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....

Poppies in Bloom

Saturday telephone conversation between The Boyfriend and me:

He: Fancy biking Mt. Diablo tomorrow?
Me: I'll tell you what I fancy, Mister -- those two shirtless guys I passed on the trail this morning at my place 6pm for cocktails.
He [ignoring me]: What time do you want to come to my place Sunday?
Me: Midnight.
He [ignoring me - he does that a lot]: Great, 9am it is.
Me: I plan to whine.
He: Click.
Me: See how much he adores me.



We began at the North Gate entrance. We did this ride two years ago with the Low Key Hillclimb series and I wrote a blog entry about that experience.

Me: I'm ready to turn around now.
He: We haven't even started.



If you click on the photo above, you will see poppies and hangliders.

Me: Are we there yet?
He: Sigh.
Me: [two minutes later] Are we there yet, huh huh huh?
He: [shaking his head] Remind me next time to bring duct tape.

Notice in the photo below how I look like a lump as I climb. The Boyfriend glided up with ease, leaving me after mile 3 or so. More poppies to view as well.



It was much too warm for me to bother whining. I fared better than I expected, doing 6-7 mph though by mile 9, my back ached and it was a struggle to reach the top. At the ranger station, I passed a look-alike Sean Connery shirtless runner who told me I was beautiful. Ah, my kind of man. Then again, he was probably delirious and suffering from heatstroke. It was very hot on the mountain.

At the top, I met up with The Boyfriend:

He: That was fun!
Me: I'll tell you what's fun, Mister -- those two shirtless guys from yesterday's ride, my place, 6pm for cocktails.

Naturally he ignored me once again, kissed me atop the mountain and promised me french fries later. My kind of man.

We stopped a few times during the descent to take photos. Below, he's looking at more poppies in bloom.



Next weekend, it's the Tierra Bella.

Eschscholzia californica

Eschscholzia californica, otherwise known as the California Poppy and dotting the landscape for my ride to Alviso. I was treated to an assortment of wildflowers on the trail and on the bay and plum trees in full blossom along a corridor of First Street. When the petals fall, it's like a snowstorm. I did the Alviso Slough Loop Trail (photos of which I borrowed a few for this blog) Saturday as the weather continues in a lovely holding pattern. I took the lower instead of the upper Guadalupe Trail for one segment on the way to Alviso and boy was that a thrill, quite bouncy as the trail has yet to settle. I attempted the same ride Sunday but the legs weren't up for it. And there were no shirtless male runners as on Saturday to motivate me. Have you ever seen Alec Baldwin on celluloid, shirtless? Then you will understand what got me going. Wildflowers, wild men, hard to decide which was lovelier. I wonder if there is a genus/species for shirtless men. Homo sapiens yummy? Later in the week, I'll be in NYC with The Boyfriend and I imagine I'll have much to say.