March 29, 2021
Day 2: San Diego to Alpine
Defeated but not dead
I find that I never sleep very well on the first night or two of a bike trip. It's just tough to get my mind and heart to slow down, even if I am physically exhausted. But I had excellent accommodations, a spectacularly full stomach, and 6 hours of sleep to keep me happy. After a morning shower and some delicious pancakes with my family, we said our goodbyes and I was off for the most urban part of the route.
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I wove my way through North Park and downtown before connecting back at the route near Seaport Village. I rode south through an industrial side of San Diego I had never before seen. It was a little bit seedy, a little bit depressed, but smooth sailing to the Sweetwater River Bike Path.
The bike path passed alongside the riverfront as it made its way inland. Soon though, it narrowed down amongst thickets of riparian shrubbery, weaving around and between bushes and several homeless encampments. I exited the route briefly to get a donut and coffee before continuing on, with the heat steadily ramping up as I made my way east.
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The route began to steadily make its way upwards as it circumnavigated the Sweetwater Reservoir on some thrilling single-track trails. It was both exhilarating and exhausting, particularly as the temperature was closing in on 90 degrees.
After switching over to several miles of paved riding, the route turned up the breathtaking Sloane Canyon Road. It was a great stretch of dirt road riding, but the heat was really starting to get to me. I took another break in the shade of oak trees after hopping the fence onto the California Riding and Hiking Trail (CRHT), at which point I realized I was out of water. This is where the misery truly began in full earnest.
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The route was stupidly steep and deeply rutted, so much so that I ended up walking most of it to the summit. I started to feel sick about halfway up, a familiar sign of heat exhaustion and low blood sugar. This also seems to happen to me at the beginning of any bike trip as I try to figure out how to best fuel up throughout the day. I finally decided to lay down under the shade of a sagebrush as I tried to hold down some trail mix, contemplating my questionable life choices and figuring out my next steps. It was only 7 miles to Alpine, where I could resupply on water and rest up; however, there was no way I would make it to my intended campsite up at Oakzanita, as that would require another 20 miles of riding and 3,000 feet of climbing. I was in a bit of a pickle and none too pleased because of it.
After 7 torturous miles to Alpine, I stopped at a CVS and cautiously sipped on a Gatorade, trying not to throw up as I sat in the storefront shade. I then made my way over to the Alpine Brewing Company, intending on carbo loading on fries and a beer. It was here that I called my uncle back in San Diego, who the previous night had mentioned he had some friends in Alpine that could help out if I was having any issues. He reached out to his friends to inquire if I could pitch a tent in their backyard. Unfortunately we never heard back, so I decided to head over to the closest hotel and call it a night. In comparison to my previous tours, I now have a job that lets me make this kind of splurge from time to time, and for that I am incredibly grateful.
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All-in-all, today was extraordinarily tough. The weather certainly played a factor, as did the fact that it is only day 2. But I also have to remind myself that, in my own experience, bikepacking tends to be much harder than road touring. The constant bouncing around and endless grades wear on you, so much so that a 50 mile day ends up feeling like a century.
Race Notes
From downtown, the first decent camping isn't available until Sweetwater Summit Regional Park. This looks like a good option, very quaint! Load up on water here, as it'll be awhile before you can resupply, unless you filter from some of the questionable-looking creeks. I had a filter and decided against it. The paved riding has a great shoulder and goes quick, as does the first part of Sloane Canyon. While the cue sheet mentions dogs as being problematic on this portion, I did not see any. There may be possible stealth camping around here, but it also felt kind of spooky. Your call.
Lastly, the CRHT section on this section is no joke. Even if I were feeling great it would be a serious challenge.
Today's ride: 50 miles (80 km)
Total: 109 miles (175 km)
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