Page Mill Road

The photo was taken from the 2006 Low-key Hill climbs, this one being Page Mill Road. I, The Boyfriend and many very nice people and volunteers participated in the 2006 climbs, though the events goes back further than that date. Take a look at the 2007 climbs slated for this September. Saturday, I decided to bike Page Mill in yet another effort to develop climbing muscles in my weenie legs. The Boyfriend wasn't around to forget the camera this time. I met a lovely woman who stayed with me for a few minutes before she took off at a real speed (you see, I do wmph otherwise known as weenie miles per hour on climbs). The day was warm, at least in direct sunlight. Or maybe I just felt hot from all the good looking well built men coming downhill. At 4.5 miles, I was just about out of water, my head was on fire, I'd already done 2 gels and my legs weren't willing to continue. I turned around. I didn't even have strength going downhill. Oh but I did have the strength to wave and smile at those mighty fine male cyclists encountered earlier. I've done this road twice before and managed to make it all the way. Obviously something went very wrong. The next day I felt better and took the hybrid out on a 15 mile jaunt to Alviso. As Scarlett said, "Tomorrow is another day."

Are we there yet?

Once again The Boyfriend forgot the camera as he dragged me out for another ride involving climbs and undulating roads. The 34 mile route involved: Page Mill parking lot --> Arastradero --> Foothill Expressway --> Stevens Canyon --> Redwood Gulch --> Highway 9 --> Skyline Blvd --> Page Mill Road descent.

While attempting one of the steep inclines on Redwood Gulch (we're talking somewhere around 15-18% according to various sources), I toppled over (of which I have quite a lot of experience). Knowing that you are going to fall and can't stop it is a sickening feeling. I couldn't clip out. I found myself lying on the road with my shoe stuck in the pedal. I yanked my foot out. It was a funny sight to see the shoe in the pedal but scary while trapped in it on the road and freaking out that a car would run over me. Blood was streaming down my leg from my knee and I knew that later I would have various bruises and scrapes elsewhere.

I met up with The Boyfriend at Highway 9, showed him my bloody wound, and then we proceeded to ride the 3 or so miles together to the top where 9 meets Hwy 35 (Skyline). I kept asking him if we were there yet and he laughed and laughed. Biking on Skyline is what I imagine Heaven (if it exists) is like. The cotton candy fog cover hung in the mountains, tiny wildflowers dotted the edge of the road, a few vineyards hugged a hillside, with occasional glimpses of the sea and valley. Serene, pretty, magical, you know. At last I came upon Page Mill Road where The Boyfriend was waiting. The descent was more of the same, spectacular.

Ummm

It's been awhile since my last post. I have been biking. In fact, one day, I managed to do 72 miles in the Morgan Hill area and of course, I managed to stop at least 72 times as well.

Today, The Boyfriend (who once again forgot the camera) and I decided to tackle Hicks Road from the South side. From the parking lot, before setting sail, he noticed the mountain that you see in this post (image from SummitPost website). He wondered if we would be climbing it. Nah, I said. No way. No doubt you have already figured out that yes indeed, it would be our destination. Had I known, I probably would have gotten right back in the car and gone home to lounge in a chair at my pool, sipping one of those drinks with umbrellas.

We were dazzled by the spectacular scenery on the way to Hicks as well as enjoying the undulating roads. Once on Hicks, The Boyfriend, looking dashing in red, darted up it while I crawled up it slower than a snail. I came upon Sierra Azul preserve and Mt. Umunhum to my left. Sigh, another climb. For details on the climb, see the Western Wheelers page. The Boyfriend had long since left me in the figurative dust but I just knew he had gone to the summit so off I crawled once again. Well, after about a mile, I began to wonder just how far I had to go to get to the top. I began hallucinating about the pool, the handsome young attendant who would serve me the cold drink with the umbrella ... oh, alrighty, it didn't quite happen that way. I turned around hoping The Boyfriend would come looking for me. And sure enough he did to my delight.

We descended Hicks. Boy, it's even steeper on the North side. Naturally, The Boyfriend was already contemplating a return trip to tackle this side. Naturally, I was already contemplating getting out of it, lounging at my pool with the handsome pool attendant.... I tell you, I ought to bring a cell phone next time, call him while I'm climbing and make him listen to me whine and wheeze. He'll probably say, "Sorry wrong number." :)