Big Sur Coast 11/30/08

[slosurfer]

I took the fam for a shake down run in the 4runner to one of our favorite day trip locations. Up Hwy 1 on the Big Sur Coast, we do a huge loop. It is really easy dirt NF roads with some ruts and lots of steep switchbacks. Perfect place just to test out how the aussie locker in front behaves and hwo the elocker in the rear was working, but easy enough that if something broke, I could easily get back in 2wd or even FWD if I had to.

Starting on Hwy 1 we climb up Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd. and are at 3,000+ ft in about 6 miles of windy paved road. The rest is dirt, from there we head south along Ridge Rd. We got a late start today, so stopped short of our normal picnic spot and ended up eating in a spot without the best views, but it was still nice to be out in the trees relaxing.

Adelaide eating some ham:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8067.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8069.jpg

Jack being a ham:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8070.jpg

I love having a tailgate, makes having a picnic anywhere so much easier. :D
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8068.jpg

While we were eating two CDF suburbans went by on Ridge Rd. the front one with its lights on. We were off the road and up a little spur and I could see that they didn't see us. This put me on high alert, as we were on the edge of an area that just burned a couple months ago and were heading into an area that hasn't burned in a long time. Then a CHP truck went by and I noticed that he saw me and didn't stop, that's when I figured it was for a rescue of some kind. I'm sure he would have told us to get out of there if it was fire. Then I heard the helicopter. Hmmm... this could be an interesting day.

We finished up and headed out towards Prewitt Ridge, which is an awesome place with amazing views. That is where we normally eat our picnic lunch. It is a ridge that juts back out west towards the ocean. Upon our arrival, we saw this:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8075.jpg

We just drive around up there and check out the campsites. The one we normally have our picnic at was taken, so we checked out the others. Then we noticed another helicopter and group of people in rescue mode further down the mountain.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8072.jpg

You can barely see the person laying in the basket through the group of rescuers
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8073.jpg

Hard to tell in this pic, but the helicopter is perched on a ridge, it is steeper than it looks on the side you can see and almost straight down on the other side. Basically a landing spot not much bigger than the helicopter. I think the only reason they were able to land there, was that there was no wind.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8074.jpg

We kept to ourselves and didn't go see what was going on, and headed down a couple miles to another camp. Mainly I wanted to go down there because it is really steep with tight, steep rutted switchbacks. This would be a good test of the front locker to see how it did unlocking for corners. It did great. When we got back up to where all the excitement was, we noticed a pair of vehicles off to the side with a worried lady standing by them. We asked her if she knew what was going on. She said it was a paragliding accident. I had forgot that this was a well known take off point for them. April asked if she knew who it was, and she said, "My mom" :( Sounds like she saw the whole thing (not sure if she saw from the ground or in the air in her own paraglider). She sounded pretty hopeful that she was going to be alright and even asked if we were lost. :laugh: I don't think she wanted to talk about it and it looked like her boyfriend was walking back over from the top group of rescuers. So we said our goodbyes and left. Later we came back, and I was going to get an awesome shot of the top helicopter taking off, I focused the camera, waited, and hit the button. Only to have the camera beep and tell me the battery was dead. DOH!

We let the kids run around and play and enjoyed the views and sunshine. Then we continued on our way, more great views, a great sunset, and only pissed that I didn't bring the extra battery (which I ALWAYS have with me, but not today). I love that place up there. We even ran into a guy who lives up there. Cool guy driving a 90ish toyota truck, stopped and talked for a bit, we had just drove past his cabin (which also happened to have a FJ cruiser parked in front of it). Those roads are treacherous in the wet season, so he obviously had chosen well on his modes of trasnportation. :hillbill: We made it back to Hwy 1 after almost 30 miles of dirt road right as it got really dark. Turned south and made it home by 7pm.

Oh yeah, truck pics:

Like I said camera died, so these are the only two.

This shows a little of the view
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8076.jpg

Lightforce Keith the Kangaroo :)
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e113/slosurfer27/Trips/Prewitt%20Ridge%20Nov08/IMG_8077.jpg

If anyone ever heads up this way, get in touch with me and I can lead you up there.

[Good Times]

Cool outing! great pix of the kids!!!

btw I like the Keith photos. I gotta make sure I send these to LF so they know "keith the kangaroo"'s are going to good use :)

[slosurfer]

Lance, it was a cool trip. Jack was bummed that we weren't camping. I went to LF's website and I couldn't find anything about registering the kangaroos. I wanted to register and post the pic. :D

Norcal, for most the season, 2wd is just fine there. I used to go up there in my 2wd B2300 all the time. I wouldn't want to go up there in 2wd when it's wet. Those roads get slick and it is steep, it'd be real easy to slide off the side. On that note, I think they are actually closeing that area soon for the winter season. They already closed the roads north of Nacimiento-Fergusson due to the last fire there. I think that is also why they are going to close this area as well. It won't take much to cause a mudslide across the road. I haven't personally talked to a ranger about it, but SocalFJ was up there this weekend, he called the ranger to check on fire permits and they said the paperwork is already together so it will be closed soon. I'm assuming that it is for the wet season.

Here's what I found so far on the paragliding accident:
http://cbs5.com/localwire/22.0.html?type=bcn&item=PARAGLIDING-INJURY-bagm-

[corax]

So jealous . . . I had to skip the side trails and small detours on my way through, but even the Pacific Coast Highway was breathtaking (same area?). I told the wife that we'd come back through that way one day (hopefully riding a BMW GS (http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/bikes/bike.jsp?b=2008f800gs&bikeSection=enduro))

[paddlenbike]

Nice! It's hard to beat the California coast...

[4x4mike]

I was in Big Sur a couple of weeks ago for work and wished I could have stayed for pleasure. It's kind of nice that the weather has been holding but I'm ready for rain.

[04 Rocko Taco]

Looks great!!!!!

[elripster]

Awesome pics and good story too. We'll be out there (Solvang) December 22nd but in the Saturn (VUE) instead of the 4runner. Darn. Maybe we'll have to rally cross the Saturn and head to the hills.

Frank

[DHC6twinotter]

Wow...looks like a really great trip! Really beautiful up there.

[troyboy162]

researching this area. No wheeling out there other then the coastal dirt road? Seems like the camping is either in the forest or on the coast with quite a few miles between them?

[4x4mike]

Man, the kids are so young.

From my experience there isn't much offroading, mostly because of private property and the State park. A great place to camp is the Limekiln State Park campground. We've stayed there many times and each spot has something new to offer. There are many trails to hike but none to drive on.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Lowp3LdAvok/TlHkNOkKKUI/AAAAAAAAoW4/JLSK8txV9E8ayk6mhiRLUXINE49FqvnNwCCo/s800/DSC_0136.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ckxj41OORqg/TlHkexfjJSI/AAAAAAAAoZ0/eJIfkJsNFaQD-r_2f3akvLG_3STCy7omgCCo/s800/DSC_0186.JPG

And with most State parks there are many rules.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oWAUpfpX378/TlHjt2w1IbI/AAAAAAAAoP4/g0kyvHXO0yEA_iJEFAkR70Wn7yDfvfGsACCo/s800/DSC_0050.JPG

[troyboy162]

Awesome thanks for the info! Thinking about taking the lady there for labor day. Looks like some beautiful spots. She's not a camper so the amenities will be useful.