Distance, elevation: 64 mi, +2667/-2247 ft.
Detailed route.
Do not take this route. Alvarado Road is on private property and also closed to bikes. Perhaps try getting on Jolon Road or Lockwood San Lucas Road further north to ride south on Interlake Road. But I cannot vouch for that nor this path. Had we not hitched a ride, we probably would have needed to ride on the 101 or backtrack quite a bit north from Wunpost. Pack enough water and check the weather; it gets hot out here.
What route is shown in the embedded map above may depend on Google's mood. So here are snapshots of the route we took: Google Maps, PDF
6:45 am. Fitful sleep last night. Very hot and woke up several times to fiddle with AC. Call Mom, handle errands.
8:30 am. To breakfast at Castro’s Bakery. Got breakfast burrito and plate to go. Enjoyed a pink conchas bread while waiting. Fill all the water bottles. Involves a fair amount of chugging since water is dispensed in gallon increments. Ends up resulting in two bathroom breaks early on but at least we start out hydrated.
12 pm. Bathroom break at San Ardo Gas Station. Unclear where the gas pumps are but we are here for the porta potties. It is getting hot. Relentlessly sunny and in the 90s hot. Should have gone straight instead of following navigation, which got us onto a dirt road with bits of gravel. We walk a bit until we see a short dirt path cutting over to the train tracks. We haul our bikes over and get back onto asphalt. Sargeants Road. Kale, broccoli, tractors, dust. Wave to farmers. Moo to cows. Ever seen cows run? Wildflowers yellow, indigo, pink lady. Pass through Salinas River Cogeneration Plant. We hear the low whistle of oil rigs as they dip their heads churning, churning. Surreal.
1:15 pm. Lunch break under tree after crossing over 101 in Wunpost.
1:40 pm. Off. 2 minutes later, we are stopped at a gate leading up to a private dirt road with a sign indicating no bikes allowed. Retreat back to tree and start looking for alternatives. Not promising.
2:00 pm. John to the rescue. We flag down a pickup truck turning onto the ramp to 101. He agrees to drop us off at the next exit, at the foot of Nacimiento Drive. That puts us just past this closed off segment. I squeeze into a questionable tiny seat behind the passenger side of his two-seater. Stoic guy didn’t even bat an eye when we told him we were from the Bay (and trying to make it to LA). But he did point out some wild pigs masquerading as cows. Thank you kind sir.
2:15 pm. Start on Nacimiento Lake Drive. It is hot. The air is still, the sun broils from above while the asphalt reflects it back up. Like riding in a convection oven. Legs burn acidicly, gears groan the pain I hold back, pulse pounds in ears. Very steep climbs. Fight uphill. Keep fighting. No stopping, no escape, no shade, no mercy.
4:09 pm. Oak Hill Market at Lake Nacimento. Light at the end of the tunnel. The steep climbs are, for the most part, behind us today. Finally getting used to the pedal straps, which are perfect for bike touring with runners so you don’t need to pack more than one pair of shoes. Frozen cheesecake and grapefruit soda. No ice cream because last week there was a power outage. Water refill, thank goodness; we were down to the last bottle.
5:15 pm. To Pasa Robles. After the break, we thought it would be easy sailing but Nacimiento Road showed us more climbs — albeit less monstrous — on a narrow and sometimes nonexistent shoulder with cars going sometimes above the 55 MPH limit or towing wide boats. The “share the road” signs seem to be the only effort made to have this path accessible for cyclists. Anyone considering today’s route ought to do more research before following Google Maps.
“Today was a beast.” J had been repeating this line from a blog he’d read and yes we will confirm that too. The route itself is a beast with challenging climbs. Then add to that 95+ degree sun. And on the way out of the market, just when you taste the fleeting respite of something refreshing, soft, and sweet, you begin to think everything will be easy from there. But you ride on through narrow shoulders and fast cars, more hills, sun still hot, and the only wind today was headwind. Humbled.
Why do we do hard things? To prove ourselves? To prove it can be done? To pioneer the unknown? To feel alive?
6:45 pm. Arrive in Pasa Robles. Revel in sweat. Shirt and bibs are crystallized with white patches of sweat dried to salt. Check in to Cielo House Inn. A modern hotel vibe disguised as a motel.
7:30 pm. Walk downtown for dinner. Basil Thai Restaurant. Ice cream at Negranti Creamery. Strawberry basil and salted brown sugar flavors. Quite icy, which was a tad disappointing despite all the good reviews and how badly we wanted ice cream. K, if you're reading this: chicken ice cream wins.
9:30 pm. Back at hotel. Book room in Pismo for tomorrow. Look up route, which we inspect and customize carefully because Google Maps routes onto 101 on three instances which doesn’t feel safe at all. Blog.
11:45 pm. Stretch. Sleep.