Riding on Such a Winter Day
 

Yea, that is a take off on a line from "California Dreamin'"

Rode in our local Santa Monica Mountains last Saturday. It had rained a bit the week previous, so the greens were really popping. We ended up doing a bit over 50 miles with 6000 feet of climbing, cutting it a bit short to make an evening appointment with gruesome LA traffic.

Oy was it beautiful. Here is the route:

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So essentially two climbs ... first up Latigo Canyon Road, down Mully to Pacific Coast Highway, then heading back up Yerba Buena and down Decker Canyon back to PCH and the car. Latigo probably my favorite climb/descent in the Santa Monicas ... here is my bud getting up near the vinyard. I still haven't replaced my pocket camera, so these are all cellphone pix.

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My bud David at the top. Here we met a trio of cyclists ... a couple with a friend visiting from Florida. Poor guy was suffering ... he doesn't get a lot of climbing rides there.

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This is one of the views from Yerba Buena. Yerba used to have terrible pavement, but it was repaved a few years ago, and it is pretty sweet now. That ridge of sanstone mountains in the distance is Boney Ridge. The views from up there are spectacular.

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Here's a closer view.

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We descended back down to Pacific Coast Highway via Decker Canyon (Route 23). There are sections of this descent that are quite steep ... about 15% ... so I was on the brakes a lot. This particular spot with the twin hairpins is quite beautiful.

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Wow, looks fantastic. Solid climbs, good weather and fantastic views. I hate you. ;) :D

Stellar ride. I commiserate with your Florida companion. I find climbing to 2,500 once fine, but not doing it again after going back to sea level. :twitchy:
The rain returns Monday thru Thursday, so upped my mileage during the week, including today under my favorite cloudy, dry, and cool variant.
You might consider tacking on to the SoCal thread. (Something like "Where'd you ride in So Cal today.) Unsure if the admins can move it.

Love your pics and rides. :thumb::thumb:

When living in SF Bay Area it was always so nice to see the greening of the Eastbay hills starting in Winter as they were usually brown by Memorial Day.