13 May 2005
It started with this message from Chris
Subject: Ride this Wednesday - to get ready for next week's Mon/Tues Overnighter
We're going South. We'll leave the Major's place at [address] in
San Mateo at 0830, and pick-up others (Bill?) in downtown Woodside at 9:00AM.
We're going to do some exploration, we're going to ride Upenuf Road (off Old La
Honda) and work our way South for the dead-end road that'll take us to Gilroy
Hot Springs; then we'll go back to US 101 and take East Dunn up to the Ranger
Station above Anderson Reservoir. Yes! That's two 'dead-ends'. This will
be a ride to honor "WendyPunkdt", the Major's girlfriend.
We rode, we BS-ed, we took some pictures. Enjoy.
Pictures from our captain
The map says…
That Upenuf Rd has some distance to it. The Mid-Week riders, in the process of getting ready for the Mon-Tues Overnighter to Alder Point and Fortuna, took it ‘on’. The portion we hit was all of 300 yards long and its ‘paved status’ was at best ‘questionable’.
However, I was followed for the days first WendyPunk (wendypunkt being the correct spelling…) by this red Honda. (Somebody’s BMW has a leaking fork seal se…)
Mister Gadget Followed but…
His GPS didn’t show this one, least that’s what I recall of the conversation…
Even ‘Stuck Zipper’ was game for what little bit…
Even ‘Stuck Zipper’ was game for what little bit of Upenuf Road we found…
Interesting Picture…
Taken from Page Mill Road showing the southern end of the San Francisco Bay. The peak on the extreme right is Mt. Hamilton.
We had a great meal at Bobbie’s in Cupertino
We had a great meal at Bobbie’s in Cupertino. We were all hoping Brother Bill would appear, but alas!
A stuck zipper didn’t delay ‘Stuck Zipper’
A stuck zipper didn’t delay ‘Stuck Zipper’. He was right there on Uvas Road
Hey Guys! Step back just a few feet more!
Hey Guys! Step back just a few feet more! Did they listen to me? Nadda!
Where’s Bill?
He should’ve been in this photo….
We found a couple of neat roads..
We found a couple of neat roads, new to most of us too! Big John and Bruce will want to look into this one, Canada Road in southern Santa Clara County. Canada Road is about 12 miles long, it starts just off Hwy 152 East which intersections Hwy.#101 in sourthern Gilroy. So, go to Gilroy, take Hwy#152 East.
The road crosses the valley, it’s flat and straight and runs right over to the bottom of the foothills before it makes a 90 degree right turn and takes you toward Casa DeFruita and the Hollister turn-off. Well, just past that 90 degree turn , by about 1/4 mile, there’s a sign announcing ‘Canada Road’ which ‘T’s-in on the left. The road is much like Mt. Hamilton, twisting and climbing. On the other side of that first mountain range the road (Canada), makes a 90 degree left turn, and there’s a dead-end if you continue straight. This dead-end goes back about 4 miles (paved), through some gorgeous real-estate. The visible buildings and the terrain reminded me of Wyoming. Well worth the ‘WendyPunk’ necessitated by the sign saying ‘Dead End’.
Done that? Go black, pick-up Canada Road where you left it and follow it to its’ end, where it ‘T’s into the road to Gilroy Hot Springs - albeit, another dead-end but what a scenic ride to that gate!
Gilroy Hot Springs - Can’t get there just yet!
The state recently acquired the Hot Springs and are currently engaged in making them accessible. When you turned R off of Canada Road you follow a river for about five miles and finally come to a wood-surfaced bridge across that river. Currently there’s a gate at the end of the bridge barring access to the Hot Springs. However, I was the only rider to cross the bridge, and thus rode further than the riff-raff I was riding with.
The problem surfaced when I tried to turn around on the bridge, the uneven surface does not lend itself to such activity. This photo was taken through a dirty windscreen.
Major Wobble was noted to be standing next to …
Major Wobble was noted to be standing next to this graffiti and since Polly’s a ‘Gramma’, it seemed so fitting!
The Bridge Over an Anderson Reservoir ‘Arm’
Stuck Zipper is hiding behind the tree, the red spec is the Major, followed closely by Mister Gadget.
San Jose is to the viewer’s right, about 20 miles…
You are looking at Anderson Reservoir and the mountains that separate it from the Santa Clara Valley. The community is Morgan Hill and ‘Morgan Hill proper’, while easily identifiable from the valley floor is difficult to see here (but you can…). The mountain peak in the background is Mt. Umnnum.
Henry Coe State Park
There’s damn little flat ground at Henry Coe State Park, But it does have gorgeous real estate.
Now I’d never been here!
I’ve known that Henry Coe State Park was around here, somewhere adjacent to Anderson Reservoir. It is, but not ‘adjacent’. You get to Henry Coe State Park by taking East Dunn from Hwy.#101 (or downtown Morgan Hill), and driving the dead-end which is 10 miles above the lake itself. Super vistas! Watch for deer…I wasn’t and had one that almost ‘T’d me. I was taking-in the view and suddenly became conscious of something along side me…one very big Doe.
I couldv’e reached-over and touched her, we were both doing 25 MPH plus at the moment.
Pictures from Major WWWobble
Up Enough
Marc is illuminating us with the certain knowledge that this road is up enough and does NOT lead to breakfast.
The Captain Prepares
Captain Chris: Is he looking for his helmet, or preparing to rescue it? No wait, it’s a premonition of what is to come!!
Wood Floor Bridge
After considerable maneuvering, the Captain triumphantly returns from crossing the Bridge to the Locked Gate! Yes, we will follow the Captain ALMOST anywhere!
WendyPunk
Yet another WendyPunk. Not a bad way to plan a ride. If the “dead end” road is long enough, we’re ready for a break when we arrive at the end. It’s always a “different” road going the other way anyhow!
Gravel Trap
The Captain doesn’t often miss an opportunity to pull into deep gravel pull outs – we’re not sure how he missed this one!
High Water
It’s Bad out there.
High Water Everywhere.
Bob Dylan
Pictures from Craig (Broken Zipper)
Broken link: http://craig.howell.fotopic.net/c537724.html
Pictures from Mister Gadget
upenuf
This is the captain’s favorite kind of road. Notice that the captain is nowhere in this picture.
uvas reservoir
high tide
What exactly is the captain doing at Uvas Reservoir?
Broken Zipper
No Parking
I don’t think the captain has ever met a bridge where he
didn’t stop. Notice well the “No Parking” sign in the second image.
Notice Broken Zipper laying in the road, trying to get that perfect shot.
Say cheese
Henry Coe State Park
The captain prepares for a group photo at Henry Coe state park.