The So Called 2 hr 3% grade bike ride

Saturday, July 20th

Before I get into the planned bike ride for today, I want to mention that if you're in the Jamestown/Sonora/Columbia area, do visit Railtown 1897 and Columbia State Historic Park to get a sense of the gold rush era.  We had a blast visiting both.

If you've been reading my dull blog entries, you'll know that this cycling excursion was somewhat foiled because of a mechanical issue with my bike.  Alas, our vacation is coming to an end, and we have one ride left, one in which The Boyfriend and I are riding together, something we haven't done since Tuesday.

The BF put together the 30 mile or so ride based on some mapmyride route.  Hmm, where do I begin.  I'll be on a ride that he's "put together", and I'll ask, how much further?  He'll reply, not much longer.  Well, 20 miles later .... to which I'll say, if you think you're getting any tonight, think again.  Or, I'll ask, are there climbs on this concocted route, and he'll say, nah, don't worry.  To which, it'll be 10% climbing for most of the ride.  And to which I'll end of saying to him, if you think you're getting any tonight, think again..

You see, he's in his own orbit, planet, universe, galaxy whereas I, a librarian, demand details routed in reality.  This is not to say that I don't enjoy spontaneity, the unexpected or an adventure.  Just give a heads up otherwise as I like to remind The BF,  if you think you're getting any tonight, think again.

So, today's so called 30 or so miles of 3% grade turned out in reality to be 36 miles with a whole lot of climbing, alot of steep pitches in the 10% grade.  Again, let me remind The BF, if you think you're getting any tonight, think again.

I mean, like duh, we're in the Sonora area, at elevation, it doesn't take a rocket scientist  to figure out that our ride is probably going to include hills and steep pitches. But I like to let The BF think he's in charge....

Having had my momentary bitchfest, I must say that the ride was incredible, with super rollers, descents that involved no pedaling at incredibly fast speeds, pastoral scenes, and a fantastic way to end our holiday.  The so called 2 hour ride ended up being 36 miles and 5 hrs later (well, I suppose only 3.5 hrs of actually riding).  If The BF thinks he's getting any tonight, think again.  I do so like to keep him on his toes.  The vacation ended too quickly  Til next time.

Onwards to Jamestown

Friday, July 19th

Before leaving North Fork, The Boyfriend deposited me at Bass Lake so I could test drive my bicycle for a 10 mile spin.  Nice to be back on the bike again.  And then we were off to Jamestown, our next destination.

Omg, we were pleasantly surprised on Hwy 49 between Bear Valley and Bagby with these incredible views.  We had to stop for awhile due to road works.  I spoke with one of the roadworks guys.  He told me about the fire that burned a few years ago. 

Wow, it was a great drive; we wondered if we could bike it.  That would be a thrill.

A beautiful drive as we made our way to Jamestown.

A Somewhat Better Day

Thursday, July 18th

So, what to do today while my bicycle was hopefully having a successful surgery?  I walked 2 miles to visit Bandit Town, a recreated historic western town that is currently sort of on hold -- read this article.

Meanwhile, The Boyfriend went off on a much deserved bicycle ride around Bass Lake.

It was much more challenging than he anticipated but I know he enjoyed himself.

I'm glad he got some cycling in. Going on holiday is meant to be about having fun! We went to Miller's Landing and had a good lunch of fish n chips.  Afterwards, back to Clovis to check on my bicycle.  Omg, I was so lucky -- the bike man did a wonderful job, replacing the shifter along with giving my bike a tune up.  We were back in business.   We picked up dinner from Trader Joes's, took a scenic route back to our lodgings and had an enjoyable evening.  All is not lost, after all.

 

The Pain in the Tushy Day

Wednesday, July 17th

So, our plans changed thanks to the mechanical problem with my bike.  I was plum depressed because we were supposed to do the Kaiser climb and then swim (well just me as The BF doesn't care for water)  in Shaver lake, with The Boyfriend taking pics of me in my fabulously dull but practical bathing suit where in my mind, I would be a bathing beauty.  Instead, we had to leave beloved Shaver Lake in search of a bicycle shop and pray my bike could be repaired.  This involved driving 53 miles to Clovis.  Oh my Gosh, we were so fortunate to discover the Clovis Bicycle Shop.  Our bike man the surgeon was super duper. The bike was hospitalized for an overnight stay.  Meanwhile, we drove to our next destination, North Fork, in search of our lodgings.  Here we are in the middle of nowhere driving to our airbnb.

We arrived much too early.  The door had an access code.  The BF couldn't get a signal in his iPhone to search his email for the details, so, this meant more driving in search of wifi access.  The area was confusing but eventually we found Bass Lake.

The BF got a signal and found the details for our lodgings.  Yay.  We were sort of pooped and I so longed to dip my toes and be a bathing beauty in a lake.

We drove around the lake and finally found a place to park.

Yay, I dipped my toes in the refreshing lake.  We returned to the airbnb and got situated.  And rested.  And had a good meal at a restaurant in Bass Lake.....

Shaver Lake Bike ride - It Went Down Like This

Tuesday, July 16th

And we're off, ready to tackle 40 miles of mostly climbing (10 percent grades and more here and there) and 7,000 feet.  Omg, it was challenging.

Spectacular scenery, more noticeable by bike than in a car.

It was tough but we were up for the challenge.

Stopping to catch my breath and enjoy the scenery.

A lot of climbing, so be ready should you go.  By the way, there are stores to stop at to refuel if necessary. Alas, we encountered a boo boo.

Or, more specifically, I did.  After 20 miles of climbing, I shifted and my right Sram shifter simply sheared off.  Yep.  The cable was done, obviously.  Was life over?  Well, in the big scheme of life, no, but, certainly disappointing, right. So, I sat for 3 hours while The Boyfriend dashed off for the remaining 20 miles of our route, much of it uphill, to get the car to rescue me. He was my hero.  Was our trip derailed?  Stay tuned.

Photos of Shaver Lake

Monday, July 15th

Sharing pictures we took as we drove along Shaver Lake to scout out the bike ride for tomorrow.

It's beautiful, and I can't wait to dip my toes in the water after tomorrow's bike ride.

Hoping there's time to explore the other lakes in the area after our bike ride.  The weather is perfect, too.

The winter rains brought forth the flowers, still evident everywhere.

Pretty, right.  Peaceful.  Quiet. Looking forward to seeing all of this again tomorrow but with the perspective of being on a bike not in a car.

Road Trip with The Boyfriend

Monday, July 15th

And we're off, The Boyfriend and I, headed for a cycling trip exploring Shaver Lake, North Fork, and Jamestown, all places we've not visited.  Here we are on Hwy 152 going through Pacheco Pass and San Luis Reservoir, always a spectacular drive; I did it once in Spring when the hills reminded me of Emerald City.

And we've arrived at our destination, Shaver Lake Village Hotel.  The hotel is ideally located; always nice to be able to walk to dinner and grocery store. Already, I'm in love with the area. Lots of woods and lakes. And quiet.  We arrived too late to take the China Peak Chair Lift.  Darn.  There's so much to do here; I already know that I want to return.  We drove around to get a sense of our bike ride.  There are road works happening, clearing dead trees, so, we know to expect delays tomorrow on our bike ride.  Lastly, we're at 5,627 feet elevation. 

A Frisky Walk

Sunday, July 7th

I'm with The Boyfriend for another walk in San Francisco, this time, starting at the Lands End parking lot.  Being summer, of course, it's gray, misty and chilly in San Francisco.

Luckily, the marine layer burned off and afforded great views. 

It's a fabulous 3 miles or so walk.  It's quite challenging if you venture off and do the various stairwalks. The views always delight.  So does the company, but, we don't want his ego to swell....

The remains of the Sutro Baths.  An enjoyable walk.  Til the next adventure....

A Mighty Mountain Metric

Saturday, June 22nd

Miss P and I are off for another trip, returning to Mt. Shasta but this time to do the Castle Crags Mountain Metric.  She's done it once before.  Last time I was in the area was to do the Mt. Shasta Century in 2015.  As usual, I'm not in shape but I do so love an adventure. And well, I often have a good time when traveling alone.  You tend to meet lots of people.  The Boyfriend was unable to join us since he's busy in Europe somewhere. 

I drove alone trying to caravan with Miss P and her friend but we got separated during the long drive from the Bay Area.  We found one another for lunch but got separated again.  We were staying in different lodgings as well.  The place I booked had a bar, a bartender, and a band.  What can I say.  I enjoyed the evening.

And we're off on the ride.  Almost always, Mt. Shasta is visible.  It was a joy to see it covered in snow and to appreciate its beauty.  This ride would test our endurance and fitness.

The ride essentially involves a lot of climbing and descending, some steep pitches, lots of woods, and being alone a lot.  But it's very pretty.

At rest stops, the male volunteers noticed my jersey (Central Coast Classique, Arroyo Grande) and that led way to conversations.  The Boyfriend said it was just an excuse to flirt with me.  I'm not going to disagree....  Ah, Castle Crags, stunning.

Be prepared to be in the woods forever and to be alone.  Climb, descend, repeat.  As the day wore on, it got rather warm.

Omg, civilization.  Shortly afterwards, Miss P and I had to map out an alternative route because there was a train parked on the tracks we were supposed to cross.  Really?  Do I need the stress? I often joke about how slow I am, slower than a snail.  Well, this time, being out of shape, the last rest stop had packed up.  Sigh.  But we did it, we finished, we climbed more than 6300 feet.  Okay, so, it took me 7 hours....