We came to climb a mountain, not a ladder!

Daniel and I were sitting on our surfboards bobbing up and down like a couple of giant fishing corks, waiting for the next set waves to roll in and talking about what we were going to do the next day. We couldn't kayak to the ocean because it was only 2 days before Christmas, so I suggested we ride our bikes from Jax pier to St.Augustine and back. Both our eyes lit up, and we each new that this would be the next adventure! Just like that, we started at dawn the next morning with rain and a 15-25mph NNE wind, yes indeed, pristine conditions for a good adventure! The ride down A1A was characterized by beautiful beach scenery and the singing of King Henry the 8th -you know- "I'm Henry the eighth I am, Henry the eighth I am I am...." In just a little over 1.5hrs we were at the castle!!! We took a picture, drove down St.George street to some nameless coffee shop to get a hot brew, and in a just a few minutes, were back on our way to the pier.

The trip back was HELL!!! but in a good way. The wind was blasting in our faces and slowing us down to around 10mph. The good news was that the rain was horizontal, so whenever I got thirsty, I just opened up the old gantlet and took in a few swigs. No one ever said Le Tour de Pier would be easy! Slowly, Daniel aka Lance! started getting considerably ahead of me. It started looking pretty grim, all I had going through my head were some terrible 80's songs and some excerpts I'd memorized from a book I read by Reinhold Messner. It all slowly turned into a blur and I don't remember much between Guana and South Jax Beach. I just kept on peddling as hard as my body would allow!!! It was like I was in a trance, and all I could think about was the next rotation of my peddles. "peddle! Peddle! peddle! lean on one leg, peddle! Peddle! peddle!" over and over in my mind

The bleak of December and Castillo de San Marco behind, Pure Elation in the foreground

When I reached the pier, it was nothing but love! Daniel and I congratulated each other and sat down to try and take in what we just did!!! 65 miles in a little over 4.5 hrs!!! So immaterial was the feat, yet immeasurably significant! I think Reinhold Messner captured that moment in time best, when he said:

"As far as mankind is concerned, it is completely immaterial whether Dhaulagiri South Face gets climbed or not; it's equally unimportant if man stands on the summit of Everest or not. The only thing that counts is the EXPERIENCE, the sensation the climb engenders, and that only for the person who climbed it."

The Big Walls p.131

cheers