Monday, May 21, 2018

Bike Tour in the USA (2007), Part 30

Tuesday, Sep. 19, 2007

Intimate Big Sur

Los Padres National Forest Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Distance: 84.14 km, Time: 6:04:24 hrs, Total: 938.44 km

   After my Welsh friends left I finished my morning coffee I continued to cruise along Highway 1.
   The advantage of riding on a bike is that you move at a much slower pace than, for example in a car, and have more time to look around and enjoy the scenery. At a faster pace I would not notice a perfect preserved skeleton of a dog right beside the road. Laying there between fresh flowers it made actually a quite peaceful picture.
   I’ve also met three elderly bikers riding from north to south. It’s nice that many old aged people try to be active; I think a bike is a perfect companion to stay fit and healthy…
   As the weather got warmer I crossed the road and stopped at a nice outlook over the coast of Big Sur. The weather got warmer and I took of my trekking trousers which I wore over my bike shorts because of the very cold morning.
   I continued and arrived at a road construction site, each end secured by a worker with a red flag in his hand and equipped with a radio communicating with each other. As I came closer the worker said into his radio “a lonely bike rider!” Because I was really alone, his words echoed from the face of a rock behind him in a louder voice than talking to the radio. In this ‘weird’ situation both of us had to laugh. The 2nd worker on the other end stopped many cars and it took some uphill time until I passed him. After a greeting he finally let the  waiting cars go.
   After around 15km it came to my mind that I should check on my trousers. I discovered that they were gone... So I had to return and look for them. After a while I came to the 2nd worker who looked at me curiously. While it was my turn downhill I smiled at him and explained “I lost something”. I said the same to the worker on the other side.
   I Indeed found my trousers not far away from the place I took them off and stuffed them securely in my duffel bag. Riding back to the first worker I explained him that I found my pants; the 2nd worker told me while I passed by “you found your pants!”. Probably the 1st worker reported the 2nd over the radio about my fortune. If I packed my trousers properly the 1st time I would not waste 1 ½ hours of my travel time…On the other side I would not met these two kind road construction workers.



   Yesterday evening the Chinese-American biker couple told me about the waterfall at Pfeiffer Burns State Park, according to the husband the most beautiful on the whole trip.
   As I came to the exit I wanted to take the time to have a look by myself. I left Highway 1 and cycled to a wooden house, beside it I locked my bike on an iron gate. I took my camera and followed a small path und a bridge below Highway 1. Finally I came to the 24.4 m high McWay Falls from which falls fresh water from a rock into the ocean. Yesterday’s acquaintance did not exaggerate; it is truly a breathtaking view!  I took my time and just sat on the guardrail and watched the spectacle nature. Due to the relative early morning I nearly had the view for myself...
   The State Park is named after Julia Pfeiffer Burns, a respected resident and rancher in the Big Sur region. She lived in the beginning of the 20th century until her death in 1928 here.


(to be continued)

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