SaiKaiTai
05-10-08, 10:36 PM
Yeah I would :)
I'm still getting back into "long ride shape" as I build toward completing a metric by year's end.
The idea today was to do a round trip to Woodside and back for a nice 40 mile ride.
Only 2 more than tha 38 I did last Saturday but it's a different kind of ride.
I knew that, right off, I'd have to climb Sharp Park Road (I've posted about that too many times, I'll spare you the details) just to get started. I've done that as part of a few 25 mile rides so it would be a good test to go for any kind of real distance after that.
So, off I went.
In figuring on this 40 mile ride, I forgot to factor in that th4e ride doesn't start at Sharp Park Road, it starts at my house. I have to get to Sharp Park Road first. I'm doing fine but as I approach the Pulgas Water Temple -which is well short of Woodside- I've already hit 20 miles. Turn around now, go back and bag my 40? Or do I push on to Woodside anyway and see what I can do? Off course, if I do, I still have to make the ride back (or call Mrs S and the sag wagon. That ain't gonna happen; I've got my pride)
So I stopped at the Temple for a bit and thought about it.
The water temple is pretty cool... it's the terminus of the Hetch Hetchy water system which carries Yosemite snow melt across the state and dumps it into our reservoirs which are made up of 3 lakes: San Andreas Lake, Upper Crystal Springs, and Lower Crystal Springs. Not only would today's ride parallel all three lakes, I'd have to cross the San Andreas Dam to get where I was going.
Interlude:
Standing on the San Andreas Dam looking north up San Andreas Lake:
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0905.JPG
Just a reminder of where I am and a little history lesson:
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0907.JPG
The Pulgas Water Temple.
This used to be a nice place for folks to come and visit for picnics and such.
I guess now, everyone's afraid of terrorists poisoning the water supply so the gates are locked and the place is pretty much deserted.
Except there's an entry for foot traffic (no place to park so there's none of that) and... cyclists!
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0909.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0911.JPG
Where the water flows into the lake:
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0910.JPG
Who's that stud?
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0912.JPG
Well, at this point, it's pretty much a no-brainer.
I'm feeling pretty good so I'm going for it
The road behind (where I've been):
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0914.JPG
And the road ahead (where I'm going):
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0915.JPG
Roberts Market. I must be in Woodside. I made it!
Woodside was part of the route I took for the Amgen Ride with George Hincapie a few months ago.
Nice to be back.
By the way, don't fool around here; the gendarmerie will tag cyclists who run the stop signs in this town.
Woodside has a major stick up it's behind.
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0916.JPG
I'm still getting back into "long ride shape" as I build toward completing a metric by year's end.
The idea today was to do a round trip to Woodside and back for a nice 40 mile ride.
Only 2 more than tha 38 I did last Saturday but it's a different kind of ride.
I knew that, right off, I'd have to climb Sharp Park Road (I've posted about that too many times, I'll spare you the details) just to get started. I've done that as part of a few 25 mile rides so it would be a good test to go for any kind of real distance after that.
So, off I went.
In figuring on this 40 mile ride, I forgot to factor in that th4e ride doesn't start at Sharp Park Road, it starts at my house. I have to get to Sharp Park Road first. I'm doing fine but as I approach the Pulgas Water Temple -which is well short of Woodside- I've already hit 20 miles. Turn around now, go back and bag my 40? Or do I push on to Woodside anyway and see what I can do? Off course, if I do, I still have to make the ride back (or call Mrs S and the sag wagon. That ain't gonna happen; I've got my pride)
So I stopped at the Temple for a bit and thought about it.
The water temple is pretty cool... it's the terminus of the Hetch Hetchy water system which carries Yosemite snow melt across the state and dumps it into our reservoirs which are made up of 3 lakes: San Andreas Lake, Upper Crystal Springs, and Lower Crystal Springs. Not only would today's ride parallel all three lakes, I'd have to cross the San Andreas Dam to get where I was going.
Interlude:
Standing on the San Andreas Dam looking north up San Andreas Lake:
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0905.JPG
Just a reminder of where I am and a little history lesson:
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0907.JPG
The Pulgas Water Temple.
This used to be a nice place for folks to come and visit for picnics and such.
I guess now, everyone's afraid of terrorists poisoning the water supply so the gates are locked and the place is pretty much deserted.
Except there's an entry for foot traffic (no place to park so there's none of that) and... cyclists!
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0909.JPG
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0911.JPG
Where the water flows into the lake:
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0910.JPG
Who's that stud?
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0912.JPG
Well, at this point, it's pretty much a no-brainer.
I'm feeling pretty good so I'm going for it
The road behind (where I've been):
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0914.JPG
And the road ahead (where I'm going):
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0915.JPG
Roberts Market. I must be in Woodside. I made it!
Woodside was part of the route I took for the Amgen Ride with George Hincapie a few months ago.
Nice to be back.
By the way, don't fool around here; the gendarmerie will tag cyclists who run the stop signs in this town.
Woodside has a major stick up it's behind.
http://home.comcast.net/~96omi/Woodside/IMG_0916.JPG