USA - California to Mexico
We cross the border to California in the city of South Lake Tahoe. The state border with Nevada goes here directly through the city and the lake of the same name Lake Tahoe.
After we had covered several hundred kilometers on the road in the last few weeks, we needed a little more action again.
The Orogenisis project is planning a mountain bike route on predominantly single trails from Canada through the USA to the southern tip of Baja in Mexico. The route has not yet been published, but the team kindly sent us some sections of the route and we chose the route through the east of the Sierra to Bishop.
The first day was only uphill, it was a mix between very technical riding but also a lot of pushing. The area with its large pine trees and the many surrounding huge stone blocks is beautiful and again and again there was the opportunity to see Lake Tahoe.
We spent the first night below a summit on Star Lake. A breathtaking, secluded little lake like in a picture book.
The play of colors at sunrise and sunset so high above Lake Tahoe were stunning.
The next morning we lifted our bikes up to the pass and then there was the reward for all the effort - a beautiful descent.
The Orogenesis Trail has not yet been developed at many sections and thus it often goes through the bush and rivers had to be crossed.
The third day leads through a once large forest fire area. In such an area there are many animals because the soil is very nutritious and because so much light can shine into the forest, bushes grow everywhere from which the animals eat. A rather large bear was frightened by us and fled into the thicket.
The last few days we have progressed very slowly due to the many pushing and so we jumped from the single trails to the nearby Scienic Highway 395. We have also often jumped into one of the many natural hot springs along the Sierra.
As we arrive in Bishop, we are looking for a hostel. A lot of rain is reported for the next few days and even snow is reported on the mountains. We can use the break well after all the effort. We enjoy the great kitchen and the society of the many stranded Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hikers. The hostel also offers everything else to "relax".
One day we meet Kevin while shopping, we had met a few weeks ago in a swimming pool. Kevin works from his camper van and travels through the country. Included is his chopper, a road bike and of course a mountain bike. Without further ado, he decides to accompany us for a few days and later take the bus back to his van.
We drove on beautiful side roads along the 395. On the right side always the great mountain range of the Sierras.
After three days it was time to say goodbye and we took Kevin to the bus stop - his butt hurt quite a bit.
We leave the Sierras over the Mojave Desert, here are many Joshua Trees that will accompany us to Mexico - they beautify the bare desert landscape.
Then came the 5th October 2023, the day from which Michelle will never leave her shoes in front of the tent overnight. The tarantula on the side of the road was as big as a hand and hairy as a wild boar.
We get to San Bernardino via the original Route 66.
It's a huge big city near Los Angeles. It is the absolute contrast program to what we have seen in the last few months of America. It's like an apocalyptic movie. Behind every wire mesh fence, a pit bull races towards us. If it doesn't smell for marijuana from the cars, it stinks of urine from the countless homeless people who put on their injections on the sidewalk.
At the gas station where we got water, the boss himself stood behind the counter and said that his employee was shot in the head by a 15-year-old last week because he didn't want to sell him alcohol. Many tell us that the situation in Los Angeles is supposed to be much worse. We are really shocked and it is very sad to see what the many drugs are doing here. We refrain from camping and hide in a hotel.
We are leaving this Ground Zero in an area known to us. We are looking forward to the small mountain villages such as Idyllwild, Julian and Mount Laguna. We still know the towns from our hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2020 where we bought food and stormed the restaurants.
In Idyllwild we spend the night with Bill and Theresa, they have been taking in cyclists for years. We felt very comfortable and had nice conversations, especially because Bill also likes to take pictures and both are passionate about diving. At dinner, Theresa gave us a line in her table prayer, which touched us very much.
At the Paradise Valley Cafe we found our entry in the guestbook and also entries from other hikers we met at the time - a nice memory.
In Julian we stopped briefly for the famous apple pie and in Mount Laguna we met Chris and Chanell. The first evening we spent with live music in a pub and the second evening they invited us to their home. The trip there by jeep was very exciting. They have only been living in the area since this summer and were incredibly lucky to get hold of the most beautiful, most remote house in California. Chanell cooked Mexican and it tasted like in a starred restaurant. We all share the same passion - Monopoly deal. Chris and Michelle were very lucky that evening. Chanell and Felix not at all, but that was only because it was not mixed properly and Felix was not allowed to start. We really enjoyed the time with them!
Mount Laguna is also the last post office before Mexico for us. Since it will be very sandy in Baja California, there will be a set of extra wide tires - "fatties fit fine".
One night at the campsite, Michelle panicked, there was a Racoon in her vestibule. It was a gang of three. We hunt them through the forest half the night. As soon as you turned your back on them, they climbed from the trees and ambushed the bicycles - we defended our belongings until the early hours of the morning.
At the PCT Monument, right next to Trump's "Wall", we take a selfie like in 2020 and then make our way to the border to Tecate, Mexico - Óla!
