Orinda, Moraga, Oakland, Berkeley Hills

It was a chilly morning in Orinda as Mike, Phil, Kent, Paul, Tom, Gayle, Sarah, and I met for a climbing tour of the East Bay hills. The beginning 10 miles were flat with moderate rolling roads as we took Moraga Way to Canyon Road. The fresh bay air was exhilarating and energized our bodies for the first major climb across Skyline Blvd and up Grizzly Peak (see photo). This monster summit reached 1,750 feet while rewarding us with absolutely killer views of San Francisco and Oakland. The screaming descent down Wildcat Canyon was well paved and we passed hoards of fellow cyclists making our way back into Orinda. At Pablo Dam, we stopped to refill our water bottles and share an abundance of trail mix, pretzels, energy bars, and Gu. After a round of mutual congratulations (see photo), we began our journey to conquer the “three bears” (three consecutive climbs of 700 feet, 500 feet, and 600 feet) via Bear Creek Road. While the ascent was challenging, the panoramic scenery was stunning. By this point, most of us shed our leg/arm warmers. After another rewarding descent, we climbed up Pleasant Hill and Deer Hill Roads. We spiraled downhill and passed the infamous Lafayette Hillside Memorial, consisting of thousands of white crosses honoring the soldiers killed in the Iraq War. Today the sign read 3,248 (see photo) representing as many fallen heroes; it was a moving display and made me appreciate today’s ride even more. As we made our way back, we took Happy Valley Road (which was anything but happy) to the reverse side of “papa bear” for another steep 500 foot climb before descending to our final destination. The scenery was magnificent, the weather was just right, and the camaraderie was outstanding. We ended the adventure with gourmet pizza and drinks at Phil and Angelas. Together we navigated 55 miles climbing over 5,150 feet. Wahoo!

Atlas Peak, Mt. Veeder, & Trinity - Oh My!

The thought of climbing these three grades in a single ride had me a bit nervous, but the gang assured me that it was all in the cadence- and they were right! So with minor hesitation, I met the two Sarahs, Mike, Phil, Gayle, Kent, Paul, and Tom in Jackson Park (Yountville). Our ride began with a chilly stretch down the Silverado Trail in Napa. Barren vineyards lined the road as our single file peloton took turns drafting. At Hardman Avenue we turned on to Atlas Peak. For nine straight miles, we climbed that obnoxious mountain. Along the way, I popped a few Endurolytes, downed two bottles of Cytomax, and ate massive quantities of Gu; all while settling into my triple “granny gear”. After and hour and nearly 2,100 feet of tough-grade climbing, we all reached the top. We were so grateful to find Ken at the apex with some badly needed SAG support. We replenishing our supplies, stretched, and exchanged mutual kudos; and then turned around and screamed down the very ascent we just conquered. At the bottom, we enjoyed rolling flats for 15 miles taking us through some beautiful valleys towards downtown Napa. Just as we got comfortable and happy, our peloton turned off Redwood Road and on to Mt. Veeder. The ascent was steep, but shady, short, and beautiful. At the summit, I felt a false sense of accomplishment not knowing what was ahead. After another exuberant descent we regrouped at Dry Creek Road. We began to climb and the grade increased as we turned onto Trinity. After 50 miles of hard riding, we were facing our toughest climb of the day. Trinity Road was unforgiving, but we forged on to the very top. Once again Ken saved the day with fresh water, Oreo cookies, and PB&J sandwiches. After another screaming descent, we faced our final climb 500 feet up steep Oakville Grade. Our whole gang regrouped at the top and carefully navigated our way down the vertical plunge to Highway 29. We made our way back to Jackson Park (via some badly-needed Napa County flats) where we enjoyed a group potluck. I’ve never climbed so much in a single day; over 8,000 feet in 65 miles. Wahoo!

Climbing Mt. Tam (Alpine Dam Loop)

Today, our gang of 12 riders set out for some Marin County climbing. Our journey began with a teaser climb up Camino Alto and cool descent into Corte Madera. The sun was bright and the fresh San Francisco Bay air was crisp as we made our way towards The College of Marin. We turned onto Kent Avenue and into the quaint town of Ross. The roads were in pristine condition (unlike Sonoma County) and recreational cyclists abound. We noticed many San Francisco Cycling Club jerseys (Velo Girls, Golden Gate Cyclists, Different Spokes, Yellow Jackets, etc). We pacelined through Downtown San Anselmo and headed towards Fairfax. We turned on Bolinas-Fairfax road for a tough 5 mile climb to Alpine Dam Bridge. The dam was beautiful and the sound of crashing water calmed our collective spirits (see photo). What a beautiful place to regroup! We then took off on a 2 mile steep climb to Ridgecrest Blvd. Sarah warned me that we had to deal with a series of rollers called the “seven sisters” (actually, she called them the seven bitches). These unrelenting rolling hills were small, but the grades were exhausting. After the sixth “bitch”, my legs cramped up! I’ve never had this happen before and the sharp sensation actually prevented my legs from bending. Luckily, Paul came to my rescue with a handful of Hammer Endurolytes and a forceful leg massage. After about 5 minutes, my electrolytes were replaced and I was ready to climb the remaining “bitch”. We arrived at the Pan Toll Station, atop Mt. Tam, where the bay views were spectacular. After spending some time chatting, eating, drinking, and just enjoying our accomplishment, we began the wild descent down Pan Toll Road and merged into Panoramic Highway. The remainder 8 miles of the route was flat as we navigated SR1 back to Camino Alto. Today’s Marin County trek up Mt. Tam took us 32 miles with 3,400 feet of climbing. What a great day!