Saturday, June 15, 2013

Much Ado about Mines

Never thought I'd be able to do a ride on Mines Road in June, but the weather has been delightful and today was more of the same.  Perfect riding weather with my buds Miss P. and Dr. G.  Miss P. found us a great starting location in Livermore, at a nearby park.


This is my 4th time doing Mines and Dr. G.'s first time.  Miss P and I took turns leading one another.  I felt strong and confident most of the time and certainly bold on the descents.

Here I am pretty in pink at the junction but not one motorcyclist, fireman, cyclist, or other body of the male persuasion to charm.  Just my luck.  We were surprised by the relatively low traffic.

I was unable to get a photo of the sweet hummingbird drinking nectar from this unusual but lovely plant.  We were surprised to see wildflowers still in bloom, as well as a few butterflies.  But that's Mines for you, always an occasion, and a favorite ride of mine.

Just the Stats:

Pretty similar to other times even though I thought we were speeding away
58 miles
5 hrs.
32 mph on a descent (that increased)
11.4 avg mph

2 comments:

Stephen C. Gruber said...

I saw a fox that ran across the road in front of me today, along with a roadrunner, and two quail.

There was also a steer that had gotten outside the fence. He looked at me and decided a chase was not worth it.
Steve G

pep said...

The plant is Star Thistle - sadly, an invasive species.