Playing hooky on Geysers & Pine Flat

This morning I played hooky from work to join my buddy Scott on a weekday climbing adventure. We loaded up his van determined to initiate his new Specialized Tarmac Carbon Fiber bike (WOW!) to the hills of Sonoma County. We made our headquarters parking at the mouth of Red Winery Road. Our first challenge was a turbulent hike up Geysers Road. Strong gusts of winds knocked us around like paper dolls as we steadily scaled the road up to Geysers Peak Ranch. The temperature was perfect for climbing and the views on both sides were magnificent. Several sections of road collapsed since my last journey up Geysers and the occasional patch of gravel made us ride cautiously to the top of the second peak. Instead of heading towards Cloverdale, we decided to dash back downhill and pursue another climb since it was still early. The wind was so strong during our descent that we laughed the whole way down. It was like a bad joke, but it was so funny. After a quick trek to the Jimtown Store (for some spiced nuts and bathroom break), we headed back up Red Winery Road towards Pine Flat. We encountered a myriad of brightly colored cyclists enjoying an SRCC club ride. The balmy air heated our bodies as we scrambled up to the “enchanted forest”. Finally, it was getting warmer. Clearly, the season of fall is approaching as dried leaves and twigs littered the road. Of course the views were magnificent and the descent was amazing as we raced together downhill. We made our way back to the van headquarters, packed up our bikes, and had some well deserved turkey sandwiches in Santa Rosa. While our ride only covered 36 miles, we climbed nearly 6,000 feet. Wahoo!

Check out the elevation map for Geysers Road
http://www.srcc.com/profiles_html/geysers_road.HTM

Check out the elevation map for Pine Flat Road
http://www.srcc.com/profiles_html/pine_flat_rd.HTM