Spooner’s Cove, Montana de Oro

What a miserable week of weather in SoCal.  Thanks to Tropical Depression Linda we’ve had excessive heat and oppressive humidity.  Not only can you feel the humidity the moment you walk outside, you can also smell the dampness.  We might as well be living in Florida, on second thought, bad idea, because we’d be living in Florida.  Prior to Linda, there has been Blanca, Dolores, and Guillermo this summer.  It makes one yearn for a good old fashioned Santa Ana wind and dry heat.

At the top of my list of favorite things about San Diego is keeping the windows in your home open 7/24, 355 days a year.  About 5 days a year we used to run the air conditioning from late afternoon to bedtime, then open up the windows.  And maybe 5 times a year we’d run the heater.  That’s how it used to be.  This summer the AC has been on more times than the previous 10 years combined.  At bedtime Thursday night it was 85 shitty humid degrees. That’s not San Diego! I’m sure anyone who’s lived in the same place for years can tell you stories of how the weather in their community has changed.  But remember boys and girls, there’s no such thing as climate change and global warming. (That’s sarcasm, in case you couldn’t figure it out.) In San Diego County, air conditioning  is going to be a growth business.  There’s a lot of homes that do not have AC, because they have never needed it, but now they do.  Ok, that’s my rant, now the story.

I had a business trip in Santa Maria on Wednesday & Thursday.  Montana de Oro is another hour further north.  How could I possibly not bring my bike, even if I only had time for a short ride? It was a quick 35 hour trip.  14 hours of driving, 3 hour business dinner, 6 hour meeting, 7 hours of trying to sleep, 4 hours of killing time and an absolutely fantastic 1 hour ride.

Being a creature of habit, I parked at the same spot as last time.  Quickly unloaded the bike, changed clothes, and started riding.  About a quarter way up Oats Peak I spotted two riders about half way up that were obviously not on single speeds.  So of course I had to chase them down.  And chased them down I did, then I passed them and waited for them at the top.  They arrived, and we started chatting.  And then it all started coming back to me, especially after looking at the one rider’s Ventana bike. These were the same guys I passed on the same trail exactly a year ago to the day.  I drank beers with them last year at their car!  I thought that the car looked familiar when I parked next to it.  Great guys.  They invited me to join them again for post ride beers at the car. Unfortunately I had to decline because of the 5:30 business dinner I was running late for, which is also why I didn’t get more pics.  What a trip, the same two guys, same trail, a year to the day later. How’s that for odds-defying?

Mi amigo on Oats Peak.

This is the same succulent that I took a pic of last year for the blog. The spot where those two guys have been parking for over 20 years. It’s looking a lot healthier than last year.

Looking towards Morro Bay as you are leaving MDO.

My travel companion.

Sunset at the viewpoint on I-5 in Camp Pendleton.

A few minutes later, three miles down the road at the rest stop. Humidity sucks, but the sunsets have been gorgeous.

Backyard sunset from last night.