Holy Howling Headwind

Ice Cream Grade intersects Candy Lane, but there is no ice cream or candy within miles (unless you stuffed some in your pockets). There is plenty of grade, however.

We had a lovely excursion through the redwoods and along the coast today. The headwind demanded some pedaling even while descending Bonny Doon's 10% grade, and the crosswinds were a challenge for bike handling. For that matter, so were the dogs.

Climbing Smith Grade, something started smashing down the steep embankment on my right, and it wasn't stopping. Through the brush, I caught a glimpse of a tawny, wriggling animal (was I about to come face-to-face with my first mountain lion?!) before not one, but two, dogs scrambled in front of me. Nervous, but not yet panicking, I slowed down. They looked like well-fed bulldogs and seemed preoccupied with their particular quest, which luckily did not involve me. Whew.

We passed (and in turn, were passed by) some Bicycle Trip race team members training on Swanton Road. Their quest did not involve me either, and I behaved myself and did not try to give chase. Returning along Highway 1 to Davenport for lunch, with the howling wind finally at my back, I reached a downhill stretch that was traffic-free and gave it everything I had: 44.2 mph. While inside the bakery, I watched a motorcyclist in full leathers check out my bike. Was he a bicyclist, too? Or was he thinking I might be crazy to do 44 mph on those skinny tires? In spandex, no less.

Our route intersected with another club ride - a long distance training ride. These guys set out to ride 110 miles today, with nearly 8,000 feet of climbing - yet they seemed impressed that we were climbing Bonny Doon. Okay, so they weren't doing anything that steep today, but they could. And they could easily climb it twice as fast.

On the way home I visited a covered bridge that is on the National Register of Historic Places, spanning the San Lorenzo River in Felton. Believed to be the tallest covered bridge in the U.S., somehow this local landmark had escaped my notice (till now). There were lots of families enjoying a breezy, carefree afternoon in the adjacent park.

37 miles, 3,965 feet of climbing for the day. My reward? A luscious, chocolate-dipped strawberry. Remember, eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.