22 December 2007

Solo ride

Hwy 236 I started pretty late, so I couldn't ride too long and get back before dark. It was sunny, but still cold, and it was cold all day. So it was probably very very cold in the morning, so it was a good thing that I started so late.

My first idea was to head up Hwy 9, then up Bear Creek, Skyline, then Hwy 9, Hwy 236, Jamison Creek, Empire Grade. But then I figured it would be dark before I got home, so I decided to just go up Hwy 9 to Skyline, then turn around and continue.

There was lots of traffic on Hwy 9, leading to some minor run-ins. In retrospect, with a car about 30 ft behind and not closing very quickly, I shouldn't have pulled in front of it in response to that other car threatening to pull out of a driveway in Ben Lomond. On the other hand, just before Brookdale, the motorist that had horn diarrhea when I took the lane due to the flatbed trailer occupying the right side of the road was unjustified, and I would not do anything differently should the situation arise again.

A little past Brookdale, there were traffic lights regulating a one-lane section where something was being fixed, so I had to stop there for about 3 minutes while the motorist behind me revved his engine impatiently.

After Boulder Creek, the traffic thinned considerably. I got to the top at 1:01 and turned around and headed down. It was cold, so I didn't try to go very fast. I continued onto Hwy 236. At one point, 3 motor vehicles passed me, including a U-haul truck that took almost the entire road, so I got squeezed onto the right edge of the road.

At the Big Basin Park Headquarters, the store was closed, but I wasn't planning on getting anything there anyhow. I got some water, then ate a snack in the sun, which felt good. It was cold in the shade, though. When I started off again, the cold wind was a sharp contrast to the warm sun.

A little before Little Basin, a man in his driveway told me it that it would be all downhill from just a little further. I guess I was riding a little tiredly. I thanked him and he said to enjoy.

It was 2:31 when I got to the bottom of Jamison. Again, it was a tough climb. I wanted to do better than the almost 37 minute climb of 3 weeks earlier. I didn't look at the 1.33 sign, due to being distracted by the two old guys hanging out with their pickup truck off the left of the road, so I don't know if the recent wind and rain knocked the skunk tail off of it. I gasped out a response to whatever they said. Then they said something about going downhill being easier. It was 3:01 when I got to the top, and the time for the climb was 30:40. Much better than the almost 37 minute effort.

I turned left at Empire Grade and slowly headed home. It was cold in the shaded part. There was one car carrying a tree on its roof. The 22nd is pretty late for getting a tree. In the sunny spots after Felton-Empire, it was still cold. A little after the arboretum on High St, a guy on a tiny motorcycle started off in the bike lane. I got to within about 10 ft of him, and pulled out into the traffic lane, before he took off, staying in the bike lane. He was out of sight by the time I passed Western Dr.