We met Dal at a parking lot in SLO and loaded the bikes for the adventure. We were excited to get the trip going. Much of Day 1 involved rolling hills, agriculture, and temps b/w 75 & 80 degrees. Pretty awesome!
Before long we were rolling into Pismo for a brief look at the ocean. Only minutes after the following picture was taken we encountered our first flat. Payton's rear tire had a glass puncture. I think we all secretly wondered how many more flats would come our way.
Our plan was to stop in Guadalupe for lunch. We enjoyed some food, shade, and time off the bike at a middle school. The principal was super friendly - letting us use the lunch tables and restroom. Below you can see Dal and Rob confirming the route towards Lompoc.
The next stretch on Hwy 1 had a pretty narrow bike lane. We were actually given a lot more room once we joined hwy 135. Even though 135 is a divided highway (faster moving cars :) there is plenty of room for the bikes and we found the drivers to be very curteous. Before too long we met the day's challenge: Harris Grade Road.
It offeres a steady climb for about three miles. Not a lot of traffic (thankfully), but no bike lanes. While going up the hill we heard a guy yell out his window while going past, "You're gonna' get yourselves killed!" Thankfully he was wrong. We appreciated his concern, however, and you're gonna' get yourselves killed became our slogan for the rest of the trip.
The downhill section on Harris Grade (see the video above) made the climb well worth it. Sorry for the bumpy footage. I had to have my hand on the brakes for part of the descent and it made the camera shake. It was a fun coast down into Lompoc (pronounced lom-poke) where we enjoyed camping at River Park. They have a nice area for tents. $10 a site, first come - first serve.
After a good meal we all snuggled in for the night. A good day on the bike with three more days to go!
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