Crossing Pajaro River near Watsonville after flooding - options?
03-21-23, 10:26 AM
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Crossing Pajaro River near Watsonville after flooding - options?
I'm leading a crew of a dozen riders April 4 from Redwood City to Atascadero. Yeah, pretty audacious! We've already abandoned Big Sur, planning on heading inland around Monterey. I've been pouring over maps and road closure websites, right now this is the one place I haven't resolved.
We'll be riding south through Monterey Bay April 4, original plan was to cross the Pajaro River on the Thurwacker/McGowan Road Bridge west of Hwy 1. The info I've found shows that bridge is not expected to be open until April 14. Outside of Hwy 1 every single other crossing shows closure beyond April 4.
Change dates? Not an option, 4 people are flying in, others have taken vacation for that week, and I've got a lot of money tied up in non-refundable deposits. Fenders and rain gear are being wrangled by all as I type.
I'm looking for local knowledge. Am I missing anything?
My backup plan is to rent a van or pickup and ferry the dirty dozen between Watsonville and Moss Landing, return the vehicle, and take an Uber back to the group. Anybody local we could bribe with a lunch at Lemongrass in Moss Landing and shuttle us across?
We'll be riding south through Monterey Bay April 4, original plan was to cross the Pajaro River on the Thurwacker/McGowan Road Bridge west of Hwy 1. The info I've found shows that bridge is not expected to be open until April 14. Outside of Hwy 1 every single other crossing shows closure beyond April 4.
Change dates? Not an option, 4 people are flying in, others have taken vacation for that week, and I've got a lot of money tied up in non-refundable deposits. Fenders and rain gear are being wrangled by all as I type.
I'm looking for local knowledge. Am I missing anything?
My backup plan is to rent a van or pickup and ferry the dirty dozen between Watsonville and Moss Landing, return the vehicle, and take an Uber back to the group. Anybody local we could bribe with a lunch at Lemongrass in Moss Landing and shuttle us across?
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
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03-21-23, 11:39 AM
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hmmm. it looks like mcgowan and salinas road are both closed.
san juan to san miguel to vega? most of those ag roads are very, very quiet, and you're way inland of the river there, but without driving down and testing it out i'm not sure there's up to date info out there. no shoulders or bike lanes, for sure.
san juan to san miguel to vega? most of those ag roads are very, very quiet, and you're way inland of the river there, but without driving down and testing it out i'm not sure there's up to date info out there. no shoulders or bike lanes, for sure.
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03-21-23, 12:19 PM
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hmmm. it looks like mcgowan and salinas road are both closed.
san juan to san miguel to vega? most of those ag roads are very, very quiet, and you're way inland of the river there, but without driving down and testing it out i'm not sure there's up to date info out there. no shoulders or bike lanes, for sure.
san juan to san miguel to vega? most of those ag roads are very, very quiet, and you're way inland of the river there, but without driving down and testing it out i'm not sure there's up to date info out there. no shoulders or bike lanes, for sure.
Shuttling riders in a vehicle from Watsonvile to Moss Landing is sounding like my best option.
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If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
03-21-23, 05:39 PM
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Gee whillickers, who would be dumb enough to sign up for a ride like that?
Oh, that's right, I would.
Oh, that's right, I would.
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03-21-23, 06:04 PM
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I hope California dries out at least a little by then. Right now the rain is pouring and wind howling in the Bay Area. Good thing there was a little break about noon today. I got in a nice (short) ride with only a couple drops of water in my glasses. Now power and TV is out but cell service is fine.
03-21-23, 07:15 PM
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hmmm looking at this again - are you sure that main st / porter road / salinas rd are actually closed? they look open, and make a bridge past the small section of 1 which does not allow bikes.
honestly i’d be tempted to just ride that section of 1, the shoulder is wide and clear and in a well lit group in daytime, for less than a mile, it seems reasonable. i haven’t been down there in a few months though.
monterey county closure map shows other crossings as closed but not main st.
and/or … stretch of 1 which is not a bike route is very tiny.
honestly i’d be tempted to just ride that section of 1, the shoulder is wide and clear and in a well lit group in daytime, for less than a mile, it seems reasonable. i haven’t been down there in a few months though.
monterey county closure map shows other crossings as closed but not main st.
and/or … stretch of 1 which is not a bike route is very tiny.
03-28-23, 06:44 PM
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hmmm looking at this again - are you sure that main st / porter road / salinas rd are actually closed? they look open, and make a bridge past the small section of 1 which does not allow bikes.
honestly i’d be tempted to just ride that section of 1, the shoulder is wide and clear and in a well lit group in daytime, for less than a mile, it seems reasonable. i haven’t been down there in a few months though.
monterey county closure map shows other crossings as closed but not main st.
and/or … stretch of 1 which is not a bike route is very tiny.
honestly i’d be tempted to just ride that section of 1, the shoulder is wide and clear and in a well lit group in daytime, for less than a mile, it seems reasonable. i haven’t been down there in a few months though.
monterey county closure map shows other crossings as closed but not main st.
and/or … stretch of 1 which is not a bike route is very tiny.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
04-02-23, 03:13 PM
#8
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Highway 1 is open but this is an extremely hazardous area with the highest traffic count of any 2-lane highway in the USA and 99% of the road has no real shoulder for bicyclists to safely pedal this area. I live in the area and have been bicycling along this route since 1971 and the roadway is no better and the traffic count is far greater and more people are busy watching their cell phones and not looking out for slow moving bicyclists. From Redwood City I would bike over to Hwy 1 and then down through Santa Cruz and Monterey.
In the past when Hwy 1 was closed in Big Sur it was still possible to traversing the slide on a bicycle - been there and done that. On Hwy 101 there are sections that are classified by Caltrans as "freeway" and so bicycles are illegal and more often than not there are no legal alternate routes one can take. Check with the Calrans district offices who should have a bicycle advisor on staff.
In the past when Hwy 1 was closed in Big Sur it was still possible to traversing the slide on a bicycle - been there and done that. On Hwy 101 there are sections that are classified by Caltrans as "freeway" and so bicycles are illegal and more often than not there are no legal alternate routes one can take. Check with the Calrans district offices who should have a bicycle advisor on staff.
