2021 Pashnit Touring on a Hayabusa

[WuzzaCBXRider]

I’m planning a similar ride from here to Cambria and then north. From Ragged Pt. north the road is riding nirvana. The forecast for this week didn’t look very good so I’m waiting. As for the Sierra passes, I’m not surprised that Caltrans has closed them already. Caltrans has too much authority IMO. It’s way too early to close those roads.

 

[pashnit]

It’s way too early to close those roads.

Terry, CalTrans closed 120 & 108 only on that particular Friday (10/08). By Saturday, everything was open again, and I rode over Highway 108 at nearly10,000 ft on that Sunday with just a dusting at the very summit, drop below 8000 ft and no snow. But yes, it seemed very premature to close the passes. They'll likely get closed permanently this coming weekend (10/22) with this huge storm coming into the Central Sierra. First big rain/snow in a very long time. We need it. If you have the ability, plan your ride on the backside of this incoming storm, it clears the air out and makes for perfect fall weather along the coast.

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Terry, CalTrans closed 120 & 108 only on that particular Friday (10/08). By Saturday, everything was open again, and I rode over Highway 108 at nearly10,000 ft on that Sunday with just a dusting at the very summit, drop below 8000 ft and no snow. But yes, it seemed very premature to close the passes. They'll likely get closed permanently this coming weekend (10/22) with this huge storm coming into the Central Sierra. First big rain/snow in a very long time. We need it. If you have the ability, plan your ride on the backside of this incoming storm, it clears the air out and makes for perfect fall weather along the coast.

They’re all closed now.

 

[pashnit]

 

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[sixpack577]

I would probably crash site-seeing on one of these tours.
Can I buy a tour in a side-car??
lol

 

[pashnit]

In nearly 20 years of leading these tours, I've only had guys on sidecars twice. So maybe!

Riding in the sidecar was super fun!

 

[pashnit]

Having a smaller group of riders changes the dynamic a bit, it's easier to do things.

Managing a group of 20 bikes is a lot different from just 8 which is a small tour group for me. We haven't been to McWay Falls in many years, it's a waterfall at Julia Pfeiffer State Park that falls right onto the beach along Highway 1, so a stop was in order. There hasn't been any rain in months, but this particular creek is fed by a spring and flows year-round, even in dry years. During high tide, the waterfall pours directly into the ocean. We're always there mid-day, so it falls right onto the sandy beach when we're there.

Worth the stop along Highway 1

 

[pashnit]

McWay Falls is an 80-foot waterfall.

The beach is off-limits to the public, but it's a great view. I first saw McWay Falls on a magazine cover as I had ridden past this waterfall many times and never knew it was there. Saw that magazine cover and thought, where's that? I want to go there!

There's a foundation of a house here. When she died in 1928, and the land was willed to the state in the 1960s (thus the state park), and the house built in the 1940s was razed as part of the owner's wishes. Only the foundation remains, it's crazy scenic overlooking the ocean.

 

[pashnit]

 

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[pashnit]

The section near Ragged Point is super twisty, when we rode through here in June, it was so foggy, we couldn't see any of this.

 

[pashnit]

 

[sixpack577]

Great wheelie road!

 

[pashnit]

At the end of this long straight is Seal Beach. We've been skipping this, but we actually stopped to check out the seals. October is sleepy time for elephant seals, and there are hundreds of them on the beach. Back in the 1990s, the seals just showed up and never left. Why?, nobody knows why this particular beach. So many tourists pulled over on the side of the highway, the state had to build a parking lot and wooden walkways along the beach.

They look dead, but they're all just sleeping.

 

[pashnit]

Then there's always that one rebel not invited to sit at the cool kids table. This guy was all by himself.

Piedras Blancas Lighthouse

 

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[pashnit]

That big rock out there is Morro Bay

 

[pashnit]

Our destination is San Luis Obispo, a college town anchored by Cal Poly. There are kids everywhere, and tons of restaurants in the downtown. You can walk everywhere. It was required we find a place we could watch the baseball game. Los Angeles Dodges vs San Francisco Giants.

The Giants won and Mark was happy. After three different places (that were packed) we found a joint that looked good & not crazy busy on a Friday night.

Mike just moved to San Luis Obispo a few months ago and was only a couple miles away from his house.

Yeah that works.