At our map meeting on Tuesday, Michelle explained why Garberville was listed as our hotel location for the next 2 nights.  The hotel in Scotia at 48 miles had closed and no alternative hotel nearby was found.  So the decision was made to have us stay 2 nights in Garberville, further down the road.  For the cyclists, this meant a decision:  ride 48 miles to Scotia and be shuttled to Garberville, then returned to Scotia this morning to ride the 45 miles to Garberville.  OR, ride all 93 miles to Garberville on Wednesday and have a rest day in Garberville on Thursday.  Since I had not ridden many miles on Tuesday due to bike repair, I decided to try for 93 miles (my longest distance in several years)!!

The first half of the combined ride might be defined by cows… We wandered farm roads out of Arcata, eventually coming around Humboldt Bay and crossing 3 bridges into Eureka.  The route took us past 2 mansions in the historic area and along the harbor, otherwise not much to see in the sections of town we crossed.

Onto US101 for 5 miles, then exiting and a sag stop near the College of the Redwoods – it seemed many were late to classes as traffic was heavy.  For much of the next 25 miles we were following the Eel River, crossing twice on narrow bridges, into Scotia.  We did stop in Ferndale, with many Victorian homes and store fronts, enjoying delicious pie at the Ferndale Pie Company.

We met Michelle and Emily in Scotia and indicated we were going on to Gerberville.  It was about 1 pm.  The town was virtually shut down; the hotel and hardware store closed.  The lumber company was thriving.                                                                                                                                                          Garmin readings: 47.87 miles, 12.3 mph, 1939 ft ascent.

After only 5 1/2 miles on US 101, we exited to the Avenue of the Giants and Humboldt Redwoods State Park.  These trees did not seem as large as the ones in Redwoods National Park from Tuesday, but they were plenty big and the fragrance was delightful.  A few quick stops for photos, but we were focused on the next 45 miles.  I was riding mostly with Barbara, Pat from Vermont, and Donna, and we kept tabs on each other.  I even Facetimed with my grandkids in Indianapolis to show them the grandeur of the trees.

The route through the redwoods was almost 25 miles long, with occasional openings.  We made a quick stop in Myers Flat just as the sag wagon drove up.  Eventually the Avenue of the Giants merged into US101 and we pedaled for 3 miles before exiting toward Redway.  Redway seemed filled with hikers and other wanderers so we did not linger.

And then the more serious climbing began on our very tired legs.  The last 5 miles were a real slog.

Arrived in Garberville about 5:30 pm, with cheers from those who had only ridden the earlier 48 miles into Scotia.                                                                                                                                                               Garmin:  44.89 miles, 11.65 mph, 3497.3 ascent.

Emily fixed a hearty dinner of chili and brownies, I helped with dishes, then collapsed.  I will enjoy a quiet day in Garberville….and stay off the bike!

Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/1215663324