June 4, 2016

The Newest Grads

Another school year has drawn to a close, and has traditionally been the case, the all-night party would coincide with a heat wave. Facing what was bound to be a miserable night's sleep, the solution was obvious. Run away!

Academy graduates gather in a circle, Cabrillo College, Aptos, California
The coast was foggy and cool; I found sanctuary—peace and quiet—in a hotel. Better still, on Saturday morning I would be mere minutes from the start of a special club ride: a supported metric century for the graduates of the club's “academy” for new riders. This is an impressive achievement: that after 12 weeks of instruction and progressively longer rides, these folks were ready to ride 100 km.

Ferns under the redwoods along Hazel Dell Road, Watsonville, California
Although I had never joined this ride in the past, the route was familiar; much of it overlapped with the traditional Strawberry Fields Forever route (in reverse: clockwise). The first rest stop refueled us with apple strudel and strawberries before we embarked on the gentle climb along Hazel Dell. Point-and-shoot cameras struggle with the dynamic range of the redwood forest, but hopefully you get the picture.

Aermotor towers over apple trees, Gizdich Ranch, Watsonville, California
Our next stop was Gizdich Ranch; without the crowds, we gathered in the picnic area—where I found (you guessed it!) an Aermotor that had heretofore escaped my notice. The freshly-baked olallieberry pie was still warm!

Pickleweed at the Elkhorn Slough, Elkhorn, California
By the time I reached Elkhorn, there were no riders on my tail. That made it easy to pause for a photo of the bright-orange pickleweed in the upper reaches of the slough, a shot I'd passed up a couple of weeks ago. Our next rest stop featured fresh cherries.

Bicycles on a chilly day at Manresa State Beach, Watsonville, California
I motored along toward our final rest stop, at the beach. In this direction, of course, we faced headwinds. Along the way I chatted with one of the instructors (club member volunteers, all), who told me that the students had done a 55-mile ride last week. Impressive. (But I repeat myself.) Here we were treated to homemade snickerdoodles. And more strawberries.

I was uncertain about a turn near the end of the route, which led to an extra mile for me before I backtracked; in all,
64 miles, 2650 feet of climbing.

A waffle for breakfast, strudel for lunch, pie for dinner, fresh fruit for a snack, and cookies for dessert. Not to mention good company, beautiful scenery, and cool temperatures. What a day! What a club!

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