By blackmountaincycles,
Filed under: Uncategorized
If Sunday’s 4 hour point/point/point ride wasn’t enough, I got out the next day for 4 1/2 hours on a modified out and back ride. The previous day was on the road bike. This day was on the cross bike. Got to mix it up, you know. As with the point/point/point ride, this day’s ride was also one I hadn’t been on. I’d always seen that the Estero Trail was legal for bikes (rare in this local National Park that is designated wilderness), but knowing that much of the trail is on open cattle range, knew the trail was likely pock marked from cow hooves. There’s nothing quite like riding on a hard packed trail that’s marked with thousands of hoof print craters on a cross bike. But, I did it and I’ll probably do it again because there’s some super fun parts of the ride.
The route I took out of Point Reyes Station took me up the dirt climb out of Inverness at the end of Perth Way. From there I headed down the paved Mt. Vision Rd. and out Sir Francis Drake to the Estero Trailhead. Wanting to get to both Sunset Beach and Drake’s Head, I did the two as out and backs. The first mile or so of the Estero Trail is fantastic. It’s a super fun single-track that winds through a small grove of trees and ends up out at the head of Home Bay. From there, you’re pretty much out in the open and not to disappoint, the wind blew.
After completing the two out and backs, I thought “Inverness Ridge Trail.” I mean, why not. It’s just a climb back up Mt. Vision Rd. to get to it. My plan was to end up at Perry’s Deli for lunch so if I was going to have the sandwich I was planning, the extra climb would make lunch that much more deserved. Total mileage and climbing – about 35 miles with 4,500′ of climbing. Pretty great stuff.
Foggy at the top of the first climb
Estero Trail. The smooth part.
Home Bay
Low tide patterns on Home Bay
Looking down on the bridge where where my bike was perched in the photo two above.
Lots of wild flowers and open spaces
Where am I?
Limantour Spit from the top of Drake’s Head
Another from the top of Drake’s Head
It’s so windy out here, the trees need to grow their own kickstands.
Still a bit overcast on the second trip over Mt. Vision
And saw a bobcat who stayed just off the trail checking things out
And this was for lunch.
And this explains why it was foggy and windy all morning.
(What’s playing: Elvis Costello No Hiding Place)
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Mike,
What are you using for brakes on the Monster Cross?
Thanks,
Bill Lucas
Wow, that's crazy to see a bobcat, and not have it run away! Very cool. Glad you had a good ride.
Bill,
Brakes are Paul Components Minimoto.
Mike, that route looks awesome. I have to spend more time doing rides like this. Maybe you could lead a small group ride someday for those of us route challenged folk.
i've been out that trail on foot several times, and a few times on wheels. the trail to the beach is covered with stiff brush barely rideable IIRC, but it is the beach that was the destination, a relatively calm beach with few visitors.
i've looked at the trail map many times, and been chagrined that a ' bike-legal' trail loop was not planned for.
however, as you put that together, it is appealing as it is.
as to 'where am I' you did say you had ridden out Pierce point road. according to the topo map on Geomac, there is a bench mark at 51 feet along the road near the lagoon. the survey was in 1930. curiously one of the well travelled rando riders posted a photo of a bench mark with 'southeast corner' stamped with four numbers, which i mistook as elevation, searched for it, determined it to be the southeast corner of the GGNR, along bofax road…i was way off, turned out to be the southeast corner of the coastguard cemetery near the estero.
so
West Marin Rueben? Hm…must start planning next ride.
fooled again on the location.
i suppose in 1930 they did not call it an Estero
Mike,
the first few photos look like your nano 40's are gum wall? have you had success running them tubeless?
thanks
andy
Andy,
Blackwall Nano – same plastic feeling casing as their other tires. They mounted pretty easy and didn't have that 'snap' when they fit into the rim bead so I haven't tried them tubeless. I was running the Gordon's tubeless as they had a tighter feeling fit and had that familiar 'snap' when the beads popped into the rim seat.
Nice profile on WTB's side, Andy!
Mike
I will not rest nor will I be happy until I get a West Marin Reuben.