Climbing to the Coast with Cows

It was a pleasantly cool morning as Leslie and I departed at sunrise for a ride out towards the Marin coast. We headed for a long climb up Occidental Road via College, Fulton, Hall, and Sanford. This new route included a steep climb up Cherry Ridge, a beautiful road lined with small farms which deposits you back onto Occidental for an additional three mile ascent. The gray overcast sky kept the route perfectly cool for cycling. Finally, the thoroughfare dropped and we flew down Bohemian Highway, stopping at the Union Hotel for a quick “Gu & Pee” break. Our journey continued with another spectacular downhill, albeit chilly, through Freestone and onto Valley Ford Road. We zoomed past the Wild Flour bakery in anticipation of our final bakery destination. The route continued by sending us through the charming town of Valley Ford. Cows and their newborn calves abound in all directions. We arrived at Middle Road for another new taunting climb lasting nearly four miles ending at Dillon Beach Road. This costal highway led us into the tiny town of Tomales and their world-famous bakery (see photo). Leslie and I rested enjoying delicious pastries and visiting with some of the locals. Afterwards, the obnoxious climbing continued up Shoreline Highway, Fallon-Two Rock, and Gericke Roads. The rolling hills of Marin County were exquisite as we passed blooming flower nurseries, diary farms, flocks of sheep, and charming ranches. We continued climbing up Canfield Road which directed us back towards Sonoma County and into Sebastopol. We took Lynch Road, a bumpy back street, which led us down Gravenstein Highway and onto the Joe Redota Trail. Our final ten miles on the flat trail home felt wonderful as we flushed our legs out after a great day of steady climbing. We rode 61 miles and ended our journey with a scrumptious lunch at Carmen’s Burger Bar. Wahoo!