California Day 9 - Tejon Ranch Outlet Mall to New Cuyama

What could have been a gruesome day turned into a memorably awesome day.

 

From the Microtel Inn off the Tejon Ranch Outlet Mall, it was right back onto I-5 for eight more miles. I exited on 166, which heads straight west for 25 miles, though heavily industrialized agriculture. There were a lot of citrus orchards. I'm about 30 miles south of Bakersfield.

There are mountains in the distance, but you can't see them, because of the haze. When I went over Tejon pass yesterday, moving from the Antelope Valley to the Central Valley, the clear skies and amazing vistas went away and it became hazy. 

I talked with a guy at the Blue Sky Center, where I'm camped, who grew up in the Central Valley. He says the haze is natural, and it's always there. 

Organic it is not. There is a pervasive smell of chemical fertilizer and pesticides the whole way. Sometimes manure too. Nobody lives here.

I crossed over the California Aqueduct again.

It seems to me that having your water supply go through miles and miles of orchards sprayed with chemicals might not be a great plan.

Eventually, I got to the small farming town of Maricopa. I grabbed a burrito for lunch at the gas station, and a couple bottles of Gatorade to get me over the mountain. Because I have a nonstop, 2200 foot climb. 

Here's one of the steeper parts, about halfway up.

The steep bits are 8 or 9 percent. Most of it is 5 or 6 percent. Low gear and patience. Works every time.

The view from the top is amazing.

When you go over the top, you enter the Cuyama Valley, and the road follows the Cuyama River downhill for pretty much the next 70 miles. 

At the top of the valley, it's all agricultural fields, which are irrigated. After about 20 miles, the valley narrows, and it's ranches. The bottom of the valley goes through a canyon, it's very rugged, and it's a national forest.

There are two small towns, Cuyama and New Cuyama, 13 miles from the top of the climb. They are tiny, dusty farm towns. New Cuyama has lodging. 

One could stay here at the Buckhorn. Rooms are $340!

I was actually contemplating this, but by the time I locked in what day I would be here, there were no more vacancies. To be honest, I was much more seriously contemplating riding as far as I could go and stealth camping.

But wait! AirBnb! There is a place called The Blue Sky Center that offeres glamping! You can stay in one of these wagons for only $180!

I was digging around on the Blue Sky Center's website, and buried deep in there, it says they also offer "dispersed camping". This is a fancy way of saying "you can pitch a tent." For $40, and you get to use the same cantina, real bathrooms, shower, electric outlets, and wifi as the glampers. Win win win.

So instead of continuing on riding slightly downhill into a headwind with temperatures in the mid-90s, to stay who knows where, I decided to investigate the Blue Sky option.

Which was great! The Blue Sky Center is in reality a progressive activist organization that promotes resilient, inclusive, and sustainable rural economies. 

So I booked a campsite from the lobby right here, and hung out in the wonderful air conditioning until it cooled down enough for me to pitch the tent.

Where there was all the literature you would ever want about how to make compost and books of Cowboy Poetry. After I grabbed a shower, I relocated into the similarly cool bliss of the Cantina.

I spent some more time reading the Blue Sky Center website. 
Would an organization about sustainable living be into beekeeping? They sure would be!
Might they also make mead? They would indeed.

So I went to chat with the people working in the offices, who are super friendly and didn't mind me intruding into their workday. "Tell me about the mead!"

Turns out it is from local sage honey, and they have it at the Buckhorn. I have found my people.

The mead is bone-dry and sparkling. Only 7.5% ABV (mine is typically twice that). It has the same wonderful earthy flavor as the sage honey mead I had in Lancaster. 

The music in the background when I took this picture was Patsy Cline.

The food at the Buckhorn is great. So many miles are in this. I had some chili too.

The Buckhorn bar is fantastic. The crowd is a mix of the very well-heeled guests at the fancy hotel, and regular local townsfolk. So you have the bartender effortlessly cranking out very fancy cocktails from the extremely well-stocked bar while discussing the health of his goats with his neighbors.

I have found my people.

Bike touring is about serendipity. The best experiences are the ones you chance upon. That you can't plan. 

After dinner, I sat out next to my tent and watched the stars.

The skies are perfectly clear and black.

This was one of my top bike touring days ever.

Here's the Strava track: https://www.strava.com/activities/17795597161