Day 18: West to North and Big Sur

Riding up from Prismo Beach toward San Fransisco this morning I was struck by the brightness of the sun to my right. I realized it has been at my back for the past 17 days as I maintained a consistent westward direction. Now I’m northbound. And riding near the cool Pacific Ocean, which moderates the temperature along the coast more than I realized. It’s downright chilly!! Due to Route 1 Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) being closed below Big Sur because of road washouts, I took THE 101 North to Carmel before connecting with PCH and heading south to Big Sur and then back again.

The ride was spectacular and challenging, mainly because of the strong winds. And Big Sur is just special. Nothing like it anywhere.

When I was say it was windy, I’ve never encountered winds so strong on my bike. At one point, I stopped at a pull out and, while standing with both feet on the ground, I could barely keep my bike upright! I had to quickly start up and keep moving.

I took a few photos when I could stop and recorded a few videos that I hope convey the great PCH Big Sur ride.

I have now logged 4636 miles after todays 220 miles.

Big Sur