Goldilocks and the Three Hills

Today's ride was not too long and not too short, not too steep and not too flat. It was ... just right.

A bunch of other cyclists thought so, too—more than a dozen joined us for three climbs deep in the forest.

First, we climbed through the redwoods along Old Santa Cruz Highway, to the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Once is not enough, so we descended back down to the level of Los Gatos Creek and then climbed back up through the redwoods along Wrights Station Road.

Finally, we circled back to climb through the Aldercroft Heights neighborhood. You guessed it: this involved descending back down to the level of the creek, but not another climb to the summit. (If the water district allowed passage along the old railway bed, we would have a direct route to Wrights Station. It is safe to assume that we will never see this.)

Twenty-three miles, some 2700 feet of climbing. No bears were sighted.