It has been two years since I last drove the Pacific Coast Highway along central California's rugged coast and the road is no less impressive after two years of driving on the coastal roads of the South Island's West Coast. In fact, I found the cliffs higher and more dramatic than I remembered. Heading north from San Simeon, brown lumpy hillsides of Franciscan melange and uplifted coastal plains give way to vertical cliffs and rocky shores. Here the great engineering feats of man take over as the highway unabashedly carves its way across steep cliffs hundreds of meters high in places. Great concrete archways span some of the larger creeks, creeks which emerge from twisting gorges to mix with the deep blues of the Pacific. It is surely one of the world's great drives.
About halfway along is Big Sur, a small town hidden in the mists and beneath the trees. Here we set off on the Pine Ridge Trail for a classic overnight trip to Sykes Hot Spring. I had previously made a solo trip to the hot springs in a violent rain storm- a long and dramatic story short, I made it to within a few stone throws of the hot springs where I suffered one of the longest and most miserable nights of my life. I had higher hopes this time around!
The trail starts by looping around through a lush redwood grove with abundant ferns. Great care was taken to avoid my old nemesis, poison oak, much of which had ominous red leaves this time of year. The trail then climbs up out of the trees and contours across the side of the Big Sur River valley. Despite being winter, the sun was out and the temperatures were warm enough to perspire on the uphills. Much of the hike was different than I remember, owing to the fire that blazed this region in 2008 and cleared much of the lush underbrush and trees. Also the barren deciduous trees of winter contributed to a more far-reaching, and less intimate, view. The banana slugs were out in full force anyway, bright splotches of creamy yellow dashing the trail.
Despite a late start and warnings of overcrowding at the hot springs, we managed to find a quiet hot spring-adjacent campsite in the very last minutes of daylight. After setting up camp and downing a hearty meal, we strolled over and claimed a cosy pool nestled between a steep hillside and the rocky bank of the river. A significant flow of hot water issued from a crack in the granite and fills the pool to an agreeable temperature. The view and ambiance was hard to beat- overhanging ferns and redwoods framing a starry sky seen through lightly-issuing steam, the small tumbles of the river providing a delicate soundtrack. It was well worth the ten mile hike. With much reluctance we eventually left the pool for our sleeping bags, but not before reaching an advanced level of pruned skin. The morning we found ourselves in the same predicament- easily finding reason to prolong our morning soak in the hot springs and delay the sweaty hike back to the car. Eventually we made it back. Thanks to Sara.
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