Wednesday, December 15, 2010

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Today’s club ride meets up at the Bear Valley Visitors Center in Olema. Water and restrooms are available along with ample parking.

We head out on Bear Valley Rd to Sir Francis Drake Blvd. There is a brief regroup at the Inverness Store where you can purchase sandwiches and other deli items. There is a porta-pottie available for public use across the parking lot.

The fog is lifting and the sun is shining as we continue on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. The first climb out of Inverness is under a mile long. The gradient starts off at around 6-7% then gradually increases to 9% and maxes out at 11% as you near the top. After the descent, you need to go left at the Y intersection to stay on Sir Francis Drake.

The terrain out to the lighthouse is a series of climbs and descents. We ride pass Dairy and Beef Ranches that are circa 1852-1865. Watch out for all the cattle guards as you roll on by! The steepest climb comes after you see the sign for Chimney Rock. The gradient starts out at around 9% and maxes out at 12%! The views along the way are pretty awesome! We also see plenty of cows and deer.

The Lighthouse is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Water and restrooms are available. The views from the lookout area are spectacular! There is very little wind with absolutely no fog. We can even see the Farallon Islands; it’s that clear out!

We retrace our way back on Sir Francis Drake for the return to Bear Valley. The scenery here is top notch, it’s just absolutely gorgeous!

The descent back into Inverness was actually not bad this time. It looks like some road work was done recently and all the potholes have been paved over. Great! We return on Bear Valley Rd back to the Visitors Center.

Thanks to Krehe and Kathy for leading the ride!

It was another fabulous day to be out riding and the weather was better than expected.

~20+ people in attendance with 2 tandems

43 miles with 3166′ of elevation gain

Weather: GREAT! Starting temp of 47 with overcast skies and fog. Sunny blue skies with a tailwind on the way out to the lighthouse. Temp 56. Slight headwind on the return with the temp reaching a high of 60.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>LOVE THE GIFT OF LIFE!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>