Nice Ride

Waxing Gibbous Moon

The Redlight Hostel was too weird for me. My assigned bunk, 5B, was like one of those train berths in an old time movie, with a mattress big enough for one bod, a tiny light, a shelf for some stuff, a sheet and comforter, and a pillow.

I slept okay, it was very dark with the curtain closed, but each time I woke up, there were never-heard-before snore sounds. Not really loud. Just very original. One sounded like a cow. You try sounding like a cow while inhaling. It's not easy, is it?

Eventually, it was time to rise and shine. I collected my panniers and crept outta there like a cat burglar. Oh yeah, there were cat snore sounds, too.

The first order of business was a cheap omelet at Jack's Diner down the street. Good enough, and very friendly California girls on staff. Are California girls making a comeback? Hope so.

Then I had a really productive phone conversation with Tayeesha the Amtrak representative. I learned that I could NOT get my bike on the train at Truckee under any circumstances. I could, however, roll it on the train if I went to Reno and left from there. And I would not have to dissemble it and pack it into a bike box.

Soooo, Tayeesha helped me, with great courtesy and professionalism, to make all the right reservationary decisions to deliver me back to Salinas on the 14th. Most excellent. All I have to do is get to Reno by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday.

There were obstacles, of course. Mt. Rose, a 10,000 feet mountain  was in the way between Truckee and Reno, so I was not going to ride there. That meant hitching or busing. Hitching with a bike and panniers is awful. Scratch that.

Is there such a thing as a bus that would do the trick? The first few results were gloomy. As in $100 gloomy airport shuttle buses. Surely there were local or regional buses that the food service and hospitality staff use to come to work, right?

I decided to ride the TART bus from Truckee to King's Beach (85 cents!), then ride around the Nevada part of Lake Tahoe to Stateline, where all the major casinos are. That would give me some beauty and some exercise for my last day. Then I would hunt for a cheap bus east from there - a gamble, but one in which I felt confident.

Nice ride! The lake was gorgeous, the weather perfect, and even though the traffic was horrendous, I was okay with it most of the time. The highlight was definitely the new bike path between Incline Village and Sand Harbor. It's only a few miles, but what a view what a view what a view!

After Sand Harbor, the path ended and the uphill, shoulderless road was jampacked with Sunstruck beach goers. The tension of the crowds made the tough climbs that much harder. Truthfully, this part was not that much fun.

At Stateline, the flow worked in my favor almost immediately. I asked and I was answered. A local bus would connect with another local bus in Gardnerville to take me to Carson City ($2.00!). So I am staying at my old standby Carson Rodeside Inn and I'll take a regional bus to Reno tomorrow ($2.25!). I guess you could say it's working out pretty good. Or at least pretty cheap.

This trip was very educational. I learned that I have new limitations to the amount of pain I will trade for the realization of a goal. I learned that my mind and body work closely to prevent me from further injury. And I can confirm that I am indeed completely, thoroughly, definitively over the hill.

When I get home, I will re-assess The List, the things I had silently sworn to do by seventy. I won't say at this point that they won't get done. But some of them don't sound that fun any more. I might just re-write The List.

Peace, Love, and Self Improvement,
Jim