AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA-CENTRAL COAST LEG

SCENES FROM CHIMNEY ROCK ROAD

ON THE WAY TO PASO ROBLES

Stage 5 of the 750 Mile Amgen Tour of California is the longest.  Racers would ride 135 miles and climb 10,000 feet.

Closure of the Pacific Coast Highway rerouted the race to run from Seaside, near Monterey to Paso Robles.

By the time the racers got to this junction of Lake Nacimiento and Chimney Rock roads, they had raced 125 miles.

 A top running racer crashes.

 I asked the Marshal if he got to keep the bike.

"It is my bike" he shot back.

The story of the day was the racers, who had completed King of the Mountain legs at Laureles Grade and Carmel Valley, sprints and another King of the Mountain between Lake Nacimineto and San Antonio Reservoir.  Hard work in beautiful country.

See you down the trail.

A SEASON OF MUSTARD & THE MOODYS

SPECTACULAR COLOR
   

       Wet winter and spring conditions have provided what long time locals are calling

a bumper crop year for wild mustard.

       The Central Coast country side is a quilt with yellow splashes everywhere.

        It is reminiscent of the work of impressionist painters.

       Even woodlands are dotted with pastures of the gold.

       The Pacific Coast Highway is painted with mustard, making it difficult to keep your only on the road.

       It seems ubiquitous, even growing out of abandoned stretches of the old coast highway.

Last year was a season for lupine, oxalis and poppies. This year the California poppies are sharing their glory with the gold of mustard.


GREAT MOOD

       We had the good fortune to see the Moody Blues in the Cohan Center at Cal Poly last night.  It had been a couple of decades since I've seen them live. They are still

an incredible band and play and sing with virtuosity.  Hayward and Lodge remain superb vocalists as well as players.  The crowd, an interesting cross section of demographics, was in rapt attention and adoring.  The Cohan is not a large hall, but a great venue with 

remarkable acoustics.  The young British woman sitting next to me in the ninth row said the concert was a surprise to her and that she was not familiar with the music, except Nights in White Satin. By intermission she was hooked.  Another generation made fans.

           We had all access passes so after the show our pal Mike, himself a veteran of the

the rock and roll road, took us backstage for a visit with another old friend who is managing the tour.  He said the touring company is like a family and the band members are great guys.

           "As close to the Beatles as I'll ever get," Mark observed.  Having such a great relationship makes the ardor of a rock tour go a little easier. 

         If the Moody Blues come to your area, I recommend you see the show. The feeling is great both on and back stage.

See you down the trail.

MAKING PLANNING DIFFICULT & LOOKING FOR BLUE

A SEASON OF CHANGE

California Spring 2011 has been dramatic. Vivid greens and color and ample moisture.
NO SNOW PLEASE

Courtesy National Parks Service

I've been trying to plan an outing to Lassen Volcanic National Park, but it keeps snowing.

The ranger I spoke with said there is 13 feet of snow on the ground now and it has begun to snow again.  They got 7 inches the day before and as we chatted she said another heavy snow was falling.  

Courtesy National Parks Service

They've started clearing and enjoyed last weeks 60 degree weather, but another batch of winter has returned and  delayed an already behind schedule.

The ranger said they hoped to have the main road open and cleared by the 4th of July.

We've decided to put off a June trip and will wait until deep summer.

HISTORIC SNOW REMOVAL RECORD AT LASSEN

Spring Road Opening Dates - 1980 to present

Year	Date Plowing Began From Southwest	Date Road Opened	Date Road Closed	Comments
1980	April 20	May 29	November 21
1981	April 20	May 21	November 3
1982	April 19	June 18	October 25
1983	April 18	July 2	November 10
1984	April 23	June 4	October 28
1985	April 14	May 18	October 21
1986	April 7	June 7	November 24
1987	April 20	May 15	November 13
1988	April 2	May 20	November 7
1989	April 3	June 6	October 23
1990	April 1	April 28	November 14
1991	April 7	May 24	October 22
1992	April 6	May 14	October 29
1993	April 12	June 28	November 10
1994	April 3	May 20	November 7
1995	March 19	July 21	November 21
1996	April 1	June 12	October 18
1997	April 7	June 5	November 14
1998	April 5	July 12	November 10
1999	April 12	June 11	November 19
2000	April 3	June 2	November 17
2001	April 2	May 10	November 15
2002	April 1	May 22	November 13
2003	March 26	May 23	November 7
2004	March 11	May 27	October 28
2005	April 4	June 2	November 8
2006	April 3	July 6	November 11
2007	April 2	May 18	December 6
2008	March 31	May 18	December 12
2009	April 13	June 4	November 18
2010	April 19	July 8	October 23	Late season snows and cold temps through May.

LOOKING FOR BLUE

The last couple of days we've been looking for patches of blue. Last night produced another .3 of an inch of rain.

This time of year morning fog or clouds burn by mid day and forecasters say after the chance of a little more rain today, we get back to our normal pattern.

People here expect to see blue sky.  We count on it.

See you down the trail.