Our second leg to Monterey started early and with some of the best riding of the entire trip. From the hotel in Gorman we skipped back to Frazier Park and headed west to Cuddy Valley Rd (Mt. Potrero Hwy). This two lane winding mountain road takes you through the Pine Mountain recreational area all the way back down to reconnect the 33. The ride is nothing short of spectacular with tight switchbacks through the forest, some incredible banked turns and canyon views all the way down to the flat desert in the distance. With the morning sun at our backs, we were truly off to a great start. Once back on the 33 it's a short connection into Maricopa and through the oilfields into Taft (where there is a convenient gas stop). As we caught our breaths we almost lost them again as one of our friends decided to unwittingly pull into the path of an oncoming semi rumbling along at about 70mph. He stalled coming out of the gas station and, rather than pausing, he launched blindly onto the road after restarting his bike. Luckily he saw the errors in his ways (giant semi in his mirrors) a split second before becoming a permanent resident, but his close call was enough to wake us all up. It happens. Anyhow, reinvigorated, we pushed on to connect with the 58 (Carissa Hwy). If you haven't ridden the 58 from McKittrick to Paso Robles, it should be pushed up on your list of upcoming rides. The first quarter of the ride is an incredibly tight and twisty route down the plateau to the desert valley that starts at 7 Mile Rd.. Like our start through Pine Mountain, this section of Hwy will have you grinning in your helmet. The road seems to be carved out of the golden hills with fun as the only intended specification. I would have turned around and rode it again if we were not on a schedule. From 7 mile road you are then treated to a nice stretch of what I call whooptydos, basically a long straight stretch of road with endless rolling dips and hills. It felt like being on a motocross track, and I'll be willing to bet that some of you have actually managed to take flight here. You know who you are. Anyhow, the terrain changes once more as you push the rest of the way into Paso Robles. The 58 keeps delivering as you are treated to miles of high speed sweepers down through the oak groves and into the vineyards entering Paso Robles. Without question the 58 is a truly wonderful road. A must do. In Paso Robles we grabbed a quick bite and fueled up for the rest of the ride into Monterey. From there we continued west down Nacimiento Lake Dr.. Again, we were treated to nice high speed sweepers through the oak groves. The dam crossing at Nacimiento Lake is a perfect picture taking opportunity. From there we continued down Interlake Rd. to a little biker stop at the junction at Lockwood/Jolon.
Wouldn't you know it, we bumped into an SMR contributer (GPSKevin) who, like us, was far from his home in San Diego, but was looking for dirt roads to exercise his killer HP2. What a small world. After a cold drink, it was back on the road to King City where jumped on the 101 for about a mile or so, before cutting back west through the farms, and back towards the canyons and Carmel Valley Rd. If you've been through King City before, I don't need to tell you about the crosswind that you'll experience in this area. Anyhow, the last leg of this wonderful second day led us through Carmel Valley Rd., which is one of the local gems as you head into Monterey. This is a very tight road that is essentially one lane (there is no centerline much of the way). As such, we tended to ride at about 70% pace, just to have the option to adjust mid-line should a large truck come around the bend in the middle of the lane - a frequent occurrence on our run. The road here can also be a bit bumpy and you are riding straight through deer country so consider yourself warned. Otherwise this was a great cap to a truly great ride. We rolled into Toro Park tired but also completely content. A perfect day. Nothing left to do but set up camp and break out the adult beverages.
Disclaimer: Motorcycle riding is inherently more dangerous than travelling in a cage. The information in the SundayMorningRides.com Mapper is not guaranteed and those relying on the information provided on SundayMorningRides.com do so at their own risk. Please consult our Terms of Service. Ride Safe.
