The Ride of Spring

It was that time of year. The time when cyclists converge on Calaveras Road while the hills are green and festooned with flowers.

When I proposed this route, a couple of friends shared that one of the local clubs would be out in force. [Plenty of road for all of us.]

It was a thrill to see so much water in the reservoir! Landslides that had blocked the road a few weeks ago had been cleared, allowing us to head for our planned stop at the Sunol Regional Wilderness Preserve. As luck would have it, we arrived just as a ranger began turning would-be visitors away. Alas, no more parking spaces ... for vehicles. We cruised right on in and settled at a picnic table in a grassy field near the ranger station. Knowing where to find us, two friends left their club crowd to join us.

Leapin' lupines!

Having dreaded the climb up the Wall this morning, I surprised myself by being a mere six seconds slower than my best (known) time. Not to mention a new personal best (by 25 seconds) on the steady 2.6 mile climb after leaving the park. I guess I'm in better shape than I thought? Though my legs were sore after finishing the ride with 30 miles and over 2,700 feet of climbing. (Sore, in a good way.)