When I cycled along Santa Rosa Creek Road in the Spring I had been intrigued to pass a turn-off called Cypress Mountain Drive which led to an abandoned mercury mine ... called the Klau Mine.
This ride gave the opportunity to visit the mine and to explore the numerous vineyards near Paso Robles.
I started from the City Park in the centre of Paso Robles. At the centre of the park is a brick building which until recently housed the library.
Paso Robles experienced a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in 2003 ... which unfortunately resulted in the death of two ... and opened up large cracks in the library building.
Opposite the Park is the Paso Robles Inn which was built on the site of an earlier wooden hotel which had been constructed alongside a thermal spring to offer spa facilities.
One consequence of the earthquake was that a crack opened in the ground in the library parking lot and sulphurous water began gushing out at a temperature of around 112°F.
The crack was excavated and pumps have been installed temporarily to dump the spring water in the Salinas River whilst a permanent solution is devised
The main street in Paso Robles is called Spring Street ... presumably because of the thermal springs. I chose to start north along the parallel Vine Street which passes a number of attractive wooden houses dating from Victorian times.
From Vine Street I turned to leave town on Nacimiento Lake Drive.
Nacimiento Lake is a popular camping, boating and fishing destination ... but I'd be turning off before going that far.
Nacimiento Lake Drive climbs steadily and before long you find yourself surrounded by orchards and vineyards.
Rounding one corner I came across a massive rock alongside the road ... this was Chimney Rock.
Alongside the rock I turned off along the eponymously named Chimney Rock Road ... where the signs warned that there were no services ahead.
The road follows San Marcos Creek and continues its gentle climb.
On the left the San Marcos Dam appears ... and continuing to climb the lake behind comes into view.
Above the lake more vineyards appear alongside the road.
The foliage of the vines was all shades ... from green through yellow to dramatic reds and scarlets.
The hills above the vineyards are covered with gnarled oaks ... interspersed with some groves of walnuts.
At a sharp right bend lines Adelaida's Lincoln School. This was a one room school house that operated from 1917 to 1964.
The school only started using electric light in 1948 ... previously oil lanterns were used.
The building is now used as a community centre for Adelaida.
After passing Adelaida's school you reach town's Cemetery where you turn up Adelaida Road.
From the mid 19th Century Adelaida was a centre for livestock, grain, timber and mining mercury.
Mercury was essential for extracting gold from its ore.
Just beyond the site of the old town ... which supported six schools, three churches, three post offices and two dance halls ... is the turn-off to Klau Mine.
The road drops down alongside Las Tablas Creek through a serene wooded valley ... giving no indication of what is ahead.
Just before the end of the road I passed the old settlement of Klau ... which had certainly seen better times
Klau Mine Road ends at its junction with Cypress Mountain Drive ... the other end of which I had passed some five months before when cycling along Santa Rosa Creek Road. The sign indicates that the road is closed to through traffic ... so it's just as well that I didn't try.
Just round the corner lie the remains of the Buena Vista and Klau Mines.
Mercury mining occurred at both locations for over 100 years from 1868 to 1970.
At Buena Vista Mine the remains of the old processing mill are still visible.
Klau Mine is hidden from view ... but a polluted stream, coloured dark red, emerges from the site.
Opposite a small mine shaft ... less than one metre high ... disappears into the hillside.
Although it has not been worked for more than 40 years Klau Mine is still causing environmental problems.
As well as mercury ... arsenic and thallium have been detected on the site ... and these leach into nearby creeks.
The area has been designated as a Superfund site ... one of the worst pollution sites in the Country ...
... let's hope they can clean up the remaining problems.
After viewing the mine remains I turned round to climb back up along Klau Mine Road.
On reaching Adelaida Road I turned south to pass through another swathe of vineyards.
The contrast with the stark landscape around the mines was dramatic.
As the day wore on the wind picked up and along the tree lined road showers of falling leaves were lit up in the afternoon sunshine.
The road drops down to Las Tablas Creek and passes the imaginatively named Tablas Creek Vineyard.
After crossing the Creek I turned onto Willow Creek Road which is also known as Vineyard Drive.
Many of the roads in the vineyard area seemed to have been re-branded over the last twenty years or so.
Vineyard Road slowly descends to its junction with Peachy Canyon Road.
Peachy Canyon Road snakes through orchards and stands of oak ...
... and climbs up to the site of the appropriately named Summit School ...
... but I must have been day-dreaming as I completely missed it.
I passed a classic Airstream trailer ... the first of which were designed by Hawley Bowlus who was the designer of Charles Lindbergh's aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis.
The trailer design used aircraft construction methods to deliver low wind resistance and light weight.
After the summit Peachy Canyon drops for some 14 kilometres back down to Paso Robles ... time to return to City Park to find a café.
Kirby James
