Land of a million fences

Notes from San Diego County 27/11

“Oh, give me land,
lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in,
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.”

It's a classic cowboy style song I remember from my childhood about the wide open spaces in this beloved homeland. Well, in rural inland San Diego County California it isn't really like that. There is land lots of land under starry skies above, sure but it is most definitely fenced in. Or is it that one is fenced out?.....

My first observation upon arriving in the US was how warm and welcoming everybody was towards me. They were kind, friendly and interested in what I was doing. In short the people are great here. In fact sometimes people would be a little off with me if I'd made some sort of faux-pas but as soon as I opened my mouth they would melt and forgive me and generally do everything they could help a passing stranger on his way.

“ This bodes well for me”, I thought after all I doubt very much if it is possible to cycle across a continent with no back up and a tiny budget without the kindness and assistance of it's inhabitants. But I must say Americans seem so far to be best the kind of host I could hope for which is fantastic.

The second thing I noticed in California was THE RULES, there are so many rules and regulations which seem to apply to almost every aspect of life. Whatever activity you may be involved in there's a rule to govern you whilst you do so. It really is very striking, there are signs everywhere in San Diego and it's beach suburbs telling you what you can do and what you cannot. Sadly, as is usually the case with such signs, nearly all of them seem to forbid something. Everywhere! Really or at least that was my second impression.

In the land of the free there are an awful lot of regulations!

This brings me back to the fences. Now I am cycling across America who knows how far I'll get, but along the way I intend to sleep out under the stars most nights, just as the cowboys did and the trail blazers and the explorers of this great country. It seem to me like the best way get a feel for the land beneath the civilization, for the climate and the wilder side of nature. Plus it's my favorite way to travel.

You might imagine there's an awful lot of land in such a big country/continent. Well there is I've seen quite a bit of it already and I've only been to 1 state and in that state I've only seen 1 county so far.

In San Diego County California there's an awful lot of empty land it's desert really some of it has dried up forest on it. All the rivers and creeks are dry and there's no livestock to be seen.

However what there is an awful lot of is fences. Apparently all this land belongs to someone or other and that someone wants a big fence around everything that's his. Not content with that he doesn't just want a fence he wants signs at every possible entrance and just along the side of every fence saying keep out or trespassers will be prosecuted. The fences run right up to within10 feet of the highway

Where I've been riding is on on minor roads on my way to the middle of nowhere, or so it seems to me. It's scrubby desert, in the mountains with a house or RV parked up on the private land sometimes only once every 5 miles sometimes every mile or 2, sometimes more frequently. But the fences go back to back all the way, over 100, miles to the county line.

It started me thinking: who comes out here to trespass onto all this land that's not got much going for it?
What do all these trespassers want to do? Why is it such a big concern of every land owner form the Pacific Ocean to over the mountains that they spend a fortune on all these fences and signs?

Of course I have no answers there's no one here on my bike to tell me, but it makes me wonder.

What is everyone so worried about?
Are they worried that people will come and try and live on their land? Mexicans? Homeless bums?
Or throw huge parties? Maybe drive around in 4x4s and on trails bikes?
Or that people like me will spend one night camping out behind a bush?
Or that hikers will come out for a nice walk in the hills, desert and forest?
Maybe they are worried that someone will start a fire accidentally?
or that they will hurt themselves and sue the land owner?

Either way it's a sad state of affairs. The land is shut down. The message given off is not open or friendly at all,
“This is mine; that is yours. If you're not with me stay away.... or else.” is what it says to me.

This really seems at odds with the character of the people who live here.
“How did it get like this?” I ask myself and “Is this really how they want it to be?”

Last night( Thanksgiving) I slept in a surprisingly comfortable ditch between the road and the fence - oh the romance! The other side of the fence was acres and acres of empty land that would have been lovely to camp in.

Tonight is better I am sleeping in the scrubby desert off the highway on a piece of land with a convenient “vacant land for sale” sign outside . No one minds surely? I'm in the middle of nowhere in the desert in the mountains..