23 September 2006

Ride to the Far Side (Pescadero)

The club ride was to start at Pescadero, so I started out early, taking Highway 1, Gazos Creek, Cloverdale to Pescadero. There was no wind, so it was a 32 mile warmup in about 1:45, and I wound up arriving 25 minutes early.

The club ride started north on Stage, with a long regroup at San Gregorio due to a flat. The shorter route headed up Highway 84 to La Honda. I joined the longer route, heading up Stage, down Highway 1, up Tunitas Creek, Star Hill, Swett, then down Skyline to Skylonda for lunch. After lunch, the route headed down Old La Honda to La Honda and then back to Pescadero, but I said goodbye to the group and continued on Skyline, then took Bear Creek to Boulder Creek. I returned home taking Highway 236, Jamison Creek and Empire Grade.

This was the eleventh time I climbed Jamison Creek in 2006.

16 September 2006

Gizdich Ranch for pie

I headed to Capitola for the club ride to Moss Landing. The ride started off heading to La Selva Beach to join the riders doing a shorter route, then headed south on San Andreas, Beach, Thurwachter, McGowan, Trafton, Jensen, Bluff, Highway 1, Struve, Highway 1 to Moss Landing for lunch. After lunch, the return route took Dolan, Elkhorn, Garin, Vega, San Miguel Canyon, San Juan to Murphy Crossing, which was closed due to downed power lines. After crossing a field to bypass the closure, we continued on Murphy Crossing, Highway 129, where we had a flat, Carlton, skipping Gizdich, Casserly, Mt Madonna, Hazel Dell, Browns Valley, Hames, Day Valley, Valencia, Trout Gulch, Soquel, State Park, McGregor, Park, and Cliff back to Capitola. I took Brommer, went through the yacht harbor, and by the Beach Boardwalk, and headed home on Bay.

9 September 2006

Smith, Davenport, and Swanton - Swim and Trim Ride

I went on the club ride for lunch in Bonny Doon, starting from Natural Bridges, and heading up Western, Empire Grade, Smith Grade, Martin, and Ice Cream Grade. After lunch, I headed down Pine Flat and Bonny Doon, and then headed north on Highway 1 to do the Swanton loop, and returned home with the tailwinds along the coast.

4 September 2006

For Labor Day, I headed out solo on Soquel to Aptos, took Trout Gulch, Valencia, Day Valley, Freedom, and Hames to Corralitos. Then, I climbed Eureka Canyon, and took Highland, Summit, Bear Creek, and Skyline to Saratoga Gap. I headed down Highway 9 and Highway 236 to Big Basin for the first time since I crashed there six weeks earlier on the 22nd of July. I took Jamison Creek and Empire Grade back home.

2 September 2006

I went on a solo ride to get in some climbing. I headed up Highway 9 to Saratoga, then I climbed Bohlman and On Orbit for the first time. I descended the twisty Montevina, then climbed Black and Gist, took Skyline and Bear Creek to Boulder Creek, and then took Highway 236, Jamison Creek, and Empire Grade back home.

26 August 2006

Kirby Park to Asilomar

I went on the club ride to Monterey and Pacific Grove, starting early, since the 96 mile route was to start at Aptos at 7am. I joined a couple of the riders on route to Aptos, with two more joining at Aptos. The five of us rode to Kirby Park to join the rest of the group. The route went south to Castroville and then to the Monterey County Bike path to Monterey for lunch. After lunch, I rode along the coast to Pacific Grove, and then backtracked on the bike path, then took Nashua, Molera, Highway 1, Dolan, Russo, and Elkhorn back to Kirby Park. From there, I rode solo up Elkhorn, Salinas, Trafton, McGowan, Thurwachter, Beach, San Andreas, Bonita, Freedom, Soquel to Aptos where I stopped at Los Gordos for another lunch, and then back home.