December 30, 2016

On a Winter's Day

One way to overcome the winter funk that's been keeping me off the bike is to persuade a friend to join me. My chief biking buddy has been in a similar funk.

Yellow wildflowers in a field leading to olive green, oak-studded hills, San Jose, California
My strategy worked: we wouldn't let each other down, so we both showed up. (I admit that I checked my email a few times before leaving the house, just in case she backed out.)

Cloudy skies and hills reflected on the surface of the Chesbro Reservoir, Morgan Hill, California
We did an abbreviated version of a club ride; I wasn't sure how well I'd get up the hills, and she's still coughing from a lingering cold.

Oak trees and a rocky hill, Morgan Hill, California
On such a gloomy day I feared there would be no photo-worthy scenes; I snapped the first photo early and expected it to be the last. (Silly me.)

Turkey vulture soaring above oak trees, Morgan Hill, California
At the base of the second hill, a pair of turkey vultures swirled as they were lifted by the warming air—the sun finally broke through.

For my 2016 season finale, I managed to bike 23 miles and climb a measly 665 feet.

End of year wrap: I climbed more than 140,000 feet and covered more than 3,725 miles on the bike. How much time did that take? More than 415 hours (not all of that in motion). Evidently I also walked (and hiked) more than 346 miles.

Somehow it all adds up.

December 25, 2016

Christmas Cliffs

It was a moody sort of day as we set off on our Christmas stroll.

Silvery waves and a black cliff under gray, overcast skies, Pacific Ocean, Half Moon Bay, California
I was happy to be spending this day, again, with a good friend.

Dry reeds flanked by bright green hills, with Pacific Ocean waves and a cloud-dappled blue sky, Half Moon Bay, California
Forsaking the tide pools at Pillar Point this year, we headed south along the cliffs. The overcast skies transitioned to blue, and some of the hills had turned emerald green.

Driftwood in the foreground, small waterfall in a stream passing under a bridge at the beach, Half Moon Bay, California
We descended to a few beaches along the way. One revealed a small waterfall that we would cross on the bridge above.

Breaking waves at the foot of golden cliffs, Half Moon Bay, California
With the sun low in the sky, the cliffs begin to glow long before sunset.

Acres of Brussels sprouts near Half Moon Bay, California
If you haven't visited coastal California, you might be surprised by the vast agricultural acres that often stretch to the end of the cliffs. Brussels sprouts were in abundance.

Heron in flight, Ritz-Carlton hotel in the background, Half Moon Bay, California
A rude woman with a small dog flushed a stately heron into flight, not content to admire the bird from a respectable distance.

By the time we returned to our car, guests at the Ritz-Carlton were clustered around their firepits. In one ground-level room, I spied an astonishing mountain of brightly-wrapped presents.

We celebrated an eight-mile hike, and more importantly, the gift of good friendship.