Wednesday, April 5, 2017

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Day 5: Solvang-Paso Robles Spring Destinations
This short ride heads north on Old Creek Rd from the town of Cayucos up towards the Santa Lucia Range to the junction of Green Valley/Hwy 46 in Paso Robles. The route turns westward for a sweeping fast descent to the junction of Hwy 1 before rolling along the coast back to Cayucos.

Head southward on S Ocean Ave to 13th St, the road crosses under the freeway past the cemetery and park to Cabrillo Ave.

Turn left onto Old Creek Rd; it stretches 9.1 miles from CA-1 up to Green Valley Rd/CA-46 with minimal to no traffic. The first climb up Old Creek begins with gentle grades of 3-4% through the residential neighborhood up towards Monticeto Rd.

The gradient increases to ranges of 6-9% as you make your way up to the energy substation and quarry with views of the surrounding mountains and pastoral lands.

At the top of the ridge, the road opens up to breathtaking vistas of Whale Rock Reservoir. 

The road continues to climb gently around the reservoir and quickly descends towards the intersection at Santa Rita Rd and Cottontail Creek Rd. The second climb on Old Creek begins with gentle grades for 1.5 miles through avocado and orange farms and hidden ranches.

The next 1.8 miles gets much steeper with an average grade of 9.2% through dense woods and continues on with pitches of 11-13% as you near the top of the ridge at 1418 feet.

Old Creek continues on rolling terrain for the next few miles, leading out to Santa Rita ranch on Green Valley Rd/CA-46.

Turn left and head west on CA-46, the road steadily climbs up to the summit of Black Mountain at 1762′ elevation with an average grade of 6%.

CA-46 W descends from Black Mountain with sweeping turns and awesome views-keep your eyes on the road!

Enjoy the spectacular views! You can see Morro Rock!

The road levels out as you head down towards the barns and ranches near the Green Valley Creek crossing into Green Valley.

CA-46 W continues along the flat valley floor and pitches up slightly before reaching the junction at CA-1.

Turn left and head south on CA-1 for the short climb up towards Harmony.

The road continues along the coast with gorgeous views of Harmony Headlands State Park.

Stay on CA-1 S to Cayucos and exit on N Ocean Ave for the return to the park. Enjoy the coastal views!

This is a wonderful loop; you’ll enjoy the climb on Old Creek Rd up towards Whale Rock Reservoir and the quiet stretch through the shaded canyon to Hwy 46. The fun sweeping descent into Green Valley is followed by a beautiful roll along the coast back to Cayucos!

Garmin Stats:
32.76 Miles with 2605′ of elevation gain
Max elevation: 1717′
Max grade: 13%
Terrain: Hilly with steep climbs

Weather: Sunny and warm. Temps ranged from the mid 50’s to the low 80’s with SW winds.

View the interactive RGPS route map & profile

Follow this route for today’s ride: