CA County Summits

Photos from Mt. Pinos, the highest point in Ventura County, CA. This was done in conjunction with Sawmill Mountain, the highest point in Kern County.

If long climbs are your thing, this ride is for you: over 6000 (maybe even more than 7000) feet of climbing in 100 miles! Starting from Fremont’s Central Park and going through Milpitas, the ride has only “baby” rollers until you get to Calaveras Rd. Then, you climb up to the backside of Sierra Rd., which while not nearly as steep as going up the front (westward-facing) side of Sierra, it will certainly get your heartrate up! Just a few miles is the real test: Mt. Hamilton Rd. to the Lick Observatory. At 19 miles (with 4000 feet of elevation gain and only brief downhill/flat sections), it is probably the longest climb in the Bay Area. Faster riders may do it in 1.5-2 hours, but for most cyclists, esp. with 30 miles already in your legs, it may take 2-3 hours. The views at the top, at least when there isn’t fog or snow, make it worth it, however! Continue reading »

I have always wanted to do a foul-weather backpacking trip. Call me a masochist, but there has always been something attractive about wending through unfamiliar territory under a blanket of iron-gray clouds producing a steady splatter of ice-cold rain. On one hand it imparts a sense of urgency, of adventure; on the other, a feeling of being free, a oneness with the Mother Earth. For certain, a good rain has the effect of washing away the more mundane stresses of work, of deadlines, of obligations; life then becomes reduced (or rather, uplifted) to simpler concerns, mainly of staying warm, comfortable, and happy, if inevitably not completely dry. Continue reading »

Here is a list of the 58 California County Summits. When I lived in California I set a long-term goal of mine is to do all of them solely via human power (e.g., by hiking, climbing, snowshoeing, or even bicycling). So far I have climbed 13. Now that I live in Colorado, accomplishing that may take a long longer. In any case, the mountains await! Continue reading »

This is a very enjoyable ride through Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Mt. Diablo is kind of long but until the last 100 feet is a really gentle climb. See route sheet and logbook entry (both below) for a description of it. Continue reading »