Sept. 9 – Making it with a little help from my friends!

I got a surprisingly good nights sleep at the ole National 9 Motel – and not a single bedbug bite! I pedaled down the road to a Starbucks for my morning coffee and a water bottle fill up.

I got back on the American River Bike trail and kept meandering east and north on my way to Lake Tahoe. I continue to climb, passing ranches, wineries and a few breweries. No beer yet though! Too many miles to go. Passed this one early in the morning.

Around lunchtime I rode into Pollock Pines – where I thought I would camp the night before. My pace has been painfully slow as the heat and hills have had their way with me.

I was at the Burger Barn, but in an act of defiance I ordered a Rueben, which was pretty good. I loaded up with a gallon + of water as I was headed into a remote area and needed to be ready. The direct route to Lake Tahoe would have been on Hwy 5, but that is a super-busy highway with little shoulder space – so I opted for a longer, but quieter and more scenic route. My goal was a campground at Caple Lake. Six hours later I found myself several miles from my goal and almost completely out of water – and worn out. The ride had indeed been through spectacular country, but continued to be almost 100% uphill. I figured I needed to either get some water and camp where I was or hitch a ride the last few miles to the campground. I chose the latter and lucky for me Doug and Jasmine came driving up in their truck and saved the day. They could tell I was in a bind and as luck would have it, they were also going to Caple Lake. So I was able to skip the grueling last hills and and was dropped off at the lake, just a few minutes ride from the campground. It’s the people you meet along the way that make this type of traveling rewarding!

Across the street from the campground was a marina and a store, where I promptly splurged for some ice cold drinks. Then I found a nice campsite and settled in for the night. I could feel the elevation gain as the temperature was dropping fast as the sun went down. By the time I made a little dinner and washed up – I was ready for bed! A long and eventful day for sure.