Reportage

West Coast Best Coast Wrap Up

Well, we’re here in Los Angeles, after four days of pedal to the metal driving down Highway 1 from Portland to Los Angeles. The Pacific Coast Highway is one of the nation’s most popular bicycle touring routes and unfortunately, that also means it’s one of the most popular RV / Camper / no-clue how to drive windy road tourist destinations.

Crowds are no fun, traffic accidents are worse but the whole time, through the creeping traffic, we found solitude in simply pulling over and soaking in the canvases mother nature painted for us around each bend.

Places I had stopped while I was cycle touring were so familiar and since we were driving, we were able to spend a bit more time exploring, hopping fences and eating, a lot.

After we left off in Yachats, Oregon, we hauled ass to the Humboldt Redwoods, where we set up camp for the night, just in time for a no-show sunset. From there, off to Pt. Reyes – then Santa Cruz to see Garrett and Vince at Strawfoot – before spending our last night in Big Sur.

I shot a ton of medium format film, which I’ll develop in a few weeks and maybe pull a show together for the Radavist HQ.

Key products used:
Alite Mayfly Chair: Lightweight, easy to set up, comfortable camp chair.
Boreas Tiago 2-person tent: freaking WHITE – amazingly bright space, double-pole buttress for more head room.
Mission Workshop Orion jacket: it rains on the coast!
Rugged Tec speaker: my pickup didn’t have an aux port or bluetooth for iPhone jams.
Snowpeak: made in Japan, titanium camp wares.
Woolrich blanket: from Sawyer Supply in Santa Cruz. Kept me warm!
Woodlands flannel: Same thing, but you wear it.
Benchmade custom Griptilian knife: made in Portland, orange and black!
Aeropress: inverted method. Best camp coffee.
Coleman’s Steel Belted Cooler: Two bags of ice over four days kept everything cool.
Western Mountaineering bag: made in the USA down sleeping bag.