Out in the sticks

This summer I am traveling south to north along the west coast, splitting time between the scenic Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) on 4 wheels, the rugged California Backcountry Discovery Route (CBDR) on 2 wheels (enduro dirt bike) and the even more scenic but waaaay slower Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on foot. I have a running bet with my college classmate on how far north I'll have travelled before I encounter a fellow black person on the CBDR or the PCT. I said within 1000 miles and he said 2000 miles. I have to say, as I now conclude the southern CBDR and engage the northern portion,I'm beginning to think I'll loose that bet. Granted, I'm kind of an outlier given how much time I spend out in the sticks far from civilization, but damn, I would have thought that in multi-cultural California there would be some black folks venturing into the outdoors. Perhaps being on a dirt bike on rugged terrain with no cell reception is too high on the sketchiness index for sensible folks? I think that theory has legs. In the 15 years of riding on dirt, I have yet to encounter an asian or black person on backcountry trails, yet I know in cities like Baltimore and a bunch others, there's lots of black kids riding dirt bikes and atvs. Perhaps there was a memo sent out about avoiding the sticks that I didn't receive, lol.

 

ur summer is gonna be super fun! what kind of bike do you have? when I graduate pt school an adventure bike is going to be one of the first things I buy. I used to ride an drz125 and it was the best thing ever. I can't wait to get back into it. I also did part of the Appalachian trail last summer with classmates and it was so much fun. I'm not the type to be "in the sticks" without company but I definitely enjoy it when I have people to go with!

 

I love the Everglades and the Caribbean countryside, but I'm not crazy about being in the backwoods in the US, admittedly due to the type of people of attitudes that are typical of the region.

 

It's been a riot so far, and no forest fires so far which was a major concern. Had to change plans and spend less time on the PCT because of a Norovirus outbreak. A dose of that = out of commission for a week. I'm currently riding a KTM 950 super enduro, with a safari tank for extra range. My first bike was a Kawasaki 250klx which I still ride on single track but its 70 mile range won't cut it on the CBDR. I'm glad I cut my teeth on the smaller 250 though, and did most of my falling on it. A 400lb 950 is a totally different experience when it goes sideways. I've been watching Ewan McGregors Long Way Around series when satellite cooperates. Good motivation when the going gets rough.

Do you know what kind of adventure bike you're gonna get? There's a website called twisted road which is kinda like airbnb for motorcycles. You can try out different types and see which suites you best before you buy. Either way, it'll be great once you get back to wind therapy. IYKYN.

 

I have heard that sentiment expressed, but honestly, having lived in the south, mid west and west, I've have never had any issues interacting with outdoor people. I think part of the misconception comes from conflating rural with wilderness. In my experience, when you've been hiking or riding for miles without seeing anyone and then you bump into someone, it's mostly kinship that comes though, and there's a sense of being cut from the same cloth. If you spend enough time outdoors, sooner or later you're gonna find yourself in a pickle, so most people out there know it pays to cultivate good karma, because you never know when you're going to need a helping hand. On the other hand, if you find yourself in the Afghan wilderness, all bets are off, lol.