For those of you who wonder why I'm always commenting on awesome green grass or beautiful flowers, it's because half the year in Southern CA it looks like this:
About 1.5 hours into my ride I flatted. No problem, this happens all the time, fixed it. The real problem however was that for some reason (user error) I only had one tube and c02 cartridge in my bike bag. So my plan to venture up a pass into no-cell-service territory wasn't going to happen without a spare tube. Pulled out my trusty phone and located the nearest bike shop so I could carry on with my planned route.
Half an hour and multiple miles riding past a shop that teaches graffiti "art" (no joke), past six smoke shops, ten liquor stores and through the ghetto, I found the bike shop. Annnnnnnd it's closed on Sunday. REALLY?! What kind of a bike shop closes on Sunday? Apparently the one in the ghetto. Plan B - sporting goods store. Forty-five minutes later I arrive to find they only carry mtn bike tubes.
Quite disappointed I abandon my plan to climb to Idyllwild and re-climb back through the canyon to get to the bike shop I know will be open. Make it. Purchase spare tubes. Decide to climb to Oak Glen instead where there are apple orchards at the top (ie home-made apple pie).
Take a wrong turn = a lot of extra climbing. May have muttered several bad words at this point. Run out of water. Get quite grumpy. Finally reach Riley's Farm. The last time I was here was in February and it looked like this:
Realize that by the time I make it to Oak Glen for my pie I'm going to be very late getting home. Legs are also getting quite tired by this point. Torn because I really want the apple pie. But also have a long run to do when I get home. Decisions, decisions.
Call super-husband Steven and convince him he also needs apple pie and today's ride will be a mountain-top finish.
The same orchard back in February. The apple pie was amazing, and I think it in turn resulted in my amazing run that evening. A huge thanks to Steven who turned a more-than-frustrating bike ride into a fun date in the mountains with apple pie.
