Half Moon Bay to Pescadero and Purisima Creek

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Today’s ride starts out in Half Moon Bay on Kelly St off Main. The restrooms at Dutra Park are under renovation. Water and restrooms are available at the San Benito House on Main St.

We head south on Hwy 1 for the next 22 miles. The first few miles are relatively flat; the landscape here is beautiful! There are plenty of farm houses, ranches, green fields and wild flowers.

There are a few climbs up to the intersection at Stage Rd. The clouds are definitely shifting gears here and the winds have picked up quite a bit.

The half mile descent towards San Gregorio Beach is fast; hold on to your handlebars! The climbs ahead aren’t as bad as they look. The gradient ranges from 6-8%. The ocean views are a great distraction from the climb.

It’s absolutely fabulous riding along the coast, the views are stunning! We make a quick pit stop at Bean Hollow State Park. There are a string of State Beaches along this coast line with plenty of opportunities to stop and take in the views and of course to use the restrooms.

The road levels out as you approach Pomponio State Park. It’s a flat 10 miles to Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Gazo Creek Rd.

The turn on Gazo Creek takes us on a secluded single lane road for the next two miles. It’s very calm and peaceful back here; you can hear the water rushing along the creek. The road side is lined with yellow, white and blue wild flowers; it’s really vibrant and beautiful!

We continue on Cloverdale Rd towards Butano State Park. There are a couple of climbs within the first two miles; the first one starts off at around 6% and increases to 8%. The next one is much steeper; it maxes out at 11%. You do get a nice descent down towards the park entrance.

We stay on Cloverdale Rd for the next 3 miles and ride pass farms and ranches along the way. The fields are filled with bright yellow flowers, dark rich soil and lush green grass lands. It’s quite the sight to see! I’m feeling so blessed and happy at the moment; I get to feel the wind, smell the air and see all the beauty
surrounding me, it’s great to be alive!

We take Pescadero Creek Rd to get to our lunch stop at Arcangeli’s on Stage Rd. The picnic area out back is a great place to take a break. Water and porta-potties are available for public use.

We take a little detour along North St to check out the neighborhood. There is a dairy farm, horse ranch and other interesting sights along this short stretch of road.

We head NE on Pescadero Creek Rd for the next 10+ miles. The terrain starts off relatively flat and slowly increases to about 3-5%. The gradient increases to about 8-9% as you pass Camp Loma Mar. The gradient continues to increase after passing the YMCA on Jones Gulch Rd. The grade on the next few switch backs maxes out at 10-11% as you near the top. Thereafter , it’s a fabulous fun fast descent underneath the redwoods to Alpine Rd.

We turn on Pescadero Rd to head east on Hwy 84. The next 7.4 miles on this road is a slight downhill with a few rollers and it flattens out as we near San Gregorio.

The climb up Stage Rd to Hwy 1 is a little over one mile with an average gradient of 5.4%.

We head north on Hwy 1 for 1.5 miles; it’s a fast descent to our next turn at Tunitas Creek Rd. We stop at the Bike Hut to get a refill of water; cost 25 cents. They provide snacks, beverages, water and some bike stuff. Everything is on an honor system, tthe prices are listed and you just simply place the $ in a cash box.

We turn off on Lobitos Creek Rd and head west for the next 4 miles. It’s a nice quiet back road with a few climbs along the way; nothing too steep.

Lobitos Creek drops us down to Verde Rd which parallels Hwy 1.