Day 12: To Vickers hot spring

July 21, 2009

I got on the road at 7:35. Once again the morning was sunny and warm. After a few miles on the 101 freeway the bike route exits onto Rincon road closer to the coast, with light traffic.

101 Freeway in Ventura county. I rode on the shoulder, NOT on the striped bike lane next to the high speed trucks.

Rincon road north of Ventura. The 101 freeway is on the ledge above.

I passed several county beach parks where the top of the bluff was all paved, rented out to motor homes. It brings in a lot of revenue, but it results in an ugly, urbanized beach park. If that's what the beach parks look like now, I'm happy to leave the coast for good.

Most beach parks look like this now, so it's time to leave the coast behind.

Ventura is where I leave the coast. I have no desire to pedal through the congested Los Angeles-San Diego megalopolis (I did it once).

I detoured into charming downtown Ventura to do chores. To the post office to mail the book home. Laundromat, lunch, groceries. At 1PM I headed north towards Ojai on Ventura avenue, parallel with the highway 33 expressway.

Downtown Ventura, my final view of the Pacific ocean.

The east side of Ventura is the oil patch. I saw oil service companies, pumping oil wells, active drilling rigs, and abandoned tank farms. But it didn't take long to get out to unspoiled countryside.

Drilling for oil next to Ventura avenue in the city of Ventura.

Abandoned tank farm just east of Ventura.

On the edge of town I noticed a bike trail parallel to Ventura avenue. I got on the trail, assuming correctly that it goes to Ojai. The bike trail passes through a large county park along 4-inch deep Ventura creek. That's a major creek in southern California. I rode the bike trail upstream for 15 scenic miles. It was nice to stay off busy hwy 33. A steady ocean breeze blows up the valley, but it gets gradually warmer as I go inland. 75F in Ventura, at least 90F in Ojai, 20 miles inland.

Swimming hole next to the Ojai valley bike trail.

Ojai valley bike trail. The gravel path on the left is for horses.

On the edge of Ojai I got on highway 33 briefly, then turned left towards Meiners Oaks to avoid going through the town of Ojai. When I connect back to highway 33 I'm in the country and starting to climb out of the valley. But now it has very little traffic. It's a road to nowhere.

Climbing above the Ojai valley on highway 33.

A few miles from Ojai I turned left on Matilja Creek road and pedaled upstream. At first the road climbs an extremely steep grade to go around a dam. I walked the bike a quarter mile. But then the road goes gently upstream along Matilja creek. I free-camped near Vickers hot spring. The main pool was 101F, adjacent to the surprisingly warm 83F creek. My pictures didn't really capture the beauty of the setting.

The water in the foreground is Vickers hot spring. The water in the background is Matilja creek.

I soaked in the hot spring until past midnight. Many people came and went. Many more people came and went while I was trying to sleep. On Tuesday night at a hot spring not listed in guidebooks.

This tour began with 11 days on the Pacific coast bike route, the Disneyland of bicycle touring routes. Now I begin the inland chapter of the tour which will have less traffic, warmer temperatures, and more climbing. I won't see other touring cyclists and there won't be any hiker/biker campsites. In other words, back to normal.

Distance: 44.0 mi (70.4 km)

Climbing: 2200 ft (667 m)

Average speed: 9.5 mph (15.2 km/h)

Max speed: 29 mph (46.4 km/h)

Hiking: 2 mi (3.2 km)

Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 530 miles (853 km)

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