Riding Mandem with Dad

Riding on the back of Dad's motorcycle - April 26, 2010

Santa Barbara County Bike Tour/Camp Trip Day 3 - El Capitan to Santa Barbara - November 30, 2010

Day 3 - Ride from El Capitan State Beach to Santa Barbara (and Carpinteria).  Trying to avoid riding on the freeway too much, we took bike paths, back roads, private roads, and the beach.
Link to Day 1
Link to Day 2

Woke up, read some more of Into Thin Air

El Capitan Beach at dawn

Ben at Dawn

Camp 2

The house and the truck

El Capitan point

Camp 2 view

El Capitan Canyon Market for provisions

Bike path east of El Capitan on the north side of the 101 freeway

Mike, horse whispering

The northern bike path ended at a road, which ended at an unanticipated private property fence.  This change of plan put us on the freeway for a couple miles and we took the first exit, went downhill, and ended up here.  Trying to get to Dos Pueblos Canyon Rd so we can ride to Goleta without getting buzzed by cars and trucks going 75mph on the 101.  Too many fences.

This path led to another high fence.

So we went under the railroad, through this tunnel, to the beach

And there was a really low tide

Dos Pueblos abalone farm effluent

The cockpit

Bird's eye

Great blue heron

Naples notch, I think

A lone walker going our same way

Hermit crab living up to its name

Obstacles

UCSB cycling heaven

Obern trail, coast route, Santa Barbara

At Atascadero Creek Bridge.  Last of the trip.  2 more miles home.

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3

Santa Barbara County Bike Tour/Camp Trip Day 2 - November 29, 2010

Day 2 of the Trip - Bike ride from Buelton to Solvang, south on Refugio Road to the Santa Ynez Mountains, ride up and over Refugio Pass down to Refugio State Beach, then east to El Capitan State Beach to camp.
Link to Day 1
Link to Day 3

Trekkers Campground, Flying Flags RV Resort, Buelton

Frosty last night

Highway 246

Ben and the Santa Ynez River

Santa Ynez River at Refugio Rd.

Going north on Refugio Rd.

Donk-bra

Old sycamore tree with Spanish moss

Break on a bridge

The mountains we will ride over

Refugio Rd turns to dirt

A steep climb, though I think this is angle is a little exaggerated

A long steep climb

Lunch break

Spying donkeys

Pure donkeys (no zebra mix) walking on the hillside

Mike on the road again

The road keeps going up

And up

And up.  Nice grading.

And up

Not quite the top of Refugio Pass

It rained two days ago

Holy shit, we made it.  Top of Refugio Pass

All downhill to the beach from here

Refugio Beach in the distance

Santa Barbara Channel and Santa Cruz Island beyond that

Down the paved patchy Refugio Rd on the north side of the Santa Ynez Mountains

Looking back at the steepness

Wall caves - Mike saw a barn owl in there somewhere

Free range wild cow

Cows have stomachs with 4 different compartments

Refugio Beach

Cormorants

Orcas?..no.  Porpoises?  Common dolphins?

The Refugio to El Capitan Bike path is awesome

It is fenced closed in this section for our safety due to eroded cliffs, but there is a path around the fence

And the path in the closed section is in great shape, better than riding on the freeway

Wouldn't it be great to have this trail all along the coast?

Totally

Due to California state budget cuts, the park has less staff.  The campground was empty with only one other group of campers and the camp host.

Passing the 1000 mile mark since I installed this bike computer

El Capitan Beach sunset

Neighboring campers who kept trying to mooch off of us

Ring tailed bandit

The raccoons seemingly giving up on the camp raid

Intending to come back

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3