The road took me over two mountain passes each climbing over 1000ft, and at least one bridge crossing in between. I took my time through this old California stretch of dirt road, soaking up the expansive ocean views and blooming wildflowers that surrounded me. Some additional research revealed that the Coast Rd was the only way to reach Big Sur from the north prior to 1919. On the map I noticed an alternate route that diverged from the Coast Highway inland at Andrew Molera State Park, then connecting again at the scenic Bixby Creek Bridge. Just 45 miles to the Laguna Seca Raceway, I would leave on Friday morning with hopes of finding some dirt along the way. An extremely popular campground and state park, we were fortunate to find a good site for the stay.Īfter our short stay that involved hiking, campfires and enjoying the Redwoods of Big Sur it was time for the final leg of my journey. But that would have to come another time as we pushed on to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. The guys there were super helpful with some quick adjustments of my rear derailleur, and asked if I couldn’t stay to explore some of their gravel around SLO. Big SurĪfter leaving Santa Barbara County we headed further north, stopping first in San Luis Obispo for lunch and a quick visit to Art’s Cyclery. Later I learned that the trail was once an old oil road from the former El Capitan Ranch. My better judgement told me to turn around. With the minimal reception I posted the question on my Instagram story, unsurprisingly I was encouraged to push on. Ahead of me was even less of a trail, and more chaparral backcountry. After six miles of grassy slopes and often highly exposed, loose terrain I could see the furthest reaches of the loop as I crossed under a large fallen tree that had probably been there for some time. Earlier that day we had walked over the mouth of that creek at the tip of El Cap’s peninsula, so I knew there would be a fair amount of water to cross. Eventually the trail would bring me back to the canyon floor and the inevitable water crossing. Relying on Strava Heat Maps I was confident in the trail’s accessibility, but only on the western side of the canyon.
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