5-14-10 -- Santa Cruz to Big Sur

I feel like a little kid as I write this entry. At the moment I’m hanging in my hammock, very near the edge of a sheer 70 foot cliff of rocks. Its dark out, but there’s still the eerie glow of late twilight. I can hear waves gently crashing on the rocks below. The huge Monterey Cypress I’ve hung my hammock in looks like an outpost, perched on top of an outcropping of rock. I’m thrilled to have found this spot just as the sun was setting this evening.

Today’s ride was challenging to say the least, but I still managed to make it almost 80 miles – from Santa Cruz to the Julie Pfeiffer falls in the heart of Big Sur State Park. The day started off cold once more – frigid is actually a better descriptor.

I hopped on the road by 9am, leaving the very nice New Brighton State Beach campground behind me. Within a few minutes I found myself in the non-descript town of Aptos. At the recommendation of some locals, I decided to grab breakfast at the local diner, simply named ‘restaurant.’ I opened the door and found just what I was looking for; well used, cracked vinal booth seats, 3 hour old hot-pot coffee, and a sweet, motherly, middleaged waitress to make me breakfast. I ate my pancakes eggs and sausage as the waitress cooed over me. She wanted to make sure I had everything I needed, and even went so far as to offer a ride to Monterey (which of course I did not accept! She was sweet, and it put a smile on my face early in the morning.

I headed back out into the cold, overcast morning to continue my ride. Between Santa Cruz and Monterey are some big agricultural grounds. Field after field of strawberries were all I saw for about two hours of riding. We’re right in the middle of harvesting season at the moment, and BOY does it smell good! The aroma of berries wafts over the freeway as the workers hurriedly pack them into boxes. I smugly played ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ on my IPOD and rode on.

Monterey was not as I remember it. In my memory it had been a mist covered retreat for the wealthy. Everything perfectly manicured and attended to. By the time I arrived today it had become so uncomfortably cold that it was all I could do just to keep riding. I even chose to ride up and over the hill on hwy 1 as opposed to riding the more senic route through Carmel by the Sea.

I finally arrived at the entrance to Big Sur at about 3pm. In an instant the sun broke through the clouds, and a glorious park unfolded before me! Big Sur is stunning to say the least. Dramatic cliffs and rocks fall into the sea. The water here seems to be hyper-teal-blue. It looks like you expect the water to look in the Carribrian, or Hawii. I managed to make it about half way through the park – where I have arrived now at the Julia Pferrier falls. I’m exhausted and am heading to bed. Gnite!