Get Outside - Summer/Fall 2022

THE CENTRAL COAST GUIDE TO EVERYTHING OUTSIDE

Summer/Fall 2022

FEATURES

| Hipcamping | Hearst Castle reopening | Roller skating issues | Kitesurfing

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water

2 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 3

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Contents

SUMMER/FALL 2022

Summer is for water!

H

ot summer months call for one thing: a trip to the shoreline. And you can spend your time there in many different ways. From surfing and kayaking to fishing and camping, we’ll take you to the places where sand, sea, and recreation come together. But we’ll also travel inland, to the oak-tree and grass-covered expanses that make our area so diverse and the forests that make California so special. Welcome to the second ever issue of the Central Coast’s newest magazine. We had a lot of fun putting these stories together for you and hope you have as much fun taking inspiration from them.

—Camillia Lanham editor

E

-BIKE SUPER STORE

Selling only the best cycling gear since 1986

ON THE COVER Cayucos big wave rider, surfboard shaper, and anthropologist Chad Kaimanu Jackson charges a left at Puerto Escondido, Mexico. cover design by Alex Zuniga • cover courtesy photo by Mike Jones/Azhiaziam

6

Trailblazing Tri-tip Challenge Go kayaking Visit the redwoods

15

6 9 10

22

Features

Outdoor kitchen Fresh fish Food to-go Tiki time

15 18 20

56

Shaping surfboards Hipcamping on ranches Hearst Castle reopens Roller skating’s resurgence Kitesurf in Pismo Beach

22 30 38 44 50

Gear Hub

Cal Poly ASI’s rental shop Backcountry essentials

56 60

GO Business Directory

61

Summer/Fall 2022

THE CENTRAL COAST GUIDE TO EVERYTHING OUTSIDE Publishers Bob Rucker Alex Zuniga Editor Camillia Lanham Associate Editor Andrea Rooks Photographer Jayson Mellom Graphic Designers Eva Lipson Ikey Ipekjian Mary Grace Flaus

Contributors Peter Johnson Malea Martin Taylor O’Connor Bulbul Rajagopal Glen Starkey Anna Starkey Advertising Katy Gray Jennifer Herbaugh Kimberly Rosa Lee Ann Vermeulen Drew Gilmore

Business offi ce Michael Antonette Patricia Horton Cindy Rucker Contact editorial department at GO@newtimesslo. com and contact advertising department at advertising@ newtimesslo.com

(805) 546-8208 www.newtimesslo.com Get Outside © 2022 A New Times publication See the digital version of Get Outside at bit.ly/GOSummer22

W W W. C A M B R I A B I K E . C O M SINCE 1986 1239 Monterey St San Luis Obispo cambriabike.com 805.926.2207

SPRING 2022 Get Outside 5 SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 5

“W

Trailblazing

hat do you call a cow with three legs?” my friend and botanist Nora Bales asked as we scanned a herd of cows at the base of San Luis Obispo’s Madonna Mountain.

“Tri-tip!” she said gleefully.

I chuckled a bit too hard. Probably because I’m a big fan of on-theme jokes, and the sun—already glaring at 10:30 a.m. that March 22—made me lightheaded. We were about to start our final leg of the Tri-tip Challenge.

We’d already knocked out the Cal Poly ‘P’ and Bishop Peak trails.

But the unshaded Madonna route seemed daunting.

I was ready to fast-forward to the end where I get to dive into a tri-tip sandwich and claim my bragging rights as a new Central Coast transplant. Instead, we yanked our hats down tighter and stomped upward.

For the uninitiated, the Tri-tip Challenge is a SLO County quirk requiring undertakers to hike up three peaks on the same day and top it off with a tri-tip sandwich.

Cal Poly ‘P’

Triple tremble

Grab a hiking buddy and take on SLO’s Tri-tip Challenge for an up close view of trails, flora … and a sandwich

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

PHOTO BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

6 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

We recommend kicking off your Tri-tip Challenge with the “P” as a warmup. Nora and I started our climb at exactly 8 a.m. At almost a mile, it took us 22 mins to get to the 50-by30 foot painted “P” on the hill.

We weren’t alone. Five minutes into the hike, we crossed paths with a deer and her fawn, followed soon after by a California quail and a white-crowned sparrow.

But it’s the native flora that truly excited Nora.

“Oh my God, Bulbul, today’s your lucky day! It’s the San Luis Obispo mariposa lily. Look how cool it looks. It’s only found in SLO, and it’s my first one of the season,” she exclaimed.

Bright, buttery yellow with crimson tufts, the lily is bell-shaped.

Two of them were peeking out through dry bushes on the hillside.

The “P” is home to other native plants, too, such as yucca plants with sword-shaped leaves and white fibers. The Chumash Tribe uses the fibers to make cordage and rope, Nora said, and the plant is also called our Lord’s candle.

We found other iconic elements near the “P” as well, like the small, pink Brewer’s spineflower, graffiti, and a discarded can of Coors Light—just in case we forgot the hill’s college roots.

From a wooden deck near the painted symbol, hikers can look out over SLO’s cityscape overshadowed by Cerro San Luis (aka Madonna Mountain), and

Bishop Peak, which is the next on our list and supposedly the hardest to tackle.

Bishop Peak

After driving through the scenic Highland Drive neighborhood, Nora and I started our 3-mile hike up Bishop Peak at 8:38 a.m. The tallest of the Nine Sisters volcanic morros, the Summit Trail is supposed to be moderately challenging because it’s peppered with rocks, shrubs,

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and loose rubble.

Much to my surprise, this was my favorite stretch of the challenge. I love a technical trail over a straightforward steep one.

The Summit Trail’s smattering of rocks make you pause and use your arms as you scramble up them. It’s tactile, engaging, and encourages you to think. It reminded me of my weekly South Hills hike that’s loaded with serpentine rock.

Bishop Peak’s trails also enjoy

PHOTOS BY NORA BALES

some canopy cover from trees. We stopped to smell sage bushes, and shared a trail for the first time with other hikers and a Western fence lizard.

“Western fence lizards intimidate other lizards: They do push ups like gym bros!” Nora said.

But watch out for poison oak!

“Poison oak is good for animals.

It provides food and shelter for bunnies and birds. Just because people don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s bad,” Nora said as we TRI-TIP continued page 8

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SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 7

Trailblazing

TRI-TIP from page 7 carefully climbed over swathes of the triple-leafed clusters.

One and a half hours later, we hit the top and took in the panorama. Experiencing it with Nora reminded me of why I love hiking so much. There’s nothing like being awestruck and challenged by nature with a friend by your side. Gleaming and grinning, we grabbed a seat on a mountaintop bench etched with the words, “End of Trail.”

Well, not yet for us.

respite: the familiar sight of the white pole on the peak that’s instantly recognizable to SLO residents.

T-shirts off, sports bras out, and sweat rolling off our backs, we gained a second wind for the final scramble to the top. All that was left to do was meander back down to the car and finish a sandwich.

“I’m gonna have weird tan lines. It’s the mark of summer,” Nora said.

Cerro San Luis Obispo

Here’s where the “challenge” in Tri-tip Challenge reared its head.

All the comforts of Bishop Peak, with its shaded trails, mental and physical maneuvers, and cooling breeze disappeared by the time we arrived at the Cerro San Luis Obispo trailhead. The temperature soared by 10 degrees, the trail was blatantly steep, and I could feel the dull pain of blisters forming under my feet.

To add insult to literal injury, the demographic on this hike comprised mountain bikers and trail runners who swiftly skirted past us while I grumpily took frequent breaks. Nora was patient and kind, and helped me keep going.

Almost 2 miles later, we got

Aftermath

PHOTO BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Tri-tip Challenge purists will recommend Firestone for the victory capper. But our favorite is Old SLO BBQ! It doesn’t matter which one you pick, just make sure the sandwich includes a Central Coast specialty: tri-tip (or a meat alternative if that’s what you prefer).

It took us four hours to cover three peaks, and we were more than happy to sit on the patio with my tri-tip on sourdough, Nora’s gluten-free meaty fries and beans version, and our strawberry sodas.

No talking, only munching and slurping.

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Trailblazing

Tour the water

If you want to get a lesson or two, take a tour, or rent a boat in Morro Bay, visit Central Coast Outdoors at 10 State Park Road or centralcoastoutdoors.com.

For Shell Beach tours, visit Central Coast Kayaks at 1897 Shell Beach Road or centralcoastkayaks.com.

Paddle into the blue

BY TAYLOR O’CONNOR

T

he Central Coast boasts miles of coastline giving residents easy access to recreational opportunities out on the water.

Kayaking gives you time to not only enjoy the summer sunshine from your perch above the sea, it also allows people to see critters like sea otters, harbor seals, and seasonal birds, Central Coast Outdoors coowner Virginia Flaherty said.

“It’s just so awesome to be out there in the middle of this incredible area full of wildlife that you can see as it swims past you,” Flaherty said. “There are very few places left in California that have an amazing outdoor scenic area, and it’s super unique.”

COURTESY PHOTOS BY JOHN FLAHERTY

Before you run to REI to pick up a boat and paddle and hit the water, Flaherty has a few ideas for you to consider.

Morro Bay: a perfect spot for beginners

First, she said beginners or fi rsttime kayakers should join a guided, kayaking tour and go to Morro Bay to start. The trips through Central Coast Outdoors go into the bay so people aren’t dealing with big ocean waves.

“It’s great to do a tour at least to start because you’ll get an overview and a lay of the land. Then they [can] go out and kayak on their own. It’s a great way to start

kayaking,” Flaherty said.

Central Coast Outdoors guided tours take people to the back parts of the Morro Bay Estuary, through the channels, and into the dunes by Fairbank Point. If it’s low tide, the group will go north into the harbor, as far north as the Embarcadero areas of the bay.

For those looking to go out on the water without a tour, Flaherty said Tidelands Park, Coleman Park, or the Marina are good launching points. There are several parking lots available and they all have great accessibility, she said.

Shell Beach: for intermediate or advanced kayakers

Guided cave tours last about three hours and the company provides all of the equipment as well as a snack and pictures from the day, according to the website.

Each person must be able to swim, and the minimum age for these trips is 12 years old.

Regardless of skill, Flaherty said that everyone should check a wind and tides chart—which can be found at tideschart.com or other monitoring websites—before they go out so currents don’t become overbearing. Kayakers should try to go with a buddy, but if not, they should at least let someone know where they’re planning to be and what time they will be back.

“I would just encourage people to get out there. It’s just right there and easily accessible,” Flaherty said.

For those looking for an extra push, or who want to try something new, Flaherty said Shell Beach’s Dinosaur Caves or Vista Del Mar are great open water opportunities.

Central Coast Kayaks oversees tours farther south and takes people to Launch a kayak see the caves that Park and get your boat in the water from several spots are only accessible in Morro Bay and Pismo Beach. Central Coast Outdoors by water. Guides co-owner Virginia Flaherty’s recommendations include: assist in the surf • Tidelands Park: 339 Embarcadero, Morro Bay zone launch and • Coleman Park: 101 Coleman Drive, Morro Bay • Morro Bay Marina: 699 Embarcadero #11, Morro Bay will take visitors • Dinosaur Caves Park: 2701 Price St., Pismo Beach through grottoes, • Shell Beach stairway access: along Ocean Avenue arches, and kelp between Cliff Avenue and Windward forests.

SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 9

Trailblazing

The redwood coast STORY AND PHOTOS BY CAMILLIA LANHAM

G

iant hunks of tree bark crashing through the tree canopy force me to stop moving. Peering up through the maze of branches above my head, I step softly over the bridge in front of me, crossing the creek as the trail veers to the right. A large, fuzzy black form hangs between the branches of a snag, hugging the trunk about 50 feet above the forest floor.

Startled, I step quickly across the creek and retrace my steps back around the hill that brought me

down here. But I just saw a bear, right? Again, I stop moving, and gingerly reverse course, tiptoeing a few feet to a spot that peeks through the trees, and there it is—a black bear in a tree, probably about 200 yards from the closest camp site in Del Norte Coast Redwood State Park.

My father and I had stayed the night beneath some of the tallest trees in the world and were planning to make our way south along Highway 101, stopping to gawk at old-growth coast redwoods

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along the way.

Redwood National and State Parks comprise three state parks and 133,000 acres of redwood lands and beaches running a stretch of the North Coast almost to the Oregon border. We skipped the northernmost park, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, opting to stay in Humboldt Redwoods State Park instead. I made camping reservations via reservecalifornia. com and had no trouble finding spots during the week. Weekends, of course, are another story.

Del Norte Coast Redwood State Park Campground: Mill Creek Cost: $35 per night What’s it like? The campground is inland beneath a canopy of redwoods, and campsites are tucked between trees and the creek for which it’s named. Del Norte Coast Redwood State Park was established in 1927, is approximately 50 percent old-growth coast redwood, and includes 8 miles of wild, rugged REDWOODS continued page 13

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REDWOODS from page 10 coastline. Because most of the park is remote, this is one you’ll want to plan to hike around in.

Pit stop: Damnation Creek Trail—2 miles of steep trail traipsing through ferns, redwoods, and spruce that dead-ends near the coast due to a bridge that is currently dismantled.

Prairie Creek Redwood State Park Campground: Gold Bluffs Beach Cost: $35 What’s it like? Although the dirt road that takes visitors from Highway 101 to the beach meanders through old-growth redwoods, the tents-only campground is under an open sky beneath soaring cliffs next to the Pacific Ocean. The sound of ocean waves will put you to sleep after you take a sunset walk down a remote beach that seems to run for miles in both directions. And if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the Roosevelt elk whose hoofprints pepper the dunes.

Pit stops: Newton B.Drury Scenic Parkway—a 10-mile alternative route that runs parallel to Highway 101 right through the park’s old-growth redwoods. You can check out trailheads for several redwood groves along the way as well as check out the park’s Big Tree (the base of the trunk has a 21-foot diameter). Cal Barrel Road—if you have

a dog, like I do, it’s hard to find places to go in state and national parks, but dogs are allowed on Cal Barrel Road, which treks up through the old-growth forest above the park’s Cathedral Trees Trail.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park Campground: Burlington Cost: $35 What’s it like? We stayed at the Hidden Springs Campground, but Burlington is where it’s at if you want to camp under the magical spell of old-growth coast redwoods. All of Humboldt Redwoods State Park campgrounds are off the 32-mile-long Avenue of Giants, which meanders under 200-plus-foot tall trees along the Eel River. The state park is a standalone park encompassing 52,000 acres, 17,000 of which are old growth, and the largest remaining old-growth redwood forest in the world. It’s spectacular.

Campsites here are a little harder to book, so reserve early.

Pit stops: Mattole Road—This takes drivers to the Big Tree Area of the park, where you can traverse one of the giants across Bull Creek and find the second largest tree in the park: Giant Tree (more than 360-feet tall and more than 50-feet of circumference). Eel River—the park has several places for drivers to head down to the river for a swim and picnic.

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Outdoor Kitchen

Fresh is best

The tastiest ways to prepare seafood this summer

S

BY TAYLOR O’CONNOR ummer is a golden time to have seafood. It’s light, fresh, and full of health benefits. From ahi tuna poke bowls to savory sea bass, seafood can satisfy anyone’s cravings.

Being on the Central Coast provides locals access to the freshest and highest quality fish— which is the first step to cooking tasty seafood, said Giovanni DeGarimore, owner of Giovanni’s Fish Market in Morro Bay. “You want to start with your local fishmonger. If you buy some frozen fish, it’s not going to be great,” DeGarimore said.

Fish gets fishier the longer it’s been out of

the water, and it’s not something people should wait to prepare or keep for a long time like beef or other meats, he said.

As a local fish market and unloading facility, DeGarimore works with fishermen through independent contracts to get fish right off the boat and into the market.

“We will process them here and have them available for locals in our fish market, and we ship nationwide.

People order from across the country [and] we ship overnight seafood to all 50 states,” DeGarimore said.

Some of the local favorites this time of year include salmon, halibut, and sea bass, but employees tend to push salmon when the fish is in season, he said.

“Summer is best known for the local California wild king salmon, but the Department of Fish and Wildlife regulates salmon more,” he explained. “It’s always an exciting time because it’s only available so [often]. People wait all year

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GIOVANNI’S FISH MARKET

to get wild salmon as opposed to a farm-raised fish in the grocery store.”

Once you acquire your locally sourced fish, the best way to cook a filet is hot and fast on a grill, DeGarimore said—not low and slow because it can overcook the fish, which is a common mistake.

“When you overcook fish, it gets dry and chewy,” he said. “You want to cook it long enough where you get that nice sear on the outside, but it’s still juicy in the middle.”

DeGarimore suggested cooking salmon filets for six to eight minutes on each side to get the inside to be slightly opaque; it should be a pale SEAFOOD continued page 16

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Outdoor Kitchen

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SEAFOOD from page 15 pink but still glistening with moisture.

“It’s a good rule of thumb for most fish. You want to cook them less than you think; you don’t want them shiny but a perfect medium rare,” he said.

When it comes to seasoning filets, salmon can handle a heavier marinade, but DeGarimore believes the less complicated that marinade is, the better.

“Simplicity is king when it comes to fish.

People try too many things with too many spices. Fish doesn’t need a lot going on,” DeGarimore said.

A popular recipe included on the market’s website is grilled salmon with strawberry cucumber salsa, which calls for a marinade made of fresh chopped ginger, orange juice,

orange zest, sugar, salt, and pepper. After the salmon’s cooked, you top it off with the salsa made from strawberries, cucumber, red onion, more fresh ginger, honey, and lime juice.

This can be served with greens tossed in oil and balsamic vinegar, with a side of sourdough bread and a glass of light and fruity rosé.

For those looking for something simpler, a good go-to is using any kind of fresh citrus— like lemon, lime, or orange—with garlic and a little rosemary. DeGarimore said he puts four cloves of minced garlic, a half-stick of butter, salt, pepper, and a squeezed lemon and its peel into a bowl and zaps it in the microwave.

Once the butter’s melted and everything’s combined, he spoons that over the fish while it’s on the grill and then onto the charred side after

he flips it, DeGarimore explained.

“The fish has that nice citrusy bite that offsets the fattiness and butteriness of the salmon. It also works for halibut or sea bass. It’s a go-to recipe if you’re going to bake, broil, or barbecue,” he said.

DeGarimore’s family has been in business since 1973 as one of the first fish wholesalers in town. Giovanni’s Fish Market prides itself on working with local fishermen to support its business model and to provide the best fish at the lowest price possible, he said.

“We have nearly 50 years of experience and figured out the key to getting it right with great service and great product. We really appreciate our customers and our fishermen,” DeGarimore said.

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Outdoor Kitchen

Backpacking eats made easy STORY AND PHOTOS BY MALEA MARTIN

G

etting into backpacking can feel intimidating: You have to get the right gear, know what to pack, and feel confident enough in your hiking abilities to get through a multi-day excursion. But if there’s one thing you shouldn’t feel overwhelmed by, it’s the food.

Marketing will make new backpackers think they need to buy expensive, freeze-dried meals to survive their first trip. While made-for-backpacking meals are delicious and might be worth it depending on your budget, they’re by no means a prerequisite to hitting the trail. There are plenty of items you might already have in your pantry that will work just as well to sustain you while you get outside.

Beef jerky If you’re a meat eater, beef jerky is one of the best snacks to gnaw on when you’re pushing your body to the limit.

The packaging is slim, making it easy to slip into a side pocket on your backpack. It’s full of protein and will make fill you up quickly.

It doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

And most importantly, it’s super flavorful, something you’ll find yourself craving. After a full day of hiking, there’s nothing better than remembering you have something more interesting to eat at your campsite than a granola bar.

Boil-in-a-bag meals Specifically, the Indian Fare line from Trader Joe’s. If you’re a vegetarian (or if you’re not), this

18 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

one’s for you: These boil-in-a-bag packets are filling, warm, and super flavorful. You can find these at Trader Joe’s near the jarred sauces, and they cost a fraction of what similar freeze-dried backpacking meals will have you spending.

These bags may weigh a little more, but the flavor is worth it!

My personal favorites are the tikka vegetables—veggies cooked with cashews and spices in a creamy tomato sauce—and the kitchari—a hearty blend of South Indian grains, vegetables, and

spices. Everything you need is already in the bag. All you have to do is get some water boiling and then lower the bag into the water for five minutes. You don’t even need dishware: You can eat it straight out of the bag, giving you one less thing to clean.

Nuts Nuts are packed with protein and easy to munch while hiking, making them another ideal backpacking snack. I recommend EATS continued page 19

Outdoor Kitchen EATS from page 18 packing a sweet nut and a savory nut: say, some honey roasted pistachios and some garlic almonds, or whichever nut suits your fancy.

One of the biggest food mistakes I made when I first started backpacking was not bringing enough flavor variety: I would pack a lot of one type of snack, and then get tired of it a couple of hours into the hike. Or, I’d pack a bunch of salty snacks, but nothing sweet, and end up craving something sugary the whole trip long. Nuts are an easy way to spice up your snack selection on the trail, and get some protein in while doing so.

Instant oats They weigh almost nothing in your pack, they’re warm and filling, and all you have to do is add water—basically the trifecta when it comes to backpacking food. Breakfast is always the most important meal of the day, but it’s especially important not to neglect

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Outdoor Kitchen

Learn with libations Lost Isle Adventures serves up tiki-style drinks with an educational tour of Morro Bay

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

F

ormer whale-watching boat captain Dane Jacobs’ lifelong love for the ocean led him to make an unlikely purchase six years ago: a tiki boat to guide visitors around Morro Bay. “I love the whales but it was one of those things where I was looking for something new and exciting, and I went about acquiring my business,” Jacobs said.

That business is Lost Isle Adventures, and Jacobs and his crew now own several boats that bring a variety of cruises to the public. The Tiki Cruise came about when Jacobs found the tiki boat in the harbor.

Though small, the boat turns heads because of its thatched roof and colorful signs. It fits 22 people and a full bar that serves themed alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. From Blue Hawaiis

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOST ISLE ADVENTURES

to Mai Tais and Painkillers, the drinks are inspired by Don the Beachcomber—the first tiki bar opened by adventurer Donn Beach in the 1930s.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for kids. For an extra $20, adults can get their drink in a souvenir signature tall tiki cup that’s double the regular portion.

Visitors can pick their poison and learn about the sea lions and sea otters that live in Morro Bay from Jacobs as he guides them on a 45-minute tour that kicks off from the dock near the stacks by Morro Rock.

“We definitely embraced the tiki aspect of it, but we’re more hyperfocused on educating the public about the wildlife in the estuary,”

he said. “I focused on sustainable tourism at Cal Poly. I also studied marine biology before that. So, it’s an opportunity for me to meld those two things.”

Jacobs added that he constantly reads different books about the history of Morro Bay, from topics that range from ecology to World War II that help keep his tour material fresh for repeat guests.

“We have so many locals that get on the boat,” he said. “But I get the comment every single time that ‘I’ve lived here my whole life and I didn’t know half of the things you were talking about.’”

Tiki tours run every day from noon to dusk, depending on wind conditions.

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SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 21

Feature

Walk on water

Three Central Coast surfboard shapers talk about their path to their craft

BY GLEN STARKEY

E

very surfer remembers the fi rst time they found themselves sliding down the face of a wave. After all the missed ones and wipeouts, after catching whitewater and going straight or pearling and faceplanting, if you keep at it, you eventually learn what all the fuss is about: paddling into and popping up on a clean, glassy face, making a turn, and then riding on Mother Nature’s free energy. Once you catch the surf bug, it can be a lifelong affl iction.

For three Central Coast custom surfboard shapers, their craft was a direct extension of their love of surfing, a natural next step in their personal evolution to becoming better surfers by making themselves the perfect surfboard.

If you’re not a surfer but want to try, rent a board and a wetsuit and see if it’s for you. For many fi rst timers—especially in the cold, unforgiving waters and erratic surf of the Central Coast— it might not seem as fun as it should. If it turns out you like paddling your butt off, freezing, and getting beaten down by waves, invest in a good wetsuit but buy an inexpensive foam board like an 8-foot Wavestorm

that costs about $120 at Costco.

If you stick with it, you can buy quality boards off the rack at one of the many local surf shops, but eventually, as your skill grows, the next logical step is to have a custom board made specifically for you.

Meet three of the local surf scene’s most well known shapers.

Shane Stoneman— the Renaissance man Shane Stoneman is a terrific singer-songwriter and gifted painter, but he makes his living shaping custom surfboards. His shaping room is tucked up in the golden hills of Cayucos, a quiet place surrounded by wildlife.

He started surfi ng at 8 years old on Oahu, where he attended fi rst through fi fth grade before his family returned to California. His interest in surfi ng came from an unlikely source.

“It’s sort of embarrassing, but Fast Times at Ridgemont High came out, and there was the whole ’80s thing. It just seemed like a cool thing to do. I thought, ‘I want to be a surfer. That just seems cool.’

No one in my family surfed, but I got a surfboard for Christmas, and I fell in love with it super quickly.”

22 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

Don’t judge him over Fast Times. He was only in third grade.

He kept at surfi ng after his family moved back to California to San Juan Capistrano.

“I was 14 when I shaped my fi rst board,” he recalled. “All told, I shaped four boards in high school.

Then I didn’t shape for a long time.

I was doing competitive surfing and I was working with shapers [who designed my boards].”

Later as an adult and after many years as a competitive surfer, he landed in Cayucos.

“That was when Cole Simler was in town. Remember Cole Surfboards? I was getting boards from him, and we were having beers one day and he said, ‘I’m not going to do your board. You do your board.’ I was like, ‘Don’t tempt me, man.’ We always had this really competitive friendship.

He let me use his rooms and I went and shaped board No. 5. I never got a board from him again.

It was really fun.”

People learn to shape surfboards in one of two ways— trial and error or apprenticeship— though often it’s a combination of the two. Eventually it comes down to gaining the confidence.

“I looked at it like, learning to

surf was so difficult, and I already had my process for that, and I had already held so many boards that I liked under my arm that I knew how they should feel under my arm and how they should feel under my feet. I just trusted that I could do it,” Stoneman said.

He estimates he’s made somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 boards. At the beginning, he created templates by copying boards that he liked and that he knew worked, but he considers himself “pretty low-tech.”

“Other shapers have a wall of beautiful rail templates and stuff, and mine are the same one I did 20 years ago. I used to surf a ton, so I was able to get a lot of feedback from myself.”

He’s also gotten a lot faster at shaping.

“The boards used to take me six hours to do. I was really slow and timid with the tools, and that’s super natural for people starting out. I was able to lean on my surfing ability back then to gather customers.”

Stoneman can create whatever a client wants—a necessity for a Central Coast shaper because of the diverse conditions.

“What’s cool about the shapers on the Central Coast is we have

Shane Stoneman uses a power planer to shape the rails on a custom board in his shaping room in the hills of Cayucos.

Shane Stoneman brings the heat to an Indonesian peeler during a surf trip a few years ago.

PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

COURTESY PHOTO BY TOM BRUBAKER

to shape everything, so guys will come and they’ll want a kneeboard or really wide board— stuff I’ve never done before.

You’re listening to the customer, this is what they want, coming up with something original and hoping that you put in all the ingredients—like cooking ingredients—so that it’s tasty.”

For the last decade, Wavelengths Surf Shop in Morro Bay has carried a stock of Stoneman Surfboards people can buy right off the rack.

“I do have models that I know work well, and every once in a while if somebody’s not sure what they want, I can steer them into one of those models that everyone seems to like.”

His current favorite design is sort of an industry standard.

“I’m liking this 6-foot, 10-inch— I’m calling the Twin Du Jour—it’s a twin fi n with a channeled bottom.

It works great when the waves are good, and it acts like a fun board when the waves are small. It was a design everybody was doing so I

Custom ride

Visit shanestoneman.com to take a peek through Shane Stoneman’s boards, or email requests to info@ shanestoneman.com.

PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

Having a well-lit shaping room allows the shaper to see subtle shapes and shadows to get each custom design just right. called it the ‘Twin Du Jour’ … . It’s my version of what’s really been working.”

As he’s gotten older, Stoneman’s had some shoulder problems and can’t surf as much as he used to, so shaping has taken on increased significance.

“I think what I like most about making surf boards is that it made something that I fell in love with as a young kid into something much bigger. When I was growing up, surfing was a pretty selfish and solitary pursuit that I really got deep into, but now when I shape someone a new surf board, it’s a shared experience, and I’m part of their surfing world, too, and because of that, I want them to get the best waves and have the most fun. I just love that my boards are making people happy in the surf.”

Chad Kaimanu Jackson—sustainable materials advocate Though he’s shaped a lot of surfboards over the years, it’s definitely a side gig for big wave rider and shaper Chad Kaimanu Jackson, who works as an anthropologist and tribal liaison for the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History. He’s got deep roots in Cayucos, though he now lives and shapes boards near Lopez Lake.

“My dad [Bruce Jackson] was shaping surfboards during the late ’60s in Southern California,” Jackson explained. “He was sort of a Renaissance man. He raced cars, was a builder, started making surfboards in the early days. He still claims he made the fi rst twin fi n he ever saw at Huntington.

He moved to Cayucos in 1972 and started shaping boards for Steve Hennigh of Good Clean Fun, so my dad made some of the fi rst boards in Cayucos in the early ’70s. My upbringing was surfi ng and being at the beach.”

Jackson was familiar with the ocean from a very young age.

“I was riding waves since a toddler, but the waves in Cayucos and the Central Coast aren’t conducive for learning how to surf at a young age. They’re dumpy and the water’s cold, so I rode a bodyboard until I was 12.”

Once he was stand-up surfi ng, the next step was inevitable.

“By 13, I started watching my dad shape the boards. Right away he started teaching me, taking one pass at a time. ‘Here, I’ll do this rail, you do that rail.’ The board would end up super asymmetric, so he’d come back and fi x it,” Jackson said with a laugh.

Still, he was motivated to learn how to shape good boards. While he was still bodyboarding, his friends had started surfi ng and competing, and excelled at it, riding “top of the line” equipment through sponsorships, so when he started shaping with his dad, he wanted to make boards as good as theirs. He also learned shaping from pro surfer and master shaper Dave Parmenter and Cole Simler of Cole Surfboards.

“We did ding repair,” Jackson explained. “My dad was the full ding repair guy, so I started learning how to do ding repair so I could make money. We would get all the top, modern shapes coming into the BOARD SHAPERS continued page 24

SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 23

Feature

Surf on art

Find Chad Kaimanu Jackson on Instagram @hempsurfboards or email him at chadkaimanu@gmail.com.

PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

Cayucos local Chad Kaimanu Jackson creates boards that are as much works of art as they are functional—made for the raw swell energy of Central Coast waves.

BOARD SHAPERS from page 23 shop, and I would look at those and see there was this really streamlined shape, and we’d compare our templates and find there was really no difference in the outline between an Al Merrick, a Mayhem, and a Rusty—they’re all the same.”

Soon he was understanding what worked and what didn’t.

“Surfers and the general public

sort of assume a shaper is some sort of engineer, that they know all about hydrodynamics and design, but what it comes down to is a lot of the shapers simply copied what had already been laid by prior ‘geniuses’ or amazing craftsmen. Me being a student of all the different designs, I tried to start by being able to essentially reproduce what the top-of-the-line shapes were.”

Even though he started later than

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some of his friends, Jackson developed into a very proficient surfer.

“As I became better, started competing, started surfing all the really challenging waves, started surfing big waves, I started pursuing all the best spots, trying to become one of the best guys in the lineup not from a competitive standpoint but just because I wanted to surf my best, and it

would ultimately come down to doing my own R&D [research and development].

“I’ve always been drawn to bigger boards for bigger waves, so I’ve really tried to work on big boards that you can still maneuver,” he added. “A lot of time, big wave boards were narrow and gunny and meant for just making the drop and making the wave, but man, a lot of the best waves on the Central Coast are big wave spots. I want to be able to do big turns.”

Because of his anthropology career, Jackson’s board output is decidedly slow. He also does everything himself, from shaping to color to glassing the boards.

“I’ve kept my clientele pretty intimate, and I’ve always wanted to build boards that were meaningful to me. I never wanted to just bust out a bunch of stock boards, so I’ve always been just custom orders.”

When he takes on a client, he really wants to get to know their needs.

“Sometimes I say, ‘Let’s go surf BOARD SHAPERS continued page 26

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SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 25

Feature

BOARD SHAPERS from page 24 together. I want to see how you ride.’

I ask some very specific questions that might not be typical. ‘What size shoe do you wear? Let me see your stance. Stand on the board.

I want to measure how wide your stance is.’ Those are super critical for the board. Obviously, weight and height, but also, ‘Where do you want to surf?’”

His boards also take longer to make because in 2006 he became interested in using more sustainable and alternative materials, such as hemp cloth for deck patches and agave wood instead of a foam core.

“If you try to use more sustainable materials, is the board still going to hold up to the performance standards? Surfers want it to work well and not cost them too much money. I’ve been using hemp cloth for more than 15 years, a tie-dyed hemp deck patch to keep the deck from getting pressure dings. It’s also less likely to delaminate. There are several blanks available that have less of an impact, but most still have 50 percent petroleum-based foam cores, but I’m doing agave boards.

That’s something I’ve been doing for over 10 years.”

The agave core is striking, especially when its colors deepen after glassing.

“I’ll collect the agave wood and glue it together. I work on that with my dad. Those are beautiful.

They’re light like balsa, but the agave is more sustainable than balsa because agave is a succulent.

You don’t even have to water it, and the thing will grow anywhere.

It’s a soil remediation when you plant the thing, and after five to 10 years it will throw up a stalk and send out rosettes that will proliferate the plant; you can cut the stalk down and that individual plant will die, and its roots will continue to grow through the rosettes. It’s a really sustainable plant, unlike balsa that needs a lot of water and subtropical environment, and it takes 10 to 15 years before you can harvest it.”

Of course, there is a drawback.

“It’s super labor intensive.”

Each stalk has to be planed square so it can be glued together.

Jackson sometimes adds foam rails so it’s easier to acquire the subtle shaping they require. Agave’s flexibility and durability is “pretty amazing” as “long as it doesn’t get holes in it because it soaks up water relatively fast if you don’t repair it,” he noted.

“I’ve been really getting into the art,” he continued. “That’s

Kurt Roberts, owner and shaper of KR Surfboards, examines the lines of a freshly shaped board in his Los Osos shaping room.

something that enhances the experience of shaping for me and through the glassing process, doing different resin swirls, incorporating fun inlays like abalone shell or little pieces of jade, something custom for the client. I’m doing tie-dye art on the hemp cloth with my gal, Jena, so the boards have this beautiful tiedye hemp deck.”

If it sounds like Jackson’s boards are too pretty to ride, they might be— but despite all that goes into them, they’re high performance vehicles.

Jackson’s half-Hawaiian on his mother’s side, and that lineage also plays into his design philosophy.

“Here on the Central Coast, we’re dealing with raw swell energy, so the waves start with a lot of power, and the take off and your initial entry is super critical, whereas a lot of waves, when you get in the lee of Point Conception, the takeoff isn’t so critical. Being a Hawaiian from the Central Coast, I was always inspired by Hawaiian surfi ng. I started to push my wide points a little forward. I didn’t invent anything, but like most shapers I developed my own style and interpretation, which led me to hiding the volume—a lowvolume board didn’t work so well around here—so I started making a lot of fi sh and twin fi n designs because the beach breaks on the Central Coast required a little extra flare along with the ability to catch the wave and make the drop and get going down the line.”

Jackson’s turnaround time to make a custom board may take a while, but if you want a piece of surfable art, he’s your man.

26 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

“I have a full-time career as an anthropologist, and I’ve committed myself to becoming an academic. It helped round out my life. I never wanted to be pigeonholed into just surfi ng. It can stagnate.”

Kurt Roberts— the expert tailor Kurt Roberts of KR Surfboards is a master craftsman who can do it all—making custom-designed and team-tested surfboards of any size, shape, or style. Over the years, he’s supplied surf shops with thousands of boards, but these days he’s happy shaping custom orders in his detached shaping room on his Los Osos property. Going direct through him can save some money, too. A custom clear short board starts at $450—a steal by any standard.

Like most shapers, he took a familiar path.

“I grew up as a competitive surfer.

I turned pro when I was a kid. I used

Find your fit

Reach Kurt Roberts at krsurfboards@gmail.com or visit KR Surfboards online to see what he does best at krsurfboards.com.

to be sponsored by a few companies down in Newport Beach. During that time, I was getting a lot of surfboards made for me, and I’d actually be in the shaping room with these guys, going over designs and what kind of board we wanted to get me on, so I got interested in it from a young age, watching these guys shape my boards, going out and riding them

PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

and thinking, ‘Man, that’s so cool that they can do that.’”

His company KR Surfboards started in 2000 in California after he’d spent a couple of years in Hawaii learning to shape boards.

When he moved to Los Osos, he started befriending the best surfers in the area, gave them custom-built boards for free, and then all the kids in the area would see their heroes, these pro surfers on KR boards and want one, too. It was brilliant marketing.

Over his decades of shaping, he’s gotten better at sizing up clients and giving them exactly what they need.

“Experience level matters. I’ll ask, ‘How long have you been a surfer? Where do you surf? What kind of waves do you like?’ I’ll try to get an idea of their experience level and kind of take it from there. If they’re beginners, I’ll recommend a board that will be easier to paddle and easier to stand up on, more floatation.”

Like a lot of shapers, he can recommend a good all-around shape.

“The hybrid models, ones in between a shortboard and longboard, are super easy to catch waves on, and it’s got enough floatation to be real stable, but once you get up it’s still short enough where it’s going to turn for you. You can have a funner session. If you don’t have a lot of experience, it gets frustrating.

“They call them ‘hybrids’ and they’re in between a fun shape, which is like a small longboard, and a shortboard. If you started off on a longboard and you feel BOARD SHAPERS continued page 28

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BOARD SHAPERS from page 26 like you’ve accomplished that skill level, then you can jump down to a fun shape or a hybrid, which will turn easier, and you’ll start getting the feel turning a surfboard, and then once you’ve accomplished that, you can step down to a shortboard. Well, unless you just have the talent. Some people do. They can just jump on a shortboard and learn how to ride.”

Roberts picked up his skills servicing damaged boards.

“I do a lot of ding repair and you’ll get a pro surfer’s board in here for a repair and you figure, why not [make a template from the shape]? I make everything. Fishes, twin fins, guns, longboards. I have my models that I make—six models that I sell—and then custom orders, of course. I usually have five or six boards in the shop here, but I do about 75 percent custom orders. I get guys who come in and say, ‘I’m going to Indonesia, and I want four boards in increments,’ like 6-0 up to 7-0, and they want them all to have the same paint jobs. You get some crazy requests.”

Listening to Roberts talk, it’s clear he approaches shaping as a master craftsman, which he is.

He’s also been in the construction trade for years. Shaping a custom

PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

Kurt Roberts can shape any design, and sometimes clients come in and order a quiver of boards for various wave conditions. board is all about doing it right, from expertly setting the fin boxes to perfectly shaping the rails.

“It’s all symmetry. When you’re shaping, you don’t want to sit here and work on one side for half an hour and then time to go to the other side, you know? If you make four or five passes on this side then your flip the board or go onto the other side. You’re duplicating everything you do. It’s all

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increments—a big learning curve.”

After years supplying surf shops with custom designs people could order through forms, he prefers now to work one-on-one and in person.

“I used to deal a lot more with variety when I was dealing with the surf shops because they’d have order forms and kids would come in and start drawing on it, ‘I want it to look like this.’ A lot of expectations and stuff, and that’s

why I stepped into making the models. They can pick whatever colors they want, size they want.”

His main six models are extremely popular, but if you need that oneof-a-kind custom fit, he can tailor anything to your specifications.

“Anything!” Roberts assures.

“I can jive templates together. I can come up with pretty much anything. Anything the customer wants, really.”

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Feature As private camping experiences like Hipcamps grow in popularity and importance, county rules and guidelines lag behind

Home on the range STORY AND PHOTOS BY PETER JOHNSON

K

enney Enney’s ranch in northern San Luis Obispo County butts up against the heart of Paso Robles’ wine country. Vines dominate the arid summer landscape east of San Miguel until the grapes give way to his 850 acres of grain, cattle, and untouched open space.

“My joke is I’m the defender of the rangeland,” said Enney. “Because when you come out here, you look south and see the vineyards come right up to my edge.”

The retired U.S. Marine colonel, whose plaid shirt is spotted with dirt after a day’s work, is not exaggerating. A ranch road winds for more than a mile on his property, up a hill to a vista point that shows the vineyards and wineries splaying in all directions throughout the valley below.

For Enney, growing grapes isn’t an option. Water restrictions over the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin prevent him and others from increasing their irrigation, so he’s all

but stuck making a living off grains and cattle, a lifestyle that’s close to economically unviable these days.

“With the drought cycle that’s becoming shorter and shorter, it’s harder and harder to grow grain,” Enney said. “And the cattle is hardly bringing in anything at all.”

Veering off from the vista point, a dirt road connects two pads of gravel spaced about 50 yards apart. Each contains a large canvas tent with a bed inside, as well as picnic tables, fire pits, and other camping amenities.

About five years ago, Enney had the idea to put private campsites on his ranch. He thought back to his military days, when he’d stay in canvas tents overseas in sometimes beautiful and interesting places. At first, he wanted to host service members there as part of the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that offers support to veterans or active duty soldiers recovering from combat injuries.

“I wanted to showcase the

30 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

nature out here and for them to enjoy the rangeland,” Enney said.

After hosting some retreats, one military visitor made the suggestion: Why doesn’t he rent out his four campsites to the public? In 2018, Enney signed up as a host on Hipcamp, an app that connects rural landowners with campers interested in unique outdoor experiences. At the time, the concept seemed relatively new for the area, he said.

“I looked at it like nobody else was doing it,” Enney said. “Every time you go camping in California, they cram you 10 feet away from someone else and [you have to reserve it] weeks in advance. And initially the idea was to have the campsites spread apart so you wouldn’t see another one.”

In the years since—especially since the start of the pandemic— Hipcamp and other platforms like it have taken off on the Central Coast, and across the state and country.

According to company data,

SLO County now has more than 70 hosts, on properties ranging from “cattle ranches, to working vineyards, to family owned preserves and apple orchards” across 85,000 acres, and they inject $3.2 million per year of spending into the economy.

For Enney, the pandemic pushed his campsites to 80 percent occupancy as business went “gangbusters.” Priced at $75 per night each, he said the sites have become a crucial financial lifeline for his family and his ability to own and live on the ranch. On the flip side, they’re also a desperately needed respite for campers who were cooped up inside during the pandemic.

“During COVID, I had parents whose kids had not been outside for weeks. I had kids that came out here who didn’t realize there were that many stars,” Enney said. “I’m catering to young couples, young families that just want to unplug HIPCAMP continued page 32

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Feature HIPCAMP from page 30 and go out and listen to the owls, coyotes, and cattle.”

Regulating recreation Enney’s story is actually a common one among Hipcamp hosts, and it gets at the core of the company’s mission, according to Michal Rosenoer, a senior manager of government and community relations at Hipcamp.

“We really believe that opening up private land for outdoor recreation not only takes pressure off public spaces that we know are completely overrun and really impacted right now, but also supplies rural landowners, primarily farmers and ranchers, with the opportunity to develop a secondary revenue stream,” Rosenoer told Get Outside, “which is really important for keeping those lands undeveloped in the face of drought, rising costs, things like that. It’s a win-win for outdoor recreation and agriculture.”

While Hipcamp and its hosts see it that way, not everyone in the community is so enthusiastic about the new niche of agri-

Kenney Enney first started listing his four private campsites on Hipcamp in 2018. Initially built to host wounded military service members for relaxing stays, the sites have grown into critical revenue-generators for the ranch owner.

tourism. Critics raise concerns about fire safety, health and sanitation, noise, traffic, and other neighbor-to-neighbor impacts that stem from the private campsites.

Many of those concerns are valid, Enney said, especially absent clear rules and guidelines for the industry. As the number of Hipcamp sites proliferates, SLO County and many local jurisdictions lag behind in developing clear rules and permit processes to address them. In SLO, that’s caused angst for both hosts and community members.

“Today, our absence of rules is creating problems across the county,” SLO County Farm Bureau Executive Director Brent Burchett wrote in a letter to the Board of Supervisors last year. “We believe it is important to put clear rules in place that give the county the tools it needs to stop bad actors while creating a new opportunity for farmers, ranchers, and rural property owners.”

Enney described his experience of trying to permit his campsites with the county as “a battle.”

HIPCAMP continued page 34

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Feature

HIPCAMP from page 32 He said that since 2018, county officials have “changed their mind about four times” on what kind of permits he needs, and he’s been hit with multiple fines over the years totaling thousands of dollars. As a

“retired military guy,” Enney said he wanted to follow the rules and be a good steward of the land, but the county doesn’t seem to know what it wants.

“It was easier to build my house out here then it was to put a tent

up,” Enney said. “Every time I think I’ve done what they’ve wanted me to do, they came back to throw something else out. … I’m kind of at a point, honestly, where there’s no justification for what they’re doing. They’re blocking

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other people. I really feel sorry for some of the young families [who own ranches]. They don’t have any other options, really.”

Last year, amid calls from the community to address the regulatory issues, the SLO County Board of Supervisors directed its staff to develop a new ordinance for private rural camping like Hipcamps. The current applicable rules are outdated and expensive to follow, locals told the board.

They limit what’s possible (like requiring 1,000-foot property setbacks for campsites) and don’t take into account issues like fire safety and neighborhood impacts.

According to Rosenoer of Hipcamp, SLO isn’t alone in its struggle to adapt its camping regulations to today’s world.

“In most counties, land use codes don’t address private land camping,” Rosenoer explained.

“This land use is a really new concept. But because the code doesn’t address it, you have to go through some really expensive, long-term permitting processes— upwards of 18 months and HIPCAMP continued page 36

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HIPCAMP from page 34 sometimes upwards of $100,000— just to get a yes or no answer from the county about whether they think what you’re doing is appropriate or not.”

Over the past year, Rosenoer has worked directly with property owners in SLO County who have reached out for help understanding the county’s permitting system and to advocate for new regulations that provide a clearer path to success—even providing SLO a potential draft of an ordinance.

One of those locals, Mok Singh, a small vineyard owner in Paso Robles, said he wants to become a Hipcamp host after hearing the appeal from visitors to “be near the earth, sounds, sights, and smell of the viticulture environment.” But the current rules make that unattainable for him on his few dozen acres.

“I began looking into this and I noticed that the county had an ordinance with qualifications that were extremely onerous,” Singh said. “There are several farmers in our community who’d want to

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do something like this and would benefit from it. It’s extremely hard for a small farmer or a small viticulturalist to even break even on growing fruit and selling fruit because, unless you’re one of the really big players who have economies of scale as a benefit, our costs for producing wine grapes is so high that forget about being able to pay a mortgage, it’s hard to even sell the fruit for enough to pay for the farming practices. Quite frankly, I’d be in a position where if I couldn’t find other revenue streams to help, I’d probably have to sell my vineyard.”

While the ball is finally rolling for Hipcamps in SLO County, officials say it might take 18 months to develop the new ordinance. To Enney, who is still resolving his longstanding issues with the county, that’s too long.

“I’m looking at the future of agriculture in California,” Enney said. “To keep the rangeland rangeland, to keep it from getting gobbled up, to try to be a good steward of the land, camping’s an easy way to do it.”

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY CAMILLIA LANHAM the first world war. he California State Parks system lost $32 million “Post World War I, to be able to in revenue during the have all those relics and be able to COVID-19 pandemic from Hearst bring them together,” Falat said.

“The history in time of being able Castle alone. to bring everything together will Between 700,000 and 850,000 never happen again.” people visit Hearst Castle every It’s lucky for everyone, then, year, according to Dan Falat, that the park reopened to the superintendent of State Parks’ San public in April 2022.

Luis Obispo Coast District, which And you’ll be happy to hear that oversees the castle. Statewide, the the late Alex Trebec’s voice still park is a “significant operation,” he guides bus riders from the visitors added, and revenues from his district center at the base of the Hearst primarily come from the castle. property up to La Cuesta Encantada.

The reasons people come are In 2020, the estate built by pretty obvious: Old Hollywood media mogul William Randolph glamour lingers, the views of the Hearst Jr. and architect Julia coast are unrivaled, the architecture Morgan was set to commemorate is stunning, and the buildings and its centennial. The pandemic grounds are full of history. The had other plans, though, closing castle was built to display artifacts the park and pushing the castle’s and art pieces purchased from 100th anniversary celebration countries all over the world during CASTLE continued page 40 the economic crisis that followed

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Feature CASTLE from page 38 forward a couple of years. As part of memorializing the past 10 decades of history, extravagance, art, and architecture, the park’s offering a special Morgan-focused tour of Hearst Castle through the end of the year (at least).

Hearst Castle Museum Director Cara O’Brien said that during the summer, the intimate two-hour tour (eight people, max) will run once a day at 9 a.m. Visitors will be able to explore the hilltop without a lot of other people around, getting the chance to view architectural drawings, family photos, and rarely seen areas that highlight Morgan’s gift for design, as well as learn more about her life and who she was.

Each guide who takes people on the Morgan tour does it a little differently, but everyone is laser-focused on the architect’s contributions to the castle, to her craft, to American society (she worked on 700 projects in her lifetime), and as a female working in a man’s world. The tour highlights the talented people she hired, the craftsmanship of their

work, and the way she was able to meld her talent with Hearst’s ideas to build the collection of buildings, terraces, gardens, and pools overlooking San Simeon.

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really highlights the collaboration with William Randolph Hearst— the intellectual collaboration,” O’Brien said. “Just a fascinating story, how she adapted to his changeable mind. And how she was

always able to come through. …

Their correspondence is so funny.

It’s so beautiful. … Just their banter, and the ideas sparking off each other.”

CASTLE continued page 42

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Feature CASTLE from page 40 Morgan created about 10,000 architectural sketches for everything that was built on the hill. She and Hearst had a similar vision, a similar eye for symmetry, and exchanged more than 1,000 telegrams throughout the duration of the project, said tour guide Sharon Foelz.

Foelz called the castle Morgan’s

would go into them. Windows, doors, sculptures, paintings, mantels, tiles, ancient artifacts— all purchased in the wake of World War I from European and Asian countries.

“Thirteen rail cars full of objects from all the ends of the earth,” Foelz said. “It was quite an undertaking.”

The Julia Morgan tour is $100, and Museum Director O’Brien

“crowning achievement” during a tour in April.

She pointed out the ceiling tiles of Casa Del Mar, one of the first cottages built on the hill. A conservationist was working to stabilize the gold gilt around the edges of the handplastered, -painted, and -gilded tiles.

Hearst often replicated the ceilings he found in books at a secondhand bookstore in LA. He would tear the images from the books and send them to Morgan, who would get to work.

About 95 percent of all the art and artifacts displayed at the castle were purchased during construction, Foelz said, and Morgan would design rooms specifically for the objects that

recommends booking the tour in advance via hearstcastle. org. In addition, Hearst Castle is also offering its standard Grand Rooms, Upstairs Suites, and Cottages and Kitchens tours, which are $30 for adults and $15 for children.

It already feels as if the pandemic is in the rearview, according to O’Brien, who said the park has been busy and still has some restrictions in place.

“Staff is elated. And our visitors are happy and the gardens look phenomenal, and it’s oddly like it kind of never happened. We’re just doing what we always did,” she said.

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Feature

Let the Good Times Roll

How one nonprofit is building a community on wheels STORY BY ANNA STARKEY

B

etween bread baking, binging Tiger King, learning TikTok dances, and Googling “How to cut my own hair”— two years of lockdown has led us all to some pretty inventive ways to pass the time. Yet arguably, there’s no more nostalgic hobby than the resurgence of roller skating.

San Luis Obispo County didn’t miss the memo, and skating events and pop-ups have burst onto the scene, giving both veteran and newbie skaters a community where they can practice, teach, and share their love of life on wheels. One group leading the charge to create safe and inclusive spaces for roller skating is The SLORoll Community Initiative, a local nonprofit

organization. Its mission is to “uplift our community through creativity, roller culture, and physical activity.

We aim to provide safe and inclusive spaces for all members of the Central Coast to thrive.”

Get Outside sat down with one of SLORoll’s founders and the owner of Doomsday Sk8 School to find out more about what they have planned for our area and beyond.

Dottie (who asked to go by her skate name for this article) is no stranger to life on eight wheels.

She’s participated in roller derby in the past, but what really calls to her is the vibe of rink skating.

“Rink culture is music; it is very culturally open and involves SLOROLL continued page 46

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE CRAIG

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Feature SLOROLL from page 44 more than just roller skating—it’s also about what it brings to people mentally,” she said.

How SLORoll came about is a familiar tale for many who quarantined.

“It was just some friends trying to stay sane during lockdown,” Dottie quipped with a smile.

What started with a Bluetooth speaker in a driveway blossomed into a nonprofit organization hosting countywide events each month that provide a safe space for skaters. They are working toward a larger goal of creating dedicated spaces in the area that honor the culture and community surrounding the sport.

“Skating is deeply rooted within Black culture,” Dottie explained.

“It has been a safe space where that culture could thrive—through storytelling, through music. Hip-hop and rap got its beginnings in roller rinks. Radio DJs and other venues would refuse to let them perform or play that type of music.”

SLORoll is rooted in honoring the cultural history as well as providing education to the community, but this nonprofit’s goals don’t end anywhere close to there.

The organization was created to

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAROLOTTE CRAIG

bridge the gap between the LA and Bay Area skate scenes. Once SLORoll began hosting pop-up skate events, “One thing became clear quickly, and that is the lack of available, safe skating spaces in our area,” Dottie said. “We haven’t had a rink open north of Santa Maria since Flippo’s closed over 20 years ago, and a lot of times places that are designated for skating cater more towards skateboarding. They aren’t always welcoming or safe for roller skaters.”

With that in mind, The SLORoll Community Initiative became a nonprofit in July 2021. Dottie and her fellow board members—Cavin Stokes, Rosalind Montgomery, and Christina Soto—along with supporters aim to raise money and find investors for a multi-purpose community building.

With inclusivity and versatility in mind, the space would be open not just for roller skating and rink sports, but art classes, private lessons, adaptive sports, and community events.

This type of facility can help to provide opportunity and services to the less advantaged as well as the disabled community in our area. By providing both indoor and outdoor multi-use courts that allow for SLOROLL continued page 48

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Feature SLOROLL from page 46 unique situations and adaptations, Dottie sees this as a space for all to be able to fully enjoy, including those without the means to afford a hefty membership fee.

“We want to lower the barrier for parents and others who want to provide kids with access to these activities but can’t afford it. We would do that by offering a sliding fee scale,” she said.

The moment that Dottie starts speaking about this project, it’s apparent that her heart and soul are in it deep, and her loyalty lies with the community and in creating a lasting legacy of inclusion and excellence within it.

SLORoll is going strong with their monthly pop-ups, and CAV (aka—“DJ Brotha C”) of Connect the Coast provides the music that gets everyone grooving.

These events are donation-based fundraisers, and currently funds being raised go toward resurfacing

Wheel on by

Check out The SLORoll’s Instagram @thesloroll for updates and future events. And if you feel like taking a skate, you can roll up to any of these upcoming pop-up events: • On Aug. 6 in Atascadero, it’s Leo Season from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Colony Park basketball courts.

• On Sept. 3 in SLO, Roll Call runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at Santa Rosa Park • On Oct. 8 in Atascadero, the Halloween theme rolls from 5 to 8 p.m. at Colony Park basketball courts • The November event is to be announced—Surprise!

• On Dec. 3 in SLO, Holiday theme from 3 to 6 p.m. at Santa Rosa Park.

company Doomsday Sk8 School.

Looking to build a confident and safe skating community, she offers group and private skate lessons, trail skating, kids and parent classes, as well as roller dance lessons and more. For more information on private lessons and other offerings from Doomsday Sk8 School, find it on Instagram @doomsdayskate.

Whether you’re brand new

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAROLOTTE CRAIG

487 Madonna Road #3, San Luis Obispo Store Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5:45pm, Sun: 12-4:45pm

805·547·9593 48 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

and renovating Paulding Middle School’s hockey rink in Arroyo Grande. Following a generous donation of 132 pairs of Impala skates, SLORoll can now offer rentals at their public and private events. With pop-ups shifting locations all over the Central Coast, there’s always something coming soon to a town near you.

In addition to The SLORoll, Dottie also runs her private

to the sport, have a pair of old skates begging to be dusted off in the back of the closet, or consider yourself a roller king or queen, there is no better excuse to sweat to some sweet tunes than building community and helping to create a safe and inclusive space for everyone on the Central Coast. So, lace up and get out there—and don’t forget that protective gear!

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Feature

W

ind whips across the sand, particles pelting the orange canvas kite flapping in the hands of California Kiteboarding owner and instructor Jason Lee, who’s got his back to the Pismo Beach Pier.

“You want to go straight downwind, man,” Lee tells Gabe Silva, an employee he’s teaching to kitesurf on one afternoon in May. Together they situate the kite in the right direction, from upwind to downwind, strings reaching up toward the dunes at Pismo State Beach and the kite stops thrashing, settling into silence and a full arc that takes flight. Silva backs into the waves, holding onto the bar attached to the kite strings with his right hand and the board with his left.

“It’s not that windy yet, but it’s starting to get a little bit windier,” Jason says. “If you look out there, you can see the whitecaps starting to form. That’s what we look for. …

And then he’s got to sit down and get his board on.

“That’s the hardest part of kiting.”

Once Silva gets up, he stays within 50 meters of the shoreline and cruises the long, flat, windy stretch of Pismo Beach. He’s about a month into his kitesurfing

Wind junkies

KITESURFERS continued page 52

California Kiteboarding owner Jason Lee has been kitesurfing in Pismo Beach for more than 20 years.

50 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

Kitesurfers hit the water off Pismo Beach every spring from March through June

STORY BY CAMILLIA LANHAM PHOTOS BY JAYSON MELLOM

Ms. Cardel

Wedding & Event Planner

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Our team will coach, cheer and guide your group through a truly unforgettable axethrowing experience. The thrill of sticking an AXE throw into a target while participating in fun games is guaranteed to bring out everyone’s inner Lumber Jack!

Private Events: Family Reunions, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Bachelor/ Bachelorette Parties Corporate Events: Team Building, Employee/ Vendor Appreciation, Holiday Parties Venue Partnerships: We add value to your business by providing an onsite activity for your customers

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SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 51

Feature

KITESURFERS from page 50 adventure and is starting to get comfortable in the water.

“I think the first few times my body got kind of fatigued. But you just have to hold on. You’ve got no other choice,” Silva said earlier.

Lee heads back to the Addie Street parking lot near downtown Pismo, hops in his rig, and heads for

the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area entrance on Grand Avenue. About a half mile down the beach, he parks next to a cluster of rigs on the sand where a local crew of kitesurfers is getting ready. Silva cruises by a few minutes later. When Lee finally launches his own kite and heads into the water, he rockets down the shoreline, catching the wind easily and popping into the air,

floating in the sky before feathering back down to the ocean.

Scott Franklin clips his kite strings to the rack on his jeep, debating whether he should fly with a 7-foot kite or a 9-foot one.

He decides on the 7 and unfurls his setup toward the dunes, waiting for the wind to hit its stride.

“You’ve got be firefighter ready,” Franklin says. “You’ve got to be

ready to harness the wind.”

When the wind is steady and blowing hard (but not too hard), Franklin says you don’t want to miss it. Kitesurfing season in Pismo Beach runs from March through June with April and May being the most dominant. When the conditions are right, you can find Franklin, Lee, and other members of KITESURFERS continued page 54

Take us on your next adventure!

Open Mon-Sat 10a-4p & Sun 11a-4p

1901 Broad Street, SLO

52 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

805-543-6700 • GiantGrinderSLO.com

From Our Farm to Your Table

r r y e S B t e o h p T

Hwy 101 & Stowell Rd., Santa Maria (805) 714-6933 Open daily 10am–6pm

SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 53

Feature KITESURFERS from page 52 the local crew of kiters here or out in the water—mostly in the afternoon between 1 and 4 p.m.

It’s Franklin’s 11th consecutive day out on the water, which broke his previous record.

“This has been an outstanding season,” he says.

Twenty years ago, the multisport athlete who skied, played soccer, surfed, and is an avid outdoorsman, was at a beach in San Francisco and witnessed someone out in the middle of the water launch 30 feet into the air.

“I thought, ‘What the hell was that?’” he said later. “That was the spark.”

That moment changed his life.

“What’s neat about kitesurfing, is now you’re in command of the ocean, rather than being at the mercy of the ocean. You

really feel like you have an upper hand, with the power of the kite really being like a throttle you can turn on and off, your speed, you’re ability,” Franklin Take a lesson said. “To be in Check out equipment and/or book a kitesurfing lesson with Jason Lee of California Kiteboarding in the ocean moving Pismo Beach by visiting californiakiteboarding.com. through the surf, Find the shop on Facebook and Instagram @california. maneuvering as this kiteboarding and @californiakiteboarding, respectively. little vessel is just

out of this world.”

It’s like walking on water, he said.

Similar to fellow kitesurfer Lee, Franklin has kited all over the world and up and down the Central Coast, but Pismo Beach is one of his favorite spots. It’s wide and flat, without many obstacles in the water. The wind is pretty steady and “just comes shooting down from Avila,” he said. He wakes

up in the morning at his place in Grover Beach, and checks all the weather websites.

When he sees small-craft advisory warnings, he knows.

If the wind offshore is 20-plus miles an hour, “we know.”

“We know it’s gonna smoke, it’s gonna crank,” Franklin said. “You can only go as fast as the wind. …

You need wind.”

KROBAR - SAN LUIS OBISPO Distillery Tours | Spirit Flights | Cocktail Bar | Food See Website for Hours KROBAR - PASO ROBLES Spirit Flights | Cocktails Thursday–Monday: 11am - 5pm WHISKEY · BOURBON · GIN · VODKA · RUM krobardistillery.com | @krobarcraftdistillery

54 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

Playing Outdoors Helps Children Grow Healthy and Strong Playing outdoors is important to the healthy growth and development of children. Research shows that children who play outside regularly are healthier and stronger.

Taking play outside helps children connect with the natural world. It also improves coordination, encourages active imaginations and can help reverse childhood obesity rates.

Starting a child’s appreciation of nature can begin early, with walks in a stroller. As the child grows, visit playgrounds and parks, or spend time exploring the backyard.

Unstructured outdoor play can be especially beneficial because it encourages social skills, too. Children create games, take turns, make decisions together and learn about sharing as part of unstructured play.

David Ikola, M.D.

Shane Rostermundt, D.O.

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805-922-3548

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, resting atop hot mineral springs and spanning more than 100 acres of forest, hills and meadows is the ideal environment to refresh, renew, and restore one’s mind, body, and spirit.

Dr. Michele Kielty, D.O.

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Monday – Saturday

1215 Avila Beach Drive San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 (805) 595 - 7302 www.sycamoresprings.com

SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 55

Gear Hub

Hidden gem Cal Poly’s outdoor gear rental offers the lowest price to everyone

BY TAYLOR O’CONNOR

T

he price of camping or surfing equipment can be unreasonably expensive and often steers people away from enjoying the outdoors, said Sarah Sindel, outdoor recreation coordinator for the Cal Poly Associated Students Inc. (ASI).

To allow more people to

recreate in an affordable way, Cal Poly students founded ASI Poly Escapes: a student-run, three-tiered system to give fellow Mustangs better access to outdoor recreation, which includes a climbing park, a trips program, and the rental center, Sindel explained.

“The rental center specifically is

COURTESY PHOTO BY TYLER REVAK

56 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

an awesome resource, and I feel like a lot of people don’t know we rent gear out to the community locally.

People are often surprised by our prices,” Sindel said.

RENTALS continued page 58

COURTESY PHOTO BY TYLER REVAK

COURTESY PHOTO BY KYLE CALZIA

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SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 57

Gear Hub

Get that gear Cal Poly Associate Students Inc.’s (ASI) rental center—located at 1 Grand Ave. on campus—is open four days a week during the summer, and seven days a week during the academic year. Find summer hours on ASI’s website at asi.calpoly.edu.

People with questions can call (805) 756-1287.

You don’t necessarily need to be a student to rent out this gear. Non-students can rent this equipment and more in 24-hour increments: • Wetsuit—$5 • Tarp—$2 • Headlamp—$10 • Propane 2 burner stove—$5 • 20 degree sleeping bag (includes liner)—$15 • Snow shoes—$5 • 0 degree sleeping bag (includes liner)—$15 • Tie downs—$1 • Skimboard—$16 • Foam sleeping pad—$5 • Surfboard car rack—$2 • Outdoor climbing shoes—$10 • Boogie board—$7 • Surfboard—$16 • Paddle—$2 • Four-person tent—$12 • Life vest—$2 • Two-person tent—$10 • Easy-up canopy—$20 • Trekking poles—$10 • Kayak—$10 • Stand-up paddle board—$10 • Water cooler—$3 • Climbing crash pad—$5 • Ice chest—$3 • Bear canister—$4 • Electric lantern—$2 • Wetsuit booties—$5 • Backpack—$15 • Dry bag—$2 COURTESY PHOTO BY KYLE CALZIA

RENTALS from page 56 Rental prices vary for students and non-students, but the most expensive item (an easy-up canopy) is $20 a day for a nonstudent—still very reasonable compared to buying or renting elsewhere.

“Living in the center of California is a unique opportunity, and I think our equipment allows and facilitates discovery of

the areas,” she said. “Instead of spending $500, it can be something discovered for relatively cheap.”

Not only does the gear hub allow for more exploration— indirectly—it encourages people to preserve the state’s natural beauty, Sindel added.

“Personally, I’m a strong believer that when protecting or trying to maintain certain areas, it ’s extremely important

to experience the area [itself].

If people have never been to the ocean, they may not be interested in helping it, [but] if they feel a sense of ownership, it can facilitate the desire to protect and maintain the area,” Sindel explained.

Rentals can last for 24 hours or longer depending on how long items are needed. Sindel suggested people explore the ASI rentals webpage to see what’s

offered, and then call to see what’s available. The website currently does not allow for reservations ahead of time and requires people to pick up equipment at the rental shop. First-time renters will build a profile with general contact information and fill out a liability waiver along with an agreement to pay potential late, damaged, and dirty fees. The late fee accrues over time until a replacement fee is met, she said.

JOIN US FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL

Butterfly Ball Ball An enchanted evening SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2022 5-9 PM AT THE OCTAGON BARN, SAN LUIS OBISPO

Visit www.centralcoastparks.org/butterfly-ball for tickets and info Raising funds & awareness for the conservation of the western monarch butterfly 58 Get Outside SPRING 2022 58 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

Serving the Central Coast as a Sporting Education Facility for over 30 years

12 VENUES 460 ACRES

COME VISIT OUR PUBLIC RANGES Archery Shotgun Rifle/Pistol

ALL AGES · ALL SKILL LEVELS Minors Must Be Accompanied By An Adult

OUT-OF-TOWNER SPECIAL

RIFLE-PISTOL RANGE Sat-Sun 8am-4pm Thur-Fri 8am-9pm

Includes Instruction and Equipment Reservations Required

• SHOTGUN RANGE: Trap, Skeet, 5-Stand and a new

TRAP AND SKEET RANGE

Mini-Sporting Clays field. On-site instruction and loaner guns (perfect for beginners!)

Mon, Thur, Fri 9am-2pm Sat-Sun 9am-3pm

• RIFLE-PISTOL RANGE: Outdoor, covered range with shooting distances out to 700 yards on paper targets or steel gongs

Ladies & Student Discount Night Thur-Fri 3pm-8pm

• ARCHERY: Newly rebuilt stationary target range and

ARCHERY RANGE

a 3D walking course

• HOGUE ACTION PISTOL RANGE: 14 bays ranging

Sat-Sun 9am-2pm

from 20-60 yards

Hours Subject to Change

• GUNS AND LADIES (GALS): Shooting clinics taught by women, for women

The SLOSA facility is located on Highway 1 approximately 8 miles northwest of SLO and 6 miles southeast of Morro Bay.

• COWBOYS AKA CHORRO VALLEY REGULATORS: Monthly SASS competitions with an annual match in August/September

• BLACK POWDER/MUZZLELOADERS: Monthly matches and annual match in July

• DELTA LONG RANGE - CCLRS: Learn and sharpen your skills with targets from 25 to 1500 yards

N

• HUNTER SAFETY: Dates listed on our website • PRIVATE EVENTS/PARTIES AVAILABLE

3270 Gilardi Road, SLO

|

Rifle/Pistol: (805) 541-3338

3270 Gilardi Road

To Morro Bay

|

HWY 1

To San Luis Obispo

2022| Get Outside 59 Shotgun/Archery:SUMMER/FALL (805) 547-1209 www.slosa.org

Bare necessities

Stove Jetboil Flash Cooking System ($114) If all you need to do is boil water to hydrate the freeze-dried meals you packed, then a Jetboil system is the way to go. It boils water in 100 seconds, and the stove and gas canister pack neatly into a 1-liter cooking cup.

Weighing in at 13.1 ounces, the system’s lighter and cheaper than many of its counterparts, such as the MSR Windburner Stove System, which is $169 and weighs 15.5 ounces.

Purifier

These backcountry trip essentials will keep your pack light and you comfortable PHOTOS AND STORY

BY CAMILLIA LANHAM NECESSITIES continued page 62

SteriPEN Classic 3 ($90) Water purifiers offer a higher level of protection than filtration systems— as long as the water is clear. SteriPENs use ultraviolet light to destroy 99 percent of protozoa (such as giardia), bacteria, and viruses. To purify a Nalgene bottle full of water (32 ounces), you insert the lamp into the

Gear Hub

water, click a button, and agitate the water. It takes about 90 seconds. One set of four AA batteries will treat 50 full liters of water. There are a ton of purifiers out there, but the ultralight (5.7 ounces) SteriPEN is a tried and true classic.

Backpack Osprey Aura AG 65 ($300) Osprey arguably makes the best (and some of the most expensive) backpacks around. The Aura AG 65 is a mediumsized pack you can take on weekend or longer trips, and the AG stands for antigravity. A suspension system built into the pack provides ventilation for your back and also makes it feel like you’re carrying less weight than you actually are. The pack includes a hydration reservoir sleeve, tons of compartments, and zippered hipbelt pockets for snacks and chapstick.

Important!

Current Water Restrictions in Santa Maria

n NO use of potable water on driveways or sidewalks.

n NO runoff when irrigating with potable water.

n NO free-flowing hoses; all hoses must have a shut-off nozzle.

n NO use of potable water in a non-recirculating, decorative water feature.

n NO outdoor irrigation from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.

n NO application of potable water to outdoor landscapes during or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.

WATER CONSERVATION HOTLINE

Call: (805) 925-0951 ext. 2802 • Email: waterhotline@cityofsantamaria.org

Report water misuse or leaks. Request more information or request a free home water conservation visit.

60 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022

(805) 925-0951 • www.cityofsantamaria.org/conserve

Business Directory

To get your business listed here or to get more information about the Get Outside business director y email advertising@newtimesslo.com 3 Day Blinds

855-591-4662 3DayOffer853.com

Allan Hancock College

800 S. College Dr. Santa Maria 805-922-6966 hancockcollege.edu

AmByth Estate 510 Sequoia Lane Templeton 805-319-6967 ambythestate.com

Arroyo Grande Parks & Recreation 1221 Ash St. Arroyo Grande 805-473-5478 arroyogrande.org/rec

Arroyo Grande Physical Therapy

Black Bear Springs Organic Farm

805-423-0637 blackbearspringshemp.com

Black Sheep Bar & Grill 1117 Chorro St. San Luis Obispo 805-550-5412 blacksheepslo.com

California Cooperage

3035 Broad St. San Luis Obispo 805-544-3565 jacuzzi.com

California Holistic Institute

11555 Los Osos Valley Rd. Ste #109 San Luis Obispo 805-786-4808 californiaholisticinstitute.com

Cambria Bicycle Outfitters

117 S. Halcyon Rd. 1239 Monterey St. Arroyo Grande San Luis Obispo 805-481-5656 arroyograndephysicaltherapy.com 805-543-1148 cambriabike.com

Art’s SLO Cyclery 3988 Short St. (Ste.110) San Luis Obispo 805-439-3915 artscyclery.com

Athlon Fitness & Performance Paso Robles 140 Niblick Rd. Paso Robles 805-269-6272 athlonelite.com

Athlon Fitness & Performance San Luis Obispo

805 Aerovista Pl. (Ste.104) San Luis Obispo 805-546-6070 athlonelite.com

Avocado Shack 2190 Main St. Morro Bay 805-806-1019 avocadoshack.net

Cambria Garden Shed

2024 Main St. Cambria 805-927-7654 cambriagardenshed.com

Camp Natoma 805-316-0163 campnatoma.org

Celia’s Garden Cafe

1188 Los Osos Valley Rd. #C Los Osos 805-528-5711 celiasgardencafe.com

Central Coast Kayaks / Momentum Paddle Sports Inc. 1879 Shell Beach Rd. Shell Beach 805-773-3500 centralcoastkayaks.com

Central Coast State Parks Association -

Supporting Central Coast State Parks Since 1976

CCSPA

202 Tank Farm Rd. (Ste.H2) San Luis Obispo 805-548-0390 centralcoastparks.org

Central Coast Yamaha 2004 Preisker Lane (Ste.A-E) Santa Maria 805-925-1971 centralcoastyamaha.com

City of Atascadero Parks & Recreation Division 6500 Palma Ave. Atascadero 805-470-3490 atascadero.org

City of Santa Maria Utilities Dept.

Cups & Crumbs Orcutt Habitat for Humanity for SLO County 156 S. Broadway #B Old Orcutt 805-623-5973 cupsandcrumbsoldtown.com

Cups & Crumbs SM 1414 Miller St. Santa Maria 805-862-4920 cupsandcrumbssm.com

Dana Adobe

671 S. Oakglen Ave. Nipomo 805-929-5679 danaadobe.org

Delta RV / Delta Liquid Energy 1960 Ramada Dr. Paso Robles 805-591-4463 deltaliquidenergy.com

2065 E. Main St. Santa Maria 805-925-0951 cityofsantamaria.org/city-government/de- Downtown Paso partments/utilities-sewer-water-trash Robles Main Street

City of Santa Maria Utilities Department Water Conservation

2065 E. Main St. Santa Maria 805-925-0951 cityofsantamaria.org/city-government/departments/utilities-sewerwater-trash/water-conservation

Community Health Centers

28 Central Coast Locations 866-614-4636 communityhealthcenters.org

Costanoa Lodge and Camp 2001 Rossi Rd. Pescadero 650-879-1100 costanoa.com

Cottage Hospital

1846 N Broadway, Suite A Santa Maria 805-361-4279 cottagehealth.org/urgent-care/ appointments/santa-mariabroadway

Association

835 12th St., Suite D Paso Robles 805-238-4103 pasoroblesdowntown.org

Flower Carriage

2255 S. Broadway #15 Santa Maria 805-922-0578 mscardel.com

Gavin’s Books

230 E. Betteravia Rd. Santa Maria 805-922-4282 info@gavinsbooks.com

Call for Reservations 1.888.584.6374 cetralcoastparks.org www.raggedpointinn.com

Harley Davidson of Santa Maria 2022 Preisker Ln. Santa Maria 805-928-3668 santamariaharley.com

Island Packers 1691 Spinnaker Dr. (Ste.105 B) Ventura 805-642-1393 islandpackers.com/home

Krobar Craft Distillery 10 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-467-9463 krobardistillery.com

Land Conservancy of SLO County 1137 Pacific St. San Luis Obispo 805-544-9096 lcslo.org

Maddie Mae’s Pet Pantry - Cambria 614 Main St. Cambria 805-924-1139 maddiemaespetpantry.com

Giant Grinder

Maddie Mae’s Pet Pantry - Pismo Beach

1901 Broad St. San Luis Obispo 805-543-6700 giantgrinderslo.com

571 Five Cities Dr. Pismo Beach 805-295-5011 maddiemaespetpantry.com

Grover Beach Parks & Recreation

Maddie Mae’s Pet Pantry - Templeton

1230 Trouville Ave. Grover Beach 805-473-4580 groverbeach.org

Here for all your RV needs

1121 Rossi Rd. Templeton 805-591-7002 maddiemaespetpantry.com

100 Madonna Rd. San Luis Obispo 805-305-5470 madonnainn.com

Margarita Adventures 22719 El Camino Real Santa Margarita 805-438-3120 margarita-adventures.com

Meathead Movers, Inc. 3600 S. Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-269-6105 meatheadmovers.com

Mike’s Shoes

487 Madonna Rd. #3 San Luis Obispo 805-547-9593 mikesshoessanluisobispo.com

Moondoggies Beach Club SLO

837 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo 805-541-1995 moondoggiesbeachclub.com

Moondoggies Beach Club Pismo

781 Dolliver St. Pismo Beach 805-773-1995 moondoggiesbeachclub.com

Morro Bay Maritime Museum 1210 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-225-5044 morrobaymaritime.org

Mustang Waterpark 6840 Lopez Dr. Arroyo Grande 805-489-8898 mustangwaterpark.com

NatureTrack Foundation P.O. Box 953 Los Olivos 805-866-2047 naturetrack.org

DIRECTORY continued page 62

Supporting Central Coast State Parks Since 1976

Become a Friend of CCSPA and Support our Local State Parks

Become a Friend of CCSPA and Support our Local State Parks

Stay • Dine • Celebrate & Explore With a Million Dollar View

2790 Broad St. San Luis Obispo 805-546-8699 hfhsloco.org

Madonna Inn Trail Rides

1960 Ramada Drive, Paso Robles, CA

(805) 591-4463

www.deltarv.biz www.deltaliquidenergy.com

Stay • Dine • Celebrate & Explore With a Million Dollar View Call for Reservations 1.888.584.6374 cetralcoastparks.org www.raggedpointinn.com

SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 61

Gear Hub

Gear Hub NECESSITIES from page 60

LAYERING from page 62

Tent Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 ($370) This tent is pricey, but hear me out: I bought it on sale with REI Co-op Member rewards. Weighing in at 2 pounds, 3 ounces, this three-season tent with lots of storage pockets for your necessities is spacious and airy. The Tiger Wall UL2 is the lightest two-door, two-vestibule tent that Big Agnes makes, and—this is a huge plus—the tent stakes won’t bend as you try to put them in the dirt.

Sleeping bag Mountain Hardwear ($100 to $480) Mountain Hardwear makes a variety of down sleeping bags that can keep you comfortable in weather down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. I purchased a 15-degrees bag, because the 40-degrees bag I had didn’t keep me warm enough on cold summer nights in the mountains. But everyone’s temperature gauge is different. I love this bag because it’s cozy, soft, and packs down small.

Sleeping pad Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite ($180 to $230) The only downside to this sleeping pad (other than the price) is it can be a little noisy. The ultralight pad, depending on what size you purchase, weighs between 8.3 ounces and 17 ounces. It’s comfortable, just thick enough, and keeps you warm. Plus it packs down small, and— get this—the valve toggles for one-way inflation to keep it full of air as you take deep breaths to blow it up.

Business Directory

To get your business listed here or to get more information about the Get Outside business director y email advertising@newtimesslo.com BUSINESS DIRECTORY from page 61 Neurogenesis Neurofeedback

6627 Bay Laurel Pl. Avila Beach 805-748-2239 neurogenesisnfb.com

Point San Luis Lighthouse

PO Box 308 Avila Beach 805-540-5771 pointsanluislighthouse.org

O’Connor Pest Control Ragged Point Inn Serving Paso Robles to Santa Ynez 805-925-8711 oconnorcentralcoast.com

Pacific Energy

2121 Santa Barbara St. San Luis Obispo 805-544-4700 alteryourenergy.com

Pediatric Medical Group 1430 E. Main St. #201 Santa Maria 805-922-3548 mypmgonline.com

Pismo Beach Parks & Recreation 760 Mattie Rd. Pismo Beach 805-773-7063 pismobeach.org

19019 Hwy 1 Ragged Point 805-927-5652 raggedpointinn

San Luis Obispo Rowing Club

4695 Santa Margarita Lake Rd. Santa Margarita 805-459-8874 slorc.org

Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce PO Box 1738 Santa Ynez 805-350-8517 santainezchamber.org

Shoreline Concrete Santa Maria 805-260-7169 805concrete.com

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Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter

St. Joseph High School The Berry Stop

SLO Axe Co LLC

Sun Buggy

SLO County Parks & Recreation

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort

PO Box 15755 San Luis Obispo 805-543-8717 sierraclub.org

San Luis Obispo 805-439-1004 sloaxeco.com

1144 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo 805-781-4385 slocountyparks.org

SLO Sportsmen’s Association 3270 Gilardi Rd San Luis Obispo 805-541-3338 slosa.org

SLOCOG / Rideshare Public Information 1114 Marsh St. San Luis Obispo 805-781-4462 slocog.org

Solarponics 4700 El Camino Real Atascadero 805-466-5595 solarponics.com

4120 S. Bradley Rd. Santa Maria 805-937-2038 sjhsknights.com

Hwy 101 E. Stowell Santa Maria 805-714-6933

The Homestead

105W. Clark Ave Pismo Beach/Oceano State Park Old Orcutt 805-287-9891 805-244-9721 thehomesteadoldorcutt.com sunbuggy.net

1215 Avila Beach Dr. San Luis Obispo 805-595-7302 sycamoresprings.com

Taco Temple 2680 Main St. Morro Bay 805-235-5932 tacotemple.com

Taco Temple

1575 Calle Joaquin San Luis Obispo 805-439-2856 tacotemple.com

That’s Fetch

3564 Skyway Dr. Santa Maria 805-361-0802 thatsfetch805.com

The Mortgage House 1103 Toro St. San Luis Obispo 805-782-6999 themortgagehouse.com

The Mountain Air 667 Marsh St. San Luis Obispo 805-543-1676 themountainair.com

Tired Tails 440 Luzen St. Morro Bay 805-441-2593 tiredtails.com

Van Curaza Surf School

80 San Francisco St. Avila Beach 805-543-7873 vancurazasurfschool.com

Vista Lago Adventure Park

6820 Lopez Dr Arroyo Grande 805-710-7970 vistalagoadventurepark.com

Western Village Health Club 2015 S. Broadway (Ste.B) Santa Maria 805-348-1888 wvhealthclub.com

Williams Homes williamshomes.com

Windermere Central Coast

1446 Spring St., Suite 105 Paso Robles 805-226-4100 windermerecentralcoast.com

Windermere Central Coast - Jerris Greenblat

1446 Spring St., Suite 105 Paso Robles 805-215-6999 windermerecentralcoast.com

Windermere Central Coast - John & Karin

1446 Spring St., Suite 105 Paso Robles 805-226-4100 windermerecentralcoast.com

ASK ABOUT BUILDER INCENTIVES!

Good Life THE

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Come explore and find your dream home today! Newly available options are ready to purchase!

Start living the San Luis Obispo lifestyle you’ve dreamed of in one of our exceptional communities at San Luis Ranch. Be sure to check out all of our featured homes and special Builder Incentives when you buy now! Stop by to tour or call to schedule an appointment!

Beautifully distinctive 3 to 4 bedroom single-family homes – some with additional housing units.

From the high $700,000s 800 291 0913 heirloom@williamshomes.com

A stunning collection of farmhouse inspired townhomes.

3 Bedrooms | 3.5 Baths | 1,346 Sq Ft From the high $600,000s 800 686 0316 fig@williamshomes.com

Studio and one-bedroom dwellings for multimodal living.

407 – 516 Sq Ft From the low $400,000s 800 686 0315 harvestlofts@williamshomes.com

1675 Dalidio Drive • San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

WILLIAMSHOMES.com

*Brokers/Realtors please register your clients prior to their first visit to the community in order to be eligible for a cooperation fee. Please see Community Manager for specific details. All information provided herein, including pricing, square footages, home features, and community amenities, is Preliminary and subject to change without prior notice or obligation. Models shown do not reflect racial preference. Renderings are an artist’s conception.

SUMMER/FALL 2022 Get Outside 63 Copyright © 2022 Williams Homes. All rights reserved. Williams Homes is a California Broker License #01449126. Equal housing opportunity.

64 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2022