by Liz

Day’s mileage : 51

Running total : 1,762

The Big Sur coastline is a hard act to follow, and as we left it behind this morning, today’s ride felt slightly insubstantial. We cycled 51 miles and saw some wonderful wildlife. I tried to savour every mile but suddenly we had 45 miles behind us and I was still waiting for something – the day to begin properly, the sun to come out, or I’m not sure what, to be honest.

Before we left Ragged Point we were treated to three hummingbird sightings, a Californian quail squawking on the fence outside our room, a newly emerged ceanothus silk moth by our front door, nesting swallows darting all around, and several pelican line-ups heading up the coast to fish.

Clue: the hummingbird, with its red throat and crest, is in the centre of the image.

In the first ten miles we saw a small herd of elk, four deer, a bald eagle on a rock, and for the first time, elephant seals. We heard their strange, echoey, drain-like noises first, then spotted two males sparring for dominance. Shortly after that first sighting we found they were all along the beaches for several miles, hundreds of them. Only the males have the big noses.

The star of the day was our best yet sighting of a whale, just north of Moonstone Beach. A humpback was spouting and repeatedly slapping its huge fin on the water, black on one side, white on the other. It continued its activity for several minutes and we were willing it to breach but no such luck. But even the fin was a treat.

Clue: the whale’s fin is on the right side of the (not very good) image halfway between the seaweed and the horizon. 

It was overcast today and the tops of the hills were hidden in mist. I was back in my down jacket. We stopped briefly in San Simeon, a tiny place with a curiously large pier and a grove of eucalyptus trees where the Western Monarchs overwinter each year. We passed through Harmony, population 18, which I remember well from my ride in 1987 – I’ve never forgotten the memorable name and setting, nestled in the yellow and russet hills on this beautiful coast.

This evening we’re staying in a quirky converted garage in the Los Osos Valley, which I thought meant the valley of bones, but it turns out it actually means bears. Less macabre but we’ll keep our eyes open if we go out later.

Additional notes

Ragged Point to Baywood los Osos, San Luis Obispo county, CA

Left at 9.10am. Arrived at 4.30pm.

Weather: Overcast and cold, the hilltops in mist. Sunny this afternoon but cool.

Landscape: The steep Big Sur hillsides to our left soon disappeared and we were on a coastal plain with the hills further away, the sea to our right. The hills were pretty, yellow and brown, soft and rounded. Went through a number of small towns. Hillsides of homes overlooking the bay. Lots of brown hills. Five miles along a fairly narrow, busy road to Baywood-Los Osos.

Towns: San Simeon, tiny, with an enormous pier and a general store established in 1852. Cambria. Moonstone Beach. Harmony. Cayucos with an old-style saloon.

Trails: A short bike trail along the cliff above Morro Bay which became narrow, bushy and sandy.

State roads: Highway 1, not especially busy but a few big lorries going in the opposite direction, occasionally carrying just one huge rock, probably for the road closure repairs.

Breakfast: Buns bought at the hotel coffee shop, in our room overlooking the ocean.

Lunch spot: On the beach in Cayucos, a young seagull waiting patiently for us to finish.

Dinner, made by Philip: Delicious, readymade pasta dinner (just a microwave here). Tea, strawberries and chocolate pie.

Wildlife: A quail squawking on the rail outside our room, his little crest hanging in front of his head. Three hummingbirds, two outside our room and one on the way back from buying breakfast. A recently emerged ceanothus silk moth outside our room. Deer. Elk. Elephant seals with their deep drain-gurgling sounds. Three turkey vultures lined up on three fence posts. Fleeting whale spouts and tail fluke. A bald eagle sitting on an offshore rock. Just north of Moonstone Beach, a humpback repeatedly slapping the water with its fin for several minutes.

Plants: A grove of eucalyptus where the Western Monarch butterflies overwinter. Prickly pears.

Things we saw: The Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, built 1874. In Cambria, they had banners on display all along the Main Street with the name and photo of every high school graduate.

People we spoke to or saw: A lady outside Albertsons who asked me if we were doing ‘that world ride’ (we weren’t!).

Incidents: Not many trees along the way today and I realised how much I enjoy and missed them. Even though we saw the whale, which was a huge pleasure, my heart wasn’t singing as it has done on every other day of this trip, but I wasn’t sad – just feeling a bit strange, kind of suspended.

Shopping: Albertsons, Morro Bay.

Accommodation: A converted garage, quirky and spacious but lacking windows we could see out of. Went for a short walk after dark along unmade sandy roads, no streetlights.

Today’s sound: Elephant seals.

Today’s smell: Elephant seals!

Special moments: Seeing the humpback. We were totally absorbed. The soft hills. It didn’t rain. Using my battery freely. Passing through Harmony, population 18, which I remember from my 1987 ride and have often thought of since. Such an evocative name and location. Bringing Philip’s favourite tea from home for him.

Positive experience from my journal: Seeing the whale.

Appreciation from my journal: Keeping my spirits up despite feeling strange, accepting that was just how I was feeling, and riding 51 miles with aching legs.

Blog comments from Jenny and Cathy Hingley. Jenny: ‘Good on you both for those long days of climb and wind. I am still loving the blog especially all the wildlife and the little details which bring your trip alive’. Cathy Hingley: ‘So much wildlife! The elephant seals and humpback must have been quite a sight to see. I enjoy your photos. Exciting for you to see the monarch winter stopover. I have milkweed planted in my yard. Right now we have many monarch butterflies in various stages, from eggs to caterpillars to chrysalises. Each day there are new emersions and 3-5 monarchs flying around. It’s kind of magical’.

Social media reply from Colin: ‘You are going to miss this ….. But, I suppose there is always the cycle route through Birmingham….’

Video: Elephant seals (15s + 1m). Whale (3m40s).

Audio: Elephant seal noises (1m6s).

Mementos: Ragged Point restaurant receipt. Friends of the Elephant Seals newsletter. Albertson’s receipt, Morro Bay.