I have been completely derelict (first person to identify Daryl Licht’s* real name wins a Black Mountain Cycles t-shirt and water bottle of your choice) in posting here. Not for lack of stuff to blog about, but lack of time and energy. Well, here goes a flurry of blog posts starting with some rides.
Starting off the ride photos is one I took out to Pierce Point. This is probably my favorite ride out here. It’s about 36 miles or so with about 3500′ of climbing and has an option of getting some dirt on the way back (or out, but I prefer back because of the condition of the cow trail). It involves a somewhat sketchy initial section that involves hopping a couple fences/gates, traversing a ridge that sees more cows than humans, and, if it’s wet out, navigating a few mud pits that may or may not be full of cow shit. But then the cow path turns to L Ranch Rd., which is a super fun dirt road on a road bike. Some days it’s fogged in to the point you have about 50′ of visibility. Some day’s it’s sparkling clear. Like this day. The few miles to the old Pierce Point Ranch are through the Tule Elk Preserve. It’s common to see bucks locking horns during the rutting season or you might have to stop and allow the elk to stampede across the road in front of you.
Pierce Point Rd.
Off-piste as you get off the cow trails.
Or it could be socked in.
Elk crossing
On the way out to Pierce Point, you can take a dirt trail excursion out to Abbott’s Lagoon. It’s a little under 2 miles round trip. On some mornings, it’s a great spot to stop and eat a snack before heading on.
Barbed wire fence and cow hair out at H Ranch on Pierce Point Rd.
Another of my favorite rides is the loop from Point Reyes Station out to Inverness, up the dirt road climb to Mt. Vision Rd., and across the Inverness Ridge Trail to Limantour Rd and back to town. It’s about 90 minutes of high quality riding – some road, some fire road, some single-track, and all super fun on a cross bike. The weather changes so much and so fast out here that every ride is different.
Up on top of the ridge in the fog.
The climb up on a clear day.
At the top of the dirt road climb out of Inverness
Single-track section of the Inverness Ridge Trail
Again at the top of the dirt road climb that puts you at a dirt parking lot on Mt. Vision Rd.
On this day, it was overcast/foggy on top of the ridge, but the sun was out at Drake’s Beach way out there.
Another of my favorite rides is an early morning spin down Hwy. 1 to Stinson Beach followed by a climb up Panoramic Hwy. to Mt. Tam and back to Point Reyes Station via Ridgecrest, Bo-Fax Rd. to Fairfax, and west on Sir Francis Drake. Lots of climbing. Lots of descending. Lots of fun.
Bolinas Lagoon on a clear, calm morning
Bolinas from Ridgecrest. Some days, it can be viscous up on this stretch when the fog rolls in.
*The Daryl Licht I’m looking for was a mountain bike racing pseudonym way back in the day. What is his real name? Correct spelling only.
jonathan licht
Jonathan Licht? Maybe related, but, no.
Steve Taiclet
Scot Nicol
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Jim at 10:44 a.m. is the winner (and bonus for correct spelling)! Chuck Ibis was a pretty damn good entry too. All the same person.
Scot Nichol…