More dirt road rides…

Following Cam’s advice on this post, I saddled up last Sunday and rode south on Highway 1 and found Coast View Trail several miles south of Stinson Beach and just south of Slide Ranch. It was definitely more technical than Stagecoach Fire Road. More technical since it was a single-track climb for a bit over 3 miles. Totally doable on a road bike with 28c tires, though. Really nice morning too.

Riding south on Highway 1, there was considerable fog leaving Pt. Reyes Station which gave way to sun, which gave in to fog down towards Bolinas. The sun broke out again south of Stinson and just near the Coast View Trail, fog took over again and clung to the slopes until I got up near the Pantoll ranger station. Then it was sun all the way to the top of Tam.

I’d forgotten it was a holiday weekend. Lots of folks on foot hiking between Pantoll and the West Point Inn where it was packed for a pancake breakfast. Intent on climbing, I gave up pancakes for Clif Bloks to help me up the dirt.

Pretty dang fun ride with a virtually all dirt climb from Highway 1 up to Mt. Tam’s east peak. I figured I’d been out for quite a while (no watch and no cycle computer so no way to know what time it was), so I scooted back down Ridgecrest to Bo-Fax and back up Highway 1 arriving back at the shop at 5 minutes before I was supposed to open at noon. Good fun ride.

Bolinas Lagoon

Just south of Stinson Beach

Looking down on Highway 1 from Coast View Trail

Start of Coast View Trail – soon to give way to single-track

Coast View Trail

Coast View Trail

One burned, charred log.

Trail ducked into the trees and became more challenging with some wet, slippery rocks.

Breaking out of the fog, the view to Mt. Tam was gorgeous.

See, gorgeous…

A little video on Coast View Trail

(What’s playing: KWMR Faultline Radio)