Assault on mt. Tamalpais
11-08-09, 10:53 PM
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Assault on mt. Tamalpais
I apologize for the delay in getting this report up, it's been a busy week.
Monday, the 2nd, three of my club buddies met me in Mill Valley, CA (SF Bay Area) at the home of my daughter/son-in-law/grandson to start a ride up Mt. Tamalpais, a Bay Area landmark and birthplace of Mountain Biking. SIL Erik was our guide for this road bike trip.
The first 10 miles are flat, except for a mile climb over Camino Alta. We must wind our way through several little Marin County towns on a well-traveled and marked bike route. After a stop at the Fat Angel Bakery in Fairfax for fuel, we start climbing up Bolinas Rd.
Details will escape me, as I had forgotten to put the memory card in my camera, so I didn't take any pictures, which is how I remember things. Those of you who know this route, can make corrections if necessary. But the first climb must be about 4 miles, followed by a 4 mile mostly downhill to the Alpine Lake Dam. I am not a climber, but did OK, keeping Erik and Bob in sight. I actually beat the other two to the top (this time). The downhill is a real roller coaster, with a couple of places where one can almost achieve weightlessness. Much of it is in a redwood forest and rather dark and beautiful. A car started down about the same time I did, but I had no trouble keeping ahead of it. Here I am at the bottom.
The climb from the dam is the toughest of the day, at 2 miles with several switchbacks. I'm guessing it's a lot of 10% with some steeper parts. I shift down, but stay out of my super-granny. Two of us travel together, arriving at the top not too long after the other three. It was pointed out that we arrived according to age, youngest to oldest.
This is the intersection of Bolinas and Ridgecrest. Coincidentally, I have a picture at this same spot from 2006, when Erik and my daughter got married in Stinson Beach. The groomsmen and Dad rode here on the morning of the wedding, from a different direction.
The next several miles were called "rollers" by Erik, but they sure seemed like hills to me. Due to budget cuts, the State Park was closed to cars. That made it more fun. We also traversed what are known as "the Seven Sisters", but I lost count at about 14. Not easy. But the weather was PERFECT and we have popped out on the ridge with rolling hills of rock, oak and grass on one side and the ocean on the other. Spectacular.
The decision was made by 4 out of 5 of us to take the road all the way to the paved top. A mostly up 3 mile ride, including one very steep part, 15-16% for sure. But here is what our reward was:
This looks out over Mill Valley and Sausalito to SF.
And here we are at the sign proving we were there.
The last 10 miles back to Mill Valley is mostly downhill, with a couple of sharp turns. There is quite a bit of traffic, but again, we can keep up. We get stopped at a construction stop light. After standing there for about a minute, my front tube explodes! If it had happened two minutes earlier, I would have been traveling 25 mph.
After changing the tire, we make it home without incident. 40 miles, 4315 feet of climbing, mostly in the middle 20 miles. The weather was cool but sunny with no wind. Scenery couldn't be more beautiful.
Monday, the 2nd, three of my club buddies met me in Mill Valley, CA (SF Bay Area) at the home of my daughter/son-in-law/grandson to start a ride up Mt. Tamalpais, a Bay Area landmark and birthplace of Mountain Biking. SIL Erik was our guide for this road bike trip.
The first 10 miles are flat, except for a mile climb over Camino Alta. We must wind our way through several little Marin County towns on a well-traveled and marked bike route. After a stop at the Fat Angel Bakery in Fairfax for fuel, we start climbing up Bolinas Rd.
Details will escape me, as I had forgotten to put the memory card in my camera, so I didn't take any pictures, which is how I remember things. Those of you who know this route, can make corrections if necessary. But the first climb must be about 4 miles, followed by a 4 mile mostly downhill to the Alpine Lake Dam. I am not a climber, but did OK, keeping Erik and Bob in sight. I actually beat the other two to the top (this time). The downhill is a real roller coaster, with a couple of places where one can almost achieve weightlessness. Much of it is in a redwood forest and rather dark and beautiful. A car started down about the same time I did, but I had no trouble keeping ahead of it. Here I am at the bottom.
The climb from the dam is the toughest of the day, at 2 miles with several switchbacks. I'm guessing it's a lot of 10% with some steeper parts. I shift down, but stay out of my super-granny. Two of us travel together, arriving at the top not too long after the other three. It was pointed out that we arrived according to age, youngest to oldest.
This is the intersection of Bolinas and Ridgecrest. Coincidentally, I have a picture at this same spot from 2006, when Erik and my daughter got married in Stinson Beach. The groomsmen and Dad rode here on the morning of the wedding, from a different direction.
The next several miles were called "rollers" by Erik, but they sure seemed like hills to me. Due to budget cuts, the State Park was closed to cars. That made it more fun. We also traversed what are known as "the Seven Sisters", but I lost count at about 14. Not easy. But the weather was PERFECT and we have popped out on the ridge with rolling hills of rock, oak and grass on one side and the ocean on the other. Spectacular.
The decision was made by 4 out of 5 of us to take the road all the way to the paved top. A mostly up 3 mile ride, including one very steep part, 15-16% for sure. But here is what our reward was:
This looks out over Mill Valley and Sausalito to SF.
And here we are at the sign proving we were there.
The last 10 miles back to Mill Valley is mostly downhill, with a couple of sharp turns. There is quite a bit of traffic, but again, we can keep up. We get stopped at a construction stop light. After standing there for about a minute, my front tube explodes! If it had happened two minutes earlier, I would have been traveling 25 mph.
After changing the tire, we make it home without incident. 40 miles, 4315 feet of climbing, mostly in the middle 20 miles. The weather was cool but sunny with no wind. Scenery couldn't be more beautiful.
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Truth is stranger than reality.
'96 Giant ATX 760 MTB
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Truth is stranger than reality.
'96 Giant ATX 760 MTB
'01 Bianchi Eros
'05 Giant OCR Llimited Carbon Fiber + upgrades
Last edited by Mojo Slim; 11-08-09 at 10:57 PM.
11-09-09, 07:00 AM
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40 miles and 4,315 feet is a good bit of climbing. Well done, and thanks for a nice report and pics. The view in that next-to-last shot is really something.
Judging by attire in photos, the weather was nice as well. I was able to ride in shorts + jersey this weekend as well. Whodathunkit?
Judging by attire in photos, the weather was nice as well. I was able to ride in shorts + jersey this weekend as well. Whodathunkit?
11-09-09, 09:42 AM
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All those beards and not a single recumbent!
That looks like a fun ride. Short sleeves and no leg warmers - I remember those times, but it is a distant memory, now.
That looks like a fun ride. Short sleeves and no leg warmers - I remember those times, but it is a distant memory, now.
11-09-09, 03:23 PM
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Cycling in Marin is a pleasure and Mount Tam a jewel. We climbed it from the Stinsen Beach side. The view from the Seven Sisters is pretty cool.
11-09-09, 05:13 PM
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One of my favorite rides. The Seven Sisters area is also a favorite for convertible cars ads. Even european car companies come to shoot there. The view over Stinson Beach and the ocean is amazing especially with a layer of fog below.
11-10-09, 12:55 AM
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Looks like a great ride; thanks for sharing.
11-10-09, 04:47 AM
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The many time I have visited SF on the left coast I always wondered where the pretty and safe rideing route would be. There always seems to be too much traffic and no shoulders. This looks like a great ride.
