circumnavigated "The Fig" near Los Olivos, CA

[eddief]

got to visit cycling friends from WA who happen to spend a month in Los Olivos each year. Without much info about what I was getting myself into, did The Fig up the west side and down the east side. The west side climb is long, steep, smooth, gorgeous. The east side descent is long, steep, gravel strewn, mossy stream crossings, and a mile of unpaved hard pack crap. A 40 mile round trip with 4800 feet of climbing. Maybe my best day ever on a bike. Ouch on the hands with the treacherous descent.

https://picasaweb.google.com/107231724174916923201/TheFig#

[MattTuck]

eddie,

I'm desperately wanting to get out there next winter/spring. Would your advice be doing the other ascent so you get the smooth pavement on the descent?

Awesome pictures, very jealous.

[bobswire]

Looks like a great ride but kinda out of the way from our Bay Area.
Weather wise it was a good time to be riding down there.

[eddief]

I would never choose to do that descent again. There was no fun it. I might consider going up the east side, but the road on that side is simply a POS. When I say gravel strewn, I mean there were many places where the middle of the road had a thick line of big gravel down the middle, not to mention pot holes and patched pavement. Think I'd choose to just go up and down the west.

When I was coming down I saw quite a few riders going up it, so maybe at my climbing speed?? going up the east side would not be so bad.

Do the out and back around Tepusquet Canyon and enjoy pure smooth.

eddie,

I'm desperately wanting to get out there next winter/spring. Would your advice be doing the other ascent so you get the smooth pavement on the descent?

Awesome pictures, very jealous.

[akelman]

Do the out and back around Tepusquet Canyon and enjoy pure smooth.

This.

The descent you did is no fun at all.

[alessandro]

Sounds like a nice tour.

Was there an adult beverage when you finished this ride?

http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/5pbc_vloYRk/hqdefault.jpg