It’s been an amazing fall so far here in Northern California. Since June,
we’ve had 3 days with rain, all close together in early November. Never
being ones to take good luck like this for granted, we went on a couple of
rides recently.
Last Saturday, Bronson and I did the Nisene Marks Muni Weekend 2002 ride
from Saturday afternoon near Santa Cruz. But instead of turning back at the
bridge, we continued on up the fireroad for 9 more miles and 2500’ up to a
great viewpoint called Santa Rosalia Mountain where we tested my latest
idea: bringing beer on Muni rides to have after most of the difficulties are
done. This worked out great, but on the way back down, we were somehow
extra-inspired, so we took a longer single track route instead of the
fireroad, with lots more uphill. It ended up being 24 miles with 3500’
climbing in 6:45. We were pretty tired after that and were only able to
drive as far as Bruce’s house where pizza/beer/hottub rejuvenated us so we
finally made it home.
The next day we didn’t ride, but Beau and I spent an incredible day at
the beach with Geoff Faraghan and other friends. Imagine playing frisbee on
a gorgeous beach in shorts with no shirt in late November under a crystal
clear blue sky with huge waves pounding. Wow. You guys down under imagine it
in late May.
Monday was a work day, but we rode unicycles to Beau’s school - curb
riding on the Coker etc.
Tuesday, yesterday, was the day of the fullmoon, so after work, Bronson
and I met up with Bruce and drove north from Santa Cruz to Chalk Mountain.
The ride was fantastic, 12 miles with 2500’ climbing in 4:15 (new nighttime
record). There are some steep exciting downhills and some uphills that are
inhumanly steep. It’s called Chalk Mountain because the dirt is very white.
It reflects the moonlight so much it seems like daytime. You could read a
book up there! And no wind, nice and warm, just amazing conditions. We
finished the ride about 1am this morning and retired to the hottub with Bass
Ale to plan the next one.
Even though it’s coming up on winter (assuming you’re in the northern
hemisphere), when good weather comes your way, don’t miss it! Get out there
and do a great ride.
Weather sounds wonderful… we had half a foot of snow this week in Toronto.
Enjoy !
Darren
Nathan Hoover wrote:
> It’s been an amazing fall so far here in Northern California. Since June,
> we’ve had 3 days with rain, all close together in early November. Never
> being ones to take good luck like this for granted, we went on a couple of
> rides recently.
> Last Saturday, Bronson and I did the Nisene Marks Muni Weekend 2002 ride
> from Saturday afternoon near Santa Cruz. But instead of turning back at the
> bridge, we continued on up the fireroad for 9 more miles and 2500’ up to a
> great viewpoint called Santa Rosalia Mountain where we tested my latest
> idea: bringing beer on Muni rides to have after most of the difficulties are
> done. This worked out great, but on the way back down, we were somehow
> extra-inspired, so we took a longer single track route instead of the
> fireroad, with lots more uphill. It ended up being 24 miles with 3500’
> climbing in 6:45. We were pretty tired after that and were only able to
> drive as far as Bruce’s house where pizza/beer/hottub rejuvenated us so we
> finally made it home.
> The next day we didn’t ride, but Beau and I spent an incredible day at
> the beach with Geoff Faraghan and other friends. Imagine playing frisbee on
> a gorgeous beach in shorts with no shirt in late November under a crystal
> clear blue sky with huge waves pounding. Wow. You guys down under imagine it
> in late May.
> Monday was a work day, but we rode unicycles to Beau’s school - curb
> riding on the Coker etc.
> Tuesday, yesterday, was the day of the fullmoon, so after work, Bronson
> and I met up with Bruce and drove north from Santa Cruz to Chalk Mountain.
> The ride was fantastic, 12 miles with 2500’ climbing in 4:15 (new nighttime
> record). There are some steep exciting downhills and some uphills that are
> inhumanly steep. It’s called Chalk Mountain because the dirt is very white.
> It reflects the moonlight so much it seems like daytime. You could read a
> book up there! And no wind, nice and warm, just amazing conditions. We
> finished the ride about 1am this morning and retired to the hottub with Bass
> Ale to plan the next one.
> Even though it’s coming up on winter (assuming you’re in the northern
> hemisphere), when good weather comes your way, don’t miss it! Get out there
> and do a great ride.
>
> —Nathan
Blatantly unfair! Here in “sunny” Yorkshire I’ve actually had to do some WORK because it’s rained or been generically wet pretty much constantly for the past week or two. Grrrrr.
Oh man, that sounds so nice. Its been sort of disapointing riding the trials around here after doing so much riding out west this summer. Also, the weather here is starting to get sucky.
Hey Nathan, slightly OT for this thread, but how is the MUni weekend video coming? Any news on when it will be done?
It sounds like we’ve had the same weather here in Idaho that Nathan is seeing in Northern California … just beautiful. Yesterday I spent the afternoon at a customer’s food processing plant working on a frozen pizza line. While driving across town, heading back to my shop, I decided that I HAD to take advantage of the weather and get in a ride. It was just before quitting time so I took advantage of my boss privileges and cut out early for a ride.
I’m very lucky that there’s a great bit of single track starting 1/4 mile or so from the back door of my shop. To get to the trail I cross a paved road, ride across a dirt field, across a river on a suspended cable foot bridge and across another paved road to the trail head.
This trail is very poplar with trail runners, walkers and mountain bikers. It leads to a system of trails goes on and on through the mountains. I’ve ridden it literally hundreds of times on my mountain bike.
It was a wonderful ride on the MUni - on a much smaller scale than Nathan’s recent rides - but just great for a quick after-work ride.
It looks like today is shaping up to be as nice a yesterday was. I think there’s a good chance for a repeat ride today …
Before y’all move out here, remember we Californians have to endure a lot to get this weather. Earthquakes, mudslides, and high speed pursuits top off the list. Find out more here:
If you can deal with all that, c’mon out. I never regretted moving here and I’m never going back!
I don’t get it. Sounds like you are making such a big deal over what we here in Hawaii call "normal weather” I don’t know what all the fuss is about… we never have all that much rain, we don’t have snow, and it is almost always sunny. In addition to the lovely weather, we don’t have high-speed chases, large earthquakes, high amounts of crime or smog.
Have I convinced anyone to visit here yet? Great, did I mention that tourists are our biggest cash crop?
>Don’t buy a house on a fault line
>Don’t buy a house on the edge of a cliff (earthquakes or heavy rain + gravity)
>Don’t buy a house at the bottom of a cliff or hill (see above)
>Don’t buy a house on a flood plain (that’s why it’s called a flood plain)
>Don’t buy a house without nearby fire hydrants (brush/forest fires)
>Don’t buy a house in areas known for high crime or rioting!
>(added for 2001) Don’t buy a house that uses electricity
>
>So how much of California is left over after eliminating all of the above? Believe it or not, about 99%!
Really?!! I didn’t realize that many people were doing with out electricity these days.
thanx to Oregon,California has all the electricty it can waste.i could’nt be more serious or blunt about it.unless im in the redwood natl. forest to show my kids the big trees,you will never catch me in that utter piece of crap they call California…god i hate that F-ing state…hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate…
I was born/raised in hawaii on the winward side f oahu In Kailu and Hawaii really does have flaws
Really Humid Stick summers
2.When it rains it Pours and rains for at least 2 days
Everything is more expensive nomatter where you go nothing can beat the prices of the mainland
TAX is way higher than it should be
barely anyhting is there, due to the fact it is soo small and fillled with tourists no company really sees the need to locate there(except big buisness’) most of the stores are owned by Hawaians Asians or Haoles(geeky whites that arent native but try to talk pidgeon like they are). No Offense, My parents are practically Haole(only lived in Hawaii 25 years.
AAfter that there really isnt any thing wrong. I also know that their school programs are great and has great riding areas and places to get noticed(Ala Moana Mall)
I remember complaining about that in a few threads. But what the hell, here is me complaining again…
How can a $150 schwinn unicycle cost $70 dollars to ship? Or even worse, Why do I have to pay $17 for a 20 dollar video?
Well, you want to live here you have to pay the price.
Nope! Wrong! ERRRRRP!!!
Really Humid Stick(y) days, nights, weekends, holidays, and Fridays. With an average humidity of over 60 percent, you don’t need to go to the beach to get wet.
This isn’t completely true. But it sure seems like it sometimes.
I think I have to agree with you on this one. Unless you are talking about things you can only get here, or grow yourself. For example, there are at least one mango tree in every three yards. And neighbors almost always share.
I was under the impression that this was true everywhere.
A couple other things:
Haole is a word used to describe anyone lighter then our white sand beaches. In other words: ALL CAUCATIONS not just the ones that try to speak my native pidgon.
I think you meant Kailua not Kailu
I think that’s all I have to say… for now. Just make sure you come and visit some time.
