Doing Henry Coe

A chilly overcast day with the sun eventually breaking through the cloud cover. Still, time to train since next month I'll be doing 3 day long bike tours and a cycling trip in Solvang with you know, what's his name.




Along Coyote Creek Trail, flowers were in bloom and there was an assortment of wildlife -- a butterfly, sheep, goats, squirrels, birds, ducks, dead flattened lizards, The Boyfriend, and a Lynx rufus (bobcat) that walked casually across a bridge while we nervously wondered about forging ahead.

So what do I take photos of -- yes cows just 3 miles short of the top of Henry Coe State Park. Okay, drum roll, please. While I didn't quite make it to the very top, I did 41 miles (Coyote Creek Trail, Thomas Grade, Henry Coe and a bit of a headwind) in 3 hrs. 45 min. Why I do declare that there may just be hope for me....

Coyote Creek Trail

Before we set sail on the Coyote Creek Trail (Monterey Road at Bernal) and Henry Coe State Park, I had a flat in my living room!




The Boyfriend ahead of me on the trail.




I took a photo of myself while biking. Not bad, eh. Did I mention that I like my nail polish to match my jerseys. The Boyfriend is shaking his head, sighing.




On the way to Henry Coe, we passed small farms with illamas, cows, and goats. The BF took us up Thomas Grade off Dunne to get to Henry Coe, an uphill road in a quiet neighborhood that he learned about during the Tierra Bella bike tour.

Anderson Lake -- spectacular isn't it. I ran out of gas while going up Henry Coe but my nail polish looked good.

It's now Sunday. Did you catch the women cyclists biking in the rain in China. Yuck. Or, Dara Torres, the 41 year old Olympic swimmer competing against much younger women. You go chick!

On and On

That's me taken a few years ago but it's the same outfit I wore Saturday as I biked around the Bay. The Bay always has a calming effect on me. I got to race a train while on the Bay, well sort of, and once again, on the way back. The Bay showed signs of a dry winter and there was a lot of yellow colored algae as well. I managed to do 25 miles in 2 hours.

Sunday, The Boyfriend was keen on doing Mt. Hamilton. Naturally I was keen on being lazy but I agreed to go even though I knew that I wouldn't make it to the top. The day was very clear, affording us views of Lick Observatory and of the valley. UC Observatories has wonderful hamcam shots.

Taking Stephen Bishop's song completely out of context but how I often feel when attempting Mt. Hamilton or Henry Coe:

On and on...
I just keep on trying
and I smile
when I feel like dying
On and on...

After 2 miles, my hair was soaked and I wanted to call it a day but I kept plugging away and I was rather pleased that I did 11 miles with an average of 7.1 mph before having to stop on account of the polka dots I kept seeing everywhere. Some people see stars when they're dizzy. I see pink and purple polka dots. As I waited for The Boyfriend to come down the mountain, I contemplated Aristotle's 19 syllogisms that I'm reading about in a book about logic and the human mind. Fascinating read but .... Naturally my mind drifted to the shirtless runner with the tattoo on his chest who smiled at me yesterday as I biked along Guadalupe River Trail. Then there was the ranger in uniform who opened a gate for me. I bet the writer of the book I'm reading would have a field day with me.

The Boyfriend was delayed a bit as he encountered some people who recognized him and wanted to take photos with him. Oh, the life of a celebrity.

The best part of the day -- the french fries, hot and salty from Johnny Rockets. I wish though that I had gone all the way because the prettiest part of Mt. Hamilton comes after those 11 miles. Another time when I feel I can go on and on.

I tought I taw a putty tat, i did, i did!

The boyfriend, a friend of his and I biked along Coyote Creek Trail to Henry Coe except I didn't make it all the way to the top on account of the gale winds, okay so they weren't exactly that forceful and I'm a wuss with dinky muscles but I try, you know. I watched The Boyfriend climb a hill. He's very smooth and graceful. Anyway, on the way back, I saw a wild turkey, 2 quail scurrying on the bike trail and then, I saw it, dashing across the road. Well, you see, at first, I said, "My what a rather large cat." The size of a medium dog. Wait a minute. And then I said, "Oh my, a mountain lion." Wow. Much like you see in the photo above. I leave you with this. Which one of those furry beasts above is more threatening to you? And yes, one of them lives with me. As well as another one. Scary, eh.