Monthly Archives: June 2008

Helmets

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Helmets have never been a fun purchase to me, but as everyone knows, they are a vital part of your gear. Still, I have a bit of a collection going, unable to get rid of some of the relics that are stored in the garage. I have thrown away one helmet after the strapping system became unusable, and I forgot one helmet on the Downieville shuttle. Here are the remaining ones in my possession.

Helmets
An Assortment of Helmets

I don’t remember owning a bicycle helmet as a young kid. We just didn’t wear them back then. Boy did we get lucky! My first helmet was mandated by the BMX track. The Echo Helmet below looked so cool when I was 15, but looks a bit silly now. It no longer fits, but doesn’t look too comfortable inside. This one even still has the Skyway sticker, the brand of race bike I had. I was nuts for Skyway, and even had Skyway mags when I should’ve been running lighter race wheels.

Echo BMX Helmet
Echo BMX Helmet – Circa 1985

I didn’t have Oakley glasses back in 1985, but if I remember correctly, I had Oakley grips…and a cool sticker.

Oakley Factory Pilot
Oakley Factory Pilot

I got my first mountain bike in 1989, a Specialized Rockhopper, and this is my first MTB helmet that went with it. This Avenir was pretty much the style of the day, a piece of foam with a cover that could slip on or off.

My 1st MTB Helmet
My 1st Mountain Bike Helmet

I’ve never actually worn the helmet below. The “Quotable Helmet” was bestowed upon me by Jeff and Amy P for ringing my bell on the postal route. They strung me out all day, making me chase their tandem over McClellan Peak, Lake View, and Ash Canyon. In my fatigue, I missed spotting a huge rock on the side of the trail, and went down hard. The Quotable Helmet is a trophy of sorts. I really need to pass this one on to the next rider…just don’t get hurt too bad!

The Quotable Helmet
The Quotable Helmet

Finally, I bring you a helmet that did its job during a crash. Luckily this one is not mine, but I’m guessing it saved my friend’s life. It’s a good reminder of why we need to keep wearing our helmets!

IM001157
The Shattered Remains

Friday Evening Ride to Star Lake

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I had a great ride to Star Lake via the Tahoe Rim Trail last Friday. I left the trail head at the base of the Stagecoach chairlift at the Heavenly North parking lot around 3:30 PM.

The first mile is a granny gear climb of with about 3 places you have to dismount and carry your bike. After that its a rolling climb to mile 4 at Motts Canyon. The trail is not marked very clearly here so if its your first time, you go down into the canyon on the fire road and keep your eyes open for the TRT that branches off to the right and starts climbing the other side of the canyon. Here I did run into some snow patches. I suspect they are melted off the trail by now.

At about 4.75 as I approached Monument Pass I walked my bike up the switchbacks. Once I got over the pass it was a smooth climb for the last 4 miles to the lake! I hung out there for a couple of hours. Vegged out and watched the sun get lower. I sparked up a conversation with some backpackers who were up there for a college class on map reading. 2.5 Credits!!! The fed me some left over pasta they had and I gave them a full pack of Starburst fruit chews which were a big hit.

As the sun was lowering on the horizon I said goodbye and rode my bike back to the parking lot. What a rush! The rolling downhill mixed with some hair raising technical sections makes this section of the Tahoe Rim Trail my favorite. What a blast. I highly recommend this ride! I got back to the car at 8:30. It is an 18 mile out and back.

Point Reyes Trip

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Amy and I spent a few days on the California coast last week. We loaded up the truck with three friends, four bikes, one horse, and on Tuesday morning drove over to Point Reyes Station (PRS), located at the southern end of Tomales Bay.

Before departing for the coast I did an internet search of cycling in the PRS area.
Not satisfied with the info I found on-line, I contacted our friend Ralph, who lives in Martinez, and asked him which rides to do and which bike to bring. He suggested I bring my ‘cross bike, as there are plenty of “mixed terrain” rides in the the area. He was right. (More on that later).

We decided to ride into town after unloading our gear at the Point Reyes Country Inn & Stables. Amy, Margie, Greg and I pedaled the one mile into town to pick up a bicycle map of the area and other supplies (beer). One good thing I discovered in my on-line research is a new bike shop in PRS: Black Mountain Cycles. (Check out Mike’s excellent blog).
Mike BMC.JPG
Mike Varley

The four of us walked into BMC and I asked the proprietor (Mike Varley) about cycling maps and which rides to do. As he was talking I was thinking to myself ‘this guy looks familiar’. I think I blurted out something like, ‘you look familiar. Do we know each other?’ He said, ” is your name Jeff”. It happens that Mike and I used to ride together in the mid ’80′s; Reseda-to-the-Sea, the Bishop 7500, the Ultimate Kamikaze, Mammoth Kamikaze, to name a few.

We did some catching-up while Mike gave us the shop tour. He used to work for Bridgestone and then spent thirteen years with Haro. The topic of his employment with Haro came up when I spotted a Haro off-road tandem. I said, ‘I didn’t know Haro made tandems’ and he replied, “they don’t, it’s a one-off I designed for myself.” (Perks of the trade.) I also learned Mike designed the Mary SS (the bike Jason and Tasha just purchased). Other things to drool over at BMC are vintage bikes from WTB, Steve Potts, Ritchey, and Ibis. It was nice to see an old friend living the dream.

The next morning while Amy, Margie, and Greg went for a ride towards Point Reyes, I headed off to Mt. Tam.
Bolinas Ridge Trail.JPG
Bolinas Ridge Trail

I started on Hwy 1, turned left on Sir Francis Drake Blvd, and had a short climb to the Bolinas Ridge Trailhead. The first half of this beautiful trail (double track) is in exposed grassland with wonderful views of Tomales Bay to the north, and Pine Mountain to the east. The second half is in dense Redwood forest, with occasional views of the Pacific Ocean and Bolinas Bay. The trail is what you would expect from a ridge trail, a lot of up and down with a couple of stiff ascents thrown in to keep you awake.

My plan was to climb Mt. Tamalpais. But when I reached the junction for Tam the State Park had closed the road TO ALL USERS, dashing my hopes for a Mt. Tam epic. At this point in the ride I needed water. I descended Bolinas-Fairfax Rd. and rode to the town of Bolinas. I refilled my Camelbak and worked my way back to Pt.
Reyes Station.
OVT.JPG
Olema Valley Trail

After a short ride on the highway I hooked up with the Olema Valley Trail. The OVT is a five mile singletrack that parallels Hwy 1. I wouldn’t go out of my way to ride this trail, but as part of a larger “mixed terrain” loop it’s a nice addition. The remainder of the ride was on Hwy 1 back to PRS. After five hours in the saddle I was thirsty, hungry, sunburned, tired, and very happy.

On Thursday Amy and I set out for the Inverness Ridge Trail loop. From the town of Pt Reyes we climbed Limantour Rd., a gentle tree covered ascent that would lead us to the Inverness Ridge Trail.
Inverness Trail.JPG
Inverness Ridge Trail

The IRT has a little of everything; fast fire road, hike and bike singletrack, and flowing chaparral-canopy singletrack. It connects Limantour Rd to Mt. Vision Rd. in about three miles.
Amy Mt. Vision.JPG
Amy on Mt. Vision Rd

Mt. Vision Rd was one of the highlights of the trip. From the top of Mt Vision Rd. we were rewarded with amazing unobstructed views of Point Reyes and the northern coastline. And if that wasn’t enough, the road down was almost as nice as the view: A paved one lane road with many Ebbets Pass-like switchbacks with no traffic. Heaven!
PR from Mt. Vision.JPG
Pt. Reyes from Mt. Vision Rd

PRS is a keeper. I wouldn’t mind making this a yearly excursion.
Addendum: Amy also got to ride her friend’s horse on the beach after the riding her
mountain bike on the IVT loop. She was a happy camper.

Movie Night

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Anyone going to the Movie at the Library tonight? I’m going to try and make it…

Movie Night

“A Glimpse of Heaven and a Taste of Hell”
Award winning documentary
2007 Tahoe Rim Endurance Run
Thursday, June 12th, 6:30 p.m.
Library Auditorium
Free and open to the public

“This 2007 film was directed by Tyler Bourns and captures the race event which was held on July 21, 2007. In this 56-minute DVD you will get a chance to see what the 400 entrants from around the world experienced when competing in an ultra distance endurance run on the world famous Tahoe Rim Trail. Athletes were able to choose from a 50 K, 50 -miler, or the exhausting 100-mile National Championship Event. Hosted by Kelly Quinn and told by the participants and volunteers you will discover both the story of ultra running as well as the colorful history of this event.”

Flume Trail by Tandem

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I got stuck working the whole day Sunday, so I thought I deserved a weekend make-up day. I took Tuesday off, and the family and I headed up to Spooner Lake State Park. It was our first Flume Trail ride of the year, but more importantly, my son’s first ever Flume Trail ride!

North Canyon
North Canyon

The elevation gain and distance of this ride will crush the spirits of most seven year olds, but that’s where the beauty of a tandem comes in. You end up doing most of the work, so to them, it’s just another ride! I should clarify that while I did most of the work, my stoker helped out plenty. He was there to deliver an extra boost of power whenever the situation demanded it.

We Made It!
We Made It!

I knew we could do the rest of the ride if we could conquer North Canyon. The last hill climb is pretty tough even on a single bike when you’re in good shape. I was already searching for more gears before we even got to the steep part. We ended up walking a very steep section, but my son grew tired of walking quickly and wanted to ride again. From that point on we just rode water bar to water bar, which are spaced pretty close to each other. We’d hit a water bar, rest, and then pedal to the next one. We were riding up this steep hill, and I was amazed! We celebrated at the top.

Marlette Lake
Marlette Lake

As much as I wanted Charlie to see the Flume Trail, I knew his favorite destination would be Marlette Lake. He thoroughly explored the chimney peninsula, and climbed every rock. I guess he wasn’t shaken too badly by last weekend’s experience! I finally had to beg him to come down, since he was making me nervous. The cold breeze kept us out of the water. Too bad, because the water was just begging to be dived into!

Marlette Lake
Proud Dad

Get Down From There!
Get Down From There!

Water's Edge
Testing the Waters – Brrr!

We visited the Fish and Game station on the south side of the lake, and watched the large trout in the pens. The water was just boiling with them near the inlet! I think Charlie was most interested in the Electric fence though, and wanted to know all about it.

Kristy
Kristy at the Flume Trail Bridge

We had to walk the switchbacks leading down from the dam to the Flume Trail. After that we all rode to the clearing where Lake Tahoe first becomes visible from 1,000 feet above. Charlie’s reaction was no different than everyone else I’ve brought up here over the years. Woooooooowwwww!

Lake Tahoe
Break Time on the Flume Trail

We rode the Flume Trail for about a half mile and had another snack. We had lots of snacks that day. I figured this would be a good place to turn around. I wanted him to have the experience, but not burn him out.

Lake Tahoe
View of Lake Tahoe from the Flume Trail

Before we left though, I told him to take a good look, because this was one of the best views on the whole planet! He seemed to appreciate this fact.

We had one last hill climb, the climb from Marlette back to the saddle above North Canyon.  To motivate Charlie, Kristy challenged us to a race!  Charlie pedaled hard up that hill, and kept telling me to go faster.  We swapped positions all the way up the hill, but in the end, Kristy was no match for team Double Shot.  Either that, or she let us win…

We had a screaming ride down North Canyon. Charlie asked me if we were going faster than a rocket or an airplane. At one point I thought we were experiencing the hiss of a flat tire, but realized it was just my stoker making rocket ship noises.

Flume Trail Bikes
Flume Trail Bikes also has Ice Cream!

Before loading the bikes we visited Max and Patty at Flume Trail bikes, and each picked out a well deserved ice cream.

After returning home, we got cleaned up and went out for a post ride pizza at the Pizza King in Moundhouse. The end to a perfect day!

Post Ride Pizza!
Post Ride Pizza at the Pizza King

More pictures of the ride can be seen by clicking HERE.

Adventures at Lake Tahoe

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I decided to take the day off today. I had to work all day Sunday, so I thought I’d finish off my weekend today! Shortly I’ll be loading up the tandem and Kristy’s Stumpjumper, destination: The Flume Trail! First ride of the year on the Flume for me, first time ever for my 7 year old son. That is if his father can make it up North Canyon… There will be lots of resting and pushing that limo bike I’m sure. I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures, because YEAH! my camera still works! Why wouldn’t it work you ask? It was under the surface of Lake Tahoe for a duration longer than is recommended for electronic devices…

Sand Harbor

On Saturday we attended the DeVito Wedding up at Sand Harbor. What a beautiful place to tie the knot! After the wedding ceremony we hit the beach. There are tons of cool rocks to explore, and before I knew it, my son and his friend were out of my sight on the other side of the cove. I figured I should go check on them and bring them within sight of us.

Newlyweds

When I found them, I found them both in precarious positions. My son’s friend was up high on a big rock that looked like it would be a giant slide into the deep part of the water. It made me nervous, but she’s a good swimmer. Next I found my son at the bottom of a steep climb, standing on a rock next to the deep water. He’s not a good swimmer yet. I started to go down to see him, but couldn’t really find a safe route. I had to ask him how the heck he got down there, and when I did climb down, I wasn’t certain how he’d made it down this route!

Sand Harbor

I told him it was time to start climbing back up, so they could come play closer to the beach. He started to climb up a steep rock, lost traction, and then slipped back into the water! He went down between two big rocks, spaced just over a foot across. He was wedged in, and his head was barely above the water, if at all.

I suddenly became Rambo, and lost all fear. I ran down the rocks, leaped over a boulder, and plunged into the icy waters. All without even a second thought! I got around and under him, and lifted him up high enough so he could climb out. Once we got to a safe spot, I examined him for damage. He was skinned up on his belly, elbows, and knees, but otherwise seemed OK. His first words to me? “I’m a pretty good climber, huh daddy.” And I told him that he was, but that he wasn’t a very good swimmer! We shivered as we picked our way back to the beach. Although I still wasn’t cold…adrenaline was still surging through my body. My shorts were heavy from being wet, and I examined the pockets to see what was weighing them down. Crap! My camera went with me on the rescue mission!

Day at the Beach

The rest of the day was wonderful, and we spent it enjoying the sun and more than a few beers. I had one little emotional outburst when I stopped to reflect on that moment on the rocks, and I still get sick thinking about it even today. It’s a delicate balance with kids! You want to protect them and keep them close, but it’s also important to give them a longer leash to explore and learn about their world. It was a good lesson for both me and my son that day!

I finally got the nerve to power on my camera last night, and it works! I just had to reset the date and time. And speaking of time, it is now time to go ride the Flume Trail!