13 January 2007

Solo ride

View from Skyline Record cold temperatures had me considering putting off this ride, in which I would climb Kings Mountain for the first time. Since the skies were clear, the sun would warm things up, though it would still be very cold in the shade. That would mean that if I started later, it would be warmer. However, since the route was around 110 miles, I had to start early enough to get back before sunset, which was around 5:30. In the end, I put on an extra set of gloves, added an extra jacket, and started off a little before 9. I figured that if I left Sky Londa for the final 50 miles or so before 2, I'd have about 3 1/2 hours, which was enough time if I rode at around 15mph.

It was freezing cold when I started. The weather services said the low was 27, so the temperatures were probably close to freezing, and it was supposed to be colder in the San Lorenzo Valley, where I was initially headed. Heading up Hwy 9, my toes and fingers were numb from the cold, and the two layers of gloves prevented me from warming up my fingers. From Felton to Boulder Creek, there was heavy car traffic, as usual. Above Boulder Creek, the traffic thinned significantly, as usual. In the upper part of the climb, it was warmer, and my fingers were comfortable, but my toes were still numb. There was also wind from time to time that the mountains had been shielding below.

At Skyline, I turned left and, after the initial brief climb, started a cold, shaded descent. Skyline has views of both the ocean and the bay. I stopped and, after a few minutes of fumbling with the camera phone with my gloves on, managed to take a picture of the bay.

At Sky Londa, I turned right and headed down Hwy 84, which I had never done before. At first, it reminded me of Old Santa Cruz Hwy, only with sharper curves, but the resemblance faded farther down. I turned left at Kings Mountain and started along the mostly flat initial part. After Entrance Way, it started climbing and the scenery looked more like a typical shaded mountain road of the area, resembling Tunitas Creek more than anything else. There were a couple of cyclists stopped at the Huddart Park entrance, and another one in a black jersey climbing slowly. We exchanged greetings as I passed him, and I noticed that he had aero bars on his bike. Soon after that, I noticed signs on the right, with #22, then #21, then #20 hand-written on them. I figured that they would count down to #1 by the top. There also were no mileage signs. Further up, I noticed a deer off the road, only 3 or 4 feet to my right. It watched me as I rode by, never making any move to run. A few feet above it, there was another, smaller deer, which also didn't try to run. I must have missed most of the other numbered signs, or the signs had the numbering scrubbed off, but I finally saw #3, then #2, then #1, just before the top. At Skyline, I turned left and headed back to Sky Londa.

Again at Sky Londa, I stopped for a snack and got an orangeade at the store. When I was ready to go, it was 1:17, so I was pretty sure I'd make it back before dark. I headed down Hwy 84, which was initially cold and shaded. Further down, it became more sunny, and, by the time I got to San Gregorio, my toes had finally warmed up enough to be comfortable for the first time in the day. At Hwy 1, I turned left and started the long stretch along the coast. I was really tired, and, by the time I reached Gazos Creek, my pace had slowed considerably to about 15mph, which I more or less maintained all the way back to Santa Cruz. At Western, I turned left and headed home.

6 January 2007

Eureka Canyon

Highland Way It was another cold morning when I got started, but at least it was warm in the sun. The club ride was at 9 from Capitola. There was a pretty big turnout, including a tandem and a young guy on a mountain bike. I started out in the middle of the pack at a relaxed pace, heading down through downtown Capitola, then up to Park. On Park, I saw that the fast guys were way ahead, so I picked up my pace. One stoplight held me up, but then, another stoplight let me make up more ground. Finally, a little after turning right on Soquel, I caught up and settled in behind them.

At Aptos, we headed up Trout Gulch and Valencia, Cox and Day Valley, then down Freedom to the former Five Mile House, now known as the Pony Espresso for a long regroup. More riders, living in the Corralitos and Watsonville areas, joined the ride. We headed up to Corralitos and started up Eureka Canyon at a pretty easy pace. From Corralitos, another guy, training for races in Arizona, rode up, exchanged greetings, then went off ahead. After a minute or so, two of the fast guys and I went off after him, eventually catching up, as his training schedule had him taking it relatively easy. After a chat, we continued up at a pretty good pace, arriving at the top of Eureka Canyon with a time less than 30 seconds off my best, and stopped for a regroup. Also, the prospect of continuing down Highland, where it was shaded and cold while still sweaty from the climb, was not inviting.

As it was, the Highland descent was pretty cold anyhow. On the subsequent climb in the sun, I stopped a little before the site of the slide that closed the road last winter to take a picture, and fell way behind the two fast guys. I then rode hard to try to catch back up, but one of them was gone. I didn't see him again. The other one had slowed, since he didn't know the roads. We then hammered the remaining descent of Highland and pulled into the Summit Market for the lunch stop. There was also a group of mountain bikers there having an after-ride beer.

After lunch, I rode alone back to downtown Santa Cruz to the bike shop to test ride some bikes. I really liked the Look 585, and rode it about 14 miles, but it was out of my price range. I then tried an Ibis Silk Carbon, which was also very nice, though it didn't accelerate like the Look. It was in my price range, so I decided to get an Ibis frame built up with SRAM Rival components and Easton wheels. It should be ready within a couple of weeks. Finally, I rode back home.

1 January 2007

Upper Zayante Since I had the day off and it wasn't going to rain, I decided to ride. Since future opportunities to climb Jamison Creek this month could be rained out, I decided to include the climb. At first, I was thinking of going up Skyline from Bear Creek, then going down Hwy 9 and Hwy 236 through Big Basin, but then I figured the store would be closed, so I decided on a shorter route straight down Bear Creek to Boulder Creek.

Since I had just gotten my club jersey, I wore it instead of the vest I had usually been wearing, and put my camera phone in one of the pockets. It was cold and damp at first, and the wind cut right through the jersey. So, in the future, I'll wear the vest over the jersey when it's cold. Passing through the downtown area, I would see the last cyclist I would see until the last part of the ride. Some club members would be riding in the Corralitos area, nowhere near where I was riding, and lots of riders from the valley would be climbing Mt Hamilton. So, once I was in the mountains, I wouldn't see any other cyclists.

I headed up Graham Hill, which was pretty quiet. It normally has heavy traffic on weekdays. The descent to Felton was shaded and cold. I turned right at East Zayante and headed up. Just before the steep right turning switchback leading up to the Upper Ellen gate, I stopped to take a picture, fumbling a lot trying to manipulate the camera with gloves on. Although the picture looks foggy, it was a very clear day. The lens probably fogged up when sitting in my jersey pocket. The dog near the top must have been napping, since it didn't start barking until after I said, "Woof woof." After reaching the top, I continued to Bear Creek Rd and headed down to Boulder Creek. The views showed the bay completely covered with thick, white fog.


Jamison Creek Rd At Boulder Creek, I stopped and got an orangeade and ate a snack. It was warm in the sun, and I took off and stowed my gloves for the rest of the ride. When I started off along Hwy 236, it was cold and damp in the shade, so I thought about putting my gloves back on. It wasn't all that cold, so I left them off.

It was around 12:18 when I turned left onto Jamison Creek Rd. Just before the left-turning switchback marking the beginning of the steep climbing, I got out the camera phone. I was glad not to be wearing gloves then, as there wasn't room for more pictures, and I had to delete some pictures. Then, I took the first picture I've taken without stopping. It looks like the lens was still fogged up. There were trees and branches down, but all the large debris had been cleared off the road. The last half mile or so to the top, debris still carpeted most of the right side of the road, though. Around the 1.42 mile marker, I saw a deer high above me to the right runninng and jumping through the trees. With my attention drawn that direction, I noticed for the first time the remains of a wrecked car to the right and above the road. It must have slid down a long way after being driven or dumped off the right side of the road at some point above the 1.33 mile right-hand switchback that was upcoming. Since this was a shorter ride, I was stronger than usual on this climb, and picked up the pace going up the final stretch, finishing the climb in under 30 minutes at 12:48. I was also using 30/21, a gear higher than the 30/23 that I had been using for this climb the last few times.

I only stopped briefly at the top of Jamison Creek for a drink and to get my GPS to record the point, then headed up Empire Grade. It was a little cold in the shaded upper stretch. By the CYA camp/prison, a deer stood a couple of yards off the right of the road, unmoving, except for its head following me as I rolled by. The shaded straight section had signs warning of debris, but it had all been cleared off the road. Nonetheless, I proceeded with slightly more caution than usual until I passed the curve to the right without seeing anything on the road. Beyond Pine Flat, it was sunnier and warmer, which felt good.

Finally, at Chinquapin Trail, I saw two mountain bikers crossing the road from upper UCSC to Wilder. They would be the first cyclists that I would see since I was in downtown Santa Cruz. I would see a few more cyclists climbing Empire Grade in the subsequent final descent back to High St.