at least 50-75 thorns in my tires. Called a bike shop for Dave, and he decided that he’d continue with the tubeless but restock on the CO2 cartridges. 

After a quickie stop in East Verdi, Dave and I continued to across the NV line into CA to the start of the first NoCAL segment on Heness Pass Rd. Felt amazing to cross that line and see Entering CA. From there we rode back to meet up with Judy, then high tailed it into Reno to a bike shop for Dave to pick up more cartridges and me to get some self-sealing tubes as an insurance policy. Booked a room in Boomtown, a nice BW, and then went to this little place back in Verdi called the Sasquatsh Inn, a small pub with an outside patio. We’d seen it yesterday doing recon, and swore we’d stop in there after today’s ride. It was well worth it. What a great little place. I mean you’re out in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadan range in this tiny town that has a distinct bohemian feel to it. Food was great and just relaxing in the sun on the doorstep of NoCAL was wonderful. 

I tried to stop at a historical society and the PO after lunch but they were closed. I’m trying to get some beta on the route, whereas I’m thinking of redoing part of it to save some time. I was hoping for some confirmation on the route being thru, and doable on a mt bike. Maybe I’ll collar a local later this eve to get the info I’m looking for. Came back to the hotel and I spent about 20 min picking the remaining goathead out of my tires with a wine cork screw while in the sun on a patio. 

Well, got to get on Ride With GPS to get this new route put in my Garmin just in case we do that revised route. Four hundred miles to go  with American Dirt.