Admiring the View @ Prewitt Ridge
Prewitt Ridge in Big Sur has been on my “Must Camp” list for years. I have explored a lot of Big Sur, including several multi-day backpacking trips, but I have never made it up to Prewitt Ridge. With the 808Van ready to prove itself and the long July 4th weekend we decided to head South along Route 1 and explore.
Prewitt Ridge is a dispersed campsite located at 3,200 feet above the ocean in the Los Padres National Forest. To get there, you climb for 6 straight miles along the windy Nacimiento-Ferguson Road until you get to Coast Ridge Trail. From there, its another 6 miles of off-roading to get to Prewitt Ridge Campground. 4WD is advised as there are some deep ruts, so I was surprised, but moreso impressed, when I saw a Prius at the top!
The 808Van did great on the drive out. The transmission began to overheat on the way up Nacimiento so a transmission cooler is now on the list of future upgrades. Also on the list is revisiting the rear suspension that was bouncing Jen around “like the Indiana Jones ride at DisneyLand.” By early afternoon we arrived safe and sound at Prewitt Ridge and found one of the last great sites with a view over the clouds.
As sunset approached everyone around the campsite found their spot to watch Mother Nature’s fireworks. Golden hour enveloped us with calm as we watched the sun slide under the horizon with a bright orange glow. After a very hot day the temperature cooled but stayed comfortable as we cooked an amazing dinner of fresh corn-on-the-cob followed by homemade tomato soup and bread. As Jen bit into the corn she whispered under her breath “fuck yeah,” which pretty much summed up the day.
While normally I like to stargaze, the July 4th weekend also coincided with an epic full-moon that was so bright I was casting a shadow even in the middle of the night. The moon also drew out some great howls from the campers that echoed across the ridge. Prewitt Ridge is not your normal campground fare and I enjoyed meeting my neighbors as we bonded over the great view.
The next morning we woke up and quickly headed down the mountain to meet my mother at Sand Dollar Beach. We found a nice spot along Route 1 and set-up for lunch. Jennifer cooked some yummy veggie burgers with all the fixin’s and a side of sauteed potatoes, peppers, and onions. If this wasn’t enough, after we finished lunch we noticed some splashing in the water. It turned out to be a pod of 6-8 dolphins playing just off shore. They were surfing the waves and jumping for the next hour and we couldn’t get enough of it. Now this is what a call a Fourth of July Cookout!
Can I get another “Fuck Yeah”?!
