Pescadero with Pals

Back on home turf and ready to ride in our beautiful neck of the woods.  Today's club ride leader, Miss Marcia, a grand dame, led 10 cyclists from La Honda over to Stage and Highway 1 and back down Stage over to Pescadero.

The temperature was cool but not cold and a welcome relief from the humid weather we've been having in the Bay Area.  Lovely smells everywhere, especially the Eucalyptus trees.  I should have snapped a photo of the redwoods when we climbed Pescadero Road.  A pretty contrast to our Eastern Sierras trip. 

Oh boy, a doe sprinted across Pescadero right in front of Miss P.  What a sight!

The pigs were adorable, snorting and rubbing against the fence.  If only I took a photo of their snouts.  A hoot.  Made me feel a little bit bad for loving the flavor that bacon imparts in cooking.  Oh well.  We did enjoy the artichoke and garlic bread, warm and crunchy on the stop in Pescadero.  A blissful 31 mile ride with only a tiny struggle on the exposed part of the climb going up Pescadero Road.

Eastern Sierras - Horseshoe Meadows

Friday, Sept 12th

The reason we returned for another Eastern Sierras trip (well for me it was all about Happy Hour each day) --- to do what we were unable to do last year due to gusty winds --- our piece de resistance:  Horseshoe Meadows.  We'd already done Whitney Portal and Onion Valley in previous years, and perhaps more challenging but with those rides, you don't have the daunting zigzags in your face from the start.  Like the mark of Zorro.

I suffer from vertigo.  God, I sound pitiful.  I expected to stare at The Boyfriend's ass the whole ride up but he trailed behind me in case I had a panic attack from the sheer drops showcasing Owens Valley.   It wasn't as exposed as we thought and I was okay for the most part.

Here I contemplate the meaning of life while munching on a banana.  I had a mini meltdown.  I couldn't stop to stretch (my whole body hurt ; I was not one with the bike on this ride) because of the steepness until after 10 miles or so of climbing.  The poor BF bore the brunt of my hysterical moment.  Suck it up, Mister.  Well, I apologized for my appalling behavior....

I made it to the false summit and decided I was done.  The BF, macho man that he is, continued on for the remaining few miles (not an easy feat).  He feared leaving me alone.  Sweet. Took some convincing that I'd be alrighty and no crazed person or animal would drag me into the woods never to be found again.

And then, alone, I discovered the strange objects, clearly, devices used by the aliens.... Later, The BF would try to convince me the equipment had to do with a weather station.  Yeah, sure, Mister.

Yay,  time to descend.  I was way overdressed.  It was not cold like it was when we did Whitney Portal and Onion Valley in previous years.  Not at all.  In fact, the weather conditions were ideal.  However, the road conditions sucked.  Rough like cobblestone and quite unpleasant.  Spoiled some of this magnificent climb.

One final view to show you this mountain.  In the distance, you can see the road we started on, way in the distance.  It was a challenging climb, one we conquered, well, The BF fared much better than I.  Then again, he is so manly.  But, we did it and that concludes our lovely Eastern Sierras 2014 trip.

Eastern Sierras - Around the Lake and Alabama Hills

Thursday, Sept 11th

Today, we bid farewell to our friends on the Eastern Sierras trip as we had other plans.  Naturally, my plans including frolicking in bed, eating bonbons, and perhaps go shopping for a new boy toy.  Naturally, my plans were ignored.  The Boyfriend wanted to do the bit of the ride he missed, the pretty scenic dam that Miss P. and I had already done since we actually read and followed the route sheet from the other day ....

Occasionally, I let The BF think he's in charge and let him lead ....  In any case, "I don't want to set the world on fire. I just want to start a flame in your heart. In my heart I have but one desire. And that one is you. No other will do." [The Ink Spots].  Something I tell all my men and something they think I only say to them alone....  

So, before leaving Bishop, we did a 20 mile or so loop that included the section he missed.

We then moved on by car to Lone Pine, ate lunch, and tackled the wonderful Alabama Hills off Horseshoe Meadows.  This is a must do ride.

It was rather toasty in the late afternoon but not as hot as last year.  We're here in Lone Pine to do the one ride we missed last year due to weather conditions -- tomorrow we tackle it.