Burlington to Leggett 78km

I was pulled over by a traffic cop today, as I descended a narrow stretch of road with only a 12 inch shoulder and a vertical drop to the side.

“You need to ride the shoulder”, he said. “You were holding up a line of 35 cars, and one of them was nearly rear-ended”. I asked him a series of questions about my personal safety and my rights as a vehicle on the road, but decided not to question how he knew about the 35 cars and the near collision behind him….maybe traffic cops benefit from an omniscience denied to the rest of us. He was obviously unsettled for a moment by my questions, but being a cop and a man of the law, he wasn’t about to admit to any weakness in his argument: ‘You still gotta ride the shoulder”. So I thanked him and cycled off.

Describing this little scene to two of my American cycling companions, they reassured me I was absolutely in the right, and the young guy was out of order. Probably shooting for some monthly target, they suggested. Forget it, it happens all the time.

Other excitement during the day’s ride included this arresting glimpse of early sun rays through the redwoods

and this huge specimen which was characteristic of hundreds in the forest

And adding to the portrait gallery, Erin and Nate, both Americans, met on this ride, and have taken ‘a shine’ to each other….a bespoke partnership, you might say…

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