#cruxevo

The second #roguepumpkin adventure was a micro one. I dubbed it a #nanonano adventure - one that takes place in a day. Planned on Friday, enacted on Sunday. 

I found a road I wanted to climb: Nacimiento Road. It's in Big Sur, off the PCH in California. Jon was a last minute invite, and he had taken a quick look at the road and seen that dirt looked to come off the top of it. 

It took just over two hours to drive to the start, and it's not an ugly drive either. The climb itself is about 7.5 to 8 miles long, and only at the start is it anything resembling steep (though not steep. Just one of those climbs you start and think 'man, if the whole thing's like this, this will be a tough ride'.) But after a big right-hander it settles into a comfortable grade that just goes on and on and on. 

Amazing views. Just. ahhmazing. 

When we got to the top of the climb, we saw two dirt roads - the South Ridge and the North Ridge Trails - and chose the North to ride up to the trailhead of Cone Peak Trail, which was posted as being 6 miles from that spot. What followed was an amazing and stunning road, some nice and smooth for dirt, some mid-rough, with the air broken only by the sounds of our breathing and the sight of the fog rolling over the ridge line (which you can see in the full collection). 

I consider this ride to be a scouting trip of sorts. I want to do a two-three day camping trip down there, where each day is spent exploring roads like this on Pumpkin Butter. 

This will happen. 

Afterwards, we drove down further and cut across to Paso Robles to eat and have a beer at the Firestone Taproom. Big trip for what was 3.5 hrs of riding, but that's what it's all about. Riding where you don't usually ride. 

Squeeze all the juice out of your weekend orange, people. ALL OF IT!

On Thursday morning I was sitting at my desk feeling a little low. What I need, thought I, is an adventure.

Just me and Pumpkin Butter. But it needs to be somewhere different. Somewhere I can drive to in the Rogue. Thus was born a spontaneous adventure called #roguepumpkin.

I decided to head north, since it was supposed to be quite hot down south. Decided I really wanted to ride Avenue of the Giants. So I plotted out a route, started examining the segments, and realized I had accidentally plotted the exact route that the Tour of the Unknown Coast takes. (Regarded as one of CA's toughest centuries).

Left on Friday and it took 7 hours to drive to the north end of the Avenue. Stayed in a hotel in Loleta, CA. 

The ride itself started with about 40 miles of relatively flat riding. But gorgeous riding. The part of the Avenue I rode was fantastic, but really, the ride along Bull Creek Flats Road was just stunning. I narrower road (no lines) and just amazing scenery. 

After that, I climbed Panther Gap, which was switchbacky and long (about 7 miles) and descended down into Honeydew. The descent, and the one later between the wall and the 8 mile climb) was steep and unforgiving. I stopped a couple of times to let my discs cool down some. And to take photos. Lots of photos. You can see them all here (about 30 in all, including the ones in this post).

Drove all the way back to Santa Cruz on Highway 1, which was epic and lovely and all was well with the world. Just wish weekends were three days. Anyway, it was a great day and super micro-adventure with #roguepumpkin. Got me thinking about another one. 

When adventure doesn't come to you, you go find it.