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Chris Matthews's Journal
The Big Easy
posted by RoubaixRider at 07:10 PM on April 22, 2007
- Region:
- Santa Cruz Mountains
- Location:
- Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, Boulder Creek, etc, CA
- Country:
- United States of America
- Ride Type:
- Road
- Nearest Zipcode:
- 95124
Ride Description
For the proof of below, check
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2536392
Five of us left from the Park & Ride off the Page Mill exit of the 280 freeway in Palo Alto, a few minutes past 8:00am. This was promising to be a classic "Big Easy", as they're called by the usual crew that come out for these rides. Today, the five of us were wondering where everyone else was (Mike? Gabe?) - but figured that the gray weather had something to do with it. We headed out, hoping the rain would hold off.
First climb of the day went through Portola Valley and up La Honda, then back down the west side of La Honda to Pescadero and then the coast. Down the 1 to Bonny Doon, and up up & away to the top of Empire Grade. Just one of the many HC's today.
My rookie-style crash happened about here. At the top of Bonny Doon, making a right onto Jamison, I hit some sand and hit the deck. Washed the front wheel and was on the pavement before I could blink. Tweaked my hanger, scraped my shifter, tore my (borrowed!) shoe cover, and lost skin on my elbow and hip. 30 miles to go, and I was bleeding and certainly bruised. Oh well.
China Grade was painful, but once up, the ride through Big Basin state park was, as always, a beautiful thing. Then, I think the muffin from the bakery back in Davenport kicked in (this was a SERIOUS muffin - carrot/orange, about as dense as any material known to man). The trip up the day's last climb, hwy 9, was a strangely assisted ITT. Not sure where the energy came from. It may have been a hallucination, at this point.
One little final hill to climb before the final descent to the cars. Then it started to rain. Muttered something under my breath as Sean matches my pace, and then blasts by me to authoritatively own the last summit.
Descending Page Mill was treacherous at best: wet, steep, and we were all blinded by fatigue. But by one grace or another: success! I then proceeded to the closest taqueria where I ate a burrito at a pace faster than the world has ever seen.
categories: General
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Comments (4)
08:44 PM on April 22, 2007 UTC dv8sean wrote:
I can't believe that we came in just shy of 100 miles. It's better that I didn't realize this while we were on the bike, as it would have obligated us to ride a little longer.
Slept for 10+ hours Saturday nite courtesy of this ride. Good times!
10:02 PM on April 26, 2007 UTC Brian West wrote:
pretty!
05:16 PM on May 03, 2007 UTC Rusty Kogz wrote:
when i saw the beef jerkey on your arm yesterday, i should have asked how you go tit. now i know. YUM, YUM! those roads are sketch up there. as are the mountain critters who ply them.
09:21 AM on May 07, 2007 UTC Brian100mph wrote:
Sounds like all kinds of fun. It's really too bad that Michigan is a flat penninsula and I can't experience something like that here.
Instead I'll tell you how much fun I had this past weekend doing some urban riding with my wife on our old Burley Rock n Roll tandem. Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan with elephant ears and all! Racing cars, and taking some super tight boardwalk trails down by the river after dark.
Krause