On the Pacific

On day 6, I rode from Mendocino to Westport, CA. It was a short ride, but the next campsite is in Leggett, which is up an 1800 ft climb. For those Tour de France fans, this climb to Leggett will be my own, personal, l'Alpe d'Huez.

So, to make sure I had fresh legs for the climb to Leggett, I stopped at a wonderful campsite in Westport, on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. While the campsite is right off of route 1, it felt surprisingly secluded with the ocean to the west, and evergreen lined hills to the east.

I sat, overlooking the bluff with waves crashing below me, watching a lone seal bask on the rocks as the sun set on the Pacific. The glorious sunset was replaced with a remarkably dark night, devoid of "light polution" that is so common back at home. The sky was far darker than I am accustomed to, revealing an amazing star field. As I enjoyed the bracing ocean breeze in the dark, the full moon then emerged from the tree-lined hills to the east. Away from the noise of city lights, as the moon cracked the eastern horizon, it generated a muted rendition of the spectrum of colors that you usually only see at sunrise. It was amazing.