Oh, and Gregg...good luck on the Stagecoach! Isn't that a "no GPS" ride (cuesheets)? That one's a monster for sure! Stay safe!

Hey Gregg...I'm still not set up w/ a bike-packing capable rig (hopefully this year!). Anyway it looks like I'll be in CO Springs (again) for work...they shifted the trip 3 weeks forward (I was supposed to be up there already, but now I leave on the 2nd of Apr, get back on the 20th), otherwise I would definitely have been out on the route cheering on the riders (). As I found out on last Friday's ride, there's currently NO cows out at Painted rock this year (HOORAY!), but there are some just past the cattle-guard a mile or so past Painted Rock. There was one rather feisty cow, she stayed on the road and would run about 50yds and stop and stare at me...I'd stop and we'd have a staredown, then she'd move another 50yds...this went on for a while till she FINALLY ran off the road to her 'herd' (I'm pretty scared of cows since I got hit by that bull on Sierra Madre Ridge 3 years ago). There was at least 1 bull w/ this herd, but he wasn't a problem...didn't even see him till I was on my way back fm Santa Barbara cyn (my turn-around) and he stayed way off the road w/ his cows.

Hey Gregg....according to the Los Padres Nat Forest website the Upper Osos trailhead is still closed (just checked again this morning)...I've been watching and waiting for it to open again. I've been wanting to do this ride again for a while now (upper Osos to Big Pine out and back). Where did you park? Sure glad to hear the road is finally fixed...went up it last fall and it was horrible!