Mid-Week Rides: First 2019 Trip

Friday, Jan 4 2019

Chris writes:

Thirteen riders appeared for breakfast at Henny Penny in Petaluma, some were even on time, others were late (your scribe for instance), and another sans wallet. These things add to the camaraderie, or so I like to think. The ‘King of the Beemer Bash’, Jon Beining blessed us with an appearance while e/r to a cancer treatment in the City. Once again Jon is going to ram-rod the yearly Beemer Bash in Quincy (and some think I’m a slow learner…). However, some dear regulars were noticeably missing, Wwwobble, Marco, Marcus AND Carl Tyler. Go figure….

The group was able to stay together on departure, into and through Sebastapol. We turned off Hwy#12 on Occidental Road to pick-up the Bohemian Highway. Cold? You betchum! 35º in places though generally in the low 40’s early-on. We turned up Moscow road which runs the south side of the Russian River so as to pit-stop in Duncan Mills. Lot’o tires kicked here, Rob Hyman even brought-out his pipe so as to help warm the cool air.

We rode into Casadero for a stop at the market, some got coffee, a few to drink, others to just hold. Mike Youngs and Ran Bush left us here, something about work – a real dirty word. The rest of us, now headed up King Ridge. The air was crisp but warming from the early lows. Some in our group, Neil Harvey and Ben Margolin had never been into this country. I was only disappointed that the hill sides weren’t greener. This country gets the rain when no body else does so I was expecting more; it was generally green beneath dry grasses but still…

We stopped along the ridge at a very narrow spot in the road, go off the road here -either side and you won’t stop for a long way. As my mother used to say, ‘There’s a lotta ‘down’, down there.”

We turned south at the three-road intersection of King Ridge, Tin Barn and Hauser Bridge, we took the latter e/r to Meyers Grade, Hwy #1 and a gas/pit stop in Jenner. It was here we collectively decided on a lunch stop at The Tides in Bodega Bay before doubling-back for Coleman Valley. We had some mis-communication with this plan and lost MacPherson and Harvey but a text message recovered the latter. After beans (I’m a two-time railroader, cowboys say ‘chow), there was some concern relative return traffic and some opted with Rob Hyman for a more direct route than Coleman Valley/Joy Road. Some went one way, others, the other. The group I rode with did Coleman Valley to Joy Rd and the Bodega Hwy into Sebastapol for Hwy# 12 to Hwy# 101 to SF. Ben ‘lane-split away’ on bridge approach congestion and I motored home. For me, it was a 221 mile day, Pacifica to Pacifica, for others more, others less.

The riders’ photo does not include Harry Bahlman as he held the camera. L-R, Mike Youngs, Jeff Zane, Paul Hampton (fuzz-faced), Chris Weld, Ran Bush, Rob Hyman, Neil Harvey, Doug MacPherson, Joe Arrieta and Ben Margolin.

Pictures from Paul

Pacific B&W

RedTail Hawk

Rocks

WavePower

Paul also writes: What a glorious day for a winter ride in the coastal hillsides of the north bay!

Here is a link to some panoramas https://photos.app.goo.gl/biYxmjnCr2hPrFbs8. If you click on one of the photos then click on the circle in the middle you can use the mouse or keypad to move around the image.