A Day at the Beach

Miss P, Mr. G and I started today's club ride to Manresa State Beach 30 minutes before the other members.  We expected that they'd catch up to us on Old Santa Cruz Hwy or somewhere in Soquel.  We made it to Manresa but still no sign of fellow cyclists.  Dare we believe that we were so incredibly fast that we left them in the dust.   Ha ha ha. Not me, that's for sure.  Still sluggish as I tried to keep pace with Miss P and Mr. G.

I love this ride because of the variety of scenery.  Guess what this is.

Yes, strawberries!  Sweet, delicious and juicy just like me. 

And this, what do you suppose this is?  It's near Corralitos.

A cabbage patch!  I love boiled cabbage with mustard and butter.  I like coleslaw, too.

This is for The BF.  Got Pi?  Somewhere on Eureka Canyon.  Towards the end of Eureka Canyon, fatigue settled in.  I'd like to believe that I wouldn't have lost my oomph had there been flirtation possibilities.  Such is life.  I was 35 minutes slower than 2 years ago but give me some time, and I'll be up to speed once more.  Mr. G. had to whisk me away to the Summit Store for a banana and an injection of diet coke.  A fabulous time with Mr. G. and Miss. P.  And that's all that really matters.

Just the Stats:

4900 feet of climbing
64.79 miles
33 mph max
10.4 avg mph
6 hr. 10 min.

The Other White House

The curvy road stands for, well in my overly imaginative mind, "S."  As in, Super Babe is back in her Specialized saddle pedaling away.

I was definitely a tortoise climbing hills today with fellow club cyclists as we meandered up Mt. Ham, stopping off at Grant Ranch, something I've never done.  Naturally, I met a good looking fella, a cyclist with a thick Scottish accent who helped me park my bike correctly in the bike stand by the restroom.  Sometimes, it pays to be a bit daft....

In my overly imaginative mind, I was forced to walk the plank.  Why, well ... wait for it.

Step through the gate to see ....

The Grant Ranch House!

 

From the lawn, I zoomed in to capture the observatory.

 

Next, we turned around and climbed Quimby, the easier but still difficult side, and something I've not done in all the times I've climbed Mt. Hamilton.  Loved it.  Naturally, there was a firetruck parked on the side of the road with a fireman for me to drool over.  Good to be back on the bike again and to be out once again with Miss P and Mr. G.  Good to be home doing the things I love.

Almaden Quicksilver

I've been wanting to do a hike in Almaden Quicksilver for awhile now.   You've probably biked past this park's entrance on Almaden Road on your way to do Hicks.  I planned to do a 7.6 mile hike but I got lost (probably on account of the shirtless runner who was quite the distraction), so, I think I did 4 miles.

Way off in the distance is downtown San Jose,  I also caught glimpses of Mt. Hamilton.

I like to listen to classical music when I'm hiking.  I don't want to hear the sounds in the woods.  You know, like what was that sound!  What's waiting around the bend?  Some hairy thing with fangs and drool?  Kind of like things that go bump in the night when you're a little kid and you're scared of what might be under the bed.  Then again, being a menopausal woman, I'd now tell the "thing" under the bed that if it knows what's good for it, it better stay under the bed.

I only encountered butterflies and wildflowers on this hike ... oh and the shirtless runner.

I like hiking.  I like using the whole body.  Wait, wait for it, you know, just like sex.  Oh oh, I'm being naughty.  Again.  Blame it on the shirtless runner. 

I didn't realize that mountain bikers use this park as well.  It doesn't seem particularly technical - wide fire access roads without much rock or gravel  with steady uphill climbs.  A good place for me to start if I ever get a mountain bike. 

I plan to return -- there are a lot of junctions in which to select a trail.  It is pretty much exposed so a hat and water are a must.  Next time, I might try to not get lost.  Who am I kidding.  Besides, it's fun to lose oneself in beautiful surroundings.