Get Outside - Summer/Fall 2023

THE CENTRAL COAST GUIDE TO EVERYTHING OUTSIDE

Summer/Fall 2023

FEATURES

California Coastal Trail Beaver habitat Where to rock climb Morro Bay’s Ironman La Purísima Mission

+

TRAILBLAZING OUTDOOR KITCHEN GEAR HUB

Public pathway California envisions a braided trail network that allows access to the state’s entire 1,250-mile coastline [24]

BY CAMILLIA LANHAM

NOW WITH TWO SHOWROOMS TO SERVE YOU

805.544.9133 or visit slmarble.com Bring your dreams to life with

Natural Stone Quartz Tile Retailer Fabricator Counter Installer

San Luis Marble

Contact our expert team for personalized assistance with your countertop or tile project. Family owned and operated, we have proudly serviced the Central Coast and Valley for over 35 years.

San Luis Obispo

5452 Edna Rd. | Showroom & Slab Yard

Santa Maria

914 W. Betteravia Rd. | Showroom & Fabrication

FREE IN-HOME CONSULTATION

M O D E R N • C L A S S I C • J E W E L R Y

11 2 8

G A R D E N

S T R E E T

S A N

L U I S

O B I S P O

W W W . B A X T E R M O E R M A N . C O M

Contents

SUMMER/FALL 2023

New to you

V

ariety is the spice of outdoor life. Isn’t that what “they” say? Everywhere I look on the Central Coast, there’s something new going on—whether it’s an event or sport or place to be and see. In this summer/fall issue, we talk about a trail that aims to connect Oregon to Mexico along 1,250 miles of the coast and what is happening to complete segments closer to home. We also take you rock climbing, check out Morro Bay’s Ironman 70.3, learn how to make a backyard pizza oven, and find out what the local beavers are doing. You can read about the shortest hike around with the best view, where to learn about sheep shearing and being a mountain man, the 411 on rowing, and how to prep for a festival. This issue is full of new and different things! So get to reading.

Camillia Lanham editor

ON THE COVER The California Coastal Trail makes its way along the shore from Mexico to Oregon. Although, it’s far from complete, SLO County has many segments of the trail, including at Morro Bay Strand State Beach.

cover design by Alex Zuniga • cover photo by Jayson Mellom

6

12

Trailblazing Black Hill Open space safety

6 8

24

Features

Outdoor Kitchen DIY pizza oven Canned adult beverages

12 20

58

California Coastal Trail Beaver habitat Where to rock climb Morro Bay’s Ironman La Purísima Mission

24 34 40 46 52

Gear Hub Festival wear The rowers club

58 60

GO Business Directory

61

Summer/Fall 2023

THE CENTRAL COAST GUIDE TO EVERYTHING OUTSIDE Publishers Bob Rucker Alex Zuniga Editor Camillia Lanham Associate Editor Andrea Rooks Contributors Taylor O’Connor Peter Johnson Glen Starkey Adrian Rosas

Caleb Wiseblood Photographer Jayson Mellom Graphic Designers Eva Lipson Mary Grace Flaus Ellen Fukumoto Ikey Ipekjian Advertising Katy Gray Drew Gilmore Jennifer Herbaugh

Kimberly Rosa Lee Ann Vermeulen Business office Cindy Rucker Michael Antonette Michael Gould Get Outside is published and distributed throughout Northern Santa Barbara County and San Luis

Obispo County twice a year.

1010 Marsh St. San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805) 546-8208 www.newtimesslo.com Get Outside © 2023

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

A New Times publication

805·547·9593 SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 5

Trailblazing

Shortest hike, best view Morro Bay’s Black Hill is accessible to almost anyone STORY BY GLEN STARKEY

I

T c

PHOTOS BY JAYSON MELLOM

don’t know how your knees are doing, but now that I’m in my 60s, mine have mostly been mocking me and threatening to fold up like cheap card tables if I ask too much of them. Yet, I still like to get my walks in, and I also like those walks to offer some spectacular views. If you’re looking for a short and not too

taxing hike that will reward you with sweeping views of the coast from Los Osos, the back bay, the estuary, Morro Bay harbor, Morro Rock, and right up to Cayucos, Black Hill in Morro Bay State Park is the hike for you.

It’s easy to get to. Drive into the state park like you’re heading to the Morro Bay Golf Course. Not

far from the clubhouse, you’ll see a service road heading northeast with a gate that says, “Closed from 6 p.m. until 7 a.m.” Take the road and it will deposit you in a little parking lot at the base of Black Hill. You’ll see the trailhead and a wooden kiosk with signage reminding you to leash your dog, avoid poison oak, and follow Roger

Racoon’s visitor tips.

Head up the trail, which travels through what’s called Fleming’s Forest, a bunch of Monterey pines planted by former Park Superintendent John Fleming.

There are a few switchbacks, but I’m not going to lie: There are some steep sections that might have you huffi ng and puffi ng.

o g H n I H f R D t

Adventure Awaits!

Zipline Tours · Wildlife & Humvee tours New! Escape Room · Team building · Winetasting Margarita-adventures.com · 805.438.3120

@MargaritaAdventures

6 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

03 Trailblazing_Black GO SF23 64.indd 6 Hill.indd 6

6/22/23 6/23/23 12:31 1:06 PM

03 Trai

Custom fabricated steel structures designed to fit your specific needs Take a rest. There’s no shame in catching your breath.

All told, the roundtrip trail is only .6 miles, and your elevation gain is a mere 190 feet. Black Hill—the second to last of the nine Morros that stretch from Islay Hill in San Luis Obispo down Highway I to Morro Rock—is 661 feet tall, a bit taller than Morro Rock’s 578-foot volcanic plug.

Depending on your fitness level, the whole hike only takes about

15 minutes, but slow down, Turbo, because once you get to the top, you’re going to want to linger. It’s beautiful up there.

Aside from the coast, there are beautiful views of the golf course as well as down the valley toward San Luis Obispo. Outcroppings of volcanic pillow rock offer spots to take in the vistas. Feeling ambitious? Other trails farther down Black Hill can lengthen your hike, so go get ’em, Tiger.

AG • Commercial • Winery

Your Local Source For Ready Made Concrete Mix Flagstone · Boulders · Bark & Wood Chips · Cobblestone Aggregate & Sand · Decorative Gravel · Topsoils, Soil Amendments & Blends · Belgard Pavers & Wall Blocks

Family owned & operated for 45 years

Constructors of Outstanding Steel Structures Stop by today or call for more information!

445 Prado Road, San Luis Obispo 805-595-DIRT (3478) · cclandscapeproducts.com

(805) 238-6801 • NunnoSteel.com sales@nunnosteel.com •

@nunnosteel

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 7

Trailblazing

Avoid disaster

San Luis Obispo emergency responders urge caution on city trails but are trained and equipped to rescue if crisis strikes STORY BY PETER JOHNSON

I

n his 11 years on the San Luis Obispo County Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team, Armando Gutierrez has seen the spectrum of disasters on local trails, like San Luis Obispo’s Bishop Peak.

There are lost hikers who veer off-trail; runners who break an ankle and can’t hike down; rock climbers who fall catastrophic distances; summit trekkers who lose their balance while taking photos on boulders—and the list goes on.

“I’ve been on many different calls over the years,” Gutierrez said. “When I came on the team in 2011 or 2012, there was an incident [on Bishop Peak] at night in the rain—so we had no helicopter support. That operation took six

Stay on the trail

One of the surest ways to avoid getting injured or needing rescue in open space is to stay on the trail, according to Blattler.

“I don’t think we have the exact stats on the number of people rescued that were on trail versus off trail, but I would say the vast majority of the rescues that occur are for people who wander off trail,” Blattler said.

“That’s one of the key messages we want to get out.”

Just a few months ago, Gutierrez’s team and a CHP helicopter extricated a hiker on Bishop Peak who’d gone off trail “really, really far into the brush.” Gutierrez noted that your risk of injury goes up substantially when off trail.

“Everything that’s significant [in terms of injury and rescue] is off trail,” he said. “It’s the bouldering, it’s the rock climbing, it’s the getting lost.”

All official trails offer signage and maps at the trailhead.

Blattler advised not to hike in the dark (which is illegal on SLO trails except for Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve), as the poor visibility only increases your odds of getting lost.

PREPPING FOR LIFT OFF San Luis Obispo emergency crews prepare to hook a cable to a lost Bishop Peak hiker as part of a recent helicopter rescue.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SLO FIRE DEPARTMENT

hours because of the location and the technicality of not being able to just hoist them out. It was a really complex call.”

While not every mission is so technical and challenging, 911 calls from SLO open spaces do come in regularly. According to city data, over the past five years, the USAR team logged more than 100 individual rescues. About a quarter required the help of a California Highway Patrol helicopter—with many of those dispatched to the 1,546-foot Bishop Peak.

Gutierrez recalled two particularly harrowing Bishop Peak rescues of climbers who had plunged long distances while scaling the mountain’s “P Wall.”

“Those are significant heights— people that fall there are falling

8 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

from 50, 60 feet,” Gutierrez said. “The amount of trauma is significant, and it takes technical rescue to even get to the location they usually land. We’re using ropes and rappelling. We have to hike to the very top and rappel down to their location. That took hours and hours to get them out. Luckily, we were able to fly them out. They made it and had successful outcomes.”

In a city that enjoys more than 4,000 acres of greenbelt and 55 miles of trails, some amount of risk in open space is inevitable. But Gutierrez and SLO Fire Department Emergency Manager James Blattler emphasized that many of the predicaments they see and respond to can be avoided by taking precautions.

Be careful taking photos

SLO County is so gorgeous it can be a hazard. Gutierrez said that one common scenario for injuries and rescues in open spaces is hikers trying to take photos and losing their balance.

“It’s a beautiful landscape and background for pictures, so a lot of the significant injuries are people taking pictures, falling, and then when they fall, they’re not falling 2 to 3 feet, they’re falling 15 to 20 feet onto some other boulders,” he said. “So you have significant trauma that occurs.”

BISHOP PEAK continued page 10

Welcome to Freedom

Must be 21 or older. Gambling problem? Call 1.800.GAMBLER.

Don’t drink and hike

It may seem obvious, but it is a bad idea to consume any alcohol before or during a hike. Doing so can not only lead to a costly citation from park rangers or the police, but serious injury on the trail.

“Possession or consumption of

Know your limits—and the consequences of pushing them MISSION ACCOMPLISHED Dusty Renner, a SLO fire captain and Urban Search and Rescue team member, watches as a hiker is hoisted into a helicopter during a successful rescue on Bishop Peak.

BISHOP PEAK from page 8

Bring water, a phone, and a friend

Dehydration and heat exhaustion are two common emergencies that can result in a rescue. So Blattler and Gutierrez urged trail users to bring a water bottle on their hikes.

“If it’s hot, we’ll get calls for medical heat-related emergencies,

so make sure you’re drinking plenty of water,” Blattler said.

Blattler added a cellphone and a friend to the list of what to bring to open spaces. Proper shoes and gear— like a helmet for rock climbing— are also recommended.

Voted BEST FISHING CHARTER

of SLO County 2023

3�t� A�N�A� R�A�E�S P�L�

2�2� C�U�T�

If you need a rescue, don’t panic

In the event of an emergency, the SLO County USAR team is well-trained to respond. In recent years, the team has worked hard to become better prepared and equipped for quicker rescues, according to Gutierrez, who leads the team.

While in years past, the USAR

their comfort zone, and that’s not what you want to do when you’re in an area where it might take well over an hour to receive care,” Blattler said.

“It can be a significant amount of time for our rescuers to get out there and help people off the mountain.

Just be aware of your surroundings and aware of the consequences if something were to go wrong.” team struggled to meet the “golden hour” standard for bringing an injured hiker from a trail to a hospital, the city recently purchased an off-road utility vehicle (UTV) and electric mountain bikes that expedite response times.

“In our experience, the best treatment is to get a patient off the mountain quickly,” Gutierrez said. “Our industry standard for

Have Frisbee...

Will Travel!

W�N�E�

• Collars & Leashes

Sportfishing Charters Whale Watching Burials at Sea Private Charters Available Full-service Bait & Tackle Shop

• Barkery Items: Cookies, Donuts & Treats

• Harnesses

• Travel Bowls & Bags

• Tough Toys

• Supplements

• Fresh Petuccinos & Canine Cuisine

• Toys

• Human-Grade & SpecialNeeds Foods

Under New Ownership

Lisa & Ron Casey

Trail users often forget that they are an hour or more away from getting care if something goes wrong, Blattler said. With that in mind, he urged locals to know their limits and to keep in mind the results of pushing them too far.

“A lot of people might step out of

alcohol is unlawful out there on the open space lands.

And there’s a reason for that,” Blattler said. “I definitely don’t recommend that. It’s not only unlawful but unsafe.”

VirgsLanding.com (805) 772-1222

1169 Market Ave, Morro Bay

10 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

(805) 361-0802 3564 Skyway Dr. Santa Maria

ThatsFETCH805.com

Trailblazing the best possible outcome is to get that patient from the time that injury occurs to an operating room in an hour. That’s why we go to a helicopter most often on Bishop Peak—because we can’t afford to have somebody on the mountain an extra hour for us to hike them down.”

Gutierrez said that the addition of the UTV shaves about a halfhour off the time it takes for crews to reach a patient on Bishop Peak.

“Before, we’d hike from the ground all the way up, so even a significant patient that maybe had some significant injuries would take two or three hours to get off the mountain,” he said.

The team trains regularly with partner agencies—CHP, Cal Fire, and neighboring county departments—to be prepared for any open space rescue scenario.

“We cross train on a lot of disciplines,” he said. “I will coordinate a lot of the training with CHP directly. When you’re sending somebody 1,000 feet in the air [in a helicopter], there’s no room for error.”

Every open space rescue is unique, but a CHP helicopter is

usually the fastest solution in the event of serious injury.

“I’ve probably been directly inserted [to a patient by helicopter] probably about four or five times in the past three or four years,” Gutierrez said. “Other times, they’ll just drop some equipment off to us once we’re at the patient, and then they’ll hoist directly from that location. They’ll hover above, wait until we’re done with operations, and then pull the patient up from their cable.”

While the city fire department does not charge individuals for their rescue services, ambulance bills can be exorbitant. And rescues do draw city resources away from other potential emergencies, so Blattler urged locals to be careful on their adventures.

“It definitely does take up a lot of time and resources. Say we have a rescue going on, and a structure fire happens, then it’s going to pull resources out of the area, and it just draws down on our ability to continue to provide service,” Blattler said. “We really stress the safety portion of it.”

Say I Do...Anywhere Say I Do… Anywhere

VOTED BEST WATER SPORTS COMPANY of SLO County 3 Years in a Row!

aDVentUre aWaIts Come Explore the

DInosaUr CaVes!

SALES • TOURS • RENTALS • KAYAK FISHING • CAMPS & CLASSES

New! e-BIKe toUrs In aVIla BeaCh & PIsmo BeaCh

Central Coast

KaYaKs

1879 Shell Beach Rd. 805-773-3500 Established 1922

1140 E. Clark Ave, Santa Maria · (805) 925-1678 · www.melbys.com

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 11

Outdoor Kitchen

Backyard yard pizza

DIY For about 300 bucks and your labor, you could have your own oven STORY BY GLEN STARKEY PHOTOS BY JAYSON MELLOM

A

s a starting place, can we all agree that pizza is the perfect food? Depending on your ingredients, it’s an ideal balance of carbs, fat, and protein.

It’s easy to make and easy to share, and it’s universally enjoyed.

One survey found 98 percent of Americans eat pizza, and 54 percent say they “love” it. Millions even claim they’d want pizza for their last meal.

You know what else Americans love? Entertaining and backyard barbecuing. Now imagine that instead of burgers off the grill, your next gathering would serve Naplesstyle woodfired pizza straight from an oven in your backyard. You can do it. San Luis Obispo residents Chuck and Amy Maxie did, spending about $300 on materials to create their own backyard pizza oven.

There are a few steps and some drying time for materials to harden, but it’s easier than you may think.

Step one is to find a flat place you can build a base from cinder blocks, which the Maxies bought locally

from Air Vol Block on Suburban Road in SLO. Next is to acquire an inflatable exercise ball, probably the 65 centimeter size, though the standard 52 centimeter will work—about $10 to $20. You’ll need to build a frame for the ball, which acts as the form for your oven’s dome. The frame should be something flat and rigid but easy to cut, like 3/4-inch plywood.

“You just measure and cut the

12 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

frame to rest the ball in,” Amy explained.

Use a string and pencil to draw the correct diameter circle, one the ball can’t fall through. Drill a small pilot hole at the edge of the circle and use a jigsaw to cut it out. Use your cinder blocks to hold the frame up so the bottom of the ball is hanging out of the bottom of the hole.

You’ll also need to build a little rectangular frame for the opening of the oven as well as a chimney

to vent the fi re—the Maxies used a coffee can. Once you’ve got the frame for your oven, cover it all in plastic wrap to keep the outer material—in this case a mix of vermiculite and cement—from sticking to the ball, and then wearing plastic or rubber gloves, mud it up.

“We kept popping it on until it was thick enough,” Chuck said.

DIY PIZZA OVEN continued page 14

F

UN

DED IN 1 97

1

O

EV

ID

25

E

JULY 22-29 EN

TS C O U NT

SCOTT YOO | MUSIC DIRECTOR

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ALL 25 EVENTS VISIT FESTIVALMOZAIC.ORG

YW

Outdoor Kitchen

Outdoor Kitchen

DIY PIZZA OVEN from page 12

The OG of Neapolitan pizza

Dough for two 10- to 12-inch pizzas 2 cups of “00” flour 1/8 teaspoon of active dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt 3/4 cup of 110-degree water Toppings 3 medium San Marzano or Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes 2 balls of moist fior di latte or mozzarella di bufala cheese 12 leaves of fresh basil olive oil drizzle Simple, fresh, and delicious, the Margherita pizza is the classic pizza created in Napoli, Italy, and if you’re making backyard woodfired pizzas, it’s a must-try.

To do it right, make your own dough using soft wheat “00” flour from Italy. You need two bowls. In one, lightly coat with olive oil and add the warm water (110 degrees), dry yeast, and sugar. In another bowl,

S U M M E R

combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the flour and pour in the yeast mixture, and use a fork to pull the dry into the wet, then mix. As the dough starts to rise, knead until it’s a little tacky, then cover it in the oiled bowl and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size in an hour or two.

Divide it into smaller balls, cover them in a damp cloth, and let them

rest. Overnight in the fridge is A-OK. When your oven is hot, use your fingers to make a dough ball into a roundish flat shape, and now it’s time for the pizza toppings. Margherita is made with fresh ingredients: straight from the vine pureed San Marzano or Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes, moist fior di latte or mozzarella di bufala cheeses.

C O N C E R T

S E R I E S

Saturdays IN THE PARK

SERIES SPONSOR

Take your peel, slide the pizza in your oven, and watch it closely. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to be a bubbling, browned, beautiful culinary delight, and if you suffer from gluten intolerance, many people report the Italian “00” flour doesn’t bother their stomachs. After baking, add just-picked basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

DIY PIZZA OVEN continued page 16

June 17th The JD Project (Rock, Blues & Country)

July 1st Club Dv8 (80’s Dance/Rock)

July 8th The Rockin’ Bs Band (Country, Rock & Dance Music)

July 22nd Riff Tide

ATASCADERO LAKE PARK BANDSTAND SATURDAYS 6:30-8:30 Bring a low back chair!

Food available for purchase!

(Surf Rock, Funk & Soul)

July 29th Way Out West (Country & Rock)

August 5th Unfinished with the Beatles (Beatles Tribute)

August 12th Painted Red Music

Concerts Are Free And Open To The Public!

(Classic Rock)

Visitatascadero.com

PRESENTING SPONSORS:

14 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

GRIGGER & ALICE JONES

August 26th The Cinders Blues Band (Blues)

Outdoor Kitchen

Outdoor Kitchen

It’s important to have a good metal peel to get the pies in and out of the oven because the wood peels can burn. Chuck Maxie slides a pie toward the fire.

DIY PIZZA OVEN from page 14 At this point you might be thinking, Why? Why go through all the trouble.

“We wanted to have a project and thought it sounded like a good idea to be able to make pizzas in the backyard. We experienced real pizza ovens in Europe and loved it,” Chuck said.

Both are teachers at Crestview Elementary on Vandenberg Space Force Base. Amy teaches third grade and Chuck teaches physical education. They have two daughters. Summers off means

projects around the house, and this seemed like a great addition to their backyard space. Doing it yourself is also a lot less expensive than buying a commercially made wood fired pizza oven, which can run from around $300 for a cheapo one to $7,600 for the Piccolo 65 Italian Brick Pizza Oven that can be installed inside your home.

It weighs 900 pounds, but don’t worry. Shipping is free.

For those without 7.6K to burn, the Maxies’ project might be a good alternative. Once you have the oven shell all covered with the cement mix, it needs to dry for a couple of

16 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

weeks. The Maxies studied up for their project by watching YouTube videos. Once the dome is dry, you simply deflate the exercise ball and remove it and the plastic wrap, coffee can, and the box frame for the oven opening and voilà, a pizza oven.

So what would they do differently?

“I’d get better plywood to hold the ball and I’d make the base wider,” said Chuck. They used thin particle board, and when they were removing the dome from the ball, they discovered the base had warped DIY PIZZA OVEN continued page 18

Build it yourself shopping list: One 52- to 65-centimeter exercise ball One sheet 3/4-inch plywood One roll of plastic cling wrap One 3- to 4-inch diameter can One 60-pound bag of Portland cement One 4-cubic-foot bag of vermiculite 20 cinder blocks Two sheets of fireboard cut to size Between 50 and 60 firebricks

Thank you SLO County, we’re on top of the world!

3�t� A�N�A� R�A�E�S P�L�

Voted Best Dentist 2023 2�2� C�U�T�

W�N�E�

Outdoor Kitchen

DIY PIZZA OVEN from page 16 under the weight, leaving the bottom of the oven dome uneven.

On top of the cinder blocks, the Maxies used two sheets of fireboard and a layer of fire bricks, which is the surface the pizzas will directly cook on. They purposely didn’t mortar the base together in case they decided to disassemble and move it later.

All told, the Maxies’ oven used 20 cinder blocks, two sheets of fireboard, and between 50 and 60 firebricks.

Once they transferred the dome to the base, they needed more cement to adhere the dome in place (and fix any uneven spots).

After curing again, they started with a small fire to look for places other than the chimney where the

NEW TACK STORE Saddle Up to Savings!

• English/Western • Riding Attire • Grooming Supplies Casual/Show • 4H/FFA Supplies • Arena Obstacles

Behind the Barn Consignment -Tack & Supply-

Always Accepting Consignments!

M-F 11:30 - 6 • Sat. 10-2

4785 Traffic 4785 Traffic Way Unit EWay, Unit E, Atascadero

BehindTheBarnConsignment.com Atascadero, Ca 93422 | behindthebarnconsignment@hotmail.com

behindthebarnconsignment@hotmail.com (805) 464-2072 805-464-2072

18 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

smoke was escaping, and they filled the holes with more cement. It’s a process, but if you do it right, your oven should last for years and years.

Once your oven is done and ready to fire up, it will reach temperatures of up to 800 degrees and bake a pizza in two to four minutes.

Getting the fire right is the “hardest part,” Chuck admits. “You know when the fire’s ready when it’s so hot it won’t smoke. It’s wild.”

Oak, hickory, ash, maple, olive, beech, alder, pecan, and cherry wood are good options, especially kiln dried. Most sources list oak as the best.

When you’re ready to go for it, place a couple of logs leaning upright in the very back of the oven and start a small fire near the front opening under the chimney. Once the front fire is really going, push it to the back of the oven, and the logs should fall into it and start burning. Add wood as necessary to get it really hot, and as soon as it stops smoking, slide in your first pizza and give it a go.

“It’s not pretty, but it works,” Chuck joked. He wants to eventually finish their oven with marbles or tile, but for now, it’s time to eat.

NOW AT THE HUB!

FULL SERVICE RECORDING STUDIO

BY THE BAY

Go FOR THE Gold

Visit Our New Krobar Tasting Room 1701 Monterey St SLO

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS 2012-2022

GIN · VODKA · BOURBON · RYE · MALT WHISKEY Rob Vermeulen of Robbo Music welcomes musicians, bands, singers and vocal talents to Morro Bay on the Central Coast of California where music is hand crafted, home grown and full of heart.

Robbomusic.com gowestmusicgroup.com

(805) 801-9841

info@robbomusic.com

Distillery Tours • Spirit Flights Craft Cocktail Bar • Food

NOW AT THE HUB 1701 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo See website for hours: KrobarDistillery.com | @KrobarCraftDistillery SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 19

Outdoor Kitchen

Sip outside Central Coast-made wine and spirits made to take outdoors

BY TAYLOR O’CONNOR

T

here’s nothing like cracking open a drink while camping or at the beach, but it can be hard to find anything other than beers or seltzers in outdoor-friendly containers.

However, a few companies are shifting gears to more eco-friendly packaging that’s also conducive to bringing wine and spirits outdoors.

Rod and Hammer’s canned whiskey cocktails A part of SLO Brewing Company, Rod and Hammer’s SLO Stills is a whiskey-focused distillery that has been around since 2019 and offers whiskey cocktails in a can.

“They are carbonated so they are refreshing and ready to drink— served on ice or chilled out of a

bitters, and cane sugar for the old fashioned, and the Manhattan has the vermouth,” Kerr said.

Rod and Hammer’s products are available at its tasting room, located at 855 Aerovista Place, San Luis Obispo, or at Albertsons, Vons, and Total Wine. The canned cocktails start at $18 for a four-pack. Call (844) 756-7845 or visit rodandhammer.com for more information.

Sipwell canned wines

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROD AND HAMMER’S

can,” said Brian Kerr, SLO Brewing’s marketing director.

Rod and Hammer’s 22-proof beverages put a twist on popular cocktails including its Whiskey Paloma, Whiskey Mai Thai, Whiskey Margarita, and Whiskey Mule, Kerr said.

The distillery also offers readyto-drink, 35-proof, bottled old fashioneds and Manhattans.

“People love this for camping. …

They are really good, you pour them over a rock and you’re ready to go. They have whiskey,

To improve sustainability and reduce wine production’s carbon footprint, Sipwell Wine Company—a femaleowned and operated business—sells canned wines, said Hilary Cocalis, Sipwell’s founder and chief go-getter.

The wines are made and canned in Paso Robles and its grapes are sourced from the Central Coast.

“Our wines are all made from organically farmed, certified sustainable grapes with zero sugars.

The goal of what we are trying to do is put quality wine in a can,” Cocalis said.

“I feel like people hesitate buying cans because it could reduce the quality of wine once it’s in a can, but we want to erase that stigma of canned wine being bad. We want to make sure people can have good wine, especially when

they’re outside.”

Sipwell’s five current releases are a sparkling white called Tiny Victories (albariño), a sparkling rosé called Rock Steady (a blend), a still rosé called Perfect Day (grenache), a pinot noir called High Point, and a sparkling red called Go-Getter (dolcetto grapes).

“If you are outside, you don’t need a corkscrew, they’re easy to pack in and pack out—which is great if you can’t have glass at specific locations,” Cocalis said.

Tiny Victories is Cocalis’ go-to for something to sip on during the day or after a long day of hiking because it’s bright and refreshing, she said. The pinot, she added, is

PHOTO COURTESY OF SIPWELL WINE CO.

very food friendly and pairs well with barbecue or campfire food.

Visit sipwell.co to order wines online—which run up from $42 and can CANNED COCKTAILS continued page 22

Take us on your next adventure!

Menu

1901 Broad Street, SLO

20 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

805-543-6700 • GiantGrinderSLO.com

The FountainPavilion is a beautifully remodeled facility at the Santa Maria Fairpark

• Intimate receptions & parties for 50 to 250 people

• Reasonable rental rates • Very accommodating packages • Warm paint color & wood flooring to accommodate your vision for the special occasion.

Also available:

• Two additional buildings to choose from – Park Plaza & The Convention Center • Venues for large weddings/ quinceaneras and parties for up to 800 people • SM Fairpark is easy for guests to locate and close proximity to hotels

Santa Maria Fairpark 937 S. Thornburg, Santa Maria (805) 925-8824 www.santamariafairpark.com

Outdoor Kitchen CANNED COCKTAILS from page 20 be ordered in six-packs or 12-packs.

Timbre Winery’s growlers

Explore & Experience

Downtown Paso Robles!

FRI NOV 24 : 37th ANNUAL LIGHTING CEREMONY

SAT AUG 19 : TRADING DAY

Vintage Buy/Sell/Trade Market and

KIDS’ FLEA MARKET

9am-3pm · Downtown City Park Vendors Needed

SAT SEP 16 : TASTE OF DOWNTOWN

Meet Mrs. Claus!

5:30pm · Downtown City Park

SAT DEC 2 : 62nd CHRISTMAS LIGHT PARADE ALL IS BRIGHT Santa comes to Paso Robles!

6pm · DTPR

Tickets: Call 805.238.4103 or My805Tix.com 11am-4pm · DTPR Restaurants

SAT OCT 21 : GOLDEN OAK HONEY & PUMPKIN FESTIVAL Kids’ Flea Market 10am-5pm · Downtown City Park Vendors call 805.238.4103

SAT NOV 11 : ELEGANT HOLIDAY EVENING

5-8pm · FREE: Merchants’ Holiday Open House

SAT DEC 9 : 37th ANNUAL VICTORIAN SHOWCASE

6-9pm · Music, Treats (and Scrooge!) on Vine Street

SAT DEC 16 : VICTORIAN TEDDY BEAR TEA

2-4pm · Park Ballroom Tickets: Kids $10, Adults $20 Call 805.238.4103 or My805Tix.com

PasoRoblesDowntown.org · 805.238.4103

Come enjoy the sunshine at FOXEN and The Shack!

Arroyo Grande-based Timbre Winery takes a different approach with selling wine by offering reusable bottles that can be refilled at the winery, owner and winemaker Josh Klapper said.

“Long story short, we got the idea from my dad who took a trip to Italy and he was in a village somewhere having lunch at a local winery/restaurant and saw locals come in with gallon water bottles, old milk bottles, and leaving with wine,” Klapper said.

Now, Timbre rotates three to six wines on tap every few months and people can purchase growlers from the winery and refill them for a discounted price.

“That’s what brings in locals, they stop in, fill their growler. Our tasting room is on the way to Lopez Lake. We have a lot of customers who will come into the tasting room, fill up their growler, and hit the road,” Klapper said. “We brought wine in growlers on my backpacking trip, and after that we used it to filter water into; it’s something that can be

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIMBRE WINERY

used again and again.”

The growlers are double-walled— similar to Hydro Flasks or other insulated bottles—and specifically designed for wine. When the wine is poured into the growler and sealed, it will stay good for days.

“You can take your favorite bottle of wine, you could throw it off a cliff and it will survive.” Klapper said.

“These are super strong, and you can take them anywhere and they will hold temperatures.”

Growlers cost about $30, and the first fill is free. Buy a growler at Timbre Winery’s tasting room, located at 225 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande. Call (805) 270-4308 or visit timbrewinery.com for more information.

Award Winning Bar & Restaurant since 2010 Full Service Indoor & Outdoor Dining

call for reservations

(805) 937-4251 Wines of Elegance & Balance Since 1985

7200 Shack: Open Fri-Sun only | 11am-4pm FOXEN: Open Daily by Reservations 7200 & 7600 Foxen Canyon Road | foxenvineyard.com 22 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

OPEN DAILY AT 11AM Bar open til midnight (1am Th-Sa) HAPPY HOUR EVERY DAY 3-6PM

1117 Chorro St., SLO 805.544.7433 BlackSheepSlo.com

ReStore Paso Robles

ReStore San Luis Obispo

844 9th St OPENING SOON!

2790 Broad St Tues - Sat, 10am - 5pm

BUILD with us

New homes under construction in Paso Robles.

Get involved today!

Give: www.habitatslo.org/donate/

Volunteer: habitatslo.org 805.782.0687

www.habitatslo.org/volunteer/

View from Avila Ridge Trail

Feature

See it, smell it, hear it

California has been trying to build a continuous trail along its coast since the 1970s STORY BY CAMILLIA LANHAM • PHOTOS BY JAYSON MELLOM

C

hances are, you’ve been on the California Coastal Trail without even realizing it.

If you could see the Pacific Ocean, smell the salty air, and/or hear the waves crash, your feet were likely touching the trail— but maybe you knew it by another name.

The wooden boardwalk above Moonstone Beach in Cambria. Point Buchon, which begins its windswept trek along coastal bluffs in Moñtana de Oro and makes its way between poppies onto PG&E’s Diablo Canyon property. The wide strip of sand that runs from Pismo Beach through the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. Surf Beach at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Each plays a role in completing the grand vision that California has been chasing for at least half a century: building an interconnected trail system that runs

24 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

the more than 1,200-mile length of the state’s coast from Oregon to Mexico.

“Every segment is a really great segment, and we want more segments, and we want the general public to get out there and use it,” said Linda Locklin, the California Coastal Commission’s Coastal Access program manager. “The Coastal Trail is not a single thread. It is a multistrand network trail.”

Since she started her role with the commission in 1990, one of Locklin’s tasks has been to help complete as many strands of that network as possible. The commission and three other state agencies are tasked with implementing the trail: Planning and permitting fall under the commission’s purview, she said, the State Coastal Conservancy provides grants and helps facilitate funding from other entities, State Parks owns about 25 percent of the coast,

and Caltrans is improving portions of the trail and building new segments as part of its projects.

The California Coastal Trail is roughly 70 percent complete, and filling in the remaining gaps is up to the state agencies, local governments, and nonprofits dedicated to the cause.

Stitching the trail along the last 30 percent will require perseverance and planning.

Locklin said the two biggest impediments are funding and privately owned land.

“We don’t have the money to build every segment of trail,” she said. “The law says that if someone wants to develop their private property, they need to get a permit from the Coastal Commission. And through that process, the Coastal Commission has a right to ask for mitigation.”

Those mitigation measures could include requiring public access to the coast and

Avila Ridge Trail easements that enable trail building. Cities, counties, and nonprofits can also acquire privately owned land to construct trail segments—but both processes take time, often years, to complete.

Portions of the Central Coast’s coastline will remain inaccessible to the public into the foreseeable future, such as Vandenberg Space Force Base between Point Sal and the Gaviota Coast north of Point Conception, as well as Diablo Canyon between Moñtana de Oro State Park and Point San Luis, and large stretches of Big Sur. “There are areas that are really challenging and will take decades or more—and Big Sur is one of them, just looking at the topography there and the private ownership,” Locklin said. “As opportunity comes up, we do our best in order to put in pieces of Coastal Trail.”

Every piece, she said, is significant.

“It may be 100 feet long or it may be 300 miles long,” Locklin said. “It provides an opportunity for anybody who wants to see and enjoy the coast, a place to walk and hike and sit on a bench to see our coastal property. It belongs to all of us.”

The long game As Locklin puts it, the state’s been “working” on the trail for “a really long time.”

In 1972, California voters passed Proposition 20, mandating that “a hiking, bicycle, and equestrian trails system shall be established along or near the coast” and “ideally the trails system should be continuous and located near the shoreline,” according to californiacoastaltrail.org. The proposition

Pismo Beach Promenade

established the California Coastal Commission, which the Legislature made a permanent state agency by passing the Coastal Act in 1976.

That act also emphasized the state’s commitment to allowing the public to access the coast, preserving coastal habitat and agricultural lands, and prioritizing coastal recreation. This includes mandating local governments in the state’s coastal zone to identify potential Coastal Trail alignments in their local coastal plans.

The trail gets highlighted more and more every decade, Locklin said. Legislation passed in the 2000s formalized the relationship between the commission, conservancy, State Parks, and Caltrans, including a 2007 bill from then Assemblymember John Laird.

Currently a state senator, Laird (D-Santa Cruz) has had the trail in mind for the duration of his time in public service, from the Santa Cruz City Council to the Legislature to being the state’s secretary of natural resources.

“You always have hobbies, you always have two to three things in the background that you’re always trying to move to the next step,” he said. “This is like one of those projects.”

During his time in office as a state senator, he aims to try to make as much progress as possible on different pieces of the Coastal Trail in his district, which includes Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties and parts of Monterey and Santa Clara counties.

“So we’ve been working on it,” Laird said. “I think California is a really special place, and we have to protect a Coastal Trail so we can protect it for generations to come.”

A significant chunk is Big Sur. In a March 2022 letter Laird sent to the Big Sur Coastal Trail

Working Group, he said that trail alignment through Big Sur was one of the issues he worked on as an Assembly member (2002 to 2008) that was still on the table when he was sworn into the Senate in 2020. Controversy over the trail alignment boiled down to a difference between what the Big Sur community wanted—a single track—and what state agencies envisioned—a larger network of trails.

“I am pleased to tell you that I believe we have a resolution,” he wrote.

The proposed resolution includes two parts.

The fi rst: agreement on a single alignment of the trail. The second will involve discussion with the U.S. Forest Service (Los Padres National Forest) and some private property owners.

“We will have to work together to ensure that the necessary amenities, whether they be restrooms in certain locations, signage, COASTAL TRAIL continued page 26

Map it out

MAP CREATED BY ALEX ZUNIGA USING THE COASTAL TRAIL INTERACTIVE MAP VIEWER

Find a California Coastal Trail segment near you by visiting the-california-coastal-trail-1-coastalcomm.hub.arcgis.com.

There you will find an interactive map that highlights where the trail exists and where it’s missing. Get Outside re-created this map of SLO and Santa Barbara counties using the Coastal Trail Interactive Map Viewer. Yellow and red signifies where segments of Coastal Trail exist and circles denote coastal access points.

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 25

Morro Bay Strand State Beach

Feature

COASTAL TRAIL from page 25 mapping, collateral, and basic trail development, provide for the clarity and safety of the trail,” Laird wrote.

“Getting to an agreement on this issue is no small victory. … [I] believe that this outcome is a good one for all local residents who have worked on this issue for so long.”

While the resolution is a start, the trail through Big Sur still has a long way to go.

A connector that closes a gap between trail segments in Morro Bay and Cayucos is a little closer to reality. As part of Laird’s budget priorities last year, he was able to secure $1.5 million for the Cayucos Land Conservancy to acquire 2,250 acres of land between the two SLO County towns. The land will create a new open space preserve for hiking, other recreation, low-cost camping, and trail connection to the beach.

Nick Franco, who recently retired from his post as the head of SLO County Parks and Recreation, said both the connector trail and the land acquisition are part of a larger project. The goals include building a safer bike route along but separate from Highway 1 that connects Morro Bay to Cayucos, allowing public access to and recreation in the canyon that once

belonged to Chevron, as well as protecting open space along the coast from development.

What it takes SLO County Parks and Recreation Planner Elizabeth Kavanaugh has spent 10 years working on the Morro Bay-Cayucos connector trail project. She said her predecessor also worked on it for about five years.

A 1.25-mile-long, 12 foot-wide, safe, multi-use strip of asphalt is slated to run from the North Point natural area on the north end of Morro Bay’s beach, across Toro Creek along the dog beach and highway, and connect to Studio Drive in

Hike • Kayak • Ride • Tours Concerts • Weddings all at the Point San Luis Lighthouse

Docent led tours Wednesdays and Saturdays year round Space is limited.

Reserve today by booking your tickets at pointsanluislighthouse.org

26 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

Cayucos. It will complete a 10-mile bike and pedestrian path—4 miles already exist in Cayucos and more than 5 in Morro Bay. “It’s going to be magnificent when it’s built. Just the views and the vistas. It’s crazy out there. It’s so pretty,” she said. “It will also be ADA accessible.”

The longest and hardest part, she said, was acquiring the land to build the trail, which belonged to Chevron on the east and west sides of Highway 1. It’s always the main hurdle to building trails, she added.

“We have to get permission from every single person who that trail traverses through. So getting all the landowners to say yes is a big,

hard, long process,” Kavanaugh said. “Getting the owners to be willing to have a trail on their site is a big, big challenge.”

After completing an environmental impact report on the project in 2010, going through the federal environmental review process, applying for grants to fund the project, and coming to an agreement with Chevron, the county received a $7.4 million grant in 2022 from the California Transportation Commission to build the trail. It took coordination between the county, Caltrans, the city of Morro Bay, the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, and COASTAL TRAIL continued page 28

The premiere high school on the Central Coast of California with 100% of students meeting California’s college requirements.

See what makes us different.

Traditional Affordable Christ-centered Rigorous Don’t you want a school that mirrors your family’s values in the classroom?

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 27 www.sjhsknights.com

Cayucos Dog Beach

COASTAL TRAIL from page 26 other state and local agencies and nonprofits to get to this point.

“Having the land acquired and then having the money to construct really kind of lit a fire under the project. And now we’re going through Coastal Commission review,” Kavanaugh said, adding that she expects construction to start in late 2024/early 2025.

“Believe it or not, that’s a pretty good timeline to build trails.”

Once complete, pedestrians could choose to walk on the beach that connects Morro Bay to Cayucos or on the paved pathway, and bicyclists will be able to travel safely between the two.

Tim Duff, a Coastal Trail project manager for the California Coastal Conservancy who focuses on the SLO County portion of the trail, said the connector trail is probably the most exciting project that’s got funding and is heading to construction.

“I guess we could call it closing a gap in the Coastal Trail,” Duff said.

“That’s super exciting.”

Other opportunities, he said, lie within the State Parks system: Hearst San Simeon State Park has miles of shoreline on the west side of Highway 1. A 3-mile portion north of Piedras Blancas lighthouse is closer

to Coastal Trail reality than the rest. As part of the realignment of Highway 1, Duff said, Caltrans and State Parks agreed to build a trail along the bluffs.

“They don’t have the funding they need,” Duff said of State Parks.

“That’s an opportunity that’s been there for 15 years, and there hasn’t been a whole lot done to open it up to the public. So we’re working with them to get some funding.”

He sees the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area as another opportunity. The park is tied up in litigation over a Coastal Commission decision that bans vehicles from the state park.

Although people can currently walk the sand from Pismo Beach all the way to Point Sal, it’s not necessarily

The Sierra Club Needs You! Become an Outings Leader

Feature

safe. If vehicles can no longer drive on the beach, Duff said agencies could work together to improve public access—such as building restrooms, more parking areas and ingress from Highway 1, and boardwalk trails.

“The Coastal Trail encompasses all different types of trails, whether it be a sandy beach or an undeveloped bluff top or even an urban waterfront, those are all pieces of the Coastal Trail,” Duff said. “While the goal is to string together a continuous 1,250 miles of Coastal Trail, for the typical visitor, they just want to be able to park their car on or near the beach, fi nd a restroom, and enjoy a walk on the beach or blufftop.”

Impediments In southern Santa Barbara County, Caltrans is building restrooms, parking areas, and closing Coastal Trail gaps as part of a Highway 101 widening project.

Caltrans District 5 Project Manager David Emerson said that it’s a 10mile corridor being widened in 2 mile chunks.

“And we’re basically building sections of the Coastal Trail that align with what we’re building,” he said. “In some cases, we get the funding, design the trail, and build it. … In some cases, the local agency takes over the design and build.”

A good example, Emerson said, is the Santa Claus Lane bike COASTAL TRAIL continued page 30

Authorized Concessioner to

The Channel Islands National Park HIKE • KAYAK • CAMP

v Lead hikes and camping trips v Introduce others to nature Photo by: Chuck Graham

v Explore the outdoors v Make new friends v Protect the environment v Get healthy exercise

Photo by: Lotti Keenan

Whale Watch or Island Wildlife Cruises

You don’t have to be a Sierra Club member to join our Meetup group and see all our outings every month!

Go to the Meetup website or download the app, go to “San Luis Obispo Sierra Club,” and request to join.

Meetup.com/San-Luis-Obispo-Sierra-Club-Meetup-Group/ 28 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

Call or Book Online

ISLANDPACKERS.COM 805-642-1393

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 Includes Instruction and Equipment

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

Reservations Required

• SHOTGUN RANGE: Trap, Skeet, 5-Stand and a new Mini-Sporting Clays field. On-site instruction and loaner guns (perfect for beginners!)

TRAP AND SKEET RANGE 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

• ARCHERY: Newly rebuilt stationary target range and

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

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

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

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

• 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

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

3270 Gilardi Road

To Morro Bay

N

HWY 1

To San Luis Obispo

2023| Get Outside 29 3270 Gilardi Road, SLO | Rifle/Pistol: (805) 541-3338 | Shotgun/Archery:SUMMER/FALL (805) 547-1209 www.slosa.org

Point Buchon Trail

Feature

COASTAL TRAIL from page 28 path between Estero Street in Carpinteria and Sand Point Road in the county along the Salt Marsh Reserve on the coastal side of the highway for about a half a mile.

“It makes a big difference in the cyclists’ experience. This allows them to take a dedicated Class 1 trail that is separated from the highway,” he said. “It’s all about just closing gaps.”

He added that working in the coastal zone can be challenging.

Not only do agencies have to contend with sensitive habitats and development restrictions, but topography can also be a barrier— not just to building trails but to maintaining existing trails.

“One of the major difficulties in maintaining trails along the coast is erosion and resource impacts,” according to State Parks, which responded to questions via email.

“As coastal erosion increases, trails are becoming closer to bluffs and drop-offs, causing safety and impact concerns.”

State Parks, which also owns miles of coastline in southern Santa Barbara County, said that its properties can be remote and require “extensive logistics” to transport staff and material to project sites, which can impact the budget and construction schedule.

The agency is also required to prioritize limiting impacts to cultural and natural resources.

“Identifying potential trail alignments to minimize or avoid these impacts can be difficult,” State Parks said.

Santa Barbara County Trails Council Executive Director Mark Wilkinson said agreeing to maintain trails is often a caveat when working with State Parks to site new trails on its properties.

Therefore, the council builds

30 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

volunteer trail maintenance into its agreements with the state agency.

Wilkinson has spent the last decade pushing Coastal Trail priorities in the county, and while he’s made progress in some places, such as the Santa Clause Lane bike path, he’s run into walls in other places.

“In some ways, I think that San Luis Obispo [County] has done a much better job than us” in addressing trail gaps, he said.

Those walls include Vandenberg Space Force Base’s 35 miles of coastline and about 20 miles of the Gaviota Coast, which runs on individual private property, such as at Hollister Ranch; Union Pacific property; and State Parks property. Vandenberg may never allow public access, but even for the properties not owned by the federal government, progress is slow, he said.

“It’s not like it’s not happening,” Wilkinson said. “I usually say that 80 percent of the work is to get to the point where you’re able to

build the trail.”

That 80 percent includes a lot of negotiation and relationship building.

In some cases, such as with Hollister Ranch, it also includes a regulatory nudge from the state. The long and litigious fight over public access at Hollister Ranch continues, but public access to the property seems inevitable thanks to state Sen. Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), whose bill requiring it to happen was signed into law in 2019. The Coastal Commission is currently working on an environmental review about what the impacts of that access and constructing Coastal Trail would entail.

Building the Coastal Trail, Wilkinson said, takes time—a long time—and also perseverance, collaboration, problem-solving, planning, and funding.

“You have to figure out what’s possible,” he said.

With With With more With more than more than more tha With more With morethan than 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 acres acres of parks, acres of parks, acres 10,000 ac 10,000 acresof of parks, parks, San San San Luis Luis San Obispo Obispo Luis County County Obispo Luis County Obis San Luis San Luis Obispo County isis is the is perfect theplace place perfect the to place perfect to the perp is isthe theperfect perfect place to hike, hike, hike, fish, hike, fish, camp, fish, golf, golf, fish, golf, hike, cam fish hike, fish,camp, camp, golf, camp, bike, bike, bike, and bike, and play! and play!and pla bike, and bike, andplay! play!

County County County County ofof San Luis of Obispo Obispo San Luis of Obispo San County of County ofSan SanLuis Luis Obispo Department Department Department of Parks of Parks and Recreation of Department of and Recreation Departmen Department ofParks Parks and and Recreation Recreation

www.slocountyparks.com www.slocountyparks.com www.slocountyparks.com www.sloco www.slocountygolf.com www.slocountygolf.com www.s

Great Golf Courses Spectacular Properties Driving Ranges Putting Greens Practice Areas Public Restaurants Abundant Wildlife Wedding Venues Event Space Family Fun

www.slocountygolf.com

an e than of parks, cres of parks, spo County Obispo County place to rfect place to mp, golf, h, camp, golf, ay! d play!

Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo n Parks and nt of Parks and Recr Recre

ountyparks.co www.slocountygolf.com slocountyparks.com

Feature

River

SLO Beaver Brigade River Restorationist Cooper Lienhart points to telltale signs that beavers are doing work in the Salinas River.

restoration As local beavers rebuild their dams after a brutal winter, the SLO Beaver Brigade seeks to rebuild their population on the Central Coast STORY BY PETER JOHNSON • PHOTOS BY JAYSON MELLOM

T

he signs of their work are modest but ubiquitous.

Branches and debris stacked carefully in layers across several feet of meandering river. Gnawed pieces of willow on the ground.

Hidden canals. Footprints. Scat.

Six months after a historic and powerful set of winter storms flushed out the Salinas River watershed, the local beaver population is starting to rebuild what got swept away.

“It’s kind of like the infancy of the beaver habitat,” says Audrey Taub, founder of the San Luis Obispo Beaver Brigade and frequent visitor to this section of the Salinas in Atascadero. “It’s very late in the season for them to be starting. It’s going to be fascinating to watch.”

Ankle-deep in water, Taub points across the river, up its bank, to show me the scope that the prior

beaver dam habitat took on before the rains. At its height, it spanned about 100 feet across the channel.

The morning of June 16, the beginnings of a new dam stretch no more than 10 feet.

“The riparian area was completely underwater, all these trees,” Taub says, pointing to the now-exposed vegetation on the banks. “They build the dams and slow the water down. They build these little canals, and the canals further spread out the water.

“It lasted until the Jan. 9 storm, and then all the riparian area washed away,” she continues,

Tour a beaver pond!

Sign up for a SLO Beaver Brigade tour of beaver habitat by visiting slobeaverbrigade.com/come-to-abeaver-pond.

34 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

looking around. “It’s amazing to see the changes.”

Despite the upheaval, beavers are resilient and will rebuild here.

And Taub is on a mission to educate the public about why it’s critical for that to happen—and why rebuilding beaver populations across the state must be a priority.

“Most everyone has this impression that the Salinas River is completely dry and underground.

But really, wherever there’s beavers, there’s water,” Taub said.

“It raises the groundwater enough so it’s on the surface.”

Improved groundwater recharge is just one beneficial element of what beavers do. They also provide fi re breaks. Flood control. Carbon sequestration. A natural filtration system for pollutants. And more.

Beavers used to dominate the entire North American landscape,

before the fur trade severely depleted their numbers. An estimated 400 million beavers roamed the continent at one time, according to Cooper Lienhart, a river restorationist with the SLO Beaver Brigade.

“It was beaver land out here,” Lienhart says, wading through the river next to Taub. “The whole United States used to be 20 percent wetlands.

And now, it’s less than 2 percent. So, the beavers were just turning these creeks and rivers into wetlands.”

Taub founded the SLO Beaver Brigade in 2020 to raise awareness locally about the importance of the continent’s largest rodent. It’s since taken off.

Today, the nonprofit has multiple staff members, held a Beaver Festival in SLO Mission Plaza this spring, and recently received a Whale Tail Grant from the California Coastal Commission to expand its public tours of Salinas River beaver habitat.

“It’s pretty interesting that people get it,” Taub says.

BEAVERS continued page 36

The body achieves what the mind believes.

Success starts with

EXERCISE IS ESSENTIAL 2015 S Broadway B, Santa Maria

805-348-1888

wvhealthclub23@gmail.com

Feature

BEAVERS from page 34 “Everybody gets the importance of having water.

I’m amazed at how very little [convincing] we have to do.”

With help from Cal State Channel Islands beaver scientist Dr. Emily Fairfax, Taub says the Brigade has done some surveying of the local beaver population. It’s identified three families in Atascadero, one family in Templeton, and two families in Paso Robles—all along the Salinas River.

“Every half mile it seems

like,” she says. “They’re very social. They mate for life and give birth every year.”

Beavers are also active in the Arroyo Grande and Pismo creeks.

And in an interesting twist following the winter storms, the group recently found beavers settling in previously uninhabited areas, like Old Creek near Cayucos.

“That’s an entirely different watershed, which is super exciting,” Taub says. “It does seem like they’ve headed into the tributaries because of the rains.”

In the big picture, Taub and BEAVERS continued page 38

Our Athlete Movers

JOG

When not carrying your items

ATHLETE MOVERS MEATHEADMOVERS.COM | (805) 544-6328

36 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

for 2024–2025

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 37

Feature

Audrey Taub, who founded the SLO Beaver Brigade, talks about the importance of educating residents about beaver habitat as she sees evidence of ATV tracks running through the Salinas River bed.

BEAVERS from page 36 Lienhart would like to see the state of California modernize its antiquated laws and regulations affecting beavers.

As a rodent, beavers are technically pests, so they cannot be legally relocated. And as pests, if they

caused a nuisance on someone’s land, historically, they could be killed.

But that’s slowly changing. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recently announced a new beaver restoration program that Taub calls “a 180-degree turn” for the agency.

“They’re the ones where if you wanted a beaver removed, they would come and legally take it. Now, they have to educate landowners on how to live with beavers. They are having to change,” Taub explains.

Another goal for the Brigade

is to begin installing beaver dam analogs—human made beaver dams—along creeks and rivers to mimic the conditions and benefits of a beaver habitat. Then, longer term, real beavers could move into that habitat and take over the work.

“Beavers are way better than us making these dams, but we don’t have a lot of limitations that beavers do,” Lienhart says.

“Rangeland farmlands that don’t have that willow growing on their properties … we can go in there and build a couple series of these human made beaver dams.”

While Taub and Lienhart emanate optimism about the future of beavers, challenges remain. The work in front of them to educate the wider public about the animal is symbolized by a set of ATV tire marks that runs through the riverbed, right past the infant beaver dam.

Walking about 100 feet farther downstream, Taub points to a scattered pile of willow branches on the bank, where another set of tire tracks have run through. It appears that ATV riders recently plowed over a dam. Thankfully, Lienhart reminds me, beavers are resilient.

“Their dams will get busted,” he says, “but they’ll just keep rebuilding.”

All dreams start somewhere...

VanCurazaSurfSchool.com Photo: Mike Jones

38 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

(805)543-SURF

Home Is Where Your Horse Is MED!

ELCO W S R E E T N VOLU

Join us on field trips and community events!

Join us on local trails and beaches to share your love of the outdoors with K-12 students and wheelchair users of all ages.

Volunteer today - Enjoy the outdoors like never before Lead or assist with K-12 field trip Assist people with mobility challenges on trails and beaches as they use FreedomTrax, a device that transforms a manual wheelchair into an all-terrain battery powered chair.  Help with events  NatureTrack Film Festival  Day in the Country  Earth Day Freedom Trax Assist in the office

Fostering a lifelong fascination with nature through outdoor field trips

 



  

Social media Field trip curriculum And, more!

In addition to enjoying our beautiful beaches and trails, benefits include: Workshops and seminars with some of the leading professionals in the field of outdoor education A very cool NatureTrack t-shirt and hat NatureTrack covers the cost of background check  Modest stipend for those leading or assisting with field trips  Intern Opportunities   

“I never knew Nature could be that FUN!!!” ~3rd grade student

World Class Amenities Skilled Professionals Experienced Caring Staff Full Care Boarding Options

“It was an experience I’ll never forget. And I know that when I’m older I will remember what an amazing day I had yesterday.” ~8th grade student “That was so much fun! I haven’t looked at my phone in hours and I didn’t even miss it.” ~5th grade student

To volunteer go to https://naturetrack.org/ For any questions, email or call Abby - abby@naturetrack.org (970) 739-6743

c i g a m the R VE O C DIS

Located in picturesque Arroyo Grande under new ownership, on the location of the famed Varian Arabian Ranch. Horse boarding is now open to all breeds.

Surrounded by rolling hills and just minutes away from a breathtaking coastline, we offer a host of amenities, such as top-tier boarding facilities, practice and competition arenas, and an outstanding venue for hosting public and private events—all within the stunning backdrop of an unparalleled environment.

Bulk Herbs, Infusions & Herbal Remedies Superfood Lattes, Juice Tonics & More @ THE ELIXIR LOUNGE

Gaia’s Garden & Apothecary

COLLECTOR HOUSE PLANTS · CRYSTALS · JEWELRY 875 Main Street Suite C, Morro Bay · 805.225.1466 · IG @gaiasgardenmb

Schedule an appointment to come on by!

Varian Equestrian Center

1275 Corbett Canyon Rd. Arroyo Grande

Varianequestrian.com

howdy@varianequestrian.com

(805) 664-1401

Add phone number: (805) 664 1401

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 39

Feature

On the rocks There’s no reason not to try rock climbing on the Central Coast

BY ADRIAN ROSAS

For climbers Andy Sherar and Charlie D’amico, there is no reason not to explore the myriad outdoor climbing spots on the Central Coast.

A

ndy Sherar braced himself as he vaulted up onto a large rock, the bright sun greeting him as he steadied himself, adjusting his harness at the top of Bishop Peak.

It was a moment that Sherar never thought possible a few months before. For someone with a fear of heights as bad as his, reaching a peak like this was

COURTESY PHOTOS BY GRACE KUGLER

new ground for Sherar, whose prior experience was confi ned to indoor gym climbing, which he tried in an attempt to tackle his fear of heights—something that was impacting him while he surfed.

“My friends just kind of threw it out there, ‘Hey, we are going to go climb tomorrow do you want to come?’” he said with a laugh. “At that point, I had only done climbing in an indoor setting. It was daunting at fi rst, but I knew I wanted to keep facing that fear and that outdoor climbing was a great way to do that.”

Indoor climbing is how most people get For Andy Sherar, outdoor climbing introduced is a meditative experience that to the sport, requires the climber to be just as Sherar creative as they are strong.

unfathomable, and, in many ways, rock climbing has been key to conquering that fear.

“The feeling I get when I just stay up there brings me this sense of peace,” he said. “And it’s even more comforting because I keep that feeling as I descend, and I think it’s helped me come a long way with my fear of heights.”

The climbing experience was

40 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

said, with many San Luis Obispo residents beginning their climbing journey at either the Cal Poly Rec Center or The Pad climbing gym.

Josef Maier—who serves as The Pad’s director of route setting—said the gym is the epicenter of climbing culture in SLO, offering climbing walls and services for anyone who wants to try the adventure sport.

“It’s very similar in the way you can move, as in the flow is the same,” he said. “It’s a great way to get into a sport that, at times, can feel very daunting to get into.”

With the controlled nature of being inside, Maier said climbers can get a feel for what level of climbing they want to try without feeling intimidated to ask for help.

“Indoor climbing is wonderful because it is approachable for everyone,” he said. “Whoever you are, you can show up at a climbing gym and don’t need any previous experience.”

While there are shared aspects between indoor and outdoor ROCK CLIMBING continued page 42

Experience the SLO Botanical Garden

Sun, Aug 20

Community Rummage Sale & Family Free Day 10am-2pm

Fri, Sep 29

Wed-Sat, Oct 25-29

Boo-tanical Children’s Garden Free with admission

Evening 5pm-8pm

Sep 10, Nov 12, Dec 10

$15 Adult; $10 Youth; 5 & Under FREE

Sat, Nov 4

6pm-8pm

11am-4pm

Free/$20 Sugg. Donation

Thurs, Nov 16

Friday 5pm-7pm Sat & Sun 10am-4pm

5:30pm-8:30pm

$25 Adult; $15 Youth; 5 & Under FREE

Fall Plant Sale

Art in the Garden

Nature Nights

Daytime 10am-4pm

Harvest Moon Concert Fri-Sun, Oct 6-8

Fri-Sat, Nov 17-Dec 30

Nature Nights Opening Night

Benefit for the Garden 6pm-9pm · Tickets $100

Family Free Sundays 10am-2pm

3450 Dairy Creek Rd. San Luis Obispo

slobg.org

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 41

Feature

Feature

ROCK CLIMBING from page 40

mitigating that risk while outdoor climbing is using your common climbing, he stressed that the sense. differences are important to “Don’t trust the random guy consider when doing either. on YouTube, take the necessary “Indoor climbing is a great way precautions, take a class,” he said. to build experience and meet other “If you are excited about it, you climbers who can give you insight can find other people who can help on where to climb,” he said. “But you get the gear you need. That’s it doesn’t prepare you for some of kind of what makes it so easy to get the safety measures, so you have into—there is always someone to to use it purely as a starting point help you.” if you plan on getting into outdoor Whether it’s outdoor or indoor, climbing at some point.”

Maier and Sherar say that rock Sherar echoed that sentiment, adding that there is a very different climbing is something that approach in how one climbs indoors everyone on the Central Coast should try, and there’s no reason versus outdoors. not to take advantage of all that’s “When you are doing indoor accessible so close to home. climbing, you have these “I grew up in Sacramento, so preexisting holds that you can I didn’t have a spot five minutes map out ahead of time and figure away from my house like I do out the way to the top,” he said. here,” Maier said. “I feel like we are “Outdoor climbing is much less extremely lucky controlled, and on the Central you have a lot Awesome Coast, especially more freedom SLO, to have so choosing where ascension many spots— Find local outdoor climbing you want to spots based on their difficulty by and that’s not grab, but that visiting mountainproject.com. For even including also comes with more indoor climbing information The Pad itself.” more risk.” or a place to learn the ropes, visit Bishop According to thepadclimbing.org. and Cabrillo Maier, part of

Andy Sherar, Michaela Lafferty, and Francesca D’amico celebrate their climb to the top of Lizard’s Mouth in Los Padres National Forest.

COURTESY PHOTO BY GRACE KUGLER

peaks offer a variety of spots that range from beginner-friendly to advanced.

“Climbers have a great rating system that allows you to not get over your head for all of these places based on the number of ratings the spot receives,” Maier said. “We also have other resources like the Mountain Project website that helps show where all of the local climbing spots might be and

how difficult they are on the scale.”

One spot that Maier recommends for beginners is on Cabrillo Peak.

“The Rockland is a perfect beginner sport climb, especially for those who are coming from the indoor climbing experience,” he said.

The Central Coast also offers spots in Santa Barbara and even Ojai—should prospective climbers ROCK CLIMBING continued page 44

Grades 9 to 12 Experiential & Outdoor Learning

4:1 Faculty to Student Ratio

2,860 Acres of Land in the Santa Ynez Valley

42 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

10-Acre Organic Farm & Garden

24 Horses on a Working Ranch

10+ Activity & Sport Options

Quality Blinds, Shades, Shutters & Drapery H U R RY ! Limited Time O ffer!

Stars, , s Stripe !

Buy 1 Get 1

GS SAVIN

50

%

*

OFF

on Custom Blinds, Shades & Drapery

PLUS

FREE

In-Home Design Consultation

Motorized Shades Available

Call Today &

SAVE!

Call To Schedule

1-855-399-5335

or visit www.3DayOffer767.com

WE BRING THE SHOWROOM TO YOU!

We DESIGN, We MEASURE, We INSTALL, You RELAX! ®

Personalized Experience | Fast Service | Trusted Brand *Offer valid on 3 Day Blinds brand products only, excluding shutters and special orders. Buy 1 qualifying window covering and receive the 2nd qualifying window covering of equal or lesser value at 50% off! Offer excludes installation, sales tax, shipping and handling. Not valid on previous purchases or with any other offer or discount. Offer Code BGXB. Expires 9/30/23. State Contractor and Home Improvement Licenses: Arizona 321056. California 1005986. Connecticut HIC.0644950. New Jersey 13VH09390200. Oregon 209181.

Pennsylvania PA107656. Tennessee 10020. Washington 3DAYBDB842KS. County Licenses: Nassau County, NY H01073101. Rockland County, NY H-12401-34-00-00. Licensed through Great Windows Services, LLC: Virginia 2705172678. West Virginia WV061238. Various City Licenses Available Upon Request. © 2023 3 Day Blinds LLC.

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 43

Feature

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PAD

ROCK CLIMBING from page 42 want to venture farther south.

Maier, who has been climbing since 2011, said that the bevy of options for outdoor climbing can be overwhelming at fi rst.

“It’s all about taking it one step at a time and not skipping the middle ground,” he said. “Strength isn’t the only thing that is keeping you safe when you are on the rocks.”

For Maier, as long as one keeps their wits about them and brings a group of friends, veterans, and passionate climbers with them—indoor or outdoor— the experience is unlike any other physical activity.

“Like many athletic pursuits, it’s sort of meditative and clears your mind,” he said. “I think that it’s more that than other types of sports. It’s this avenue into beautiful places that makes it way more special than just going out into a field.”

DANA ADOBE AND CULTURAL CENTER

SAVE THE DATE SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023

POWER ANYTHING ANYWHERE

HERITAGE DAY WHERE HISTORY COMES ALIVE We provide power for every experience of the outdoors.

Come Visit Us! Explore the latest exhibit at the Cultural Center and take an Adobe tour

2121 Santa Barbara Avenue San Luis Obispo

Open Saturdays & Sundays 11am–3pm For weekday tours, please call 805-929-5679 or visit DanaAdobe.org

671 S. Oakglen Avenue, Nipomo, California | events @danaadobe.org

44 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

Open Monday–Friday 9:30am–5:30pm · Saturday 11am–4pm

(805) 544-4700

Fireplaces

Solar Energy

alteryourenergy.com

Got Gophers? Call Us!

SPECIAL $69 monthly service $99 every 2 months

General pest service only. Gophers and rodents excluded.

One year term minimum. Homes up to 3,000 sq.ft.

Family Owned & Operated

Free Gopher & Rodent Estimates Same Day Service M-F

805-925-8711 LOOK FOR THE ANT ON THE DOOR

www.oconnorcentralcoast.com

SHARE THE ADVENTURE

YIELD TO

Make your visit to the Pismo Preserve enjoyable for all!

Use a bike bell Pack out all trash Listen for other trail users Leash and clean up after pets Slow for turns and stay on the trail Photo by Christie O’Hara

www.lcslo.org • www.cccmb.org SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 45

Feature

Morro Bay’s inaugural Ironman 70.3 drew thousands of triathletes and spectators STORY BY PETER JOHNSON • PHOTOS BY JAYSON MELLOM

M

orro Bay Police Sgt. Nicole Taylor clocks in to work at 7 a.m. each morning, driving from her home in Creston to the usually slow seaside town.

The morning of May 20, though, was different.

Before daybreak, the city’s Embarcadero buzzed with energy and activity. People from all over the world paced around in race gear, as local police, city staff, and volunteers worked out event logistics.

Taylor arrived at 4 a.m., but not as an officer. She was one of the more than 1,800 competitors racing in the first-ever Morro Bay Ironman 70.3, a triathlon that drew athletes from 46 states and 23 countries.

“It was completely cool to see the diversity of people that were there,” Taylor told Get Outside a few weeks later. “Walking toward the swim [in the harbor, I overheard] some people.

I didn’t even understand what language they were speaking.”

Over the five months prior, Taylor juggled helping the city prep for one of the biggest events in its

history with training for one of the toughest endurance tests of her life.

“Toward the end, it took six to seven hours a day of doing activity to make sure I was prepared. So, it was a big commitment,” Taylor said. “[And] I sat through all the Ironman meetings and everything we had as a city, because I was helping the chief put together the public safety side of it.

“So, it was interesting to do that, and then show up on race day and be a participant and see all my friends I work with directing traffic,” she added with a laugh. “It was a whole different perspective.”

Ironman’s long-distance triathlons are globally renowned events, and landing one in San Luis Obispo County has long been a goal in the local endurance sporting community.

It finally happened last year, when Morro Bay and Ironman inked a three-year contract to bring one of its signature 70.3-mile races, known as a “half-Ironman,” to the city.

Organizers charted a course with a 1.2-mile swim in the protected

46 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

harbor, a 56-mile out-and-back bike ride to San Simeon along Highway 1, and a 13.1-mile run in city limits.

“When I heard it was fi nally materializing, I was super stoked,” said Samantha Pruitt, founder of Race SLO, the group that hosted the former SLO Marathon. “We’d talk with the county and city and us local people about trying to get Ironman to come to SLO County at some point.

“Morro Bay is an exceptional location for this type of activity.

And it’s just a great, undiscovered beach and fishing community that deserves to be recognized at a higher level.”

Successfully pulling off such a massive event in a small town like Morro Bay was no easy task, according to Police Chief Amy Watkins, who spoke with Get Outside a few days before the event.

To prepare, Watkins visited the city of Oceanside for its Ironman 70.3. One key element there was familiarity.

“As you can imagine, if you’re

Oceanside and have been doing it 20plus years, people understand it and know what to expect,” Watkins said.

“We are going through this particular situation for the first time.”

On top of the 1,800-plus athletes, the city also hosted their family members, friends, and spectators.

Hotels sold out. Street closures went into effect. Athletes with cars were asked to park at Cuesta College and catch shuttles to town to avoid overcrowding. The city called on outside police agencies to help with security.

“It is a big lift. It’s an all handson-deck requirement,” she said.

“It’s a lot of work, but you know what? If this is a good thing for our community and our city, then the city staff is on board to make sure we do this well.”

‘See how much I can do’ Competing in the Morro Bay Ironman was a new challenge for Taylor. But the act of pushing herself toward a more ambitious goal is something that’s ingrained in her.

“I am one of those people who IRONMAN continued page 48

Learn to Row with

SLO Rowing Club CAMBRIA GARDEN SHED 805 • 927 •7654 CAMBRIAGARDENSHED.COM

At Beautiful Santa Margarita Lake

ART WITH JUDY ANN

Group and Private Lessons Available

805 • 286 • 8380 ARTWITHJUDYANN.COM

slorc.org/learn-to-row rowslorc@gmail.com • (805) 459-8874

CAYUCOS CELLARS

ONLINE E-BIKE RENTALS NOW AVAILABLE!

805 •995 •3036 CAYUCOSCELLARS.COM

Selling only the best cycling gear since 1986

GROW NURSERY

805 •924 •1340 GROWNURSERY.COM

LILY’S COFFEE HOUSE 805 •927 •7259

OPEN

10–5 DAILY

OCEAN HEIR

805 •909 •9022 OCEANHEIRESTATECOMPANY.COM

48 Hour

TURNAROUND for service on most repairs

SIMPLISTIC HOME

559 •970 •5654 SIMPLISTICHOME.COM

W W W.C A M B R I A B I K E .CO M SINCE 1986

1239 Monterey Street, San Luis Obispo cambriabike.com · 805.926.2207

2024 MAIN STREET • CAMBRIA SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 47

Feature IRONMAN from page 46 likes to be constantly challenged,” Taylor, 42, said. “I joined the Marine Corps after high school and I just remember everybody telling me, ‘Why are you doing this? You’re never going to be able to do it.’ And I think that’s kind of what did it for me, that challenge of, no I can do this and I’m going to do this. When I got into law enforcement, it was the same thing. ‘You can’t be a cop.’

Yes, I can. Watch.”

An avid runner, Taylor had raced in “a handful” of triathlons before, but none as long as the 70.3-mile Ironman. Taylor and five of her friends in the Templeton Run Club, a nonprofit she helped found, signed up for the race together.

She started training in midJanuary.

“It involved six days a week of training,” Taylor said. “I usually rode my bike three days a week and I would run two or three days a week, and swim one or two days a week. And then I did strength training six days a week.

“I did two workouts in the day. In the morning, I’d wake up at 4 a.m. and do my strength training. And sometimes I’d bike in the morning,

or I’d come and run in Morro Bay before work.”

Almost as important to the preparation as the conditioning, she said, was exploring how best to manage her fluids and food intake during the many hours of activity.

“It’s learning how to stay hydrated, and how to make sure I took in enough fuel, to have a good system of what fuel I needed to take when,” she said. “It was determining, OK, at this time I need to take a gel with caffeine. Or I might get cramps around this time, so I need to take something that’s going to combat the cramps.”

All of that preparation paid off on race day. As she swam the harbor, biked Highway 1, and ran through the city, Taylor felt physically ready for the demands of the daylong event. One of the most

10WAYS

challenging aspects, she noted, was the mental component.

“Because you can’t have any music or anything like that, you’re in your head the whole time. You’re stuck in your own head for eight hours almost,” she said. “So it was a lot of just positive self-talk: ‘I got this, I’m doing great, I feel good.’”

Taylor said she felt a sense of camaraderie with the other athletes and expressed appreciation for the hundreds of race volunteers and spectators. She said she especially needed the aid stations during the

run portion, which made three loops around the same course that were “a little bit tedious.”

“It was nice because there was so much support out there that you never felt like you were alone,” she said. “It was probably about mile 10 that I got a cramp in my right calf and then my left quad. So, every aid station I’d eat a banana. I think I tried everything. I drank the coke, the Red Bull, the bananas, just to try to combat the impending cramp.”

When Taylor fi nally crossed the IRONMAN continued page 50

6

7

WE CAN HELP REDUCE YOUR

ENERGY BILL,

ADD COMFORT, AND

SAVE MONEY

See all ten at solarponics.com. Ask about the 30% tax credit on a battery and EV charger install PLUS A 90% REBATE on an EV charger for 3C Energy customers.

P EOP LE. ENERGY. PLANET. solarponics.com • (805) 466-5595 • CSLB# 391670 • SINCE 1975

48 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

3�t� A�N�A� R�A�E�S P�L�

BEST PLACE TO BUY MUSIC Thank you, SLO County!

2�2� C�U�T�

W�N�E�

An extraordinary destination resort embracing Earth’s restorative waters and natural beauty while creating memorable experiences for personal enrichment and well-being.

Vinyl·CDs·DVDs·Books·Apparel·Turntables & More

978 Monterey Street, SLO 805-541-0657·booboorecords.com

Improving campfires for over 50 years.

Learn to play.

Large Selection of Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Ukuleles. Keyboards, Amps, & Accessories

1215 Avila Beach Drive San Luis Obispo, CA sycamoresprings.com

PRIVATE, IN-PERSON LESSONS FOR ALL LEVELS LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED

325 E. Betteravia Road, Suite B-4, Santa Maria • (805) 925-0464

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 49

Feature

IRONMAN from page 48 finish line, she realized that she exceeded her own expectations, finishing in 6 hours and 50 minutes—good for 25th place out of 65 athletes in her age group and 150th place out of 384 athletes in her gender group.

“It felt really good. I was super excited,” she said. “I just wanted to finish. I didn’t want to get pulled off the course.”

While the accomplishment was gratifying, Taylor isn’t resting on her laurels for long. She’s already signed up for the Ironman 70.3 in Santa Cruz this September—a new challenge.

“I figure I’m already in shape, I

might as well,” she said. “That’s when I’ll set some loftier goals. It’s amazing what the human body is capable of.”

‘Knocked it out of the park’ For an inaugural race, Pruitt said Morro Bay did “an exceptional job” of executing the Ironman event.

“Frankly, I think they knocked it out of the park,” the veteran race producer said.

Pruitt spent the week of the race in Morro Bay to help the city and community prepare. She talked with local businesses about what to expect and helped promote the race with digital content.

“That town is made up of just the

Experience today’s west in the Township of Santa Ynez

most salt-of-the-earth humans,” she said. “We wanted anybody who is into the outdoor space adventure lifestyle to really understand what Morro Bay has to offer. That story is grossly undertold.”

Witnessing the scene at the Embarcadero on May 20 felt like a dream come true for the outdoors community, she said. And there’s nothing that compares to the morning of an Ironman race.

“In terms of the energy, it’s phenomenal. Literally, the town was vibrating,” Pruitt said. “It was really fun to talk to people from around the world who’d come to Morro Bay who otherwise would not have come

to the Central Coast or maybe even California. But they’re there with the intention to do this particular event.

You have the everyday Joe mom and pops, and then you have these elite, professional athletes, and everything in between. It’s cool to see them all on the same playing field.

“And to also see the locals out cheering, whether they’re friends and family, or bystanders.

Many people were inspired,” she added. “When you have that much positive, healthy energy, … I know the power that this can have over changing a person.”

When you go where Wi-Fi doesn’t … take a classic Looking for something special?

Call / text (805) 922- 4282

Lauren Maeve Photography

Find everything from a cup of coffee to a custom-made western hat in this small western inspired township. Boutiques, fine dining, supply stores and the Santa Ynez Historical Museum with authentic stagecoaches and more to inspire your weekend visit.

Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce

230 East Betteravia Rd Ste K. Santa Maria

@sychamber

info@gavinsbooks.com

Follow us!

50 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

Affordable Homeownership through Co-Ownership • Discover Affordable Housing • Escape Rising Rental Prices • Create Generational Wealth

771% Growth in the last 6 years with roommates and friends buying homes together to co-live and transition from renting.

We make your hunting trip an experience of a lifetime!

Ask Me How! Jen Narragon

CAR Certified Co-Ownership Specialist Real Estate Investor & Agent

805-550-7991 JenNarragon.com · DRE #01965467

@shesgotgreatbones

(805) 622-9485 • OAKSTONEOUTFITTERS.COM SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 51

Feature

Historic crossroads

Trail seekers, crafters, and other hobbyists find common ground at La Purísima Mission STORY BY CALEB WISEBLOOD PHOTOS BY ALEXANDRA WALLACE

A

fluffy Samoyed caught the eye of La Purísima Mission docent Michelle Pittenger seconds before a unique

demonstration commenced outside the Lompoc landmark.

“Looks like she’s ready for shearing, too,” Pittenger jokingly

said to the leashed dog’s owner, while visitors nearby huddled together to watch a sheep get a haircut in late spring.

Mission guests of all ages encircled volunteer Larry Miller, who sheared the wool off some sheep, one at a time, during the free outdoor demo known as Sheep

Sandalwood Spa, where we take pride in providing treatments that help to restore balance of the mind, body, & soul.

Shearing Day—just one of several traditional events held at the state park throughout the year.

As new visitors trickled in to observe the sheep salon, others weaved out. Many wandered over to Pittenger’s post, just outside the shearing station, where looms, LA PURĺSIMA continued page 54

Come experience for yourself why Adelina's Bistro is one of the best kept secrets on the Central Coast.

For exclusive #SelfCare tips and tricks, products, services, specials, and a 31-Day #SelfCareChallenge...

Join us online @sandalwood_spa as we make the most of our

Come enjoy Breakfast & Lunch starting at 8AM, Wednesday Sunday at The Market Place.

#SelfCareSummer sandalwoodmonarch.com 805.343.7520

adelinasbistro.com 805.343.7535

@sandalwood_spa

@adelinas_bistro

@sandalwood_trilogy

@adelinasbistro

monarchduneshoa.com 805.343.7500

52 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

1645 Trilogy Parkway Nipomo, CA 93444

MASSAGE SCHOOL in SLO! California Holistic Institute is a school of therapeutic massage and a holistic center where training, growth, and new careers begin

NEXT CLASSES BEGIN

Sept. 5 & Sept. 18

Ms. Cardel

Wedding & Event Planner

Classes begin 3 times each year in January, May & September

CAMTC school code SCH0012

(805) 786-4808 • www.chieducation.com

Two Person Abalone Sub

USCG Surf Rescue Boat

Fishing Vessel Spindrift

DSRV Avalon

2255 S Broadway Santa Maria, CA 93454 805.260.4792

Visit The MORRO BAY

MARITIME MUSEUM

Unique Gifts • Hands-on Exhibits

Free Admisssion!

Thursday–Monday 10am–2pm

1210 Embarcadero, Morro Bay

(805) 255- 5044 MorroBayMaritime.org

San Salvador

Aug 11-20, 2023

My805TIX.com SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 53

Feature LA PURĺSIMA from page 52 camping blankets, and baskets of wool were on display.

“Somebody once asked me if I could guesstimate how many blankets you could get out of one fleece,” said Pittenger, who greeted visitors with fun tidbits about wool weaving.

From 10 pounds of wool, Pittenger guessed she could probably produce about four blankets and said that some people are surprised to hear that she had no prior wool weaving experience before volunteering at the mission.

About six years ago, Pittenger was looking for a new hobby, and one of her friends was a docent at the state park who encouraged her to join.

“She dragged me out here, but she didn’t have to drag that hard,” Pittenger said with a laugh.

Wool weaving became a beloved pastime for Pittenger

after being trained by some of her fellow docents. The state park is always recruiting new volunteers to help demonstrate weaving, blacksmithing, candle making, tortilla making, carpentry, pottery, and other mission-era crafting activities for visitors to enjoy.

Upcoming docent-led festivities at the park include two Traditional Mission Life Day events, in which costumed volunteers host crafting

demos across the mission grounds, scheduled for July 22 and Aug. 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sheep Shearing Day (which was held in late May this year), Traditional Mission Life Day, and other events are sponsored

by Prelado de Los Tesoros, the nonprofit responsible for funding docent training and restoration projects at the state park, as well as feeding and caring for sheep,

horses, chickens, and other animals that live on the 2,000-acre property.

The park also encompasses about 25 miles of hiking paths, including the short but scenic Vista Del La Cruz Trail—an uphill trek to the mission’s iconic cross.

This public trail is open to hikers, walkers, runners, mountain bikers, and dog owners (as long as their dogs are leashed).

Aside from the trail opportunities, another reason La Purísima Mission attracts outdoor enthusiasts each year is the venue’s biannual Mountain Men Encampment.

During this event, members of the American Mountain Men—a Wyoming-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving traditions and tools used by trappers, explorers, and traders during the 1800s—set up shop at the state park and lead workshops for the public to enjoy.

LA PURĺSIMA continued page 56

THE CITY OF PISMO BEACH RECREATION PRESENTS

with the

PISMO BEACH 5K RUN Saturday Aug 5, 2023 Race Start Time: 8:30 am, Rain or Shine!

Registration: 7:15 am - 8:15 am at pier on race day • No Pre-Registration Course is out & back on the sand, starting at Pismo Beach Pier. Walkers welcome!

Entry fee: $35 with shirt, $20 for race only

pismobeach.org/recreation • 805-773-7063 54 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

? n a e c o e h t Love ! b u l c e h t n i o J

Since 1986

Premium surf & skate clothing & equipment 837 Monterey St, SLO 805.541.1995

781 Dolliver St, Pismo Beach 805.773.1995

moondoggiesbeachclub.com ·

@moondoggiesbeachclub

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 55

Feature LA PURĺSIMA from page 54 Hide preparation and leatherworking are among the demos featured at the encampment, scheduled for Aug. 25 through 26. (The spring encampment occurred in March).

Regular mission docents are on-site as well during the encampment, including Pittenger, who said she applauded the efforts of hopeful Mountain Men recruits during the program’s rigorous application process.

Requirements of membership include being able to demonstrate skills needed for primitive survival in the wilderness, such as the use of steel traps and snares, and spending at least two days and one night in a primitive camp during each season of the year. Members of the nonprofit also have to hand cut and hand sew their own 1800s-era clothing, which they’re required to research for authenticity.

“You have to be able to track and you have to be able to hunt and do all these skills that a trapper would have had access to around the 1820s and 1830s,” Pittenger said.

As an experienced docent since

2017, Pittenger had no trouble regaling passersby with some historical background on wool production at La Purísima Mission during the 1800s.

“The reason wool was such a good trading item was because of the merchant sea captains,” the costumed docent said on Sheep Shearing Day. “When they’d come around the California coast, the padres would take these blankets and they’d take raw fleece and trade them,” said Pittenger, who described the wool as a much-needed source of warmth for the sailors.

“It’s cold on the Pacific, and people generally don’t do their most enthusiastic work when they’re cold,” she said with a laugh.

Mission possibilities

Find out more about La Purísima Mission State Historic Park at lapurisimamission.org.

The mission is located at 2295 Purisima Road, Lompoc.

56 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

We don’t just want you to feel better.

We want you to heal better.

Our team of specialists takes a systems-based approach to your care, addressing the key areas necessary for quick recovery. Pulling best practices from multiple disciplines, a personalized treatment plan is created just for you.

• Post-surgical rehabilitation • Balance & gait analysis • Back pain • Rotator cuff & shoulder injuries • Myofascial release • Capsular contracture Now offering pelvic floor physical therapy for: • Prenatal discomfort • Post-partum reconditioning • Post-Cesarean section rehabilitation • Vaginal pain & painful intercourse • Urinary incontinence & bladder retraining • Bowel pathology & function

Ross Dover PT, OCS and Arroyo Grande Physical Therapy Team 117 South Halcyon Road Arroyo Grande

(805) 481-5656 ArroyoGrandePhysicalTherapy.com

NEW

WHOLESALE PRICING FOR EVERYONE

37th ANNUAL READERS POLL

thanks to my healing from CRPS 2023 COUNTY

100% NATURAL HEMP FLOWER CBD WINNER

37th ANNUAL READERS POLL

BEST MEN'S CLOTHING STORE

2023 COUNTY 37th ANNUAL READERS POLL

37th ANNUAL READERS POLL 37th ANNUAL READERS POLL

WINNER

6 4 1 H I G U E R A S T. # 1 0 0 , S A N L U I S O B I S P O , C A 9 3 4 0 1 This exceptional 8 0combination 5 - 5 4 9 - of 9593 2023 COUNTY essential oils and full spectrum 2023 2023 cannabinoids quickly absorbs, COUNTY WINNER COUNTY P A T R I C K J A M E S .

C O M penetrates, and relieves muscle, 6 4 1 H I G U E R A S T. # 1 0 0 , S A N L U I S O B I S P O , C A 9 3 4 0 1 joint, nerve and spinal pains. (external use) BEST MEN'S CLOTHING STORE

BEST MEN'S CLOTHING STORE

WINNER WINNER

WI

805-549-9593

Hemp extracts are not created equal. This highly concentrated oil was created for maximum therapeutic relief. We concentrated our oil into the most Bestof_AD1.indd 2 potent legal hemp extract possible staying under .3% thc threshold and including a maximum level of available cannabinoids as to capture the full entourage effect of the Hemp plants.

BEST MEN'S MEN'S BEST CLOTHING ST MEN'SST C BEST CLOTHING

Black Bear Springs Organic Farm

6 4 1 H I G U E R A S T. P# 0 I0C,KSJ A I SO M OBISPO, CA 93401 A1 TR AN M ELSU. C 8 0 5 - 512:42 4 9 - 9PM 593 4/20/23

HEMP RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

PAT R I C K J A M E S . C O M

BlackBearSpringsHemp.com

37th ANNUAL READERS POLL

64 41 1 H H II G GU U EE R RA A SS T. T. # #6 14 01 0 ,,HSSI A AN NELLRU U OB B# PO O 4/20/23 12:4 G U AII SSS T. 0 0 ,,, 6 1 0 0 O II1 SS P 80 05 5 -- 5 54 49 9 -- 9 95 59 93 3 8 0 5 8 Bestof_AD1.indd 2 4/20/23 12:42 PM

Bestof_AD1.indd 2

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 57 2023 COUNTY

PAT R I C K J A M E S . C O M PAT R I C K J A M E S . C O M

PAT R I C

Gear Hub HANDHELD FAN Festival season runs during the hottest time of the year in the U.S. and a handheld fan is game-changing to cool yourself off in the sun or in a packed crowd. You can either get a folding fan or a travel-sized, battery-powered fan. They are easy to store, lightweight, and most are long-lasting. Some battery-powered fans also include misters that can spritz water—which can be really refreshing when sweating in high temperatures.

Folding fans run from $10 to $25, and battery-powered fans run from $9 to $20. Check the festival’s rules surrounding battery-powered fans before bringing in to the festival.

EAR PLUGS Hearing loss or damage starts at 85 decibels of sound, and most music festivals play music at 95 to 120 decibels. Ear plugs are a great way to prevent hearing loss, ringing, and damage.

Disposable foam ear plugs are available in bulk online, but they aren’t the best because they muffle the music. Purchasing a pair of reusable ear plugs designed for shows makes a huge difference in sound quality, reduces ringing afterward, and are supposed to prevent hearing loss.

Reusable ear plugs run from $15 to $30 on Amazon. I purchased Hearprotek high fidelity concert ear plugs for $19 and they come with two sets of plugs and storage containers.

WATER BLADDER/HYDRATION PACK Hydration is key at music festivals. Investing in a hydration backpack or a water bladder to put in a small backpack frees up your arms for dancing and stores more water than most bottles—allowing you to spend more time grooving and less time in line for refills.

A pack can also store other things you’ll need during the day, including sun screen, a fan, a jacket or pashmina for the evening, protein bars (if allowed), and sunglasses. Keep your ID, credit cards, and other valuables stored in the front of your body—either in a strap pocket or carry a fanny pack/purse.

Most music festivals allow bladders in (as long as they’re empty) and have plenty of refill stations inside, but always double-check the festival’s rules, maps, and regulations to confirm. Hydration backpacks start at $17, and a water bladder runs from $12 to $30.

Festival essentials What you’ll need to enhance your comfort, protect your hearing, and keep you safe at outdoor music festivals

BY TAYLOR O’CONNOR • PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM

W

hile music festivals and backpacking seem eons apart, the two activities are pretty similar. You’re in relatively remote areas for multiple days, spending several hours on your feet, and baking in the hot sun. You ration your food, need plenty of water, and spend your nights camping.

Like backpacking, investing in quality gear can make a big difference in someone’s festival experience. Here are some essentials everyone should consider before their next festival.

58 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

FOOT INSERTS I once walked 10 miles per day at a three-day music festival without foot inserts, and my feet were exhausted and blistered. Adding foot inserts to your pre-festival shopping list is a must: They add an extra layer of support and help prevent rubbing and blisters.

Buy foot inserts that will best support your foot shape and try to get a new pair after a few years since they wear down over time. I bought Dr. Scholl’s Tri-Comfort Insoles for heel, arch support, and ball of foot comfort with “target cushioning” for $8.97 on Amazon, and I’ve been very happy with my purchase.

However, foot inserts don’t do all of the work.

Make sure to break in any new shoes you want to wear at the festival or bring your most comfortable pair. Your feet will thank you later!

Foot inserts run from $8 to $49 on Amazon. ∆

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.

Illness doesn't care about your weekend �lans!

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.

Lynn Peltier, C.P.N.P.

1430 E. Main St. Santa Maria, CA

Joseph Nunez, M.D.

Geronna Leonards, N.P.

www.pmgsm.com

805-922-3548

Dr. Michele Kielty, D.O.

Jessica Prather, C.N.P.

Monday – Saturday

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 59

Row, row a boat

Gear Hub

BY CAMILLIA LANHAM

A

“

ll you need is a boat and oars” to get out on the water, according to Paul Irving with BigBigSLO and the Baywood Rowing Club (aka the Baywood Navy), who happens to have boats to spare.

He has 24 boats, more or less, from his “itty-bitty slow boat to my racing shell,” he said one Wednesday morning in May as he rowed his wooden boat across Morro Bay toward the sand spit.

How many boats Irving has depends on the day, the boat for sale, and the deal, which he seems to be able to seek out like a homing pigeon. He’s obsessed. A new rower and oars aren’t cheap, but finding a well-priced used boat (possibly, between $800 and $1,500) can make getting into the sport a little cheaper.

Irving has been boating for about 35 years, most of those spent kayaking and sailing, and he’s constantly encouraging people to get out on the water with him—often lending them a boat from his fleet.

“I’ve got about 9,000 miles on the bay,” he said.

Rowing became a fi xture in Irving’s life during the pandemic.

Now, he and other members of the club do their best to meet at the Baywood Park Pier around 7:30 a.m. five days a week and head out on the water.

“Get outside, get the blood pumping, breathe some salt air,” Irving said. “It’s a great way to start the day.”

If you want to try it but don’t know where to start, he recommends looking up the San Luis Obispo Rowers Club, now in its 20th year at Santa Margarita Lake.

“The best thing you can do is get some pointers from people who know,” Irving said. “With rowing, it’s super easy to develop bad habits and hurt yourself.”

Marty Hawke, who’s been a club member since its founding year in 2003, has helped teach countless people to row. The club offer private lessons ($75 for two hours) and three five-week sessions per year (this year’s are already sold out) on the lake in club boats.

At about 70 members strong, Hawke said the SLO Rowers Club has the largest membership its ever had. He attributes it to COVID-19 and a growing interest in the sport.

“We always joke, it’s one of the few sports that you can sit down in,” Hawke said with a laugh, adding that the sport works about 85 percent of the muscles in your body. “Rowing uses more muscles than any other activity.”

At 76 years old, Hawke has been rowing for almost six decades, starting in college in 1965. He said about half of the club’s members

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTY HAWKE

On the hunt

COURTESY PHOTO BY MARTY HAWKE

have been rowing since college and half learned to row by taking lessons from the club and later joined.

“We can teach anybody to row,” he said, from people in their 80s to kids who are 12.

A member recently helped start the Cal Poly Rowing Club, which is now officially recognized by the university and has about 15 student members. The SLO Rowers bought an eight-oar boat and a four-oar boat to help out the Cal Poly crew teams. Volunteers spent months refurbishing the boats and getting them ready to use.

In addition to those crew boats, club members have access to any

of the 20 or so rowers the club has on hand in the boathouse next to Santa Margarita Lake.

“The privilege of being a club member is you get access to all these boats. … So you don’t have to buy equipment,” Hawke said.

“They’re expensive. They’re not easy to store.”

Use your muscles

Check out the SLO Rowers Club and its boathouse at Santa Margarita Lake. Members get access to boats, the boathouse, and the club’s docks.

If you want to take a lesson or join the club, find the SLO Rowers Club online at slorc.org or email Marty Hawke at rowslorc@gmail.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL IRVING

Rowing rigs come in all shapes and sizes. While savvy shoppers might be able to snag a good used boat for $400 to $1,000, according to Baywood Rowing Club member Paul Irving, a standard used boat will cost about $1,500 or more, said Marty Hawke with the SLO Rowers Club. Both said that Alden 16s (above right) are a good entry level boat, which run between $3,500 and $5,000 new. At 16 feet long and about 2 feet wide, the boat weighs about 40 pounds. Visit adirondackrowing.com for more info. If you’re concerned about balance and portability, Hawke recommends an Oar Board (above left), which are between $3,300 (on sale) and $4,600 new. The 13-foot long, 32-inch wide inflatable paddle board comes with a rowing rig that gets mounted on the top and wheelie bags for ease of transport. Visit oarboard.com for more info.

60 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

PHOTO BY CAMILLIA LANHAM

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

(877) 625-6034 3DayOffer218.com

Aerovista Dental

(805) 543-4266 835 Aerovista Place, Ste 210 San Luis Obispo aerovistadental.com

APX Boomers

(856) 281-4777 2250 N. Preisker Lane Santa Maria boomersparks.com

Arroyo Grande Parks & Recreation (805) 473-5474 1221 Ash St. Arroyo Grande arroyogrande.org/rec

Arroyo Grande Physical Therapy

(805) 481-5656 117 S. Halcyon Rd. Arroyo Grande arroyograndephysicaltherapy.com

Baxter Moerman (805)305-8118 1128 Garden St. San Luis Obispo baxtermoerman.com

Behind the Barn Consignment

Cambria Bicycle Outfitters / CBO

City of Atascadero Park & Recreation

Cambria Garden Shed

City of Santa Maria Utilities Dept.

(805) 543-1148 1239 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo cambriabike.com

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

Camp Natoma (805) 316-0163 PO Box 3012 San Luis Obispo campnatoma.org

Central Coast Kayaks (805) 773-3500 1879 Shell Beach Rd. Shell Beach centralcoastkayaks.com

Central Coast Landscape Products (805) 595-3478 445 Prado Rd. San Luis Obispo cclandscapeproducts.com

Central Coast Solar Brokers

(805) 668-4420 centralcoastsolarbrokers.com

(805) 464-2072 California Holistic 4785 Traffic Way, Unit E Institute Atascadero behindthebarnconsignment.com (805) 786-4808 11555 Los Osos Valley Rd. Ste #109 Black Bear Springs San Luis Obispo Organic Farm californiaholisticinstitute.com (805) 423-0637 Chukchansi Gold blackbearspringshemp.com

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

(866) 794-6946 711 Lucky Ln. Coarsegold chukchansigold.com

Boo Boo Records

Chumash Casino

(805) 541-3181 978 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo booboorecords.com

(805) 686-2163 3400 East Hwy. 246 Santa Ynez chumashcasino.com

(805) 470-3490 6500 Palma Ave. Atascadero atascadero.org

(805) 925-0951 2065 E. Main St. Santa Maria cityofsantamaria.org

Coelho Academy of Music

(805) 925-0464 325 E. Betteravia Rd., Ste B4 Santa Maria coelhomusic.com

Community Health Centers / CHC

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

Dana Adobe

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

FOXEN

(805) 937-4251 7200 Foxen Canyon Rd. Santa Maria foxenvineyard.com

Gaia’s Garden

(805) 441-3723 875 Main St. Morro Bay gaiasgardenmb.com

Gavin’s Books

(805) 922-4282 230 E. Betteravia Rd., Ste K Santa Maria gavinsbooks.com

Giant Grinder

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

Habitat for Humanity for SLO County

Downtown SLO (805) 541-0286 1135 Chorro St. San Luis Obispo downtownslo.org

(805)878-6941 165 S Patterson Santa Barbara lasumida.com

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

Madonna Inn Resort & Spa (805) 543-0300 100 Madonna Rd. San Luis Obispo madonnainn.com

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

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

Meathead Movers

Harley Davidson of Santa Maria

Melby’s Jewelers

Downtown Paso Robles (805) 928-3668 Main Street Association 2022 Preisker Ln. (805) 238-4103 835 12th St., Ste D Paso Robles pasoroblesdowntown.org

La Sumida

Santa Maria santamariaharley.com

Island Packers

(805) 642-1393 1691 Spinnaker Dr., Ste.105 B Ventura islandpackers.com

(805) 544-6328 3600 S. Higuera meatheadmovers.com (805) 925-1678 1140 E. Clark Ave. Santa Maria melbys.com

Midland School of Los Olivos

(805) 688-5114 5100 Figueroa Mountain Rd. Los Olivos midland-school.org

Festival Mozaic

Jen Narragon Mike’s Shoes Investments/CHER/WiiRE (805) 547-9593

(805) 781-3009 265 South St Suite G San Luis Obispo festivalmozaic.org

(805) 550-7991 1421 Garden St. San Luis Obispo jennarragon.com

Flower Carriage

Krobar Craft Distillery

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

(805) 467-9463 2174 W. Highway 46 Paso Robles krobardistillery.com

Moondoggies Beach Club

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

Morro Bay Maritime Museum (805) 255-5044 1210 Embarcadero Morro Bay morrobaymaritime.org

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

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

Nunno Steel (805) 238-6801 3461 Dry Creek Rd. Paso Robles nunnosteel.com

O’Connor Pest Control (805) 330-9247 101 Cuyama Ln. Nipomo oconnorcentralcoast.com

Oakstone Outfitters (805) 472-2200 71201 Sargents Rd. Bradley oakstoneoutfitters.com

487 Madonna Rd. #3 San Luis Obispo mikesshoessanluisobispo.com Pacific Energy (805) 544-4700 Mission College Prep 2121 Santa Barbara St. (805) 543-2131 San Luis Obispo 682 Palm St. alteryourenergy.com San Luis Obispo DIRECTORY missionprep.org

continued page 62

Supporting Central Coast State Parks Since 1976

Become a Friend of CCSPA and Support our Local State Parks

cetralcoastparks.org

4850 S Bradley Rd #D1 Orcutt| 938-1965

www.backporchflowers.net

SUMMER/FALL 2023 Get Outside 61

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 Patrick James (805) 549-9593 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo patrickjames.com

Pediatric Medical Group (805) 922-3548 1430 E. Main St. Santa Maria pmgsm.com

Pismo Beach Parks & Recreaetion (805) 773-7063 760 Mattie Rd. Pismo Beach pismobeach.org

(805) 343-7520 1645 Trilogy Parkway Nipomo monarchdunewhoa.com

San Luis Marble (805) 544-9133 5452 Edna Rd. San Luis Obispo slmarble.com

Santa Maria Fairpark (805) 896-2674 937 Thornburg Santa Maria santamariafairpark.com

Santa Maria Public Airport

Point San Luis Lighthouse

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

Robbo Music Studio (805) 801-9841 Morro Bay robbomusic.com

Sandalwood Spa

Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter

(805) 543-8717 PO Box 15755 San Luis Obispo sierraclub.org, meetup.com

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

Solarponics

The Back Porch

(805) 541-1400 3450 Dairy Creek Rd. San Luis Obispo slobg.org

4700 El Camino Real Atascadero solarponics.com

SLO County Parks & Recreation

St. Joseph High School

(805) 781-5930 1144 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo slocountyparks.org

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

SLO Rowing Club

Sun Buggy

(805) 459-8874 Santa Margarita Lake and Morro Bay slorc.org/learn-to-row

Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce

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

That’s Fetch

(805) 597-8022 1114 Marsh St. San Luis Obispo regionalrideshare.org

SLO Botanical Gardens (805) 466-5595

(805) 922-1726 3217 Terminal Dr. Santa Maria santamariaairport.com

(805) 350-8517 PO Box 1738 Santa Ynez santaynezchamber.org

SLOCOG / Rideshare

(805) 244-9721 307 Pier Ave Pismo/Oceano State Park sunbuggy.com/pismo

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort 1215 Avila Beach Dr. San Luis Obispo sycamoresprings.com

Van Curaza Surf School (805) 543-SURF (7873) 80 San Francisco St. Avila Beach

(805) 938-1965 4850 S. Bradley Rd. Santa Maria backporchflowers.net

vancurazasurfschool.com

The Camp At Carmel Valley

1169 Market Ave

Virg’s Landing (805) 772-1222 Morro Bay

(831) 659-2761 33200 E. Carmel Valley Carmel Valley campcarmelvalley.com

virgslanding.com

The Mortgage House

(805) 348-1888

(805) 782-6999 1103 Toro St. San Luis Obispo themortgagehouse.com

Toyota of Santa Maria (805) 928-3881 1643 S. Bradley Rd. Santa Maria toyotasm.com

Western Village Health Club 2015 S. Broadway, Ste. B Santa Maria wvhealthclub.com

Woods Humane Society (805) 543-9316 875 Oklahoma Ave San Luis Obispo woodshumanesociety.org

REVERSE MORTGAGE / PURCHASE / REFINANCE / FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER RESULTS | INTEGRITY | EXPERIENCE

San Luis Obispo (805) 782-6999

Atascadero (805) 466-6766

1115 Toro Street, Suite C San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

7340 Morro Road Atascadero, CA 93422

© 2022 Dignified Home Loans, LLC. Equal Housing Lender. NMLS #309234. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act #413-1108.

Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Additional restrictions may apply. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates and conditions are subject to change without notice.

62 Get Outside SUMMER/FALL 2023

Proud Supports of o Local Community

ZIP & SLIDE AT LOPEZ LAKE this summer with a Park Hopper Pass!

Looking for fun summer activities for you & your friends, significant other, or the whole family?!

Vista Lago Adventure Park is known for its adventurous ropes & obstacle course designed for beginners & extreme adventurers! Walk across their Talley Vineyard Wine Barrel Bridge to freefall from a 40ft QuickJump, then get fresh air on their ziplines with a beautiful view of the lake!

Mustang Waterpark is the perfect way to cool off & relax this Summer! Drop in on the 48ft Stampede for an adrenaline rush, hang out with your kids in the kiddie pool, or slide down the two giant 600ft curving waterslides that take you for an exciting trip from the hilltop overlooking Lopez Lake to splash down in our catch pools at the bottom!

Vista Lago Adventure Park & Mustang Waterpark are located inside the campgrounds at Lopez Lake in Arroyo Grande. They both have food & drinks to enjoy all day!