BIG SUR

DAY 10

WEDNESDAY 13 APRIL 2016

SAN SIMEON TO BIG SUR

0810- 2030 

110.32km (68.55 miles)
Av. Speed: 13 km/h (8.1mph)
Max. Speed 59.2 km/h (36.8 mph)
Time on Bike: 8h 27m 35s

Absolute marathon day.

Possibly one of the most gruelling days I've ever spent on a bike.

As prepared as I was, it was still mighty tough - physically and mentally.

12½ hours on the road - 8½ of those actually on the bike.

And hill after hill after hill after hill. Just when you thought you couldn't possibly take on another grade, another one appeared, just that bit longer and steeper than the last.

In spite of all this, I really did achieve what I set out to do.

Nearly 70 miles across this type of terrain with my monster rig was a goal which I considered ambitious from the outset.

To actually get there, even if it was in the dark with almost no gas left in the tank, was something I will buy myself a beer or two for in the days to come.

I could have easily pulled up stumps around 3.30 pm at Limekiln, which was an impressive location with a nice private little beach and hot showers but I was not in the least bit impressed with the $35 camping fee and the deep gully I would have had to push out of the next morning.

This was compounded by the misinformation given me by the duty ranger who was another that was "new around here" (there seems to be a few of these...) who assured me I could camp 14 miles to the north at Pfeiffer-Burns State Park which, when I got there, was indeed day use only.

It was already approaching 5.30 pm at Pfeiffer-Burns and with at least another 10 miles (by my count) to Big Sur, I was certainly going to be exploiting the remaining daylight today.

The other major issue with this part of the Californian coastal highway (that's the entire Big Sur part....) is that there is no shoulder for the greater part of it.

Now having ridden it however, it is the case that 99.9% of ALL drivers were extremely well behaved - courteous, careful and patient, which is a big ask when I was frequently crawling up long passes at no more than 5 km/h.

Clearly, this is a well-worn route for cyclists in both directions and with the omnipresence of signage along the way, it is something that drivers obviously do respect which is for the benefit of all.

The morning had begun well, with beautifully clear conditions and absolutely NO wind whatsoever, despite any number of warnings and forecasts to the contrary.

I wanted to make good with conditions in my favour, for sure.

First stop, aside from a few photo pauses, was the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas.

I had intended to come by here after Hearst Castle the previous evening but would have overcooked what ended up being a very full day anyway.

The rookery was on the way out this morning, so it made much more sense.

Elephant seals gather here by the hundreds at different times of year but specifically for "molting" during the spring.

They are a sight and a half and pretty much look like they are "beached as" when you first look, but they are simply "chilling" en masse.

There are all sorts of games they play together, some of which border on violent but it's all pretty much part of the show.

It was totally a worthwhile stop for about 25 minutes to watch these beasts at rest and play in their natural environment.

The Big Sur coastline is utterly dramatic and splendorous.

But of course, the drama is underscored by a highway route that negotiates the topography by way of a relentless series of grades and cutaways and hairpin curves, the majority of which cut close to the Pacific Ocean which at time is only metres away and often several hundred metres below.

You wouldn't want to lose your brakes on certain sections of this road.

I had driven Big Sur in 2004 in a hire vehicle and considered even then, what it would mean to ride it by bike.

"Just imagine...." I thought to myself at the time.

So now I know, and there's still a shade more to go yet....