October 2, 2022
Day 23 - Leggett to Fort Bragg
The infamous climb
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I’ve been hearing about the long climb out of Leggett and somewhat dreading it. At over 4 miles, it would be one of the longest climbs to date — save for the the Seven Devils Road climb. Plus, I wondered how I would do with my injured foot.
My foot seemed a little better in the morning so I resolved to make the climb. My strategy was just to get into a low gear, keeping it as light as possible, and grind it out. Turned out I was able to stand sometimes and that helped. Overall, it wasn’t super steep, just long, and quite doable with patience.
With the infamous climb conquered, my reward was the 10-mile descent, with a few ups and downs, to the coast. There were two long (and fun) downhill runs of at least 3 miles each that tested my cornering skills.
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Emerging from the woods to the ocean view felt dramatic and sudden when it happened. Of course, this is where the real climbing began — or so it seemed to me, as Hwy 1 twisted and rolled its way south. In many places there is little to no shoulder, but fortunately the traffic was light, and drivers were mostly patient with the bicyclists on the road.
I stopped to eat my lunch at one of the many parks in the Westport area, sitting at the edge of a cliff and drinking in the sounds and smells of the sea.
Even though it was a fairly short day, mileage wise, bu the time I arrived at our camp at Mackerricher state park (technically in Cleone, just north of Fort Bragg), I felt exhausted and ready to relax.
Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 992 miles (1,596 km)
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