18 June 2011

Saturday harbor ride

It was overcast and cool. There was a slight mist in the air when I started. On San Andreas, the pack split up. I think there were at least two groups ahead of the group I was in, so it wasn't difficult for me to stay in the group, as the really strong riders wouldn't be in this group. In fact, a Bissell rider who was sitting in this third group launched himself ahead a bit after Manresa. It was odd not to be out of breath at the end of San Andreas. It was a smaller group of around a dozen going up Hazel Dell. I fell behind a group of 5 or 6 going up the last part of Mount Madonna, but managed to catch up when they took the initial flatter part of Hazel Dell relatively slowly. When the climbing started, I fell behind again. I caught up with another rider on Browns Valley and worked together almost to Corralitos. From Corralitos, I went over Hames, latching onto a group of 4 to 6, turning onto Day Valley and Valencia and Trout Gulch to Aptos Village, and Soquel back to Santa Cruz. It remained overcast as I got back home.