Cotati lay under a heavy blanket of fog on Sunday morning, and it was still cool at 9:30am when half a dozen riders assembled for a trip to Wildflour Bakery. However, the roads were dry, and after about 45 minutes of riding in a westerly direction we emerged from the fog into brilliant sunshine. The gently rolling pastures on Fallon Road were dressed in new green, and the wind seemed to be taking a day off. The first miles of quiet country scenery passed quickly, and except for a brief stretch along Highway One, we had the roads to ourselves.

The climbing started in the second half of the ride. In order to work up a suitable appetite, we were taking the long route to Wildflour Bakery – all the way to the coast, bumping over Bay Hill Road to avoid the town of Bodega Bay then taking Coleman Valley Road to Occidental before reaching Freestone. The fog was thick once again on the coast, and kept us cool as we climbed the steep pitch on Coleman Valley Road. Once we reached the crest of the ridge, we looked back at the white mass of moisture reaching its fingers into the coastal hills.

After enjoying well-earned pastries at Wildflour Bakery, we dodged potholes on Barnett Valley, Burnside and Bloomfield Roads (and we can add Canfield Road to that list). We finished up on smoother pavement along Roblar and West Sierra Roads, arriving in Cotati with roughly four hours of riding behind us.

The calm winds, warm sunshine and green hills created a spring-like atmosphere, despite the mid-November date of this ride. There may not be another Sunday like this one for many months to come!

Bakery Run Route