August 2020
As the pandemic continues and we all try to stay home as much as possible, getting up early and surfing before anyone is at the beach has been my go to. But sometimes you just have to get out on the road.
This trip was a blast. We Packed up our rides for a Tuesday morning departure. No reservations, no chase truck and a loose plan at best. We loaded up our Harleys like pack mules and hit the road.
We took highway 126 out to Ventura to start. It seemed more appropriate being that it’s highway farmland rather than a freeway. It was cool and overcast most of the way with moments of sun breaking though if almost to remind you of your appreciation for its warmth.
A couple of gas stops and a diner for some lunch and we are at the base of Big Sur. Ragged Point. The views here are amazing. Stunning vistas overlooking the ocean and cliffs carved out of the mountain make it a worthwhile stop. There are bathrooms and a cafe as well. Being that we are in a pandemic we didn’t hang out long as we were trying to avoid too much human contact.
We found our opportunity to camp at Plaskett campground just across from Sand Dollar beach. It had great trees providing plenty of shade and was a short trail and staircase away from the cove where most of our fishing took place. The campground had bathrooms, fire pits and incredibly kind/helpful hosts.
We set up our camp in the afternoon. Much to my surprise I realized that the single man tent I brought was actually a half dome shade tent. Oh well. The weather was so nice I probably could have just slept out in the open, or so i thought. It was pretty cold the first night because the sky was clear. It was worth the view of what seemed to be every star in the sky.
I did bring a few luxuries such as my backpack cookware set for coffee (a must) and a small blow up air pad made for a man half my size. It was still worth it as it packed very small and was really easy to inflate and deflate.
The waves looked incredible at Sand Dollar beach and we immediately regretted not bringing a car with surfboards and wetsuits. Maybe next time.
At high tide in the evening we started fishing. It went very well. We caught enough perch for a magnificent dinner. My little backpack size grill pays off again. It costs around $30 from Amazon and packs down to the size of a thin mag light. Stainless steel with the fish right over the fire.
We took a few hours the next day to ride up the coast to Carmel by the Sea. Stopping a few times for views and to check out streams that were amazing but to shallow for decent fishing.
We made it up to Carmel by the Sea to find that it was packed with people. Our plans to stop for lunch and coffee turned quickly to a stop at the beach for a few pictures and then we were off again. A quick coffee and a grocery store trip for some bread, salami, cheese and olives was all we needed. We don’t have time for lunch there is too much riding to do!
An hour or so of riding back down south was even better that the ride up being that all the views were on our side of the road now. It forces you to ride a little slower to gaze off at the ocean but most people up there were cruising as well.
A little more fishing and we are ready for dinner. A bottle of wine or two and some grilled fish was just the answer after a long day of riding. We supplemented our bounty with some turkey chili dogs while Robert so graciously gutted all of our fish.
Mike and I dried out jeans by the fire at which point I invented a new fashion craze. ‘Chili Washed Denim’. You grab the can of chili from the fire and spill some on your friends jeans and then try and rub it out with a rag. It’s the new craze with all the youth these days.
Sorry Mike! Again, we were lucky to find a place that allowed campfires so we could take these cool Metal Band Pics.
The next morning I walked out to the cliffs of the beach and found an old tree stump carved into a chair overlooking the whole cove. It had to be one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had. That’s a great way to start a morning.
Camp was cleaned up, our bikes repacked and we are ready to ride. Outside of Cambria we hit a bit of rain and wind but we were able to tough it out. Of course all that jean drying was for nothing minus the new denim trend.
The rolling hills in wine country made for a great sunny ride. Before we knew it we were in Santa Barbara gassing up and drinking iced lattes. To our surprise there was a heat wave hitting So Cal. It made for a nice welcome back to Los Angeles.
Here is some riding video. Enjoy!
When James isn’t working, surfing or riding he is content to hang out with his family, making them laugh till they pee and baking a mean artisanal sourdough batard.
From as far back as I can remember, 15 years or so, I have wanted to combine two of my favorite things to do. Riding motorcycles and surfing. How awesome would it be to hop on a bike and shoot through a canyon or some city traffic and land at the beach. A quick change of clothes and hop in the water. Sounds like a dream. Well, dreams come true.
One of my rides is a 2002 Honda XR650l . It’s a great traffic bike when I want to zip around through downtown and the freeways when they are packed with cars during rush hour. I have taken her out in the dirt a handful of times too. She’s a bit heavy for the dirt but still a lot of fun. It’s the ak47 of motorcycles. Great for all around fun and reliable. Not very precise but very effective. Perfect for any chance of a post apocalyptic future.
I added some side panel racks and a luggage rack about a year or so after I purchased the bike. The main problem was that the luggage rack was not enough to support the weight of a board. On an XR650 the luggage rack sort of dangles over the back fender.
I purchased a surf rack system on Amazon that was made for mopeds. It has two separate mounting pipes and some extra hardware which could have been a big help depending on where the mounting would be done. They also have solo mount options available as well.
A couple of pieces of flat stock and angle iron. A couple of tabs, and a few bolts and we are ready to weld. I am using a little Chicago 110 welder with no gas. Not great by any means but it got the job done. It just needed a little more clean up (grinding) than normal.
The piece of straight stock on the back right needed a lot of old school black smithing. In other words I torched, hammered and twisted it to my needs. Robert shaped it a little more after we drilled wholes into it. 1/4 steel might be overkill.
Here it is with my old Dog Town Longboard skate. That board could be in a museum! As far as the rack, it sits perfectly.
Here is the first run with a 7’6″ JK Surfboard. This board is very wide and over 3.5 inches thick. It handles it just fine. I will run it with a performance longboard and a short board to see how it works out.
I really would love to take this down to Baja and ride around to all the hidden surf breaks. For now I will just keep cruising to all my local spots here in So Cal.
When James isn’t working, surfing or riding he is content to hang out with his family, making them laugh till they pee and baking a mean artisanal sourdough batard.
Looking Back http://eldiablorun.blogspot.com/p/manifesto.html
It doesn’t feel like all that long ago when Michael Garcia called me and said “We’re going on the EDR”. I had been a few times back in the day and pretty much swore that I would never go again. I had done it and there was nothing new to experience by going again.
Well that wasn’t true at all. Over the years I realized that rushing down to Baja as fast as my bike will let me wasn’t the way to go about it. There is a cliche quote “It’s the journey not the destination” that I have heard and never really understood. This trip was going to be a cruise. A chill, relaxing drive through the dessert with cold beer, good friends and motorcycles. What could be better?
The route is pretty simple. The large group meets in Temecula. Everyone parties, meets and has a chance to race around for a final shake down run of their rusty old bikes and shit pack jobs.
Like any road trip, people spend two weeks pulling shit out of their garage thinking they will need it in Mexico. Once you decide you don’t need your teeth whitening kit and a 3rd set of toenail clippers, you are ready to go!
The ride from Temecula through the mountains is amazing. Lots of twisties and beautiful scenery. The last stretch before you get to Calexico is where you get a little taste of the dessert. Don’t worry, your hangover will keep you motivated.
Crossing through the border is always a breeze. You just got to keep your head on a swivel for all the last second lane changes and confusion that is always present at the border. Calexico/Mexicali is a little bit of a shock once you get through.
It’s pretty fast paced and confusing but if you’re following all the rest of the motorcycles its a breeze. Getting out of the crown and finding a gas station has always been our M.O. By the way, in Mexico, you can NOT pump your own gas. The have workers at every station there to do it for you (I have a great story about that).
In the past EDR’s I have camped on the beach or slept in a hammock. I have even slept on the floor of a Palapa gently placed right on top of the all night DJ (that was a fun year).
This year we got a beach house!
As you can see there aren’t any waves here in the Sea of Cortez so naturally fishing was the next choice activity.
The circle of Death was fun this year. Robert and I posted up on top of an old boat trailer for a better view.
We even took in some local boxing matches in San Felipe. It was a great time!
Monday morning (ish) it’s time to leave it all behind and head back to Los Angeles. Nothing is more fun than nursing a 3 day hang over and riding back through the dessert watching your friends pull over to vomit and poop! I won’t show any hardcore pics and I won’t tell any secrets.
Random pictures is about all I can legally do.
Enjoy
When James isn’t working, surfing or riding he is content to hang out with his family, making them laugh till they pee and baking a mean artisanal sourdough batard.
There is no better motivation to pack up your bike with a couple of buddies and head out for some camping and fishing than a pandemic.
On a Sunday afternoon we decided that a day to overpack was needed and we would head out early Tuesday. Here is the part where you tear through your garage pulling out camping gear that you will never need and deciding how to strap it to your bike.
After a few weather checks I realized it was going to be warm and dry so I could toss half my gear back into a box in the garage where it belongs. Of course it did end up raining but it was only for about an hour or so mid day.
Fortunately for us Ricky B decided to come in his Tacoma so we agreed that a large cooler and some folding chairs would be necessary, being that sitting around and drinking beer would be most of our evenings goals. You have to do something while the fish is cooking!
We rode up Highway 5 from Los Angeles through the Grapevine to Highway 99 towards Bakersfield. It was a pretty mellow at 7am with not a lot cars and very little wind. The 5 to the 99 to the178 was the route and it was fairly easy. It was about 2 hours before we got to the mouth of the river off the 178.
Thats where the road turns into a canyon for about 25 minutes. The river is on your left snd its hard not to stare at it while you’re eating up beautiful turns. Once out of the canyon there are rolling hills for a while and some EPIC scenery. We stopped in Bodfish for some supplies and then flew past Lake Isabella towards the upper river.
We found a great campsite at Rivernook Campground right off the river and a small creek. It was one of the few places that allowed campfires at the time and the people that worked there were great.
We never really fished at camp but decided that up river towards the dam there was an enticing road and some beautiful scenery. The next 5-10 miles we found some really incredible places to cast out and enjoy the day.
We shot into town (a whole 5 minutes away) for some beers and burgers at the brewery one night. There wasn’t much open being that there is a pandemic and all.
Overall the trip was a huge success even though we went up with no reservations. Rivernook was a great campground with bathrooms, a store and showers which we didn’t use, and very family friendly. The staff there in the office were great. In fact while there I booked a spot to go back with my family a few weeks later. The river will be a bit lower but warmer water possibly?
The tips-
Take the trip even if it seems last minute.
Pack light, you wont use half of that stuff and there are decent stores nearby if you really need something.
Take your time and enjoy the road.
Talk to the locals. They have all the best info, can be helpful and very interesting to say the least.
When James isn’t working, surfing or riding he is content to hang out with his family, making them laugh till they pee and baking a mean artisanal sourdough batard.
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