Northern California - Capay Valley Cruise Ride Report!

WOOHOO!!

What a fun ride today! We had a large, and great group of people, the weather was excellent, the area was beautiful and the ride was a blast. We rode out the 27 miles to Hwy. 20, then turned around and headed back. I personally liked the descents on the smooth pavement on the way back from Hwy. 20. Those were a lot of fun!

My Garmin clocked 54.79 miles @ 16.4 avg.

I guess this map really isn't all that exciting:

http://cycling.mattandjosey.com/Capay%20Valley%20Cruise%20-%203-8-09/images/map_capay_valley.jpg

I remember reading about some rollers and a mostly flat ride. The picture makes it look worse; it was only like 800 ft of climbing total heh.

http://cycling.mattandjosey.com/Capay%20Valley%20Cruise%20-%203-8-09/images/capay_valley_elevation.jpg

Here's Joel in the parking lot. His wife is in the background there:

http://cycling.mattandjosey.com/Capay%20Valley%20Cruise%20-%203-8-09/images/dsc04853.jpg

Most of the group:

http://cycling.mattandjosey.com/Capay%20Valley%20Cruise%20-%203-8-09/images/dsc04854.jpg

Like I said, beautiful area and excellent weather:

http://cycling.mattandjosey.com/Capay%20Valley%20Cruise%20-%203-8-09/images/dsc04860.jpg

Joel. RedRider and her husband in the background:

http://cycling.mattandjosey.com/Capay%20Valley%20Cruise%20-%203-8-09/images/dsc04866.jpg

The valley:

http://cycling.mattandjosey.com/Capay%20Valley%20Cruise%20-%203-8-09/images/dsc04869.jpg

http://cycling.mattandjosey.com/Capay%20Valley%20Cruise%20-%203-8-09/images/dsc04881.jpg

We got a little paceline action going on:

http://cycling.mattandjosey.com/Capay%20Valley%20Cruise%20-%203-8-09/images/dsc04882.jpg

Great ride today, all! I had a blast :thumb:

That was a great time! The wind on the way back was the worst though. The last few miles seemed to drag, of course, I was down to something like 12mph. Thanks for the fun time! Here are some pictures I took:
http://www.jspublications.net/images/bikes/ridephotos/09-03-08/1.jpg\
http://www.jspublications.net/images/bikes/ridephotos/09-03-08/2.jpg
http://www.jspublications.net/images/bikes/ridephotos/09-03-08/3.jpg
http://www.jspublications.net/images/bikes/ridephotos/09-03-08/4.jpg

This one is of my bride. --->
http://www.jspublications.net/images/bikes/ridephotos/09-03-08/5.jpg
http://www.jspublications.net/images/bikes/ridephotos/09-03-08/6.jpg

Great pictures - it looks like a very scenic route.

It seems like the whole of the NorCal clan found a ride to join this weekend.

What fun! And a great weather too. It was nice to get to ride with all of you.
Here's a link to a Flickr slideshow of seven photos if you want to see them bigger than the small size BF shrinks everything to.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccorlew/sets/72157614922628091/show/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccorlew/sets/72157614922628091/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3560/3340052730_8a076ae988_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3630/3340053918_86b90e801d_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3340052902_acc6147a19_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3574/3339224041_a24b7e98c2_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3396/3340054380_c7c57003b9_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3413/3340054530_2a3bda99f8_b.jpg

Rushfan was correctamundo when he told us that this valley was pretty. Here are some scenes from the stoker's saddle:
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/DSC00446.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/DSC00450.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/DSC00460.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/DSC00465.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/DSC00474.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/DSC00479.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/DSC00496.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/DSC00501.jpg
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/DSC00505.jpg

We had a great time riding and visiting with everyone. This is one that we'll revisit. Thanks, Joe!

I'm always envious of tandem stokers and their opportunity to concentrate on photos with minimal fear of smacking it in....

Get tandem. Put Tricia in the captains seat. Problem solved:popcorn:

Thanks for a fun ride with a great group of folks, everyone. The wind this year was a bit less than last year, but, that was really a slog back to the casino for the last 15 miles or so. Joe, I have a suggestion, let's park closer to where the ride starts going uphill (and prettier), and we can make the left onto 20 and do Resurrection. :p

Here are a few pics I took:

The first sunrise of Daylight Savings Time
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t139/t4mv/sunrise.jpg

Hwy 20 off in the distance - this is the last part of the descent
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t139/t4mv/Resurrection.jpg

Just one of many great views in the valley
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t139/t4mv/Capay1.jpg

A couple pics of Cache Creek along the way
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t139/t4mv/Capay2.jpg
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t139/t4mv/Capay3.jpg

Today was so much fun. Thanks again, every one!

Thanks to everyone who made it. Fortunately, this year the winds were light and the weather great. I love doing this ride so I'll post it once or twice a year.

I'll be sure to change the ride description for next time-I remembered the canyon as more rolling than the Garmin graph clearly shows.

I've attached a couple of photos of the group.

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/RushfanfromNorcal/Capay%20March%2009/CacheCreekClubRide0903002.jpg
At the casino getting ready

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/RushfanfromNorcal/Capay%20March%2009/CacheCreekClubRide0903004.jpg
Regroup at Cache Creek Park

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/RushfanfromNorcal/Capay%20March%2009/CacheCreekClubRide0903007.jpg
At the turnaround point

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/RushfanfromNorcal/Capay%20March%2009/CacheCreekClubRide0903009.jpg
t4mv with Resurrection over his shoulder-nice descent!

It was an AWESOME ride today! Blooming trees, blue skies dotted with a few puffy clouds, miles and miles of pavement (with considerate drivers :p) and the best company and conversation a gal could wish for!

Thanks, Joe, for organizing it. Alas, I have no pictures to share: it's all I can do to pedal and not fall over, much less trying to capture our memorable ride. :lol:

It was an AWESOME ride today! Blooming trees, blue skies dotted with a few puffy clouds, miles and miles of pavement (with considerate drivers :p) and the best company and conversation a gal could wish for!

Thanks, Joe, for organizing it. Alas, I have no pictures to share: it's all I can do to pedal and not fall over, much less trying to capture our memorable ride. :lol:

Glad to ride with you again. You did notice that my photos are all stationary, didn't you? I wasn't up to anything fancy like some others here...

...and we can make the left onto 20 and do Resurrection. :p

:notamused:

:notamused:

Hey, you were doing fine on the climbs. 'Matter of fact, I never saw you on any of yesterday's ride (and not because I was in front of you, either, lol)! Besides, how are you ever going to enjoy the downhill part of the ride? ;)