Friday November 21

My, Everyone Thought He Rode Around Not Getting Enough Recycling.

Here she comes, Big Sur!

“Big Sur has been good to us every year, good weather, not too much traffic, and beautiful scenery” from Jacob, three time Sustainable Living Bike Tour rider. The Big Sur section of the tour is held in the hearts of SLBT cyclists with anticipation and anxiety. Riders spend three days riding up and down the hills of PCH1 as it hugs the jagged coastline of central California. We took a moment with Jacob to see how this trip compared to the others in 06 and 07. “I took an especially causal approach this year, as I’ve become increasingly familiar with the ride I knew how much time I could take. There was a general feeling of un-hurriedness, and attempting to really soak it in.”

One of the first of several stops was at the Spirit Garden “the cultural hub of Big Sur” according to Jacob. Essentially a gift shop and bakery next to the Shell gas station, it is a place of respite for travelers. Woven “birds nest” tree houses lined with pillows and blankets gave us a nice overlook of the garden when we first arrived. Jam packed with worldly artwork and crafts for sale, it was an explosion of color and sound in the serene redwood setting.

Jacob also made time to see the Julia Pfeiffer waterfalls, watch sea otters, and observe the California condor. “The burn damage [at Julia Pfeiffer-Burns Park] was especially hard hitting” said Jacob. Since the fires were squelched earlier in the year, the focus has been turned to mudslide prevention, important with the close proximity of Pacific Coast Highway 1. In addition to closed trail there was evidence of bridges removed, and chain link fences installed to catch debris to keep it off the road.

Later in the day the group ran into a research assistant for project from UCSC and got an update about the state of sea otters in California. Big Sur used to be the last strong hold of sea otters in California, and while the population there has held steady it has increased in other areas like Monterrey Bay. The concern now is that the overall population has not grown in awhile, and scientists are not sure why.

While this not her first time to this area, Lissa a first time SLBT rider told us her impressions of biking the mountains, “Oh my God, (laughs) what glorious beauty lies before me… And it pains me… every time we approach a mountain (all laugh).” Great job, we’re sure it will be easier next year, Lissa.

It was our third trip to Plaskett Creek, and for being such an intimate campsite it is usually a memorable stay. The campsite, is just off the PCH1, on the ocean side of the highway there is trail to the beach, and usually an amazing sunset by the time we arrive there. We were well attended to by the staff member at the campsite who was patrolling the site from his pick-up truck, and made friends with our neighbors there. Last year we feasted on an endless falafel dinner, and have basically been raving about it ever since. So we revisited our favorite meal once again, finishing off the night with cakes, pies, and singing (thanks for a beautiful birthday, friends).