Day 19 Leggett to Fort Bragg 46 miles(886 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 19: 

 We rode 46 miles to Fort Bragg ( 886 miles total). Wow, where to start? It might be a long post today, so bear with me. First of all, thanks for your words of encouragement and positive thoughts to get us up that big mountain! The bad news is that it was probably the most miserable day yet. It really wasn't that big climb that was the worst of it all, but all the other elements involved that made for such a crappy day. First of all, as we were packing up to take off for the day, a thunderstorm rolled in. So we had to race to our tents and wait for the thunder and lightning to stop. Once that subsided, just as we packed everything up and were ready to take off, it started to pour. We are talking "Washington downpour." All the Californians told us how "it never rains like this." Well, I see downpours like that all the time, and mentally, I thought I was done with that for a bit. I really thought we left those days behind us, so that kind of mentally set me back. So we start off and it is just pouring on us! We are talking 51 degrees and a downpour! The big climb itself was about 5 and a half miles up and took us about an hour. Mentally, I was prepared for that, but it was everything that followed that threw me for a loop. We had to go down and that was not enjoyable at all! It was freezing and I was chilled to the bone. I've never felt that close to hypothermic! Plus, the roads were really windy and there was no shoulder. There wasn't a lot of traffic, but there were a few cars that were going too fast. There was one 5th wheel and Pat said, "They are going way too fast." Sure enough, about a mile later, he had jackknifed in the middle of the road. So anyway, about a half-way through the day, we finally made it down the mountain and I was exhausted. I just wasn't prepared for the other hill that followed and by that time, my legs were dead. That second mountain mentally set me back. After we got through that, I thought I was in the clear, but it was in and out, up and down, through the coves. I thought it was going to be pretty flat, but it was just one hill after the other. Plus, the weather was just cold, rainy, and crappy. That's when I had a breakdown. The good news is that I had some Gu energy to get me through it, an encouraging son and husband, and a little bit of a rest to get me through the last part of the day. Summary of the day: thunder, lightning, rain, winding roads, no shoulders, never-ending hills, breakdowns, flat tires (Riley- going down the mountain) and F bombs by husband (weather this time) are bad; rain booties (waterproof shoe coverings that keep our feet dry and warm), conquering the "The big climb," friendly drivers who cheer us on, Taco Tuesdays, wine and beer, and the fact that this day is behind us are good!