Slept pretty well for a first night camping, having also had a late afternoon nap. I woke up after 4:00 and had a pee, then I got back to sleep after a bit, slept until around 7:00, which is unusual (<>). We got up, and I made breakfast (eggs and leftover grilled food, coffee, and leftover apple tart). I cleaned the dishes, and Ann dried and put them away. After that, I got ready for a bike ride. Earlier in the morning I had used Strava to make me a route from the beach to the restaurant where we were meeting Pat for lunch. For some obscure reason the route took me into the hills of San Clemente, including about 600' of climbing. I initially rode through the park to get to Avenida del President, turning left and riding to Avenida Mendocino, crossing over the freeway to ECR, turning left and heading to Avenida San Gabriel. The climbing started in earnest here and didn't let up for a while. Left turn on Avenida Salvador, climbing still. I got to the top and couldn't figure out where Strava wanted me to turn in the neighborhood, so I wandered around a couple of streets until starting the descent on Avenida Salvador to Avenida Presidio. Am pretty sure I rode this way with Pat before. That descent is thrilling, quite steep. I was unfamiliar enough with it that I kept braking to avoid taking too much speed into the turns. Turned left at the bottom of the hill on Avenida Pico and followed it to Calle Deschecha. That led me to the protected bike path running parallel to ECR. I was on my aero bars on this stretch, battling a quartering head wind. Then I rode through the parking lot by Doheny State Beach and on the nice streets through Doheny SP. I used Dana Point Harbor Dr to get to Golden Lantern St, climbed the short, steep hill to Del Prado Ave and turned left there, rode through downtown Dana Point and got on PCH. It's a little wavy here, so I alternated between climbing on the steeper sections and riding in aero position whenever possible. Strava wasn't so clear on where to turn, so I I initially missed the turn and ended up backtracking to get on Crown Valley Pkwy. More climbing here, nothing steep but some distance to it. Took this road up to Alicia Pkwy and turned left there. Some more gentle climbing and another missed turn, this time to get on the Aliso Creek Bikeway. This is a paved path with lots of curves, not super smooth either. Still, I rode in aero position when possible. I got off the path at Laguna Hills Dr, another little climb before a nice descent to Paseo de Valencia, where I turned right and rode downhill to the restaurant. Got there with some time to spare, so I rode to a nearby 7-Eleven and bought a Super Big Gulp to help cool down and rehydrate. Paula had borrowed my power pedals, so I used my MTB pedals and shoes instead no power data below.
Avg speed = 14.1 mph (14.3 mph). Total mileage = 24.5 mi
Avg power = 130 W (est.)
Total elevation gain = 1610' (1660')
Avg heartrate = 124 bpm (Coospo)
Relative Effort = 47 (49)
Ann showed up a little early, which allowed me to change before we headed into the restaurant, Heaven on a Fork. Pat was already there. It was fun catching up with him. He told us about his Grand Teton hike, which had 7000' of climbing and some sections where ropes, belays, and rappelling were required. Has been dealing with hip and knee issues, no surgery indicated as yet. We caught him up on our travels as well as Laura's wedding plans. After lunch we saw Pat's ride, a red Corvette. I thought he was kidding when I pointed it out and he said it was his. Crazy! So there is more to hear about the next time we get together, likely in December. Drove back to the campsite and chilled in the shade for a while. In late afternoon we walked down to the beach and headed north for a while before turning around and walking back. Tide was low but coming in. Showered after we got back, that felt refreshing. We snacked for dinner after the big lunch. Walked down to see the sunset, but there weren't clouds in the sky except right on the horizon. Anticlimactic. I put some of the camping gear up, including the vestibule and the solar lights (didn't put them up this time). The rest of the evening was quiet.
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