Yesterday we received the first serious rainfall of the season, which means fire weather might be behind us. Also thanks to the rain, our creeks are flowing again after the usual dry summer. And the rain brought cooler weather. The high today only reached about 50° F. I almost decided to phone RJ, Rich, and … Continue reading "Oh, summer"

When I bicycled the grand opening of the new bike path on the Richmond – San Rafael Bridge last week, I expected to be able to photograph some interesting views from the top deck on the summit of the structure. Along with several hundred (maybe a couple thousand) other cyclists, I enjoyed the inaugural ride, … Continue reading "Bike the Bridge, again"

Marin County might be the wealthiest in California, but you wouldn’t know it from this odd little pocket east of Novato. After riding nearby last week, I consulted a map to double-check my route. It didn’t take long to notice this hidden—practically remote—area along the Petaluma River and the northwest shore of the Bay. The … Continue reading "Black Point"

I haven’t been up to the burn zone since full containment was attained a couple of days ago, but I’ve certainly bicycled through the area on multiple occasions in the past. Here’s a collection of some of my photos of locales as seen before they were consumed by the Kincade Fire…. Read more at Bill … Continue reading "Fire Tour"

Around here the official rainy season begins on 1 October. Based on annual averages, by now we should have received some significant rainfall. Not the case. Not a drop has fallen, and we’re dry. Dangerously dry. Santa Rosa and northern Sonoma County just survived—barely—the impact of multiple days of “public safety” power shutdowns, mandatory evacuations, … Continue reading "Rush Creek Open Space"

We had been having some very cold days that made one take pause before actually taking a bike ride ;’-). I did bundle up against the cold a couple of times and got out for short jaunts around. But this day was a perfect day for a ride. The numerous Heron that were out thought … Continue reading "A BEAUTIFUL FALL BIKE RIDE"

And I don’t mean Normal, Illinois. Still some smoke in the air, but trying to get back to usual routine. Slipped out the Greenway. Spotted new, “unauthorized” artwork along the trail, but in an awkward location where I couldn’t get into position to photograph the entire piece without a wide-angle lens. Vineyards turning autumn colors. … Continue reading "Back to normal?"

Two years ago Santa Rosa suffered major loss of lives, homes, and property when a wildfire swept across the northern part of town, just a couple of blocks from us. This year the fire was a couple of miles farther to the north when it was finally stopped — we hope — last night. This … Continue reading "Deja vu all over again"

I’ve been enjoying plenty of off-road riding with the Ogre lately, especially on trails in our local parks. Today, having almost beaten a never-ending computer project into submission, I decided I needed to get out and stretch my legs for a few miles on pavement. Off I went into the wild west county, where they … Continue reading "West County"

Despite increasingly shrill warnings from Pacific Gas & Electric—they who already admitted liability for previous conflagrations and dozens of deaths, and who entered bankruptcy in order to protect their asses, I mean assets—about the likelihood of an impending shutdown of the electric grid across northern California to prevent more wildfires sparked by their power lines, … Continue reading "Tolay Again"

After several days buried in an all-consuming computer project with no time for or thought of anything else (including keeping up with Cycle365), today I managed to escape for a quick jaunt out the Greenway. Sonoma County is hot and dry—see photo of waterless Brush Creek—and we are poised to have Pacific Gas & Electric … Continue reading "Hot and dry"

Over the last few days I’ve made a point of taking the Ogre on trails in some of our parks in Sonoma County along Highway 12. That means in the Sonoma Valley, in the Mayacamas Mountains on the east side of the valley, and the Sonoma Mountains on the west side. Today’s destination? The summit … Continue reading "Sonoma Mountain"

Sonoma Valley Regional Park, about fifteen minutes away by car, is a pleasant, compact chunk of the county that’s not nearly as flat as the name might indicate. Because it’s overshadowed by some of its closer, bigger, and more interesting neighbors, it’s a park I don’t visit much. I think I’ve hiked it two or … Continue reading "Sonoma Valley"

Only eight miles?!? It felt more like a hundred, given the steepness, heat, and swarms of gnats attempting to take up residence in my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Not having bicycled through Hood Mountain Regional Park in almost three years (although I hike there far more often), I decided it was time to give … Continue reading "Hood Mountain"

Until a few years ago, bicycling directly between Petaluma and Novato meant taking your life in your hands on Highway 101. Read more at Bill Bikes

Scooter wrote: “Since there’s no bike though, I think you owe us just a bit more, is there a Joshua Tree to be found?” I won’t have a chance to visit any Joshua trees during this month’s challenge, but I can offer this, which some might remember, from earlier in the year when I was … Continue reading "Yucca brevifolia"

Bristlecone pines. Per rules, this might be cheating — no bike in photos — so I didn’t flag it as challenge of the month. But I figured no one else would have an opportunity to post this species. Top photo from a combined biking and hiking expedition to Death Valley and Telescope Peak last year. … Continue reading "Pinus longaeva"

At 14,252 feet in elevation, White Mountain Peak in the White Mountains is the third highest summit in California. A long, rough, unpaved road (requiring four-wheel drive and high clearance) leads up from the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest visitor center several thousand feet to the University of California’s Barcroft Research Station at 12,470 feet. Normally … Continue reading "Bikes on White Mountain"

To the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University to meet my ace support crew for picnic on the lawn and Santa Rosa Symphony performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons while seasonal photos of Sonoma County projected on the giant outdoor screen above the musicians. The images showcased the county’s spectacular natural beauty, but one thing was … Continue reading "To the symphony"

My phone, my computer, and the weather guy on TV all agreed that today would warm up to nearly 90° F (it actually exceeded that by a few degrees) and I was late getting out of the house because I watched stage 18 of the Tour de France. Although I didn’t hit the trails at … Continue reading "Tolay"

It seems pretty quiet around here, so I decided to post this even though I haven’t been up to anything too exciting. Mostly I’ve been spending my time on training hikes in preparation for a (probably pain-inducing) expedition with the wild woman I call my ace support crew. But here are my latest rides. Read … Continue reading "The usual"

Despite narrow lanes, lack of shoulders, and sometimes heavy traffic (including plenty of RVs), I ride up and/or down the coast on Highway 1 at least a couple of times each year, most recently back in January. I pedaled steep Coleman Valley Road once, with Jeff, back in November 2015. I went halfway up unpaved … Continue reading "Willow – Coleman – Ocean"

Sun casting long shadows at Lights for Liberty vigil. Read more at Bill Bikes

Just a quick run out the Greenway and back, interrupted by a diagonal. Read more at Bill Bikes

I pedaled for more than two hours before I encountered eastbound traffic, and almost three hours before westbound traffic caught up with me. At that point I quickly got out of the way. One of the first westbound vehicles in the long line of fast-moving traffic on the narrow road was my white Forester, driven … Continue reading "Tioga Pass, part 2"

Tioga Road across the Sierra through Yosemite National Park is one of the most spectacular high mountain routes (up to nearly 10,000 feet) in the US. But all the usual reasons—narrow lanes, lack of shoulders, curves, climbs, heavy traffic, lumbering RVs, inattentive drivers—make it a dicey proposition under normal circumstances. Consequently, bicyclists love the opportunity … Continue reading "Tioga Pass, part 1"