Kings Canyon/Sequoia 2003 Camp-out
Marc's adventure
or... why Carl and Fred went to Fresno in the middle of a camping trip
Preparations for the Kings Canyon/Sequoia camping trip typically start the last day of the previous years trip. That's when we decide what we're going to do next year. This year, for example, we did the same thing as last year but a week earlier. Next year we're going to do something a little bit different. More on that later.
Active preparations typically start the week before the trip. In my case I checked my camping gear on Wednesday. Thursday I gave the bike a once over:
- oil: OK
- tire pressure: down a bit. Brought it back to 36 front, 42 rear.
- tire condition: OK
- lights: OK
Tire condition on the rear was a minor issue as I'd noticed the tire was wearing faster than normal. I still had over 1/16" before the wear bars. Should be fine for a 600-700 mile trip. I put my gear on the bike as I was going to be busy Friday.
On Saturday morning I put my food in the ice chest then bungied
it to the back seat. After filling the tank I met most of the
fellow campers at the do-nut shop. Carl, Fred, Pete and Joey, and I
rode down 101 toward Hollister. A bit before taking the exit for
Ca 25 Pete pulled off the road holding on to Joey with his left
hand. Joey had fallen asleep. Soundly. Pete had to stop to wake
him up. He made it to the Cozy Cup only a minute or so behind us.
Rich pulled up to the restaurant just as we'd finished our breakfast. Perfect timing. He had time for a pit stop as we put on our gear for the ride to Coalinga.
We rode down 25 to 198, stopping at that intersection to re-group. Riding gear was shed as it was beginning to warm up. When ready we continued Coalinga for a gas and rest stop. The next stop was in Visalia for gas, again. I wasn't that far from Coalinga, but the next gas stop was 180 miles away. Better to gas up while we can.
Pete and Joey were the last to leave the gas station in Visalia. I told Pete the restaurant was about a mile up the road on the right (he'd been there once before) and left. Oops. The restaurant was less than 1/2 mile up the road. As the rest of us were taking our gear off we saw Pete ride by in oblivion. He says he kept looping back to find us, but apparently believed my "mile or so" statement so strongly that he never went back far enough. The rest of us had fish and chips then continued on our way.