Day 23 – Ferndale to Myers Flat – Safe Return Doubtful

45 miles (72 km) – Total so far: 1,305 miles (2,100 km)

Distance 45 miles (72 km) Time riding 3 hours 57 minutes Max speed 34.1 km Average speed 11.3 mph Left at 7:30 am Arrived 2:15 pm

There was light rain or thick mist during the night and this morning. Papa Joe’s was good for breakfast and got talking to two New Zealanders who were about to start a short cycle of a few days into SF.

All but 5 miles are off route 101 today. This morning the road from Ferndale to Rio Dell was very quiet and winds its way through some agricultural land then over a few hills to rejoin the large highway. After those 5 miles the scenic route is called Avenue of the Giants and is one of the reasons so many people come to the area. It is 32 miles of Redwood forest, and today as the cloud was still clearing at midday it was quiet, not so much traffic on the road, so a memorable ride through the canopy made by these huge trees.

There aren’t many services on the road, but there is a store in the village here. The campsite is quiet though other cyclists will start to head in later I wan sure.

I passed the two girls we were cycling with in the Hammond Trail this morning and we stopped for a drink. By coincidence one of them is from Chile, and spends half the year guiding in Torres Del Paine.