Climbing, Culture, and Carbohydrates

It was a chilly fall morning as Len and I rode to Analy High School in Sebastopol to begin a ride into Marin County through Occidental, Freestone, Valley Ford, and Bloomfield. We took Occidental Road to Mill Station, where we observed a new and enormous (25 foot) big dog sculpture “protecting” a local vineyard. We cycled past the local cemetery onto Sullivan before beginning our climb up Graton. Len was excited to test his new gear set on this ascent. With hardly any traffic, we steadily made our way up the hill stopping at the Tanuda/Facedini junction. After a cool descent, we arrived in downtown Occidental for a bathroom break and then zoomed down Bohemian Highway at speeds of 40 MPH into Freestone, where we split a monster sticky bun at the Wild Flour Bakery. At least 15 other cyclists (mostly female) rode into the parking lot as Len and I were exploring the backside wild flower gardens (see photo). We continued onto Bodega highway cycling through downtown Valley Ford. Fresh road-kill was everywhere and the scent of skunks permeated the cool air. We crossed the Marin County line admiring the beautiful landscapes, rolling hills, and an abundance of cows, sheep, and their newborn. Len and I proceeded to climb the Franklin School, Whittaker Bluff and Shoreline Highway hills. The sun finally broke through the clouds making the afternoon climate perfect for cycling. We made our way towards Sebastopol on the laborious and non-stop grade of Bloomfield Road ending at Pleasant Hill. Our legs were relieved as we coast down Highway 116 back to the high school. Before departing Sebastopol, we took an ARTrails detour and visited the home of urban folk artists, Patrick Amiot (the guy responsible for the new big dog sculpture seen earlier). It was great chatting with Patrick, who cycles daily with his daughter from Sebastopol to Santa Rosa. Today’s ride was full of climbing, coasting, carbohydrates, and culture covering over 40 miles. Just another day in paradise. Wahoo!