Day 9: To Oceano campground, Pismo Dunes

July 18, 2009

I got on the road at 8:20. It was overcast and damp. The miles were flat and easy, with a gentle tailwind.

Highway 1 is now four lanes to Morro Bay.

Today I will be in much more populated areas. Larger towns with more sprawl and the traffic that goes with it. The first town is Morro Bay. I like it. Nice, but not overly wealthy or overly touristy. I had lunch downtown and looked around Fisherman's Wharf and the waterfront near Morro Rock.

My first glimpse of Morro Rock in downtown Morro Bay.

View of 578-foot Morro Rock from behind fisherman's wharf.

After winding through Morro Bay I turned onto Los Osos road, headed inland towards San Luis Obispo. The fog went away and the temperature steadily rose from 65F to 80F.

Inland to San Luis Obispo where it's much warmer.

On the edge of San Luis Obispo the route turns south, away from town, on back roads adjacent to the 101 expressway. There was very little traffic on the road but it was extremely noisy.

For several miles the bike route is on a low-traffic road next to the US 101 freeway.

Near Pismo Beach highway 1 started up again, with heavy traffic and nonstop development.

A few miles south of town I turned into the Pismo state beach Oceano campground. I had been warned that they recently eliminated their hiker/biker site. Fortunately a cyclist ahead of me got one of their last campsites. The ranger at the entrance directed all cyclists to that site, and we ended up splitting the $25 campsite 7 ways. The ranger seemed to encourage this. During the peak season you can't guarantee a campsite will be available, but the odds are pretty good if the first cyclist arrives early in the afternoon.

In the evening I went to look at the beach. It's very wide and shallow, and rutted with tire tracks. Drive-on beaches are ugly and not desirable places to walk.

Instead I hiked north on a trail through the dunes. Walking in the soft sand was strenuous. The trail ends at the next community north. I walked back on the road which is longer, but easier than walking on soft sand. A total of 3 miles. I didn't intend to walk that far.

Today's route is relatively flat, allowing me to go a longer distance at a higher average speed. But compared to recent days, there are fewer coastal views and traffic is heavier. The traffic makes me look forward to when I travel inland on low-traffic roads.

Distance: 57.7 mi (92.3 km)

Climbing: 1937 ft (587 m)

Average speed: 11.1 mph (17.8 km/h)

Max speed: 39.5 mph (63 km/h)

Hiking: 3 mi (4.8 km)

Today's ride: 58 miles (93 km)
Total: 365 miles (587 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	1
Comment on this entry	Comment	0