Big Sur or Bust!

Howdy Readers!

We've spent the past few days traversing the rugged beauty of Big Sur. Since we left the culinary delights of Almaden's hospitable family, our crew has been left to our own devices preparing delicious meals and providing entertainment in the forested wilderness. However, we never seem to lack hearty food and good music around a campfire.

After surviving the thrills, uphills and chills of Big Basin State Park, we cycled 35 miles through Santa Cruz on to Sunset State Beach to camp for the evening. The agricultural terrain of this region provided snapshots of vast strawberry fields covered in rows of plastic sheeting as well as oceans of brussel sprouts being trimmed by workers wielding two machetes each. Even though the farming industry has become largely mechanized, cycling along this coastline proves that the tradition of human-powered techniques still echoes in the fields.

Sheets of rain moistened our journey into Monterrey without dampening morale. With strong willpower and the aid of our trusty SAG (support and gear) bus, we all made it safely to Pfeiffer State Park where food preparation for our actual Thanksgiving feast began under an EZ-up tent due to the weather. An exquisite dinner was served on our damp candlelit picnic table while we all thought of our loved ones both near and far from us and all that we have to be grateful for. Well-marked bicycle pathways made the list.

Thankful for state parks with laundromats, we carried on pedaling through the Redwood forest and scenic coastline from the Pfeiffer campground to the Kirk Creek National Forest campground. Still receiving our nourishment from leftovers, we traveled 45 miles out of Big Sur into Camp Ocean Pines near the quaint town of Cambria.

Today, we stopped to visit the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas along Pacific Coast Highway 1 just north of San Simeon. Our pinniped friends were lazily stretched out on the beach where they come to give birth, breed and molt. We learned that they are able to dive up to 5,000 feet and the longest dive was clocked at 119 minutes. Luckily, they have made a comeback after being driven almost to extinction in the 1800s from overhunting for their oil-rich blubber. One way that you can help protect them is to always keep a distance of at least 100 feet, respecting the fact that they are a wild animal and also receive protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

With minor bruises and full bellies, we’ll all sleep warmly tonight thanks to our lovely hosts and hot showers.

Signing off,

Nicole and the bike trippers