Day off in Fort Stevens – A day off the bike on the Pacific Coast Route

I took a well deserved day off from cycling today. It had been a while since I just chilled out and did nothing, so this was my big chance at Fort Stevens!

A rest day from cycling the PCH

(Blog post written: Sept 29 2009)

I decided to take the day off from cycling today, which although I started feeling guilty about, I soon got over, especially when I realised I hadn’t had a day off the bike since leaving Anna’s and the farm in Pemberton.

I spent the morning generally farting around on the internet, answering a few emails and surfing for nonsense over coffee in an internet café over the road from the state campground. It was toasty warm in there, and I managed to dry my shoes out nicely!

Dave's new tent on display at Fort Stevens in the USA

Time to assess the situation

In the afternoon, I did some reading, and had a reassess and evaluation of my kit and myself.

I’ve managed to throw away some accumulated crap that I have no use for, and have also decided that I don’t need to carry as much food and water for the time being.

Places to buy things are plentiful, and will be for between the next 30-40 days, which is the time it will take me to reach the Mexico border.

Looking at my cycling gear

Equipment wise, everything is now fine, although the tent does have obvious limitations, and I will need to reseal the seams at some point in the not too distant future.

Finances – as always I lack that extra buffer that gives peace of mind, but I’m pretty much on track, and should be able to finish the trip at Christmas 2010 with just a little bit of debt.

Time wise – Everything’s going smoothly, and I probably have a month or even two to play with.

Weather – I need to get another 500 miles further south to be comfortably out of the bad weather zones and into areas where its more stable.

Food – I need to start varying what I eat, and eat more of it, as I’ve lost at least a waist size, and I wasn’t exactly overweight to start off with.


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Adventure cyclist Dave Briggs bike touring the PanAmerican HighwayDave Briggs
Dave wrote this travel guide about day off from cycling the PCH when cycling from Alaska to Argentina.

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