Olema

This one was an epic ride! No pictures, since the new camera is going to come in next week.

I started as usual at Battery East and crossed the bridge. It was an unusually nice day, and I was in a really startling good mood. I decided to try Panoramic Highway again, since it had been so much fun on the first try. I crossed again at Miller Avenue and followed Monfort to the top. I chatted with someone all the way up, until he confessed he needed a break.

Up Panoramic, I got to the turn. Left or right? I was in the mood for a fight and turned left, down, to Stinson Beach. Long descent, in a marvelous forest, a little chilly. Not too many cars, a few cyclists, and lots of turns.

Stinson Beach was crowded with a group of cyclists having a rest. I thought of stopping, but I didn’t recognize anyone and continued on. Highway 1 hugs the Bolinas Lagoon, then goes up and down. I skipped the little man-made lake on the middle of the road, since there were a lot of cars, and simply went on.

Point Reyes National Seashore is a wonderful park. It is of such beauty, especially right now, that I frequently thought of stopping and just soaking in the marvel. The greens were spectacular, the sky amazing, and all in all the traffic not too bad.

At some point, I reached Olema, a sleepy hollow that turned touristy some time ago. I didn’t get to visit downtown, since I had to turn left onto Sir Francis Drake Blvd. A long, long ascent, with a guy shouting at me whether I had seen two girls that then turned to be elderly ladies.

We follow Olema creek all the way up. At this point, I had run out of water and food and was feeling unhappy. The beauty of the place made up for a lot, though, and riding under the tree canopy with the creek babbling to the right was just what I needed.

At some point, after passing a few human encampments, you get to Fairfax (VERY cute), then San Anselmo (EXCELLENT food). From there, it’s through Ross, then San Rafael. Sir Francis Drake becomes an inner city highway and the fun is out.

You take a left under the freeway, and then turn right onto Madera avenue. Keep going until you hit Tamalpais drive, then turn right. And then there is the (now slightly less impressive) Corte Madera hill. Got to the top, got passed by a zippy girl on the way down, then off to the Bay Trail. Fortunately there is a water fountain in the parking lot at the school at the beginning of the trail – then the usual ride up Sausalito, then to the bridge, then over, then under, then – exhausted – to the car.

I was dead by the time I reached home. I had stopped at Safeway to buy some emergency food, and had drawn a lot of undue attention in my cycling outfit. The guy at the checkstand even asked me if I didn’t sweat in that thing – he tought it was a fashion statement!!!

Most of the time by myself. A lot of fun all the way. It’s a wonderful life.