From Cerro Noroeste, in Los Padres National Forest
Looking north and slightly west. Taken at the base of the alpine
elevation. It's 6,000 feet down from Mt. Abel (~7,000 ft. elev.) to
hwy. 166 through several different ecosystems. From here down it's
mostly chaparral, turning to grasslands. When you leave the National
Forest, you enter Cuyama Wildlife preserve.
Considering this is about two hours from LA, it's genuinely remote.
It feels even further away than it really is. In a solid hour and a
half out and back from Frazier Park I saw maybe six cars--and this on
a Sunday--and no currently occupied houses. One or two pretty
abandoned looking farms and one mystery structure.
I didn't take many pictures, and this one doesn't do much of it any
real justice. There are more spectacular places all over California,
but what's especially beautiful about driving around Los Padres and
ANF on the small, winding (FUN!) roads are the transitions up and
down and along ridges and all the space that opens up above and below
you. Depending on the course of the road, you'll often feel like
you're driving up into the sky, and then you'll abruptly plummet
down, seemingly straight into a cliff. A blind rise obscures the
kink in the road. Pay attention, or you're in trouble.
The forest at upper elevations is thick and green. Huge, old stands
of pine with jagged, grey boughs shot through with the dappled light
from above carpet the mountains. It's good stuff.
The air is so clean. Park, shut off the engine, get out and listen
to the wind and the occasional hawk.
I'm sunburned from it. Didn't think about that when I left!
...
There's a good chance you've done the dreadful hwy. 5 and hwy. 101
trip back and forth between LA and SF. This is some of all that
great mystery that lies far between them. All I can say is don't
take it for granted. There are millions and millions of acres of the
finest, freest, quietest land filled with wonder all over parts of
California--parts most people seem to know nothing about and just
pass by in the shadow of all the 18 wheelers on the interstates--and
they keep missing it.
And, if you're a driving or motorcycle nut, well, there's some of the
best driving in the world too. Seriously. It's that good.
elevation. It's 6,000 feet down from Mt. Abel (~7,000 ft. elev.) to
hwy. 166 through several different ecosystems. From here down it's
mostly chaparral, turning to grasslands. When you leave the National
Forest, you enter Cuyama Wildlife preserve.
Considering this is about two hours from LA, it's genuinely remote.
It feels even further away than it really is. In a solid hour and a
half out and back from Frazier Park I saw maybe six cars--and this on
a Sunday--and no currently occupied houses. One or two pretty
abandoned looking farms and one mystery structure.
I didn't take many pictures, and this one doesn't do much of it any
real justice. There are more spectacular places all over California,
but what's especially beautiful about driving around Los Padres and
ANF on the small, winding (FUN!) roads are the transitions up and
down and along ridges and all the space that opens up above and below
you. Depending on the course of the road, you'll often feel like
you're driving up into the sky, and then you'll abruptly plummet
down, seemingly straight into a cliff. A blind rise obscures the
kink in the road. Pay attention, or you're in trouble.
The forest at upper elevations is thick and green. Huge, old stands
of pine with jagged, grey boughs shot through with the dappled light
from above carpet the mountains. It's good stuff.
The air is so clean. Park, shut off the engine, get out and listen
to the wind and the occasional hawk.
I'm sunburned from it. Didn't think about that when I left!
...
There's a good chance you've done the dreadful hwy. 5 and hwy. 101
trip back and forth between LA and SF. This is some of all that
great mystery that lies far between them. All I can say is don't
take it for granted. There are millions and millions of acres of the
finest, freest, quietest land filled with wonder all over parts of
California--parts most people seem to know nothing about and just
pass by in the shadow of all the 18 wheelers on the interstates--and
they keep missing it.
And, if you're a driving or motorcycle nut, well, there's some of the
best driving in the world too. Seriously. It's that good.
