Valentine's Visit with the Ranchiti

 It has obviously been a few months since Valentine's Day... What can I say? I'm a champion procrastinator! February 2020 was a month before COVID19 really caught ground here in the States, of course, so we were still free to roam well out of our immediate neighborhood. As I somehow got lucky and was not scheduled to work on Valentine's Day, I decided to go hop on the bike and go pay a long lost roadside friend a visit (and to be well out of town should the boss decided he needed me to come in after all). 

The ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/3100603539 (Alas, I forgot to turn the Garmin back on to record the final 11 miles)

'Go east while the weather is cooperative,' is one of my cycling mantra. I chanted it in my head as I caught the well chilled pre-dawn train and bus out to Harrah's Casino in Rincon, and took off up Valley Center Rd in the frigid air. It was such a cold morning that I was 2 miles up the Hwy 76 climb before I was warm enough to stop to pack away my winter mitten and jacket. (Mind, catching a front flat from a piece of broken glass as I entered the Valley Center Rd and Hwy 76 roundabout didn't help. The easy job of flat repair becomes rather much less than easy in the 38F cold dark air. I could hardly tell my thumbs from my elbows). 

But, all aggravations were forgotten 12 miles up the road when I turned off at a favorite spot just past Lake Henshaw to visit with my favorite view of the lake, fronted by the lonely branchy tree and with Hot Springs Mtn hovering in the background. It is one of my many private happy places around the county.

Traffic was light heading north on Hwy 79 through Mataguay, though there were many RVs and boat trailers caravaning east on San Felipe Rd. They were obviously traveling together as a few would end up turning out to wait for the others to catch up as they traveled east... with me inevitably playing leapfrog with the giants-with-many-blind-spots as we headed east toward the desert. It seems a bit amusing looking back on it now, but as that was going on I really did not enjoy it at all. Luckily all the leap-frogging giants continued on east on San Felipe Rd toward Salton Sea rather than turning onto Montezuma Valley Rd (S22) with me toward Ranchita. I looked back at them, took a deep breath of relief and immediately felt 10 lbs lighter. 

Oh, there was an unwelcome sight along San Felipe Rd just before the S22 turn off, though. As much as I dislike seeing all the road side trash that evidently came out of cars, I absolutely hate running into the few of them that came out of bicycles. 

Pick up after yourself, folks! (Naturally I put the trash into my backpack and didn't leave it around to further spread ill will toward people on bike. It's one of the perks of riding with a backpack, aside from being able to buy some locally made things along the road that I can't find at stores in the city. More on that later).

Stopping to check out Gravevine Canyon Rd's exit at Hwy S22. Might do a gravel ride thru there next winter.

The Montezuma Valley Market, the only general store with cold drinks, snacks, and a big port-a-toilet for miles, had a lot of beautiful handmade wooden chairs out for sale in front of the store. The friendly shopkeeper told me they get a lot of business from passing cyclists, and so they stock surprising things like the Stroopwafel and varieties of LUNA bars among the jars of local honey and avocado. There is even a well stocked mini-neighborhood library on the front porch with anything from children's books to the classics. The shopkeeper was exceedingly nice and welcoming. Make no mistake, though, this place is well guarded by a very large and hairy bouncer...

The Ranchiti (Ranchita Yeti) is the epitome of a strong and silent Valentine's Day date!

The only public restroom for miles in any direction. It's 11 miles from here to Borrego Springs Park HQ down in the desert, 10 or so to the nearest gas station in Warner Springs, and about 12 miles from Lake Henshaw Resort. So... weather your bladder is threatening to explode or not when you get here, go use the loo while you can or you'll regret it later up or down the road. 

Montezuma Valley Rd (S-22) from the crest a mile east of the Rancheti down to Borrego Springs is one of the most gorgeous paved descents in San Diego County. On a clear day you can see all the way to the Salton Sea, and all the nothingness in between. If you aren't in a hurry, though, there are many bucolic spots on the side of the road (and many trailheads) to stop and enjoy the view. If you are lucky you might even spot a bighorn sheep or two. I wish I had packed a binocular! 

Alas, I caught my second and third flats from, of all things, goat head thorns on the descent. Goat head punctures in February! Those things aren't usually around until late summer!  

Needless to say that changed my day's plan a bit. With only one spare tube and 2 1/2 CO2 cartridges left in my backpack, I cut off the descent at the Desert View lookout and headed back up earlier than I wanted. It's been years since I last had more than 1 flat tire on a single ride. The flat tire gods were obviously displeased with me, and I had better try to get back to town quick. 

Tho, not so quick as to not grab a few of these yummy local honey at the Montezuma Market on my 2nd pass of Ranchita. Hey, I'm not called Smorg for nothing!

A mile or so before the Hwy 79 turn off from San Felipe Rd I veered off the pavement again to pay the Warner Springs Ranch a visit. The keeper isn't around this time, so I didn't hang around for long. 

A couple of miles back on Hwy 79 I espied a pair of coyotes trotting along side the road not far from the curiously uncurious herd of cows, though, so I made the mistake of pulling off for a photo shoot. 

As soon as the tires hit the dirt shoulder they let off a low moan... A rear puncture, and a slow leak on the front! I put the last fresh spare tube on the rear tire. Alas, the patch kit had gone bad after years of remaining unused in the saddlebag. All the glue had dried out and it was completely useless. I had a canister and a half of 16g CO2 cartridge left. The half immediately went into the front tire, after which I time-trialed back to Lake Henshaw Resort where I attempted to call for a cab rescue. 

(Lake Henshaw Resort Restaurant was manned by a very friendly waitress who made some really good filly sandwich). 

A big booboo to the Yellow Cab operator who told me she'd have a cab out my way in 40 minutes and never called back again after an hour had past. I had to call again to find out that no cab was actually headed my way as I was out of service area! That was fairly aggravating in and of itself even without adding on the fact that the front tire was now completely flat, I had no spare tube or functioning patch kit left, and only a 16g cannister of CO2 left in my saddlebag. 

I had about 12 miles of wiggly country highways left between me and the nearest functioning bus station (for bus 388 to Escondido from Harrah's Casino). The final 7 miles on Hwy 76 and Valley Center Rd are all downhill. Before I get to the downhill, tho, I had a false flat thru La Jolla Reservation and a 2 miles climb to the Palomar shoulder where South Grade Rd branches off. I made sure both tires were clear of any debris, squeeze half a canister of CO2 into the front, and raced west like a bat out of hell. 

(A forlorn last look at Lake Henshaw before my escape run to Rincon)

Naturally, there was no time to take any more photo after that. I made it to the South Grade Rd turn off with the front tire still inflated enough for the downhill run into Rincon Valley and caught the next bus back to Escondido and then the train home. 

A highlight video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT_FWttrtXY 

It was a much closer shave than I'd have liked... Five flat tires on a single ride! Much of that, I'm afraid, had to do with the tires being on the thin and old side of healthy. But it still proves the old saying that one can never be overly prepared. I thought it was overkill to have 4 spare tubes, 6 canisters of CO2, and a patch kit with me as I started the day of. In the end, I used them all and could have done with more! I put on a new set of 28mm Gatorskins after the ride, of course, and haven't had any more puncture since.