[Terrytaylor] Going to Homer

[Terry Taylor]

We headed down the Sterling Highway the road to Homer. I had heard horror stories about the road right after Coopers Landing so I rode with Tom to get past the bad stretch of Highway. It was as bad as I was informed 35mph very Winding with no shoulder the road this time of the year carries much RV traffic it can be difficult and narrow for two of the them meeting absolutely no room for a cyclist we stayed in Sterling and I left next morning. The road was rolling hills ,decent shoulders.
They do not remove the left over sand and what ever else they put on the roads in the snow season. It remains at the edge of the road sometimes along guard rails it is too deep to ride through leaving one to ride in the road. While riding through Soldotna I had to ride on the sidewalk and at the cross streets the sand was so deep that I had to dismount push through the sand, cross the street and push through the sand to get back on the sidewalk. Anyway I rode55.7 miles with 2215 feet of climbing. 
I had a strong head wind,is there any other kind? It was always the same never Gusting or variable. 
I stopped and looked up the weather and the wind was listed as 18 miles per hour. The crazy thing was because it was so consistent I adjusted to it and pretty much ignored it. 
I went through the small towns of Kasilof and Clam Gultch .
Tom had gone to Ninilchik so I met up with him nice didn't have to put up my tent. On the way I had a moose grazing along side of the road fortunately,the other side of the road, he looked up at me and just went back to grazing. Nice moose.
Next day I road into Homer,the end of the road. I had been rained on and off all day I road out onto Homer Spit a long strip of land that has bars rv campgrounds tourist attractions charter fishing boats and free camping on the beach rain was forecast and I really do not like taking down a tent and packing it away wet.
I got my I phone out as hotel motels start out at 175 and get to 250 in a hurry. I joined an app called Airbnb  I found a log home up a mountain,unfortunately. Lady named Karen, very nice place it was 84 dollars it was raining on my way to her place and sprinkling this morning. I had called the warm showers person but they had to go to Anchorage so that was out, of course Warm Showers is free and the preferred way to go. 
 I am still waiting for warm weather
  I forgot, in talking with Karen she told me that she used to live in Hendersonville NC
She owned a boarding house there
 but really missed Alaska so she moved back here.
She loves dogs and has four and baby sits another six I think anyway as I left this morning she was taking 10 dogs for a walk with no leashes they obey her. 
I will send this then send some pictures
TerryT 
  

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