hOPERATION FISHY MOLLUSK

2026_3/29-4/4

hOPERATION FISHY MOLLUSK

This year's Spring Break #specialhoperation will be a bikecation of the aquatic variety in which we shall endeavor to catch as much of our food as we can manage while camping at Lake Casitas and Carpinteria State Beach. During our time at the lake we’ll have the opportunity to hike, ride designated bike trails, boat, and hopefully catch a variety of freshwater fish including (trophy class) Big Mouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, and Catfish. If you have a habit of scaring off all the fish, don't worry because we will also make half-day trips to nearby food and drink destinations including twin pairs of breweries and wineries. During our stay along the coast, we will have easy access to a variety of local breweries, take a day trip to Santa Barbara, and hopefully harvest muscles, clams, and maybe even some oysters from the Pacific Ocean. The Metrolink Ventura County Line will transport us along with our bikes to the start of the ride and a support vehicle can bring supplies that you don’t want to carry.

Total riding distance: 136 miles between

17 Breweries

2 Meaderies

2 Wineries

1 Coffee Roaster

1 Cafe

2 Pizzerias

and “The Best Jerky in SoCal”

CLICK TO REGISTER

Transportation

$20 Round Trip

This trip is planned to be an entirely car-free affair, relying exclusively on rail transportation for you and your bike starting from and returning to LA Union Station.

On the first and last day we will use the Metrolink Ventura County Line for the low weekend day rate of $10 each way. You can use their app to pay for your ticket on the day of departure and it will also be useable on any connecting Metro lines that you wish to take.

If you would like to skip the final day of riding back to Ventura, you are welcome to book a ticket on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from Carpinteria for $30 but you should book in advance since bike tickets are limited.

Lodging

$200 Total

We'll be cutting costs on accommodations by staying in group campsites at Lake Casitas and Carpinteria State Beach. Space at each campsite is limited so please register at the link above and complete your payment before March 15.

Bring your own tent or contact us to inquire about sharing one of our large spare tents.

**A support vehicle will transport equipment to the campground prior to our arrival so if you want to include any cargo of your own, please contact us to coordinate.**

Fishing and Boating

(optional)

Since it costs less than 2 short-term licenses (which would be required for this itinerary), we recommend bringing your own rod/tackle and buying a 1-year CA Fishing License at a local sporting goods store like Big Five for about $65.

Boats will be available to rent for additional cost which could be very reasonable if split between enough people ($15-$25 apiece for a 10-person pontoon boat for example).

Once we get to the coast we will attempt to harvest mussels from natural rock formations. This does require a fishing license but the only equipment you need is a bucket or bag to carry your catch, which can be up to 10 lbs per person (enough to feed a very large group)

Food, Souvenirs, and Incidental Costs

We won't be monitoring what you eat at each dining destination, what kind of snacks you grab for the road, or how many bottles of wine you have shipped to your out of state auntie so we recommend you prepare your own spending budget. Go ahead and check out the menus at each of the dining destinations linked in the itinerary to get a sense for what you might want to order and how much it will end up costing.

Where you see a DIY meal in the itinerary, know that it will be up to you to choose what/where/how you eat. You are encouraged to source your own ingredients in order to prepare meals at the campgrounds instead of eating out but you are just as welcome to ride to a nearby diner or try to convince a fast food franchise to let you use your bike in the drive-thru.

With all that being said, if enough people register for the trip, it will produce a budget surplus that will be used to stock a shared camp pantry which could cover some or even all of the DIY meals so in this sense, "the more the merrier" really does apply.

How to Prepare

Pack light for this trip! In theory, you could do this trip with little more than a backpack. Fishing gear recommended but not required. Don’t bring stuff you won’t need and if you would like to have any supplies cached at the campground ahead of your arrival, just reach out and coordinate with us because we intend to arrange a support vehicle which will be loaded at least a day ahead of our departure.

Luggage

You will not be required to load your bike down with enough equipment to survive in the wild because both of our camping locations will be a short ride from civilization. You are encouraged to carry your own camping gear, wardrobe, and toiletries but if that’s not a practical option for you or your bike, just pack a bag to hand over before the trip and it will be waiting when you arrive at the first campground. Just repack it and hand it over before leaving for the next campground. During rides you should always carry your repair necessities, water, an extra layer(s), and lights. A packable backpack or expandable fanny pack might come in handy for grabbing snacks and such.

Attire

We have found it very challenging to keep lycra attire clean, dry, and unscathed during camping trips so we advise against bringing your bib and jersey. We recommend packable clothes that you can wear on or off the bike and could be easily washed in a sink and hung to dry overnight. You should not need a different set of clothes for each day but having one set to wear while the other is washed and dried is key. Padded shorts or liners can be tough to dry out between washes in the wild so instead we recommend bringing a couple pairs of antimicrobial quick-dry underwear (Ex-Officio for example) so you can change into a fresh pair while yesterday’s gets washed and hung to dry.

Kitchen

The campgrounds are both within short riding distance of stores and restaurants so you don’t have to carry provisions with you from the start. We will endeavor to use available campfire and/or grilling facilities to cook meals so a campstove is not a necessity and we will have some pots and pans available for use. Bring a mess kit if you have it so we don’t generate extra waste with disposable flatware.

Bedding

You will have to provide your own sleeping bag and pillow. It can be transported in the support car if you prefer. If you do not have a tent, inquire with us about sharing our spare 6-person tent.

Power

Backup batteries for your mobile devices and/or bike lights are strongly encouraged and we will do our best to keep apprised of available charging opportunities. We don’t want you running out of juice and unable to reach us (or snap that perfect selfie).