8 September 2004

Start north on Western Drive from Meder.
Turn left onto High Street.
High Street becomes Empire Grade.
It's a very hot day.
One hour.
Turn right onto Jamison Creek Road.
Turn left onto Highway 236.
Two hours.
Stop at the park headquarters to fill up the water bottle.
Continue on 236.
Three hours.
Turn left onto Highway 9.
Man on a yellow bike passes me, asking how I stay cool. I say it's just hot. Soon he disappears ahead.
Turn left onto Skyline Boulevard.
Four hours.
Stop at the Saratoga Summit Fire Station. Yellow bike man is sitting by the coke machine. Get a drink from the machine. Yellow bike man has lots of interesting things to say. He clues me into the water spigot by the picnic table, and advises me to take Cloverdale, then Gazos Creek from Pescadero rather than going straight to Highway 1 on Pescadero Road. The fire truck takes off, sirens going, during this stop, and then returns. Yellow bike man heads home, off to go down Page Mill Road to Palo Alto.
Continue along Skyline Boulevard.
Turn left onto Alpine Road.
Turn left onto Pescadero Road.
Five hours.
Stop at Pescadero Nursery and Grocery for a bottle of water.
Continue on Pescadero Road.
Turn left onto Cloverdale.
Signs at Gazos Creek Road say the road is closed. Continue on Cloverdale.
The approach to the coast brings cool, damp air.
Six hours.
Turn left onto Highway 1.
25 miles to Santa Cruz.
Hit 44-45 mph at Scott Creek. Previous top speed was 34-35 mph on this ride.
Seven hours.
Heat is no longer a problem. Extremely hungry. Should have gotten food at Pescadero, or at Davenport, or at Fambrinis. About seven miles to go. Wind up coasting a lot.
Turn left onto Western Drive.
Turn right onto Meder.

About 100 miles in about 7:35. Bike was Trek 4000 mountain bike.

6 September 2004

Leave Soquel Street Garage.
Turn right onto Soquel.
Turn right onto Pacific.
Turn left onto Locust.
Turn right onto Center.
Turn left onto Mission.
Turn right onto Highland.
Turn left onto High.
High becomes Empire Grade.
Turn left onto Smith Grade.
One hour.
Turn left onto Bonny Doon Road.
Turn left onto Highway 1.
Turn left onto Western Drive.
Turn right onto Meder.
About 25 miles in about 1:45. Bike was Trek 4000 mountain bike.
Having to work all weekend prevented my intended ride. However, never having ridden on Smith Grade before, take it as an opportunity to take a relatively short ride to check it out.

29 August 2004

Start north on Bay from Meder.
Turn right onto High.
Turn right onto Storey.
Turn left onto King.
Turn left onto Mission.
Mission becomes Water.
Turn left onto Soquel.
Turn right onto Freedom.
Turn left onto Bonita.
Turn right onto San Andreas.
Turn right onto Seascape.
Stop at Seascape Village Resort. Company picnic.
A leisurely ride of about 14.5 miles in about one hour on a Trek 4000 mountain bike. Even with the very leisurely pace, I arrived at the picnic a little early.
Saw about 4 bikes riding on car roofs or bumpers or truck beds.
Saw several groups of cyclists in brightly colored jerseys on Soquel Drive near Aptos headed in the opposite direction.
The sky was overcast the whole way.

Leave the picnic on Seascape.
Turn left onto San Andreas.
Turn left onto Bonita.
Turn right onto Freedom.
Turn left onto Corralitos.
Corralitos becomes Eureka Canyon Road.
One hour.
Eureka Canyon becomes Highland Way.
Briefly considered going up Ormsby Trail, but after seeing the private property sign, decided against it.
Turn left onto Soquel-San Jose.
Two hours.
Turn right onto Soquel Drive.
Turn right onto Rodeo Gulch.
Three hours.
Turn left onto Mountain View.
Less than two minutes later, turn left onto Branciforte.
Branciforte becomes Market Street.
Turn right onto Water St.
Water becomes Mission.
Turn right onto Highland.
Turn left onto High.
Turn left onto Bay.
Turn right onto Meder.
About 54 miles in about 3:45. Bike was Trek 4000 mountain bike.
Saw about 15 bicycles riding on cars or trucks.
Saw lots of cyclists riding the opposite direction on Eureka Canyon and Highland Way. Saw a few on Rodeo Gulch and Branciforte headed in the opposite direction too.
Heading away from the coast on Freedom Blvd, the sky cleared. It was sunny by Corralitos. It was completely clear up in the mountains on Eureka Canyon and Highland Way. The sky was overcast again heading back into Soquel. Heading up Rodeo Gulch, it became sunny. Heading back on Branciforte, it became cloudy.

Total of about 68 miles in about 4:45. Saw a total of about 19 bicycles being hauled around on cars or trucks.