 
Thursday, October 4, 2001 - Trouble in Paradise
25 miles. Potrero County Park to Outdoor World RV Park (just west of
Boulevard CA)
After yesterday's tough ride we took it easy today going just 25 miles to an
dusty RV camp just west of Boulevard, CA. The only town of note we passed through was Campo (pop. 1,120 widely dispersed) and we were told the water at
the only store was "bad". The terrain was more moderate and the
riding much easier. This entire stretch is very near the Mexican border
and the Border Patrol is very much in evidence, especially west of Tecate.
I stopped and talked to the BP briefly but they were getting ready to head into
the thick brush to round up some illegals. They had helicopter
assistance and it all looked like a small scale military operation. There
is no doubt that the job of the BP is thankless and difficult, but it has to be done. This is rough ground to patrol and infiltrate across. It reminds me of the
Appalachian Mts. shorn of their tree cover. It is still hard going and
there is no water to be had anywhere. The ravines are all choked with
thick vegetation and the slopes covered with clinging chaparral. The locals say
that the BP has been very active since the attack in NY. For the illegals
it is a game of hide and seek. Few local people will help since it is against
the law to do so and the BP must know everyone that lives around here.
This area is a world apart from the populous coast less than 100 miles
away because of the few roads and difficult access via S.R. 94. It reminds
me a little of them hollers in Kentucky. S.R. 94 has a real reputation as
a dangerous road and we have been alerted to it numerous times. Just in
the last year three motorcyclists riding "crotch rockets" have killed
themselves on the stretch we have just ridden. The road is unforgiving of
error. We have one big advantage; we go a lot slower. Oh yes, the
trouble. Today I discovered that Joan's rear wheel has a small crack in,
probably from her tipping over in L.A. We will have to deal with this as
soon as possible.
|
