A topographic map showing the start of the climb . . . note that the 50 foot contour lines start to get real close together-- as do the darker 250' contour index intervals.

These scans came from the Alexandria Digital Library. I was able to access 7.5' quadrangle topographic "sheets" in color at 300 dpi from this very handy UCSB source. Ah, the toys of the digital revolution!

 Believe it or not, the sign on the right was one I was very happy to see, as I knew I could get through one way or another and hoped that the sign would discourage motorists. Not that Gibraltar is a busy ride anyway, since it has very few homes along its precipitous ascent. Most people drive up a much wider, straighter, and less steep Hwy 154, half a dozen miles to the west.

A half mile up from this sign were impressive rock retaining walls constructed by the WPA in the 1930's and still looking very solid and in place. After personally moving 40-200 pound RR ties that I used for a retaining wall at home, I tend to look at other's similar work with more appreciation.

 

 

  The 2300 foot mark where the first of two photos identified on the topo sheet were shot. All the pavement you see on both sides of the trike is Gibraltar Road snaking its way up the mountainside. Sections of the road were banked at such a steep angle that I had to lean into the banking quite a few times to avoid tipping over sidewise! Several times I almost did the same slow motion tip-over of the tricycle-riding character in the '60s show "Laugh-in." That would have been embarrassing!
 This the photo across the road from the above photo, looking westward toward the University and my starting point. Drat! The clouds were coming in and starting to obscure my vista shots.  

 

 The cloud layer sets in. No more photos until the summit. In this thick blanket I was thankful that only about a few dozen vehicles, mostly pickup trucks hauling mountain bikes, motorcycles, and hanggliders (which I guess needed IFR in this soup) came past. Numerous looks of disbelief graced their visages--esp. the cyclists!

On this quiet ascent, it was easy to hear traffic approaching from long off and move over to the far right. What wasn't easy was putting up with the smell of burning transmission fluid, engine and gear oil that lingered in the air long after the vehicles had passed by. Stark contrast to the fragrant roadside flora and the sounds of the feathered fauna

It was so quiet that I'd brought along a radio with portable speakers inside my rear fairing playing classical music . . . a great way to enjoy Mozart's Marriage of Figaro.

.