Bixby Bridge
Once we hit the water, our first stop was the infamous Bixby Bridge, and at a towering 260 feet above sea level it is an architectural relic. The view from below was fascinating and more picturesque than the generic photos everyone has taken countless times from the side of the bridge. While our curiosity was burning, we went and explored a couple caves around the corner. Considering that no one from our crew has been along this coast, with each twist and turn the little kid inside of us came out and it was like exploring a playground for the first time. One particular cave we explored was at least 30 feet high and the darkness inside was beckoning; the deeper we went, the colder and creepier it got. The sound and light were almost absent, other than this faint white strip that resembled a sliver of sand. Excited to think we had just found a private beach inside a cave we kept moving forward. As we approached the white sand, a faint alien-like head appeared and stopped us in our tracks. One head turned into five, then 10, and within seconds we were staring at 50 creatures on this beach. It became apparent once this massive group of seals began charging at us that we were not welcome here, so, like the little kids in us, we sprinted back out of the cave yelling our faces off.
The Man in the Grey Suit
The last leg of the first day was the one we were most anxious about for many reasons. For one, the wind kicked up to 15 knots and we would have to fight it up until we went around Point Sur – which is also the tip of the Red Triangle. The Red Triangle is off the coast of Northern California and extends from San Francisco to Big Sur. It accounts for 38% of the recorded great white shark attacks on humans in the US. Needless to say, we paddled hard and had our eyes peeled. As we were approaching Point Sur, the groups were getting further from one another due to the wind but we all had one objective: get around the lighthouse and catch the downwind to our camp for the night. I don’t know if it was all the thoughts in our heads, but within minutes of getting to the tip of the Red Triangle Scott radioed to us, “Shark Shark Shark!”
Not surprised but definitely alarmed, we had no choice but to continue around the lighthouse and catch up to them to stay in a group. As our fatigue was now replaced with adrenaline, we powered up to the rest of the group and both Scotts recounted their first interaction with a great white. As they described, they were coming up to Point Sur and a faint 10-foot silhouette started pacing with their board. They brought up their paddles, braced their feet and watched as the juvenile checked them out and then disappeared into the abyss.
Camping Vibes
Once we rounded the lighthouse the NW wind provided great downwinders which escorted us right into camp for the night. We gathered our stuff and made a base camp where we sipped on a little whiskey and foraged for firewood to warm us up. After consuming an entire chicken for dinner we spent the remainder of the night staring at the caveman TV and talking about the exciting adventures that awaited us the next day.
In addition to the amazing location, there was something more fascinating about to happen above us: a meteor shower. If you’ve ever been to Big Sur at night then you know that it has zero light pollution, which gives the impression that you’ve been looking at a different sky your entire life. As tired as we were, the only thing keeping us up was the thrill of each shooting star blazing over our heads.
