Cerro San Luis / Shell Creek

December 7, 2023 to December 8, 2023

Thursday

Another frustrating day, bike-wise and bird-wise. It’s windy and chilly again, but we’re more prepared for it today - layered up, Garmins mounted, routes loaded, we’re out the door at ten and headed for the bicycle overpass across the tracks at the train station. I should have stopped for a photo of Rachael on the bridge, because then we’d have at least one shot for the day. I didn’t though, so you’ll just have to imagine how nice the bike path from there to Orcutt Road is, where we turn back because my gears are slipping so badly. Still, we did get six miles in, which we take credit for.

I’m thinking bad thoughts about that mechanic back in Half Moon Bay as I drive the bike to Foothill Cyclery after calling to confirm they’ll take a walk-in. Their mechanic throws the bike up on the rack, spins it through the gears and then takes it out for a test ride. When he’s back he says it’s the badly worn chain rings, which the mechanic in HMB mentioned also but didn’t have a replacement for in stock. He can order them but they won’t arrive for a few days which is too long for us.

So that’s an issue. I guess I’ll just ride with skipping gears until we get to Tucson and I can get serviced at Fairwheel. I ask him to write down specifically what I need so I can call Fairwheel in advance to see if they can put in an order if need be, thank the mechanic for his no-charge attention, and walk out.

In the meantime, Rachael’s gone off on a walk around town. Its late enough in the day now that I’m not going for a ride myself, but there’s time to drive ten miles to the coast at Los Osos for some bird watching on Morro Bay - something I’d been hoping I could fit in somewhere anyway. When I get there the scene looks excellent - the bay is full of birds. But when I reach for the camera in the rucksack, it’s not there. I’d remembered to bring the iPad in case I had a long wait for the bike, but dope that I am forgot to grab the camera.

So, a frustrating day that’s saved at the end when we take up our hosts’ offer to come over for dinner and a glass of wine and talk about bike travel. Liz and George are bike travelers themselves and want to compare notes. They knew that we were as well from our profile on Airbnb and have been waiting to pick our brains - in fact, we had a lengthy chat on the sidewalk with Liz when we first arrived.

It’s an exceptional evening, and we leave feeling like we’ve made new friends. I had sent them a link to our journals earlier, and in the meantime Liz (a former Spanish teacher) shared it with the Spanish conversational group she leads for the local bike club they ride in. So maybe we’ll get some new traffic on the site from SLO out of this, and maybe Liz and George will share their own adventures with us here someday.

And if you’re looking for a place to land in SLO yourself someday, check out A Cozy Place Near Everything. It’s a great place, perfect for cyclists.

Friday

It’s still windy and chilly today, but tomorrow it looks like the pattern will break - the forecast is for the winds to die down and temps to jump ten degrees. Rachael decides she’ll take another hike today, and tomorrow we really, really will ride out to Lopez Lake.

For myself, I’m going to throw the bike in the car and drive the half hour to Creston for a loop that looks interesting to me. I leave first but Rachael returns first, so let’s start with her. She put in her 12 miles climbing Cerro San Luis, the nearest peak to town - we can see what looks like a giant Christmas tree atop it from our apartment:

She mapped out a longer hike than the measly twelve miler she ended up with, but she got a late start and maybe added in some distance somewhere and by the time she dropped down the other side toward Laguna Lake she realized she’d be up to 15 miles if she took the planned loop walk by the lake and would get home after dark.

So she cut it short and turned back, steeply climbing to cross a shoulder of the peak and hurrying so she’d get back before dark.

Bishop’s Peak, which Rachael climbed two days go. We should go back and count them up, but I think she’s hiked up to the top of five or six of the peaks between here and Morro Bay now.

Looking northeast across town. I think the highest point must be Lopez mountain, but I’m not sure. This gives you a good sense though of what an exceptional setting this place sits in.

The view toward the coast. That must be Bishop’s Peak on the right, half in the frame.

Heart

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For myself I’ve picked out a forty mile loop from Creston that takes me down Shell Creek Road that from the map at least looks like just my kind of place - empty, open, remote, quiet.

I’m running out of time if we’re going to make it out to Lopez Lake today, so I’ll keep this brief. In short, it was outstanding - well, except for that mile of well-eroded rough asphalt on Clark Road that I was more than happy to see the end of. One of the best rides I’ve taken down here, and one I’d love to see again in the spring when it’s all green.

In addition to the ride itself, two things especially pleased me. First, the Rodriguez is fine for now - no skipping gears, as long as I stay off the middle chainring. The other two give me all I need, but of course we’ll still get it serviced in Tucson.

And second, my health. This is the most challenging ride I’ve taken since my ablation surgery, and probably in at least two months. There are a few climbs, and for the first half I was biking into a significant headwind. And I did great - I’m pretty out of shape, but at no time did I feel any shortness of breath or anxiety that I’d have an arrhythmia episode. I probably haven’t felt this way on a ride like this for two years - certainly not since spring back in Sicily.

In Creston, a quiet place except for the wind.

For the first part of the ride I’m biking past vineyards along La Panza Road, through a narrow valley that feels like a drier version of Edna Valley. Quiet, rural, peaceful.

The eastern end of La Panza Road gradually climbs to a saddle before ending at Route 58. From there it’s a gradual drop to the basin and the turnoff to Shell Creek Road. It’s straight into a strong headwind, and even with my coat on it’s cold.

I almost missed the entry to Shell Creek Road, thinking at first it was a ranch driveway.

Awesome. I think I’m passed by one car in the next ten miles. Just myself, the wind, the terrain, and a few birds.

Including a flock of about ten mountain bluebirds that kept advancing down the road ahead of me for about a quarter mile.

#215: Lapland longspur. Not the best shot, but he wasn’t too cooperative.

Spectacular in browns but I’d love to come back and see it in greens also.

Western meadowlark, one of dozens I’ll see before the ride is done.

For about a quarter mile a flock of 20-30 sparrows preceded me down the road. I must have stopped a dozen times trying to get a shot of one before it flew off or dropped into the brush. I was surprised later to find there were four different birds here: these three (chipping sparrow, white crowned sparrow, house finch) and the one that follows.

Shell Creek Road ends just south of Shandon. Back in spectacular wine hills again.

Clark Road itself is a terrible ride, but the views almost compensate for it.

Looking back toward Shandon from the climb on Route 58. The last 12 miles are fast as I’m finally blown along by the headwind I’ve been fighting all day. And it’s a good thing, because I’m running out of daylight.

I like this shot. It reminds me of one I took descending Buttertubs Pass in the Yorkshire Dales last summer.

I arrive back at the car in plenty of time. It won’t be dark for awhile yet.

Heart

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2023 Bird List

215. Lapland longspur

216. Lark sparrow

Today's ride: 48 miles (77 km)
Total: 128 miles (206 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	8
Comment on this entry	Comment	8

Kathleen JonesGlad that great big heart of yours is doing just fine.
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1 year ago

Bill ShaneyfeltChain rings... Guessing they are Al alloy. If possible SS replacement would be far more durable. My Al middle ring wore out at a little over 3k miles. Really worth the tiny weight penalty in return for reliability in my opinion.
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1 year ago

Bob DistelbergLots of great photos here but the highlight of this post has to be the update about how well you’re feeling. So good to hear. That must be a tremendous relief.
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1 year ago

Patrick O'HaraGlad to hear you're feeling good on the climbs!
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1 year ago

Scott AndersonTo Kathleen JonesYou and me both. Its like night and day.
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1 year ago

Scott AndersonTo Patrick O'HaraIt’s a shock how different it is. Now I just have to find my climbing legs again. I put them in storage about a year ago.
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1 year ago

Scott AndersonTo Bob DistelbergThanks, Bob. A big relief doesn’t begin to describe it.
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1 year ago

Rich FrasierGreat news about your heart! That's so good to hear!! A few good KM still left in you, I would say...
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1 year ago