Laboring the Day Away

What better way to spend the Labor Day holiday than climbing a few hills? I will admit to a few doubts when the alarm went off, my night's sleep having been interrupted by unusual noises. Dishes? Why does it sound like someone is clattering dishes in the sink? 1:30 a.m. The cat was neither the culprit, nor concerned.

Mystery investigated and solved: My neighbors, for whom cleanliness is a virtue above all others, were still tidying up after having had some guests over. I knew they were prepping for company, as they had power-washed the house, the front walk, the back patio, the driveway, and their side of the fence. And I'm supposed to install a low-flow shower head? Don't get me started.

Lying abed, I pondered my options. I did a hard ride on Saturday, after all. The next day, I was rather a couch potato until I was invited for a Sunday drive (which was fabulous, but did involve more sitting). Dinner culminated in a decadent serving of chocolate fudge cake (oh, the flesh is weak). Get up, get out, get moving.

I managed to do more climbing (5,055 feet) over less distance (45.3 miles) than I did on Saturday. In the photo at the top, you can see the curves of Montebello Road to the right, Stevens Creek Reservoir below, and clear across the Santa Clara Valley to Mt. Hamilton and the peaks of the Diablo Range. The fall harvest is nigh at Ridge, a pair of deer paused to watch me on Montebello before splitting to sprint in opposite directions, and my tools rescued a mountain biker with a slipped cleat on Mt. Eden Road. Best of all, descending Highway 9 into Saratoga, I validated my hunch that I would be faster than the lumpy Prius that held us back on Sunday night. I wish more people understood how to drive ...