Rainy Day Mushrooms

Everything I read about the weather on the West coast prior to my trip led me to believe that, whatever happened along the way, one thing was for sure: I was going to get wet.  Visions of rain and fog clouded my sun-loving head as I attempted to prepare for the worst. The weather forecasts along my route stayed true to expectations, calling for rain on several occasions.  But, miraculously, the rain never came.  

Whether due to the season or sheer luck I do not know, but I somehow managed to bicycle through Washington, down the entire Oregon Coast, and along the Northern Coast of California, with no more than half a day’s drizzle to complain of. It was not until the day before I arrived in San Francisco that the showers came.

yoga in the rain

After all the mayhem of race day, the ride to Samuel P. Taylor State Park - our final stop before the big city - was relatively calm.  Justin and I stopped in Point Reyes Station to grab a sandwich, running into our friends Jesse and Liz at the local coffee shop.  We met them again in Olema, the final town before the park. The ride was short and we arrived in town early, leaving me plenty of time to blog while Justin grabbed groceries and patiently twiddled his thumbs. By the time I finished it was nearing 5pm, so we decided to try our luck at the slightly closer private K.O.A. campground. (Hot tubbing may have been part of my motive, I confess. It’s amazing how quickly one gets used to luxury.)

the inside of this redwood made for a great shelter!

Unfortunately, in true California style, there was not a ranger or camp host in site, nor any indication of a hiker biker camping area. Not wanting to risk having to pay a whopping $42 for a regular campsite (a little steep for a patch of dirt if you ask me), we rolled on to the state park just a few more miles down the road, arriving at the same time as the weather. 

 Jesse and Liz had beaten us there. It being the last night of their trip, their mission for the evening was to get rid of all of their extra food. Justin and I, ever the self-sacrificing types, were happy to help, spoiling our dinner as we noshed away with the girls. In the course of the evening we found out that Jesse was also in the legal biz (apparently a popular profession among cycle tourists); she had recently completed her articling and was about to start a job in social justice law. This being a very small field in which I happen to be interested, I took the opportunity to network a little. Who says bicycle trips can't be good for your career?

The drizzle of the evening had become a full out shower by the time we woke up the following morning. Not eager to ride in the rain, and needing more time to sort out our city plans, Justin and I decided to take a final decompression day before entering the urban jungle.  The rain did not let up all day, dashing our hopes of exploring the surrounding park trails, but we did manage to get out for a short mushroom hunt. This was a passion of Justin’s, and it was fun to listen to him explain all the features of the various mushrooms we spotted along our walk.

The rest of the afternoon was mostly spent under shelter. As evening rolled around, however, our bellies got the best of us, drawing us out into the rain to make dinner. We made a delicious vegetable stir-fry with tofu and peanut sauce, savouring every bite as the rain dripped down our waterproof jackets – definitely one of the best meals of my trip. 

Although we felt a little mucky by the end of the day, I really enjoyed the calm and quiet time in the park.  And, eager as I was to get to the Bay area, I was also happy to put off the end of my cycling trip just a little bit longer.  I guess the rain ain’t so bad after all.

Damply Yours,

Dana