The Los Padres Traverse Route and Long Traverse Film

The Los Padres national forest spans the Central Coast of California, from the Pacific Ocean to the fringe of the Mojave Desert. This land of many uses hosts world-class biodiversity, the endangered California Condor, 350+ miles of trail, and a multitude of Chumash cultural sites. The Los Padres Traverse route is not only an incredible ride, but it highlights the intersection of recreation, conservation, and climate.

The Long Traverse is about learning from, and loving, the landscapes we ride in. Through the story of an iconic 80-mile, 11,000-foot ride, Christopher Blevins and Dillon Osleger consider the history of a landscape and our place within it, grappling with the realities of forest fires and extraction, while letting the bike show us all we can appreciate and learn as people on the land. Through the trail stewardship and advocacy work of Dillon's nonprofit Sage Trail Alliance, Christopher established the fastest known time (FKT) along the route. And throughout this process, Christopher learned more about caring for the places he gets to ride in and the communities along the way.

Whether you're trying to complete the traverse in six hours or taking three days to bike pack it with friends, the Los Padres is a place to visit. Likewise, whether you're a World Cup racer or a Weekend Warrior, we can use the bike to understand our responsibility to take action to better our planet, and we can all dig during trail restoration days.

The Long Traverse is a film by Stilspoke, filmed and edited by Keenan Desplanques, directed by Keenan and Christopher Blevins.