March 7, 2012

Pescadero Loop to Harley Farms

This simple 28-mile loop around Pescadero will be a breeze if you ride every weekend, and it will take you away from cars, through agricultural land, rocky mountainside, and fragrant Eucalyptus and Redwood trees of Sam McDonald Park. Total elevation gain is between 2,500 and 2,900 feet.

The main events of this ride are two 1-mile climbs of 250 feet and one final 5 mile climb where you’ll gain 650 feet winding to and fro among the redwoods! Cell phone reception is limited in the mountains, so make sure your whole group knows the directions and meeting points before you take off.

Most of my posts are accessible by public transit, but I decided last-minute to hop on a ride organized by LezBike and carpooled down. I have included the instructions from Caltrain Palo Alto below, and will repost when I have ridden the extra 36 miles with my own two legs!

The food options in Pescadero are fresh, as both artichoke and grass-fed beef are the pride of the local agricultural industry. At the deli-restauraunt-bar Pescadero Country Store, you can park your bike at an outdoor picnic tables and enjoy your vegetarian pizza and fried artichoke hearts with a glass of wine or bottle of sparkling water. Next door, we picked up loaves of Artichoke Garlic Herb bread from Arcangeli Grocery Co (Norm’s Market), still warm in their bags.

Artichoke Garlic Herb — I already chewed through 1/2 the loaf before snapping this!

Harley Farms recently had 102 kids! If you swing by, you’ll get to see the little ones, pick up award-winning cheese, and maybe a goat’s milk skincare product or two. The lotions and creams contain high levels of vitamins, natural beta-hydroxy and lactic acid exfoliants, and pH levels close to human skin. Call me bourgeoise, I have to admit that it was really hard not to walk away with a soft pair of Selina Scott’s Angora Goat Wool socks for a sweaty ride on a cool, crisp day!

Directions

START at Pescadero Creek Rd and Stage Rd. Head NORTH on Stage Rd. The first mile will be flat, and the next four miles will feature the two of the three climbs on this ride.
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February 5, 2012

Walnut Creek to Port Costa Loop

This 37-mile ride starts and ends at the Walnut Creek BART station, winding through off-road paved trails and city bike lanes to Martinez, around Port Costa, through Crocket, and back. The ride includes over 1200ft of elevation gain, with the bulk of climbing – along with the best panoramas – along Carquinez Scenic Dr/Snake Road. I have included a “shortcut” in this ride that will shave off 2-3 miles from the total distance and bring you through some more challenging natural terrain.

Lunch options abound! In Martinez, where you can stop at the Sunday Farmer’s market on Main St. from 10:00AM – 2:00PM. This time, we stopped at Luigi’s Deli and Market for well-priced custom sandwiches on local Semifreddi’s handcrafted bread and sundry 99-cent drinks. There’s also Creek Monkey gastropub. Although their lunch/dinner menu looks delightful with their microbrews, they only serve from brunch on Sundays, and you’re out of luck if you don’t eat eggs.

For a beer break, stop at Warehouse Café on the waterfront. It’s bikers, bikers, and more bikers – both the motorized and non-motorized variety, a large outdoor space to sprawl out beer-garden-style, and a taxidermy polar bear inside. Prices are a bit high, and portions small. Since it’s still winter and daylight hours were short, we didn’t stay here too long before climbing up and out of the park again.

In high summer, there can be minimal wind and high temperatures with few opportunities for shade once you’ve left the Contra Costa Trail. In autumn or spring, there can be slight headwinds heading towards the water.

Directions

START at Walnut Creek BART, head EAST on Ygnacio Valley Road, SECOND RIGHT on N Main St.

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