The prospect
of a challenging ride on quiet roads through the forested hills of western
Sonoma County brought fourteen riders to Monte Rio on Saturday morning. There
were many of the usual suspects as well as a few new faces, including a visitor
from Sacramento whose son was competing in the Vineman Triathalon not far from
the start of our ride.
The early
fog cleared just as we arrived and the sun began to warm the day quickly. We
started the journey with plenty of tree cover through Cazadero and up Fort Ross
Road, then broke out into warm sunshine again on Seaview Road. We had lost two
riders by this time, one a victim of the strong pace set by the leaders and
another who turned back to search for his friend.
After riding
along the ridge for a few miles, we turned west and flew down smooth pavement
on Timber Cove Road to the cool and foggy coast. A brief jaunt along Highway
One, then the climbing began again on Fort Ross Road, this time heading east.
Once we
regained the top of the ridge, we turned south toward Meyers Grade where we
were met once again by coastal fog. This was disappointing, as I had primed our
Sacramento visitor for the stunning views on the way down. He’ll just have to
come back another day.
We stopped
for refreshments in Jenner – always interesting to see what form of “nutrition”
people will choose from the shelves of a gas station convenience store. As we
left Jenner, three riders (including our friend from Sacramento) broke off from
the group and turned east on River Road, heading for home. The remaining nine
riders continued on to Willow Creek Road.
Months of
dry weather have almost completely dried out the potholes in the first few
miles of Willow Creek, and the surface has some slippery spots. Still, the
climb through the redwoods is as beautiful as ever, and our efforts were
rewarded with views of forested hills and that persistent wall of fog to the
west.
The final
stretch from Occidental to Monte Rio could have been an easy ride, a chance to
cool down and enjoy the smooth, shady pavement of Bohemian Highway. However, it
seemed that the ride hadn’t been tough enough for some members of our group, as
they mounted a series of attacks and counter-attacks down the hill. The ride
leader brought up the rear. Next time I’ll add more hills.
View routehere
