Spring? Where Are You Spring?

The flowers are out like it is spring, but we are still having winter temps and regular rain. It is even pouring again right now! Hopefully this is the last rain for awhile; it has been so difficult to get on the trails here, as they never seem to dry out. This past week was spring break and I was planning a bikepacking trip in Arizona, but the weather forecast there was not good. I don’t need to drive 10+ hours for cold and wet weather! I can get that at home :). Actually there was a good weather window mid-week so I went out for a single night in the local Los Padres backcountry. Jesse dropped me off at the start of Paradise Road and I made my way to First Crossing, which will definitely still be closed to cars for awhile — more due to the damage to infrastructure on the other side of the river than anything else.

We’ve had two winters of a row of forest closing, road blowing out, heavy rain. My ride was definitely going to be experimental — I could get turned back at any time.

Please stop buying helium balloons!! So many of them end up in the backcountry as trash; and those that don’t escape are never going to break down in the landfill, anyway. Please find other ways to show your love and celebrate!

Camuesa “Road” has not been a maintained road for a very long time. The problem with a road or trail following a river is that eventually that river will change direction and take over. Wet feet were a guarantee, but the path was never too arduous. Fortunately, dirt bikers go out there and are masters of finding rideable work-arounds that are generally quite easy to follow.

Flower season! I didn’t get very many crisp shots, but starting top left and going clockwise I believe these are: Purple Owl Clover, California Poppies, Prairie Fire (yes, you probably know it as Indian Paintbrush, but I don’t support colonizers naming objects after Indigenous Peoples), the seed pods of the California Peony, Prickly Flox, and Padres Shooting Stars. I also saw Lupines and many other flowers whose name nor images did I capture.

Eventually I made it to Little Caliente Hot Springs. The lower soaking pool is partially filled in and the water only luke-warm, but the upper pool is great! Though it could use a scrub so if you go out, consider taking a scrub brush with you — any cleaning tools that used to be out there are gone. Cars can no longer get anywhere near here, which is lovely! I had a nice solo late afternoon soak which was magical for my sore legs and back. I headed back out to pedal a bit farther to camp, and the road I expected was blown out in many places, but again there was always a reasonable walk or ride around, thankfully!

One example of the “road” between Little and Big Caliente. I read some intel that two of the three pools at Big Caliente are in good shape, but I did not do the extra pedaling up the road to check them out myself.

For the first time ever, I forgot my spoon! I used a tent pole (intended for my tarp, in case it rained) for stirring and a water bottle lid for scooping did the trick — though way more food ended up my jacket than normal.

For the first time in my memory there was a creek flowing next to P-Bar Flats campground so I stopped for the night and enjoyed having the campground all to myself. I particularly enjoyed listening to the frogs as I fell asleep.

On the pedal home there was plenty of water, I enjoyed this resilient tree, and the technical descent down Romero was more enjoyable than I expected. It’s always amazing how much of a reset a single night away can be.

Back at home we have some good stuff going in the garden. We are so thankful for winter greens! And the pizza is what happens when my hippy husband is in charge of making the pizza crust. <3 Thanks for reading and I hope you are well.