Sunset from Shoreline Park - 2/2013
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Bike Items for Sale - Here's a photo journal of bike parts that I'm trying to clear out of my workshop.
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| Bike Ridden: | Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 111 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 3500 feet |
Winter Solstice Century, December 2005 - This century (and double century) ride, organized by Craig Robertson and hosted for the last several years by Ken Holloway, is an annual tradition for The Bikeaholics (www.bikeaholics.org) and Western Wheelers Bicycle Club on a weekend near the Winter Solstice.
Some of us started at 5:00a in San Jose (near Saratoga Ave. and I-280) and rode south to Gilroy and then on to Pinnacles and back to San Jose (200 miles). Others, including me, started at 8:00a in Gilroy and rode to Pinnacles and back to Gilroy (111 miles).
South of Gilroy the route takes Bolsa, Bloomfield, Frazier Lake, Shore, and Fairview Roads, then heads southeast on Santa Ana Valley Road to Quien Sabe Road and then south on CA25 to Pinnacles. The route returns from Pinnacles on CA25 to Old Airline Road and then takes a slightly less direct road through the hills, Cienega Road, before returning across the valley between Hollister and Gilroy.
The fields were still mostly brown and gray as not much rain had fallen yet this season. As it happens, the first big storm of the season was blowing in off the Pacific Ocean, bringing rain to the San Francisco Bay Area starting around noon on the day of the ride. From Gilroy south to Pinnacles the storm clouds were gathering, bringing strong winds from the south but as yet no rain. This made the ride south more difficult than usual and the return trip easier than usual. Those of us who rode the century stayed clean and dry, but double-century riders managed to find some wet roads on the last 25 miles of the ride.
| Bike Ridden: | Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 66.7 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 5720 feet |
| Total Time: | 6:43:03 |
| Riding Time: | 5:39:50 |
| Avg. Speed (moving): | 11.8 mph |
| Max. Speed: | 41.8 mph |
Loma Prieta, November 24, 2005 - Jobst Brandt had been bugging me to try a route through the Sierra Azul along Loma Ridge that lies between Loma Prieta, the highest peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains at 3784 feet and Mount Umunhum, its slightly lower neighbor to the northwest at 3486 feet. The local open space district (MROSD) had recently acquired most of the parcels of land along Loma Ridge and has been working to open a trail along Loma Ridge Road.
Unfortunately, there is still some private inholdings at the Mt. Umunhum end of this ridge where the owners or occupants of this land don't want the public to use the roads across their land. I think MROSD could force the issue if they wished as the roads were almost certainly pre-existing easements. But MROSD in their dealings with the locals have taken the strategy of deferring to their preferences and have installed or left in place signage to keep the public out.
I decided that Thanksgiving Day would be a good day to explore this area, in part because I did not want to take a full day. I estimated the ride would be close to 100k. And, because I figured the holiday would make more likely anyone living up there to be away with family or to be occupied with thoughts more pleasant than that of guarding the road from trespassers. In the unlikely event that I did run into individuals who objected to my presence, I figured the holiday might put them in an uncommonly good frame of mind such that they might allow me passage. Also the weather promised to be reasonably warm, and I found this to be true on the ridge tops but not in the valley where an inversion layer held down cold, smoggy winter air.
I started as I usually do from home near downtown Sunnyvale at about 0845. I rode to Los Gatos via San Tomas Expressway and Los Gatos Avenue. Once I got to Los Gatos I took the Los Gatos Creek Trail to the top of Lenihan Dam at Lexington Reservoir. After I arrived at the top of the dam I turned left and proceeded on Alma Bridge Road that traverses the east side of Lexington Reservoir.
At Aldercroft Heights Road I turned right and climbed a short hill to Old Santa Cruz Highway where I turned left and proceeded up the gradual climb to Summit Road. At Summit Road I turned left and rode a bit over two miles until I got to Loma Prieta Avenue where I turned left. The Summit Store is about 0.2 miles beyond this junction, but as I was well supplied with food and water I didn’t feel the need to stop there on this trip.
Loma Prieta Avenue starts with a short steep climb to the top of the ridge that lies directly south of Los Gatos Creek. At the top of this climb the road bends southeast and begins a climb directly up the spine of this ridge. Small gentlemen's ranches lie on either side of the road: first a Christmas tree farm, then a couple of orchards. The summit of Loma Prieta itself came into view a few times. Descending this road is a bit like a roller-coaster ride from the undulations and no curves to slow one down, although the driveways entering the road at frequent intervals, some of them hidden by the changing slope of the road, counsel one not to throw caution to the wind.
Eventually Loma Prieta Avenue narrows to one lane, begins a series of short steep curves, loses its pavement, and rises out of the trees, giving one an excellent view of Skyland Ridge and some of the more distant ridges and watersheds to the west. After a brief descent Loma Prieta Avenue regains pavement, intersects Mount Bache Road, and continues steeply uphill to the left.
Just as one begins to tire of the 10-15% grade, Loma Prieta Avenue reaches a local summit from which one can enjoy an unobstructed view to the south, including the Gabilan and Santa Lucia Mountains on either side of Salinas. Years ago the pavement ended here and most road cyclists who came this way considered this the top of the "Mount Bache climb".
Loma Prieta Avenue continues along a ridge for a short distance before rising gradually again, returning to dirt for a tenth of a mile, and intersecting the northern end of Summit Road (south), or Old Mount Madonna Road, depending upon the age of one's map.
Along this section I came upon a man crawling out of the brush on the left (downhill) side of the road. My quiet approach must have startled him while he was in an unlikely position, hunched over crawling out from the undergrowth, reminding me of when Basil Fawlty rose slowly and unexpectedly from behind the counter to the surprise of a newly-arrived guest. Smiling sheepishly he said, "Hi.", and I returned the greeting. But, I couldn't help but wonder what he might have been up to. His van was parked a hundred yards up the road. My thoughts turned to the recent marijuana drug busts in the area and that growers were tending illegal weed plots in these hills. Thinking about it further I realized that this was probably an ideal location, near the headwaters of Los Gatos Creek with relatively easy access to the road. Either that or maybe he was just taking a leak, or disposing a corpse.
Without further thought I continued up to the junction with Summit Road and bore left to climb the "new" asphalt on a hill that is informally called the "dirty bump". The previously unpaved road was rough and steep, being dusty and rocky, and was a challenge to climb on thin, slick tires. I was riding in the area in June 2004 when the crews were laying down the new asphalt, so my expectations were primed. What I discovered this day was the roughest, dirtiest, most uneven asphalt job I had ever seen. It is as if the asphalt had been laid atop the un-graded dirt road surface, allowing all the bumps and pits to be recorded in fine detail. Yet, I would still prefer bumpy asphalt to bumpy dirt for the traction offered by the former.
I had taken my ride on Thanksgiving Day hoping that most people would be home enjoying a feast instead of driving through a remote part of the mountains, that I might come across little traffic. But, I discovered that traffic on this upper part of Loma Prieta Avenue was heavier than I can ever recall it being. A car passed me every couple of minutes in one direction or another. Sometimes it was the same car more than once! Someone must have been having a party in Loma Chiquita, a residential area on the ridge east of Loma Prieta.
At the junction of Loma Prieta Avenue, Loma Ridge Road, and Casa Loma Road, I continued up the access road to the summit of Loma Prieta. The lower part of this access road is rough and rocky up to a junction. To the left the road continues past a gate into an area fully enclosed by a fence that is the true summit where, due to the surrounding vegetation, not much view can be seen. I continued straight up a rougher and steeper road to the northeast antenna farm where views to the north, east, and south were available.
From this view area I was able to see south to Summit Ridge and the Gabilan Mountains, nearby Mount Chual and across the valley Mount Hamilton, Mount Diablo and Mission Peak, Mount Allison, and Monument Peak, and north to Mount Thayer and Mount Umunhum.
After descending from the summit of Loma Prieta I turned right and began the traverse of Loma Ridge Road. The view to the northwest toward the Los Gatos Creek canyon, showing all of the minor ridges between Loma Prieta and Ben Lomond Mountain, and north as far as Kings Mountain, was beautiful and dramatic.
Continuing a little further on Loma Ridge Road brought me to an old cistern fed from a spring that forms the headwater of Los Gatos Creek. I recall getting water from this cistern back in the mid-1970's when I first rode my bike in the area.
Pressing on I came shortly to the road that goes to Mount Chual, Loma Prieta's neighbor to the northeast. I continued a bit further down the ridge before rousing a chorus of barking dogs. It was clear I was approaching a residence, and the dogs were loose! As I approached the driveway to the unseen dwelling I observed what could only be described as two obese Black Labrador Retrievers standing in the road barking. I passed them closely saying, "Nice doggy." They quieted down as I passed, and appearing to know the boundary of their territory, they didn't chase. With all the extra weight they were carrying, I was not surprised.
Maybe the bike surprised them, although I find that the surprise factor usually works best with people. One can only imagine the thoughts racing through a dog's mind as it hears an odd combination of organic and mechanical sounds, smells a sweaty human, and sees a human head perched on an enormous body that glides over the ground without legs. I doubt any prior experience had prepared these dogs for their encounter.
As I rounded the next corner I came upon MROSD signs and a gate marking my entry into the Sierra Azul preserve. I continued past the gate, feeling that at least for the moment I could continue unchallenged by dogs or other creatures. In the distance I heard the sharp report of distant gunfire, and on that note I pressed on feeling far from civilization, sometimes along a bare ridge or through groves of Digger Pines.
At about 25 minutes after my encounter with the dogs I arrived at a low point along the ridge where Cathermole Road joins Loma Ridge Road. Cathermole Road descends 1850 feet to the west to Los Gatos Creek at Lake Elsman.
Back in the 1986 shortly after the Aldercroft Heights fire I had hiked from Wrights Station to Lake Elsman and part way up Austrian Gulch on Cathermole Road and other jeep trails in the area on the south side of Mount Umunhum. Nowadays the road from Wrights Station up to Lake Elsman is blocked by a high gate. Signs warn that the area is guarded by dogs, which is unlikely. Although it is tempting to try riding someday down Cathermole Road, I would plan only to do so expecting that I'd have to ride back up the hill afterward.
After the junction with Cathermole Road Loma Ridge Road begins a moderate climb to the north. At the top of this climb I came upon a sign commanding one to stop, that the road entered private property. I wasn't planning to return back over Loma Prieta, and I knew that Mount Umunhum Road wasn't more than half of a mile away. Jobst had suggested that the dwellings to be found in this area were abandoned, and that in particular, Rick Estrada's hovel at Mount Umunhum Road was removed. I proceeded quietly intending not to awaken any sleeping dogs or other territorial creatures that may have been about.
Around the next bend I came abruptly within view of a ramshackle encampment of old trailers, huts, tarps, and various and sundry discarded household objects and debris. I stopped and listened. I heard no sound. The main road proceeded to the left under the darkened windows of the encampment's trailers. An alternate road that bore little evidence of use branched to the right to the east side of the ridge and entered the cover of trees. From my study of the map I knew that this road was also shorter than the main road by a couple tenths of a mile. I took the road to the right. I could make out the deep track of a road bike tire in the soft sand going this way and thought that someone else might have had the same idea.
One-tenth of a mile down this road I encountered a smaller encampment consisting of a similar assortment of old campers, tarps, and rubbish. It seemed that every dell and glade in this area hosted a shantytown or a place to store junk. I stopped and listened. Nothing. The occupants were either sleeping or gone. I rode by quietly as if I were passing Shelob's Lair and came upon a locked gate. This time there was no easy walk-around. Barbed wire had been spread across all of the openings but one. I could get through, but the bike would have to be lifted over. Fortunately, the gate was not so high that I was unable to do this.
I reached Mount Umunhum Road shortly afterward, having seen no one the entire time since Loma Prieta. After taking a couple of pictures up and down the road, I proceeded to descend this steep, rough, poorly maintained, but paved road.
Jobst had warned me about some particularly nasty potholes on the downhill side of this road, so I was not surprised. Even though I was descending more slowly and carefully than I might usually have been inclined I was unable to avoid all of the potholes and debris on one turn, but I was able to avoid the worst of the potholes on a straightaway lower down.
Other unexpected and invisible hazards included sinkholes beneath the asphalt whose presence was only identified by circumferential cracking, not easily seen when descending fast.
I stopped briefly at Hicks Road to take a nature break and to check the temperature of my rear rim. I proceeded down the Guadalupe side of Hicks Road only after my rim was cool enough to be grasped for more than a few seconds. I reached the bridge over Guadalupe Creek at the bottom of the steep descent without incident and kept moving so that the rims would cool in the cold air.
Further down the road I came from around a curve face to face with a group of wild turkeys. It felt good to see these magnificent creatures in the wild rather than bred and fattened to feed overfed humans. My sudden arrival startled them to flight as they took off for the opposite bank of Guadalupe Creek. I wanted to catch a picture of them with their wing and tail feathers splayed in flight, but by the time my camera was ready they had already hidden themselves amongst the trees.
I continued down Hicks Road and turned left on Shannon Road, passing the faux chateau that stands vacantly and ill-suited to its surroundings in a field off to the left.
Although I usually prefer taking Kennedy Road, I climbed Shannon Road over the summit this time. At Los Gatos Boulevard I turned left and then right on Saratoga-Los Gatos Road and returned home through Saratoga on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road.
| Bike Ridden: | Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 79 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7300 feet |
Johansen and Gazos Creek Roads, November 2005 - I planned this route to go mostly the reverse of last week's route on Old Haul and Gazos Creek Roads, except that I wanted to descend Johansen Road, a road that I hadn't ridden in over ten years.
I started by taking the straight road to Saratoga then climbed CA9 over Saratoga Gap to Waterman Gap. Unfortunately, the stopsign at the new intersection at Waterman Gap doesn't allow one legally to build up momentum to carry across to the short ascent on the other side.
I continued onto CA236 and turned right on China Grade Road. From this point until I got to the bottom of Gazos Creek Road I saw no one.
I climbed to the top of China Grade then continued onto the dirt road until I got to Johansen Road. I usually descend South Butano Fire Trail when I go this way, but today I turned left and began the descent to Sandy Point Junction on Johansen Road.
Johansen Road lies at the northern boundary of Big Basin Redwoods State Park and doesn't get much traffic. The road was covered with many leaves, twigs and branches. A "track" was not to be seen, evidence that few ride or hike this road.
When I got to Sandy Point I turned right on Gazos Creek Road and descended into the canyon and along Gazos Creek, stopping several times to take photos.
At this time of year what little light that manages to shine into the canyon does so at an angle that highlights the colors of the foliage, much like light at sunrise or sunset. The changing color of the big leaf maples were still spectacular, although the week before had been closer to the peak.
While I was climbing Cloverdale Road my rear tire blew out. The hole was substantial and required a boot. (I use Tyvek.) Adding insult to injury I discovered that my pump was missing, probably fell off on Johansen or Gazos Creek Roads. Just as I was finished mounting the new tube in the tire, a kind motorcyclist came by who happened to have a compressor in his trunk, and with the Presta to Schrader adapter I carry in my patch kit we were able to inflate the tire.
But, because the rear tire was fatally injured and I had no pump, I decided to return home on roads that were likely to see more traffic in case I had further trouble. So, instead of taking Old Haul Road, Bridge Trail, and Camp Pomponio Road as I had planned, I climbed Pescadero Road and Alpine Road, and returned home on Page Mill and Moody Roads without incident.
| Bike Ridden: | Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 85 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7500 feet |
Gazos Creek and Old Haul Roads, November 2005 - I started this ride as usual in downtown Sunnyvale and took the quickest route I knew to the top of Page Mill Road.
The climb up Moody and Page Mill Roads went without incident. I continued across Skyline Blvd. without stopping and continued climbing a short distance on Alpine Road before it begins a swift and scenic descent toward Butano Ridge.
At Portola State Park Road I continued left and descended quickly into the cool, damp redwoods of Portola State Park. I had the road to myself all the way.
I continued past the park headquarters building, crossed Peters Creek and continued on the service road past the maintenance buildings and ranger's residence. The climb up the short steep hill to Old Haul Road was slippery on a partially-paved road covered with wet redwood needles.
At Old Haul Road I turned right and continued to its end at Wurr Road. The road surface was damp and occasionally slippery with mud, but the parts that get really muddy and gummy in the winter were still firm. Everything looked and smelled different than it had earlier in the summer. Fall was in the air.
At Wurr Road I turned left and continued around the south side of Memorial Park before coming out on Pescadero Road in Loma Mar. I continued west on Pescadero Road, then left on Butano Cutoff and left again on Cloverdale Road.
At Gazos Creek Road I turned left and began the long climb up into Big Basin Redwoods on a gently rolling climb alongside Gazos Creek under the brilliant turning color of the big leaf maples that line the creek. At the gate where the road turns to dirt I noticed that the road to the old Mountain Camp now had a new arch over it proclaiming "Gazos Creek Mountain Camp". (www.gazos.org) I recall spending a couple weeks one summer at Chuck Taylor's Mountain Camp back in the mid-1970's where I had the opportunity to explore many of the old logging roads in the hills nearby. The climb alongside the upper part of the south fork of Gazos Creek is one of the prettiest roads through a deep and narrow canyon of old growth redwoods.
At the top of the climb I found myself at the Sandy Point Junction where a couple of other roads join Gazos Creek Road: Whitehouse Canyon Road and Johansen Road.
Also at Sandy Point was some new development. Gone were the old foundations of the guard shacks and the rotting sofas of the occasional squatters. Instead I saw the Sandy Point Line Shack, complete with corral, log cabin, a short section of rail and a truck, a platform, and a teepee. Was this a re-creation by the state park for the edification of the visiting public or the realization of a nostalgic fantasy by the owner of an inholding?
I continued east on Gazos Creek Road and enjoyed the sun a few times where the road went through cuts in the hillside on solid standstone. I took care at one right-hand bend where on an earlier trip I had washed out on deep sand that I mistook for hard sandstone.
After a gradual descent into the West Waddell Creek watershed the road began a long climb back up to Middle Ridge before dropping into Big Basin and back onto pavement.
I turned left at North Escape Road and continued up along Opal Creek and then steeply uphill to the junction with CA236 where I met up with some cycling friends for the ride to Waterman Gap and up CA9 to Saratoga Gap. I continued down CA9 into Saratoga and then took the straight road home.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 82.5 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 6400 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3250 kJ (903 wh) |
Phyllis Olrich's Impromptu Ride to Pescadero, October 2005 - This was an impromptu "D" ride led by Phyllis Olrich. 16 or 17 of us started at Gunn High School and rode the standard route up Arastradero Road to Portola Valley, up Old La Honda Road, then to a regroup at Skylonda before descending CA84 to Pescadero Road. We turned left on Pescadero Road and climbed over Haskins Hill to Pescadero for a brief lunch.
After lunch we rode north on Stage Road past San Gregorio and on to Tunitas Creek Road that we climbed to Skyline. After the climb we descended Kings Mountain Road and took Sand Hill Road back to Junipero Serra Blvd, Foothill Expressway to Gunn High School where those of us who stopped back at the parking lot at the end of the ride enjoyed some apple and pumpkin pie baked by Lyresa Pleskovitch.
Michelle Mazzei Memorial Ride, October 2005 - On Sunday morning, October 2, 2005, a distracted driver drifted out of his lane on Woodside Road near the entrance to Interstate Highway 280. He struck and killed cyclist Michelle Mazzei, a 34-year-old elementary school teacher, athlete, and environmentalist.
This memorial ride, in honor of Michelle, started at Edgewood and Canada Roads in the hills east of Redwood City. After everyone was gathered, about 100 cyclists altogether, including some of Michelle's students and their parents, we made our way slowly north on Canada Road to the Pulgas Water Temple for an informal ceremony at which several of Michelle's friends and colleagues spoke in her memory.
Star Hill - Bear Gulch, October 2005 - These short, charming out-and-back roads on the southwest side of Skyline Blvd. are quiet and pretty. Star Hill Road is the easier ride of the two, ascending from Tunitas Creek Road about a mile west of Skyline Blvd. before beginning a long, gradual descent after Swett Road through redwoods to the gate at the Star Hill Ranch at 1200ft. Although I turned around at the gate, the road continues through the ranch and exits after several twists and turns onto CA1 about a mile south of Tunitas Creek Road under a gate marked "TOTO".
Bear Gulch Road "West" starts at Skyline Blvd. just south of the top of the climb north of Skylonda. The road begins a brief climb before descending through redwoods and lower down, steeply through grasslands, to a fork, both of which are gated. If one were to continue past the right-hand gate through Neil Young's ranch one would arrive approximately two miles later at a ford through Corte Madera Creek where the road is again open to public travel. From there the road crosses a low ridge to Clear Creek and two miles later arrives at CA84, about two miles east of San Gregorio.
| Bike Ridden: | Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 76.8 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 6000 feet |
Watsonville, October 2005 - I started this ride with the Western Wheelers at Lexington Reservoir. We rode Alma Bridge Road, Aldercroft Heights Road, and Old Santa Cruz Hwy to Summit Road. We took a detour down to Wrights Station through the Spooky Forest before climbing back out and regrouping at the Summit Store. After a short break we rode down Soquel-San Jose Road to Soquel and then rode east through Aptos on Soquel Drive.
At Trout Gulch Road we turned left and then right on Valencia Road. Unfortunately, work was in progress at the slide site, and the workers didn't let us cross through the slide area, so we backtracked and climbed Trout Gulch and the short but tough climb over Valencia School Road to get to the other side of the hill.
Once we got back on Valencia Road we took Day Road to Freedom Blvd. At Freedom Blvd. I left the group and continued on Freedom Blvd. toward Freedom where I stopped at the Easy Racers factory and met Ron Bobb.
After a moderately long break Ron and I returned north on Freedom Blvd. to Corralitos Road and climbed Eureka Canyon Road where we caught up with the Western Wheelers "C" group at the top. We continued with the Western Wheelers group along Highland Way and down to the Summit Store for another break.
After our break, Ron returned to Watsonville while I headed west and north back to Lexington Reservoir.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 83.4 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7150 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3210 kJ (892 wh) |
East Bay Convolutions, October 2005 - This ride followed a rather convoluted route through the East Bay. We started at Rockridge BART, climbed Old Tunnel Road to Skyline, then turned left on Grizzly Peak Road and rode over Grizzly Peak. The we took Golf Course Drive, Shasta, and Wildcat Canyon Road to Camino Pablo, then El Toyonal, Vista del Orinda, and Lomas Cantadas back up to Grizzly Peak Road (a second time) before descending South Park Drive and Wildcat Canyon Road.
At the bottom we continued on Bear Creek Road, then Alhambra Valley Road to San Pablo Road past the oil refineries. After Crockett we took the scenic drive east to McEwen, then descended Franklin Canyon Road. Then we turned right on Alhambra Road and Alhambra Valley Road to Reliez Valley Road into Lafayette on Pleasant Valley Road. At Olympic Blvd. we turned right and continued on the bike path through Lafayette to Moraga where we stopped for lunch.
After lunch we took Canyon Road to Pinehurst Road and then descended Shepherd Canyon Road to Montclair. We returned to Rockridge BART on Moraga Road, Pleasant Valley Road, Broadway, and College Ave.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 31 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 3250 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 1314 kJ (365 wh) |
Reds Meadow, September 14, 2005 - This was a short day. Having done a long hike the day before my dad and I took the morning off to check email, read, and relax around the house. But the weather was ideal for getting outside: sunny and clear, cool, but little wind, and I couldn't resist getting out for a short ride.
From our condo in Mammoth I rode up to the ski resort and then over Minaret Summit and down the west side to the end of the road at Reds Meadow Resort and back. Once past the Summit the road is closed to general traffic, so the only motor traffic was the occasional shuttle bus (that the day-use public has to take) and camper/motorhome going to one of the campgrounds on the west side of the pass.
As I rode down the hill and back up mostly in solitude I recall that during the Reagan Administration (CA governor) this road was considered as another through crossing of the Sierra Crest. But it was said that the idea was abandoned after Reagan was given a tour of the area.
The day I did the ride the air was thick with smoke from controlled burns in Yosemite. Even so, the distant views are still spectacular.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 103.7 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 5530 feet |
| Avg. power to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 128 watts |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 2897 kJ (805 wh) |
High Sierra Fall Century, September 10, 2005 - Zach Kaplan, Ron Bobb and I started from our condo in Mammoth Lakes shortly before 8:00. We rode down the hill out to US395 before joining the official route of the High Sierra Fall Century. From Mammoth Junction we rode north on US395 over Deadman Summit and down into Mono Basin.
At June Lake Junction we left the official route that continues on US395 to CA120 east and turned left on CA158 (June Lake Loop) to take what I consider to be the most scenic part of the ride, where the slopes of the High Sierra peaks plunge directly down to the road. We stopped a couple of times at particularly scenic spots (Oh Ridge and Mono Basin viewpoint) before reaching US395 where after a short backtrack south we turned left onto CA120 toward Benton and were back onto the official century route.
We continued east on CA120 over the shoulder of the Mono Craters before plunging to the lowpoint in Mono Basin (6591ft) and then started the long gradual climb to Sagehen Summit (8140ft).
The descent from Sagehen Summit is always thrilling, and somewhat dangerous due to the combination of fast speeds and strong gusty winds that blow in this area. Today was no exception.
We continued down the frost-heaved road to the dusty, windy Adobe Valley rest stop for a short break before continuing east on CA120 across a number of whoop-de-doo dips and bumps before we reached the Benton Crossing rest stop.
At Benton Crossing Rd. we turned south and began my least-favorite part of the route: the tedious climb up Wildrose Grade. At the top of Wildrose Grade we stopped for a break at the rest stop before continuing a bit further to the summit.
The descent from Wildrose Summit looks fairly boring but was rather exciting due to the gusty winds. The last 15 miles of the ride down Watterson Canyon and around the north end of Lake Crowley was similarly exciting with winds that I would estimate were blowing 20-30 mph with an occasional stronger gust.
I rode this last part at low to moderate effort (100-150 watts) and found that although my speed was usually in the high teens I was passing everyone at a significant speed differential. While the fairing made for tricky handling at times, it reduced the overall physical effort in these windy conditions.
We arrived at the finish area shortly before 17:00, having ridden at a relaxing pace. My dad who had gone on a hike to Duck Pass earlier in the day drove the van down to the finish area to pick up Ron and me. Zach, ever the glutton for punishment, opted to ride the 10 miles back into town, into the setting sun, into a headwind, and up another 800 feet.
San Francisco Grand Prix bike race, September 2005 - Kevin Flynn and I carpooled up to SF to watch the annual San Francisco Grand Prix. This year I had an invitation to an AMD party at the Market Bar Cafe in the Ferry Building, so we stayed close to the start/finish area of the race.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 118.2 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 6000 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3808 kJ (1058 wh) |
Santa Cruz Surfer Statue, August 2005 - I started in downtown Sunnyvale and rode to Gunn High School to meet the Bikeaholics but was a bit late for the rendezvous. I continued to Portola Valley and up Old La Honda Road where I met the group at the top. We continued west to San Gregorio and then south on CA1 to Davenport where we ate lunch. After lunch we continued into Santa Cruz, making the obligatory stop at the Surfer Statue. Then we rode north on CA9 up the San Lorenzo Valley and over Saratoga Gap where we all went our separate ways home.
| Bike Ridden: | Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 83.4 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7730 feet |
| Total Time: | 9:11:23 |
| Riding Time: | 7:16:30 |
| Avg. Speed (moving): | 11.5 mph |
| Max. Speed: | 47.3 mph |
South Butano, Old Haul, and Alpine east, August 6, 2005 - I started as I usually do from home near downtown Sunnyvale at an hour earlier than usual so that I might beat some of the heat of the day. At 0800 the traffic was light, and I made good time down Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road to Saratoga (490ft) and was warmed up by the time I started the climb on CA9 to Skyline Blvd. at Saratoga Gap (2610ft). On the way up I stopped to take a picture at one of the few places one can get a good view down into the valley and of the Diablo Range on the other side.
Maps: Complete, Detail (South Butano and Old Haul), Detail (Alpine east)
When I got to Skyline Blvd. I noticed that the Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge cyclists were coming from the left on Skyline Blvd. and turning down CA9 toward Boulder Creek, the direction I was planning to go. I stopped briefly in the warm dry air, already in the mid-70's F, for a short break before commencing the descent to Waterman Gap (1270ft).
I had plenty of company on the road. I thought of taking a video of some of the faster cyclists behind me pedaling madly to find a draft in my wake, but I decided I'd rather keep my full attention on riding the bike, especially with other cyclists on the road ahead.
At Waterman Gap I continued straight onto CA236 toward Big Basin. This section of CA236 is particularly pretty as it winds along a wooded ridge of mostly young redwoods and madrones. On past rides I've noticed that the larger redwoods generate their own weather under their branches.
At China Grade Road I turned right and began a short but steep climb up to Trays Ranch. Just past Trays Ranch I saw a coyote cross the road. He looked back at me from the upper hillside but ran off before I could get my camera.
After Trays Ranch the road climbs more fitfully, and even goes down a couple of times. The last time the road drops near a large sandstone outcropping just before the end of the pavement where a junction of sorts exists.
To the left next to a large cut log the Basin Trail goes into Big Basin. Straight ahead China Grade Road continues for a short distance to Johansen Road and the road to BSA Camp Curry. To the right a road (Gate 12) descends into lands that used to belong to Santa Cruz Lumber (now Redtree Properties) and leads eventually, if one were to take it, to other roads in the Butano Creek watershed, North Butano Ridge and Pescadero Creek County Park, or Gate 10 Road that leads down to Old Haul Road along Pescadero Creek.
Unfortunately, all of them are illegal for travel. And while I was able to explore these areas a number of years ago without coming across any obstacles, the owners of these lands have more recently erected higher fences and gates and regularly send out patrols.
To the right of the Gate 12 Road was a sign for a new trail, The Basin Trail, that connects Pescadero Creek County Park with Big Basin, an easement through Redtree Properties L.C. that, according to the signage, allows only foot and horseback travel although offers some hope of an alternate route for bicycles. Further inquiry into these alternate routes revealed that the way I had come on the state highways was in fact the bicycle alternate and that the owners of Redtree as a condition of the easement expressly forbade bringing a bicycle, ridden or not, through their land and required the posting of special radio-equipped trail patrols to enforce this ban. It seems the owners of Redtree took a special exception to bicycles, and that violation of this prohibition would jeopardize the status of the easement.
While I applaud and support those involved during the fifteen years it took to secure this easement (Sempervirens Fund, California State Parks, etc.) and other land and easements for public use, I can't help but be disappointed that the grudging generosity of Redtree did not extend to bicycle travel as it would allow one to get from Portola State Park to Big Basin in a much shorter distance on roads closed to motor vehicles and that the only other practical way for most people to enjoy the trail now was to drive the car an hour to one of the trailheads and hike it out and back, any loop route on foot being too long for all but marathon trail runners.
I continued on China Grade Road toward Camp Cutter. Coming the other way were several carloads of families, probably picking up their boys from the camp. I saw several small faces peering at me from behind the tinted windows of the SUVs that passed in clouds of dust. At Johansen Road I continued toward Camp Cutter.
Shortly after starting the final descent into Camp Cutter I turned off the main road to a faint dual-track road that veers off to the left and becomes the South Butano Fire Trail. It's easy to miss this when traveling west.
South Butano Fire Trail descends gradually through a young redwood forest along a ridge separating Gazos Creek from Butano Creek (and lower down, Little Butano Creek and Butano Creek). In the first couple of miles the trail descends through what appears to be a smaller logging operation, although most evidence of logging along the road seemed to be quite old. Through this area only one spur veers left and up to a more recent logging area.
The last time I rode uphill through here a few years ago I saw signs of recent logging activity. No great effort seems to have been made to keep out the public, but the road shows little signs of use: no tire tracks and plenty of leaves and other duff lying about. In spite of the apparent disuse of the trail, or perhaps because of it, the road is reasonably smooth and easy to ride.
After about two miles the trail appears to pass alternately into and out of Butano State Park for the rest of its length down to Cloverdale Road. Although the trail was mostly shady, the temperature was 88F and dry as a desert. At about three miles from its head, South Butano Trail passes the Olmo Trail, which descends to the left down a ridge separating Gazos Creek from Little Butano Creek. I stayed on South Butano Fire Trail that went down to the right, sometimes steeply, past a few old growth redwoods before stopping after a short climb at a small clearing in the trees where I witnessed an extraordinary sight.
To the south I could see the ridge on which Olmo Trail runs and the ridges south past Big Basin. I knew that south of that was open sea for many miles. But through atmospheric refraction due to the warm air over the cool ocean I could see, as if Monterey Bay did not exist, the Monterey Peninsula and some of the higher peaks of the Santa Lucia Range including rather strikingly, Carmel Peak (4417ft) in the Ventana Wilderness, that normally would not have been visible from this location.
After admiring this unusual view I continued on to the abandoned airstrip constructed across an unusually wide and gently sloping section of the ridge, as if some errant road crew had prepared the ground for a four-lane highway from and to nowhere. Here I met a few other cyclists who had climbed in the opposite direction and had stopped in a small patch of shade to rest. I asked one of them to take a picture of me riding up and down the old airstrip.
From the airstrip to the west the trail descends on nicely packed and graded crushed sandstone. The surrounding land to the west has the same dry, crushed sandstone look and is the result of irresponsible clear cutting long ago, where the topsoil had eroded leaving only rock and plants like chapparal and manzanita that survive on less water than redwoods. The upside is that this crushed rock makes for a smoother, more consistent surface for biking. The more open terrain allows for wider views of the surrounding lands, and I stopped a couple of times (1, 2) to enjoy these views before I entered the lower forest.
The lower forest was cooler and greener than forest further up the trail. Since the road had few curves I was able to descend through this section more quickly. As I left the lower forest I broke out to a sweeping view of the upper valley along Cloverdale Road. The last mile of the descent took me along a hillside of oaks and grasses before I arrived at the gate at Cloverdale Road.
Once on Cloverdale Road I rode north into a stiff headwind, then up Pescadero Road and stopped for a snack at the Loma Mar Store. After a short break I continued on Wurr Road to the trailhead for Old Haul Road.
Old Haul Road connects Memorial Park with Portola State Park and offers a third connection to paved roads by way of the Bridge Trail to Camp Pomponio Road, the road that connects Alpine Road with the San Mateo County Jail.
Old Haul Road starts with a few steep ups and downs before gaining the more gradual right-of-way of the old railroad that hauled logs to the sawmill further up the creek. While Old Haul travels near the bottom of a canyon never far from Pescadero Creek, it is every bit as beautiful as the South Butano Trail that spends most of its time on a ridge. Along the way Old Haul passes through redwoods, some old growth, although most of these are old stumps, a small grove of birches, and crosses a number of small creeks that flow down from north Butano Ridge that lies to the south.
I rode all the way to the gate at the east end of Pescadero Creek County Park before retracing my steps to the trail that connects into Portola State Park. From Portola State Park I took the main road north and up out of the cool redwoods and into the unshaded heat of the hot afternoon sun. A couple of miles up from the park I found a good spot to take a panorama photo that shows the Pescadero Creek watershed and north Butano Ridge rising to the south. I continued uphill on Alpine Road, crossed Skyline Blvd. to Page Mill Road and then turned left on Alpine Road (east) that is dirt for the first two and a half miles of its descent.
I remember the first time I rode up Alpine Road east when it was still open to the motoring public back in the 1970's. The road was graded, but the traffic made it loose and dusty, and all the plants and trees on either side were covered in dust from the passing traffic.
I last climbed Alpine Road last December and found it at that time to be muddy at one particular hairpin curve, although today the mud had hardened, leaving ruts and dust.
Descending Alpine Road is generally easier (for me) than climbing, but today I found the road to be more overgrown, rutted, and generally neglected than it was in December. It is as if the powers that be have given it up to mountain bikers to play on until Nature reclaims it with a slide, a washout, or overgrowth, making the road impassable for good. The road needs more work than what a few volunteers with picks and shovels can accomplish in a year of weekends. Nowadays Alpine Road east is more like a trials trail than a road. Perhaps I was spoiled by the smoothness of the other dirt roads I took this trip.
A smooth track has been worn where cyclists travel, but the grade to either side is covered with debris, ruts, Scotch Broom, or fallen trees. What the road needs is a couple of passes with a road grader and a layer of drainage rock in the mud-prone areas. Fixing the existing washout would be expensive, but the dusty, erosion-prone bypass trail that used to be forbidden is now the only way through, and it won't be passable forever.
Even so, Alpine Road, excepting the bypass, is one of the easiest grades from the valley to Skyline, and during the dry season the ride up or down Corte Madera Creek canyon makes the trip worthwhile. It would be a shame to lose this route.
Once I got to Portola Valley I took the most direct route home and arrived a bit earlier than I had on previous weekend rides.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 105.4 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 2150 feet |
| Total Time: | 11:38:23 |
| Riding Time: | 6:18:39 |
| Avg. Speed (moving): | 16.5 mph |
| Max. Speed: | 40.6 mph |
| Max. power to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 524 watts |
| Avg. power to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 127 watts |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 2884 kJ (801 wh) |
One Third of the Bay in a Day, July 23, 2005 - Today was the inaugural event of the no-longer held A Bay in a Day Double Century, starting in Novato, CA. The ride circled the San Francisco and San Pablo Bay, touching on all nine bay area counties, and was organized as an event to raise funds and awareness of the local bay area bicycle advocacy groups.
I was curious to see what the route was like, but I didn't want to ride the whole 210 miles. I discovered that a friend of mine, Zach Kaplan, was riding the whole thing. So, I got the idea of joining him for the part of the ride that traverses the south bay area.
I started from downtown Sunnyvale and took the fastest and most direct route I know to the Dumbarton Bridge, then rode across to Newark, Fremont, and Union City. I ended up waiting for him for 20 minutes across from the Masonic Home before he arrived with a couple other cyclists.
After we joined up, we rode south on Mission Blvd., took a detour up Old Canyon Road and through a subdivision near Morrison Canyon before returning to Mission Blvd. We continued south past the Mission San Jose, and then took Warren Avenue to avoid the traffic on Mission Blvd. between I-680 and I-880.
After Warren Avenue we took Kato Road, a frontage to I-880. At first this road was in very poor shape, but the condition improved greatly as we rode south.
We crossed I-880 on Dixon Landing Road and continued south along the east side of the freeway. At McCarthy Ranch we took a side road west along CA237 that turned briefly into a dirt trail.
This part of the route was nicer than I expected, in part because the weekend traffic was so much lighter than it would have been on a weekday and because we didn't get stuck at any long-cycle traffic lights.
At Tasman Drive and San Tomas Aquino Creek we took the bike path north along the creek, diving under all of the major roads, and then headed west into Sunnyvale's Baylands Park.
Once past Moffett Field, the route became more tedious though more familiar. The section through Mountain View from Ellis and Middlefield to the lunch stop at Gunn High School was the least enjoyable. Major cross streets had unfavorable traffic signals with long cycles (>1 minute).
At the Gunn High School lunch stop we met up with other riders who were doing the official ride and met Randall Hull who after not riding much this season managed to find the time to come out and get some exercise with us.
Upon leaving Gunn we rode out the usual way on Arastradero Road to Alpine Road up to Portola Road
Zach wasn't feeling too good on the mild climb up to Portola Road and decided to stop at the Triangle Park to rest in the shade. He had all the symptoms of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Temperature on the road was close to 100F. After resting for 1/2-hour in the shade (and being joined by several other cyclists, some of whom were riding the double century) we moved into a nearby cafe where the AC was set to a comfortably tepid temperature.
Almost two hours later we started off again. Zach felt much better and felt up to finishing the ride. We continued around The Loop, through Woodside, and north on Canada Road.
At CA92 Randall and I wished Zach well on the rest of his ride back to Novato, and we turned around and headed home.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 114.4 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7700 feet |
Pescadero, July 2005 - I started again somewhat late in the morning from home in downtown Sunnyvale.
I rode my usual route out to Foothill Expressway, then north to Arastradero. I ran into Eric House and a friend of his riding north to Millbrae. I hadn't seen Eric in several years.
This time I climbed up to Page Mill Road through Los Altos Hills. The climb up Page Mill Road was hot, and I was happy when I got to the top around 11:00. The descent down west Alpine Road took me longer than usual because I stopped to take a number of photos. I decided not to climb back up Alpine in the afternoon as the air was already warm and dry.
After climbing over Haskins Hill on Pescadero Road I finally felt the suggestion of sea air. By the time I got to Cloverdale Road the air was noticeably cooler, and at the coast at Gazos Creek, it was cool and foggy, almost too cool for short sleeves.
I rode north and took the detour on Pigeon Point Road, stopping for a close-up photo of the lighthouse. I took Bean Hollow Road from CA1 to Pescadero Road and stopped at the Archangeli Bakery for a snack, where I also saw Dan Connolly out on an Alto Velo ride.
From Pescadero I rode north on Stage Road, back onto CA1 for the descent to Tunitas Creek, and then climbed Tunitas Creek Road to Skyline.
At Skyline I rode north to CA92, which I descended to Canada Road. Along Canada Road I ran into Richard Brockie.
From Woodside I took the scenic road home through Portola Valley, with a stop in Los Altos for a fruit smoothie, and arrived home around 19:30.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 109.0 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 4800 feet |
Santa Cruz via Hecker Pass, July 2005 - I got a late start for this ride as I had felt like sleeping in on Saturday morning and then visiting the local farmer's market.
I started in downtown Sunnyvale and rode south through San Jose (Willow Glen) before continuing on Almaden Expressway to McKean, Uvas, and Watsonville Rds. past the reservoirs.
When I got to CA152 I decided that it would be easier (and more interesting) to climb over Hecker Pass (1309ft) and return through the mountains than to retrace my route into a headwind for 20 miles.
After descending the Watsonville side of Hecker Pass I took the direct route through Corralitos and then rode directly into Aptos and Capitola to meet my sister, Laura, at her place in Santa Cruz.
From Laura's we rode through Santa Cruz before climbing Glen Canyon Road to Scotts Valley and continuing on Bean Creek, Glenwood, and Mountain Charlie Rds.
At Mountain Charlie Road and Old Santa Cruz Highway, Laura returned to Summit Road and to home, while I returned home through Los Gatos. It took us each about 1 hour to get home from this point.
| Bike Ridden: | Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 45.3 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 3800 feet |
Stevens Canyon, July 2005 - On Monday July 4th, a holiday in the United States, I managed to get out for a ride rather later in the day than usual. I decided to do something different: a relatively short loop from home and a largely off-road adventure up Stevens Canyon, over Russian Ridge, and then an exciting descent down the Spring Ridge Trail. It turns out there wasn't much traffic out on the roads anyway. But, since I hadn't ridden up Stevens Canyon in years, and the trail is close to home, I thought at the very least I should re-explore that route. I was not disappointed.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 111.1 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7190 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3798 kJ (1055 wh) |
Big Basin, July 2005 - I started from home in downtown Sunnyvale and made a beeline for Saratoga. This time for variety I took Pierce Road over to CA9. Along here I saw a doe with two fawns and a coyote. This coyote didn't stick around after my brakes screeched me to a stop. No photo this time.
After climbing to Saratoga Gap, where it was already in the mid-70's F, I descended toward Santa Cruz. The air rapidly became cooler.
At Waterman Gap I continued straight on CA236 to Big Basin where I enjoyed an empty road. The fog was thick in the trees, and beneath some of the larger redwoods the road was wet.
At the gate for the North Escape Road I turned right and descended into Big Basin proper on the paved single-lane road closed to auto traffic.
After enjoying the majestic old growth redwoods and watching some remarkably tame deer in Big Basin I continued on CA236 into Boulder Creek and then south on CA9 into Santa Cruz where I met my sister, Laura, at her cottage.
After a short break while Laura got her bike ready, she joined me for a ride she had never before done out to Corralitos and up Eureka Canyon and Highland Way to the Summit Store for a late lunch.
Following lunch Laura returned to Santa Cruz on Soquel-San Jose Road and I returned home through Los Gatos.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 110 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 4550 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3290 kJ (914 wh) |
San Bruno Mountain, June 2005 - The goal for the day was to climb San Bruno Mountain and take the scenic route in both directions.
I started from home in downtown Sunnyvale and rode northwest through Los Altos, Portola Valley, Woodside, and north to San Bruno, South San Francisco, and Daly City before climbing Guadalupe Parkway over the northern shoulder of San Bruno Mountain to the state park entrance.
I continued the climb up Radio Road to the summit and returned the same way to the expressway that I rode east into Brisbane before taking the scenic route along the bay south to Redwood Shores. (Not all scenic routes involve long climbs.)
I stopped for a lengthy visit with Simona, a friend who lives in San Carlos, before returning up Edgewood Road and home on a route similar to what I took in the morning.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 95 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 6000 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3438 kJ (955 wh) |
Half Moon Bay, June 2005 - I started from home as usual and met the rest of the group at Gunn High School in Palo Alto for Ken Holloway's ride to Half Moon Bay. We rode up Old La Honda, through San Gregorio and then north on CA1 to Half Moon Bay for lunch. The return home took Higgins-Purisima, Lobitos Creek, Tunitas Creek, Star Hill, Swett, and Kings Mountain Roads.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 124 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 9260 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 4559 kJ (1266 wh) |
Sequoia Worker's Ride (200k w/variations), June 2005 - The Sequoia Century is held each year the first Sunday in June by the Western Wheelers. One week after the event, a supported ride is held for the benefit of the workers, those of us who support the ride.
This year I rode the 200k route with a few modifications: I started and ended from home instead of the Palo Alto VA, and I stopped for lunch in Santa Cruz instead of riding the climb up Rodeo Gulch. The route as I rode it on this day is shown in frame 1.
I climbed up CA9 from Saratoga to Saratoga Gap followed by the short climb over the Castle Rock Summit and then the long undulating descent past Black, Gist, and Bear Creek Roads to the CA17 overpass. I continued southeast past the Summit Store, onto Highland Way, and then down the beautiful Eureka Canyon descent into Corralitos.
From Corralitos I rode west over the short hills past Pleasant Valley, Day Valley, and Valencia Roads before joining Soquel Drive for the ride into Santa Cruz. After I picked up lunch in Santa Cruz I headed north on Emeline Road and El Rancho Road where I rejoined the official route of La Madrona, Sims, Brooknoll, Treetop, Graham Hill, and Pipeline Roads.
After a taking a short break in Henry Cowell Redwoods I continued to the park exit to CA9 then through Felton and north on Zayante Rds. (East and Upper) to Summit Road At Summit Road I returned up the undulating climb over Castle Rock Summit and continued to Page Mill Road before descending toward home.
| Bike Ridden: | Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 75 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 9300 feet |
First Half of Mr. Bill's, June 2005 - This was part Western Wheelers ride and part reprise of the first half of a route I put together about ten years ago when I liked finding the most climbing-dense non-trivial route I could.
I started from home in Sunnyvale and rode up Page Mill Road to Montebello Road then up Montebello over the top of Black Mountain and down to the southeastern gate where I met up with the other club members.
We continued down to Stevens Canyon Road, then climbed Redwood Gulch Road to CA9. We descended CA9 to Saratoga before climbing Bohlman-On Orbit-Bohlman. At the top the club ride returned to Saratoga for lunch while I continued on the dirt road over to Montevina Road and descended to Lexington Reservoir. Then, I climbed Black Road to Skyline Blvd and back over the Castle Rock Summit to Saratoga Gap, where I met up with two of the club members who had climbed CA9 from Saratoga after their lunch.
From Saratoga Gap we rode north on Skyline Blvd. to Page Mill Road that we descended home.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 89 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 6850 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3542 kJ (984 wh) |
Mt. Diablo LDT, May 2005 - This Western Wheelers club ride started at Diablo Vista Park at the corner of Crow Canyon Road and Tassajara Ranch Road. We rode up South Gate Road into Mt. Diablo State Park and continued up Summit Road to the top of the mountain before descending Summit and North Gate Rds. From Walnut Creek we rode through Concord and then over Bailey Road to Pittsburg. Then we rode east on Leland through endless suburbs.
I got separated from the group and ended up taking Lone Tree Way to Deer Valley Road when I couldn't find Empire Mine Road. Deer Valley Road climbs over several low ridges and broad valleys before ending at Marsh Creek Road. I turned right and returned toward Clayton on Marsh Creek Road as it passes through Dark Canyon.
At Morgan Territory Road I turned left and began the long quiet journey through this quiet and pretty corner of the Diablo Range southeast of Mt. Diablo. The road is closed to through traffic due to a slide, but bikes can easily ride past. After I passed the last of the ranches I saw no one until I got to the parking lot for the Morgan Territory Preserve at the top of the hill.
The descent south into the Livermore Valley is steep and swift, and on this day, windy. At the bottom I turned right (west) and headed back to the start in Danville on Highland Way and Camino Tassajara Rds.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 102 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7330 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3784 kJ (1051 wh) |
Empire Grade, May 2005 - This ride started from Sunnyvale, through Saratoga, on CA9 to Boulder Creek, then up Jamison Creek Road to revisit Eagle Rock and the area at the end of Empire Grade Road followed by a descent into Santa Cruz via the UCSC campus, then east to Aptos for a late lunch with Ron Bobb.
After lunch I decided I didn't have enough daylight to take my planned route through Corralitos and up Eureka Canyon, so we backtracked and rode up Old San Jose Road to Summit Road. Ron went home to Watsonville, and I continued north to Old Santa Cruz Highway, CA17, through Los Gatos, Saratoga, and then home.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 86 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7000 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3414 kJ (948 wh) |
Mt. Tamalpais LDT, May 2005 - A Western Wheelers ride that started at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley and visited Muir Beach, Stinson Beach, the end of Ridgecrest Road on Mt. Tamalpais, Fairfax, Samuel Taylor State Park, Olema, Point Reyes Station, Nicasio, San Geronimo, Woodacre, Fairfax and all of the towns on the way back to Mill Valley.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 126 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 7600 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 4427 kJ (1230 wh) |
Mt. Hamilton Challenge, April 2005 - I started from home, rode to the start in Santa Clara, then did a slightly modified "Challenge" route, which included a stop for a hot lunch in Pleasanton. This year I rode unusually slowly so I wouldn't miss details to photograph and stopped often if something piqued my interest. Even so I managed to finish respectably by 6p. The weather was always at least somewhat overcast, making for interesting clouds and sky for most of the day. The clouds thickened and spat along Calaveras Road. The wildflowers in San Antonio Valley were surprisingly vivid, although the color probably peaked a week earlier.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 83 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 4080 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 2683 kJ (745 wh) |
Half Moon Bay, April 2005 - A relaxing ride from Sunnyvale, CA to Half Moon Bay, then down the coast to San Gregorio, and returning home on CA84 and Old La Honda Road. Interesting sky and clouds on this ride.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 46 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 2130 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 1606 kJ (446 wh) |
Rancho San Antonio, April 2005 - A ride through Rancho San Antonio near Los Altos Hills, CA near the end of the day, just after a mild weather front had blown through.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 124.3 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 6690 feet |
| Total Time: | 9:08:18 |
| Riding Time: | 7:17:41 |
| Avg. Speed (moving): | 17.0 mph |
| Max. Speed: | 55.7 mph |
| Max. power to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 454 watts |
| Avg. power to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 152 watts |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 4007 kJ (1113 wh) |
Tailwinds to Santa Cruz, April 9, 2005 - On Saturday morning at the rather leisurely hour of 0930 I set out to ride a loop from home in Sunnyvale, CA to Santa Cruz, CA and back again. I hadn't really thought about what route I would take, except that somehow I would ride south on CA1, the coast highway, and enjoy the tailwinds that were expected to be blowing strongly from the northwest. My sister, Laura, would be in Santa Cruz on Saturday and had called the night before suggesting that we meet in Davenport for lunch. So Davenport around lunchtime was a goal of sorts.
I headed out in the direction of Los Altos and Portola Valley, rode around the backside of "The Loop", then climbed Old La Honda Road. I was surprised by the low numbers of cyclists on the roads at this rather late hour on a bright Saturday morning. Maybe the Tierra Bella Century with its 2000+ cyclists was drawing everyone to Gilroy.
Halfway up the climb I heard my phone ringing. It was Laura asking where I was. I told her I'd call her again in San Gregorio and confirm our plans, that it should give her enough time for us to meet in Davenport.
I stopped 3/4 of a mile down the west side of Old La Honda to take a panorama photo of the classic view from this side of the ridge. The air was bracing but quite humid. Views of distant objects were obscured by haze, so today would not be a good day to take pictures of distant scenery.
Continuing down the west side of Old La Honda I saw going the other way several clumps five or six cyclists each, the largest group of cyclists I saw all day, Alto Velo, perhaps, out on their Saturday morning ride.
Continuing west on CA84 I found myself riding into a stiff headwind on the last few miles to the coast. At the General Store I stopped out of the wind long enough to call Laura to confirm our plans. It was noon. I told her I should be in Davenport by 13:15, but perhaps as late as 13:30 if I stopped to take photos along the way.
I continued out to the coast and then south on CA1. I took several pictures on the trip south, stopping only a few times before Davenport. Near the south end of Pescadero Beach I passed a couple of cyclists, one recumbent. The recumbent cyclist displayed the usual expression when I rode by. I had too much momentum to lose or I would have stopped to chat.
I was enjoying the tailwinds when I passed by the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and managed to get a decent if distant picture of it.
Near Ano Nuevo I ran into Jobst Brandt. I didn't recognize him from the rear, thinking he might be a local. Jobst was wearing curduroys and was riding at a relaxed pace and appeared content to let the wind do most of the work. I had a good head of steam so I kept going. Further down the road just north of Waddell Beach where I had stopped to take a few more pictures of the bluffs marking the southern boundary of Big Basin State Park, the whitecaps on the Pacific, and Ano Nuevo Island, Jobst rolled up. At first I wondered if he had come off of a nearby trail, but then I remembered passing someone dressed like him not far back.
We rode together past Waddell Beach where parasurfers were catching the stiff wind and continued into Davenport. Jobst had other lunch plans, so we parted ways while I ordered lunch and waited for Laura and Michael, who arrived when I was about half way through my meal. Their ride from Santa Cruz had been into a fierce headwind. She mentioned seeing a friendly cyclist going the other way who waved vigorously and smiled as if in recognition. At first she thought it might be someone she knew, so she returned the pleasantry, but realized a moment later that she didn't recognize him.
After lunch we started riding into Santa Cruz. At first I thought I'd just go on ahead since I wanted to get back to Sunnyvale at a reasonable hour. But I realized that with the strong tailwind, the faired recumbent had less speed advantage over an upright, and that it would not delay me significantly to ride with Laura and Michael, who themselves were enjoying immensely riding with the wind instead of against it.
At Western Drive Laura and Michael turned right and continued home along the scenic West Cliff and East Cliff Drives. I continued on Mission Street through the west side of town. I had the vague idea that I might return through Henry Cowell Redwoods on the Pipeline Road, scouting it out for this year's Sequoia Century and then press on up Zayante Road. Then I remembered that Jobst had mentioned he was returning up CA9 and had suggested that traffic wasn't quite as threatening as my memory had recalled.
I hadn't been up CA9 in many years. Even my trips south on CA9 are infrequent. I usually like for at least some part of a day ride to include some road I haven't ridden before or haven't ridden in a long time. Besides that, Jobst had chided me for not noticing the James Dean mural on the wall of the Brookdale Lodge.
So I started up CA9 to satisfy my least-recently-ridden road rule and to search for James Dean. The section of CA9 between Santa Cruz and Felton is beautiful, a gradual climb through redwoods followed by a gradual descent into Felton. I took a couple pictures but neither of them turned out due to camera motion. On the climb just above the railroad crossing I looked down to the right and noticed some guys playing on the tracks, although I couldn't tell what they were up to. I thought they might be trying one of those contraptions with an outrigger that allows one to ride a bicycle on railroad tracks.
I remember long ago back in the 70's being taken on a creek walk from down the San Lorenzo River through Henry Cowell Redwoods that included a walk back along the tracks, through a short tunnel and over the trestle. This was in the days when SP ran once or twice daily up to the quarries near Olympia along Zayante Creek. Nowadays I think the only service this track sees is from the summer tourist run from Roaring Camp to Santa Cruz.
To the left I saw one of the trails that descends from the upper UCSC campus that I remember hiking nearly 20 years ago when I was a student there, and where I and friends at school had occasionally run across the odd deranged squatter in the area. I'll have to explore the upper campus again since it has expanded into the areas I used to hike and bike regularly.
From Felton through Ben Lomond to Boulder Creek CA9 is more crowded, most of the traffic arriving in the San Lorenzo River Valley from Graham Hill and Mount Hermon Roads. Traffic was not quite as heavy as I was expecting, although a few rude pickup truck drivers passed by without lifting their foot even momentarily from their accelerators or giving up one inch of "their" lane. I was glad I was wearing earplugs.
When I got to Brookdale I understood why I hadn't noticed the James Dean mural: it was only visible to northbound traffic, and I hadn't ridden northbound on CA9 in over 10 years. And, even then it's partially obscured from highway traffic by a few screening redwood trees. And while I enjoyed some of his movies, James Dean was a greater cultural icon of my parents' generation than of mine.
Continuing north from Brookdale I passed through Boulder Creek and then began a quieter section of CA9 between Bear Creek Road and Skyline Blvd. At least two times I was passed by a sports car driven at a high speed followed closely by 3 motorcyclists on crotch rockets who felt it necessary to keep their engines revving in low gears so as to make as much noise as possible.
After passing the junction with the Saratoga Toll Road CA9 begins a long climb to Skyline Blvd. About half a mile from Saratoga Toll Road CA9 makes a sharp hairpin turn to the left. The downhill side is tricky on the descent with its decreasing radius, once nearly sending me over the double yellow.
Just past the hairpin turn I noticed several spots where a strip of water was flowing across the road, allowing one to discern tracks of other tires that had passed earlier. The tracks would not evaporate quickly in the afternoon shade and the cold humid air. I wondered if Jobst had already come this way, so I looked for bicycle tire tracks but I didn't see any. In fact, I didn't see any other bicycle tire tracks or bicyclists all the way from Santa Cruz until I got to Skyline Blvd., and then I saw only a few mountain bikers out.
I stopped at the Sempervirens Overlook and took a panorama photo. But, the air was hazier than it had been on Old La Honda Road earlier in the morning. Only the nearby hills were visible. The ridge was under a low cloud, and the distant ridges were lost in the haze.
I reached Saratoga Gap a bit before 1730 and headed north on Skyline Blvd. to Page Mill Road where I turned right. I took the descent a bit more cautiously than usual because of the wet patches on the road, an occasional spot of gravel in the corners, and at one point, a deer making its way across the road. I continued down Moody Road, taking care on the upper corners where gravel and mud have been known to flow out onto the road. The remainder of the ride continued without incident, and I arrived home at 1840.
| Bike Ridden: | Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 81 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 3800 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 2600 kJ (722 wh) |
San Francisco Peninsula, April 2005 - A ride from the foot of Market Street San Francisco north and west along the shoreline and then south on Skyline Blvd. to Los Altos, CA.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 81 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 4630 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 2855 kJ (793 wh) |
Hollister and San Juan Bautista LDT, March 2005 - A ride from Hollister, CA out east through the Santa Ana Valley, Quien Sabe Road to Tres Pinos, then south to Paicines and back north on Cienega Road into west Hollister. Then west to San Juan Bautista followed by a climb up and down Fremont Peak. Lunch in San Juan Bautista, then a short ride east back to the start in Hollister.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 65 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 3660 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 2485 kJ (690 wh) |
Marin Headlands & Tiburon LDT, March 2005 - A ride from Lake Merced (San Francisco, CA) north across the Golden Gate Bridge, up through the Marin Headlands, then down into Sausalito, Mill Valley, and Tiburon and back to the start.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 93 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 2440 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 2431 kJ (675 wh) |
Pacific Grove, March 2005 - A ride from Watsonville, CA to Pacific Grove, CA, around the 17-Mile Drive loop, and back to Watsonville.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 95 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 5030 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 3505 kJ (974 wh) |
Calaveras to Pleasanton LDT, February 2005 - A Western Wheelers ride from Milpitas, up Sierra Road, down Felter Road, then north on Calaveras Road to Sunol and Pleasanton for lunch, with a detour up and down the beautiful but very steep Welch Creek Road.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 88 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 4110 feet |
Morgan Hill LDT, February 2005 - A Western Wheelers ride in the Morgan Hill area starting from Uvas Reservoir, across the valley to the east hills: Canada Road, Gilroy Hot Springs Road, then back across the valley to lunch in Morgan Hill before riding north and looping through Silver Creek Valley, San Felipe, and Metcalf Roads before returning to Uvas Reservoir.
| Bike Ridden: | Rotator Pursuit |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 115 miles |
| Cumulative climbing: | 5820 feet |
| Total energy to rear wheel (PowerTap): | 4127 kJ (1146 wh) |
Point Reyes, January 2005 - A ride from San Francisco, California, north through Marin County, along an old railroad right-of-way through Samuel Taylor State Park and out Sir Francis Drake Blvd. to the Lighthouse at Point Reyes. The ride back returns through Nicasio Valley and then back through Fairfax to San Francisco. Like the Panoche and Idria trip, the weather for this one couldn't have been better. In the cold clear air following a winter storm, everything was wet and green, and streams were running fully.
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