Having fun documenting some of the fun we have with Leo.
4 ← and 3 nights - carrying everything we need on the bikes
then is was a pretty mellow cruise through familiar territory of santa cruz, taking it slow along the coast all the way to the next campsite. got there on another beautiful sunny afternoon and it gave us time to swim in the ocean which was a great feeling to wash off the last 36 hours of dirt dust and crust. rode into capitols for dinner and it was another early night for me, knowing the next day is the big return ride.
leaving santa cruz beside morning commute traffic and then through quiet secluded towns it was a great start to the last day. apparently even with one of us using gps and the route planner matt checking his maps, we must have missed a turn and it meant we added a few hundred extra credit feet of climbing. theres something about hearing about the route and the daily mileage and elevation that those numbers get stuck in your head. during sketchy sections of the ride or challenging climbs i keep reframing those numbers "only 15 miles left" or "just 1,500 more feet thats like one of (insert familiar climb around home here)" so when youre going up s mountain with all your gear on your bike and it was supposed to be a 2000ft climb, but it feels like s 3,500ft climb, it starts to really wear you down mentally and physically. it was actually a relief at the top of this final climb to learn we went up the wrong road, and we accidentally chose the taller one.
the downhill that rewarded us was so fast and twisty and long that by the time we stopped again, at the dam of a reservoir, i had to tighten my brake pads because they lost so much bite from the pads being used.
los gatos to san jose was mostly on a dedicated bike path along a creek but we were in a hurry to catch a train up to san francisco so it flew by.
at the train station mikes tire blew up just sitting there leaned up against a wall, maybe it had enough. he put a new tube on while on the train and that one exploded, causing passengers to scream. luckily he had another spare tube and it did the job. from the train station through a short ride during thursday afternoon commute and over to the ferry building, then it was an unfriendly elbows out agitating challenge to stay ahead of the other passengers boarding just to have a place to hang our bikes and sit in eye sight of them. the ferry took us to larkspur, we pedaled against a headwind all the way to san rafael and that marked the end of it. about 200 miles in 4 days and got to see and enjoy an amazing bike route.
the route was basically an oval over the western bay area of
california. doing this is spring meant that weather could very
easily ruin the fun factor. doing this on bikes also meant that the success of the trip heavily weighed on how well we: mike, matt, have maintained the bikes and if we are mechanically savvy enough to fix them upon something going wrong.
so we set out on a monday morning. san rafael to half moon bay over the golden gate bridge through part of san francisco along the great american highway then up paved hills then up dirt hills and down and on and on until we got to the campsite, just after "pre dinner" german sausages and beer.
real dinner came from a late night taqueria and supplies came from a grocery store minutes before closing.
so far the weather could not be better - high 60s, partly cloudy and light winds.
day 2 included the usual "pre breakfast" at the campsite before repacking the bikes and riding to a real breakfast, loading up on necessary snacks and water and continuing. a large part of the jumorning was along a dirt path along the beach , then we cut inland through rolling hills and small towns before making it to a park ranger station that was supposed to have water refill. it didnt. to our surprise everything was closed and damaged from a 2023 fire. we followed a trail to a nearby creek and took turns using mikes water filter to fill up our bladders knowing that we had to bike into the wilderness and up fireroads to butano campground in the santa cruz mountains. tough climb. we didnt see another soul for a couple of hours of the climb and when we arrived at the campsite surrounded by redwoods there was a calfire truck and two dudes managing controlled burns to help clear individual camp areas. they wondered how we got there and what information told us it was ok to camp, but they said they were fine with us staying afterall it was getting dark and we were miles / hours from any other options. we set up tents and i was asleep before it was actually dark. exhausted.
i woke up to the smell of wildfire and the scratch of smoke and most of all a crazy sounding animal call that sounded big and close. another hour or longer of climbing slowly up mountain ridges through rough fireroad blocked by downed trees and then we had an epic descent into boulder creek for real breakfast, more stocking up now that we had access to water again and then a lot of pedaling down highway 9 to reach a trailhesd that invited us to single track trails and off the crowded road.
then is was a pretty mellow cruise through familiar territory of santa cruz, taking it slow along the coast all the way to the next campsite. got there on another beautiful sunny afternoon and it gave us time to swim in the ocean which was a great feeling to wash off the last 36 hours of dirt dust and crust. rode into capitols for dinner and it was another early night for me, knowing the next day is the big return ride.
leaving santa cruz beside morning commute traffic and then through quiet secluded towns it was a great start to the last day. apparently even with one of us using gps and the route planner matt checking his maps, we must have missed a turn and it meant we added a few hundred extra credit feet of climbing. theres something about hearing about the route and the daily mileage and elevation that those numbers get stuck in your head. during sketchy sections of the ride or challenging climbs i keep reframing those numbers "only 15 miles left" or "just 1,500 more feet thats like one of (insert familiar climb around home here)" so when youre going up s mountain with all your gear on your bike and it was supposed to be a 2000ft climb, but it feels like s 3,500ft climb, it starts to really wear you down mentally and physically. it was actually a relief at the top of this final climb to learn we went up the wrong road, and we accidentally chose the taller one.
the downhill that rewarded us was so fast and twisty and long that by the time we stopped again, at the dam of a reservoir, i had to tighten my brake pads because they lost so much bite from the pads being used.
los gatos to san jose was mostly on a dedicated bike path along a creek but we were in a hurry to catch a train up to san francisco so it flew by.
at the train station mikes tire blew up just sitting there leaned up against a wall, maybe it had enough. he put a new tube on while on the train and that one exploded, causing passengers to scream. luckily he had another spare tube and it did the job. from the train station through a short ride during thursday afternoon commute and over to the ferry building, then it was an unfriendly elbows out agitating challenge to stay ahead of the other passengers boarding just to have a place to hang our bikes and sit in eye sight of them. the ferry took us to larkspur, we pedaled against a headwind all the way to san rafael and that marked the end of it. about 200 miles in 4 days and got to see and enjoy an amazing bike route.
Alright, time to find the best chair shaped rock.
This was the part of the hike I was actually most looking forward to. A moment to stop moving and take in the environment: rushing water helped by a weeks long Southern California storm and a light click sound of a sporadic rain drop that made it through the density of tree branches above.
When I’m not home I often sleep with the help of a white noise app on my phone. I have a few sound playlists favorited, the rain on a tent, extreme rain pouring, and running water. Could I just put my phone down on the rock next to me and record this for a few minutes? I wonder how to loop that sound and get it to play for 8 hours…eh, I guess the app exists for a reason- then my thought is interrupted by a loud splash and muffled clap - wtf? Oh there’s two kids behind us and they’re picking up the largest rocks they can and throwing them into the water.
I look at the one who also just threw a branch over to the other side. Time to use something I’ve practiced my whole life, the face that shows I’m slightly confused and really annoyed. If I saw someone look at me with this face I would stop what I was doing and probably feel some shame or embarrassment.
Kid sees me but doesn’t alter his behavior or seem to show any consideration for the people or place surrounding him. No parents around. I hope my son is never like this.
Matt asks me about my camera, I think we’re both waiting on the other one to say something about how people mistreat nature and that as great as trails and access is, it also accepts the bad ones through. Litterbugs, arsons, portable speakers on full volume, McDonalds plastic cups half empty left on the side of the trail, Celsius cans thrown just out of reach into the shrubs, the cars parked illegally hanging into the street under a no parking sign.
Anyway I tell Matt about how the camera can be fully automatic and used like a point and shoot or it can be the way I have it set up which is fully manual, a digital sensor, yes, but that gets used like a film camera. I go on and on when someone asks me about this camera.
He’s got a plane to catch. We head back, the hotshot crew that was laying down cut up logs as a makeshift bridge is done, but they keep clearing the area. They’re incredible. At least this part of the job looks fun: hiking, wilderness, chainsaws, axes, hard hats.
They’re the only people who use that style of backpack, why don’t regular hikers or backpackers?
Probably because they can’t actually carry that much. It’s more meant to hold their tools right?
Yeah and maybe to keep weight on their hips. So they carry even less personal stuff but more tools, and are out here changing the landscape. They’re incredible.
One time during a string of forest fires I was getting gas in Santa Barbara. Standing in line to buy something, I saw the mint green hotshot truck roll in and park. All of the crew came inside. This was probably a break for them, a rest stop between wildfire A and wildfire B. They look like they haven’t stopped working for a few days, at least. I read about how little they are paid for what is arguably the most difficult and important labor in a time of need. I wanted to express my appreciation for them by offering to buy all their snacks. I still feel bad to this day that I didn’t.
April 2023
As someone who usually rides my bike in the Los Angeles Southbay area, views of the ocean are common but the crowded roads and all the bad drivers made it feel like a gauntlet at times. I was always lucky to make quick trips up to Cayucos and bring my bike because it meant that I could get on less crowded roads and mixed gravel routes to explore more space.
On this trip I did a couple rides. The first was starting at Madonna Mountain and heading up Perfumo Canyon and then down into Avila Beach. Once I reach the end of the pier, I turned around and heading to downtown SLO with a welcomed tailwind.
The second day I rode from Cayucos down highway 1, through Morro Bay down to Los Osos and all the way to the end of the road in Montan De Oro state park. Turned around and went all the way back. It was a beautiful day and a perfect ride. Then for fun, we drove inland to scope out the super bloom that had just taken place. Although we missed the prime blooming of flowers by a couple weeks it was still great to see nature and wildflowers out in what felt like the middle of nowhere.
When we get invited to our friends cabin in Running Springs, we can’t pass up that opportunity. It began with meeting our friends Kait and Kevin at a brewery in Lake Arrowhead and giving them the exciting news that Mia is pregnant with Leo - so she can’t have beer with us. We got to chill out, go for hikes, and go up the secret watering hole which still has ice around it. Another opportunity that’s hard to refuse is taking a dip in a mountain lake. Finn really seemed to be in her element in the mountains and on a cabin porch, but we were specifically paying attention to how she was around little kids (all good!).
Trips like this are a great way to kick off summer.
May 2023
This Ramily has an official CSU graduate! We got to travel out to Fort Collins for Maeve’s graduation and spend a couple days in Estes Park to celebrate. This is a small mountain town at the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park and quick access to hiking trails and scenery. We drove into the park one afternoon and I think the rangers might have felt generous that day or bad because winter storms kept most of the roads closed, because they didn’t charge us. Of course, because of the closures we were in and out in about an hour. Highlights of things to see were elk, moose, and a Frank Lloyd Wright designed visitors center.
November 2023
Carrizo Plain is known for superblooms. When California receives a lot of rain all winter and the right conditions line up in Spring for this dry and empty section of Central California to turn into unbelievable stretches of wildflowers. Instagram probably made it a lot worse. But this is why we came to Carrizo.
It’s the middle of fall, it hasn’t rained for like 10 months. There’s some ranches and shacks and a national monument and a dried up lake bed. Oh, and a lot of gravel. Perfect for gravel bikes.
I picked up Connor on a Friday and we drove the 3 hours to get up to Carrizo and he was checking an app to see where could be a good spot to camp on BLM land. “Power line with a view” sounded great to us. We rolled onto a dirt trail that wrapped around some hills and up to the power line and a clearing. The sun was about to go down and we could hear gun shots echoing through the hills. I felt like I was going to be sniped from on top of his hill. Oh well. I slept in the back of the tundra and Connor made a tent with an air mattress. I think he was better off than I was. We ate mystery meat burgers from an interesting restaurant where we got to know the owner/cook while we waited. It was a gamble, so I took a pepto pill before trying to sleep.
The next day we got up at sunrise and started to warm up and check the bikes. The temperature was in the 40s at the time, the sky was clear, and there was a breeze coming from the South. I would end up hating that breeze in a few hours.
If you look at he map below, the ride started at the bottom right corner and went counterclockwise. It starts with a steep climb over a ridge and into another valley - right alongside the San Andreas fault line. The entire first 2 hours were pretty fun. There was a lot of washboard to navigate, ups and downs and cattle crossing bridges. We stopped for lunch (PB&J and Clif Bars) before crossing the plain and beginning the ride South to the finish. This is when I bonked, My back, arms, and neck were starting to tingle and hurt because of the rattling of the washboard roads. And we were basically going up a 20 mile long gradual uphill into an afternoon headwind. I hated it, I hated my bike, I hated biking, I hated Carrizo Plains, I hated the sun and the wind. This it was bonking does to you - or at least to me - where physically and mentally I’m just discouraged to continue. But, there was no other way to finish and we couldn’t quit. So pedal on. And on. And on.
Of course, once we got back to the truck and off the bike, and I used my massage gun on my back and legs, all the suffering was forgotten and for the whole drive back to LA we talked about more intense routes to try next.
In September 2022 I set out with Connor on his 27 foot sailboat with my gravel bike and mountain bike tied down below in the cabin.
The plan was simple:
Sail to Two Harbors on a Friday afternoon
Ride a 35 mile loop across the island on Saturday
Ride a 15 mile out-and-back stretch to Parson’s Landing on Sunday
Sail Back Sunday afternoon
Have no mechanical failures on the bikes or the boat
Although we would catch strong winds in the channel, the boat was unable to convert the power into more speed because of the dinghy in tow. That’s a reminder to not tow an inflatable dinghy in open ocean. Our bungee cord and valcrow straps held the bikes in place and we arrived in Two Harbors easily. Unlike Catalina trips in the past, there weren’t celebratory drinks. Just water and non-alcoholic beer, tomorrow as going to demand a lot from us.
I recommend doing the route by climbing from Shark Harbor up to the airport and then descending from the airport through the valley back to Shark Harbor. That’s because the climb was shorter and steeper this way and the views were nice. And when you arrive at the summit you’re right there at the airport. Otherwise, you’d reach a peak and have to keep going on really unenjoyable semi-paved road. Leave that for the descent.
The airport offers lunch - burgers and sandwiches - and to refill on water. The worst part of this 35 mile loop was going back to Two Harbors on the final climb out of Shark Harbor. It was the hottest part of the day, vans and trucks would drive past and throw trails of dust in the air, and my legs were burning just like my neck and arms. On the final downhill section overlooking Two Harbors, we could see the sailboat bobbing on the ocean that I couldn’t wait to jump in. It was on this downhill race to the finish that I was crouched down using my arms as suspension to absorb all of the bumps that I noticed the through-bolt for my front wheel was about to unscrew and come out. I guess it was all the vibrations up to that point.
On Sunday we knew the route to Parson’s Landing was much more mellow, hardly any elevation change, and less than half the distance as the day before. It’s a fun ride with nice scenery because of just pass through all the other coves and camp areas along the cliffs edge. When we reached the cove, Connor, who is much more comfortable in water than I am, suggested that we swim across a cove over to a huge rock, climb up it, and jump off. I faced my fears and we put on snorkel masks, fins, and made the journey. It was beautiful. It was freaking me out to feel that vulnerable to sea creatures without a spear or anything. But, I am easily persuaded to jump off rocks. It was all totally worth it.
On the bike ride back to Two harbors we see all the boats that visited for the weekend begin to leave, like ants marching, back towards Los Angeles. We joined the line after one more swim and were greeted by perfect sailing conditions for the whole way back.
Here is a short video and photo gallery from the summer trip to Europe.
Quick video about our experience with Tropical Storm Hilary.