Showing posts with label Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Show all posts

February 14, 2015

On Being Excessive

Stand of redwoods near the store in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California
My thoughts wandered as I passed the towering redwoods on today's ride. The age of the trees, the age of the planet, the age of the universe, the age of the cyclist having these thoughts.

On a recent visit to the local library, I spied a copy of Half the Road on a rack and checked it out. A documentary I had meant to watch, then forgotten.

Not being a runner, I didn't know the story of K. V. Switzer, the first woman to register successfully and run the Boston Marathon. There were shots of the race manager physically accosting her, trying to pull off her race numbers—women were not allowed to run more than 800 meters, much less a marathon. In 1967. I remember 1967.

Our group was heading for a 65-mile ride with some 6,800 feet of climbing, and that was more than I wanted: more distance, more climbing. I hatched an alternate plan that would shave off some distance and elevation. My ride partner, working to rebuild endurance after a hiatus off the bike, trusted me.

pep and her bicycle standing inside a hollowed-out, burned redwood tree, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, CaliforniaThe film also told the story of an angry letter from the chauvinistic UCI to the organizer of the Women's Challenge bicycle race, refusing to sanction the event because it included excessive climbing. Excessive stage distances. Excessive number of stages. Excessive duration of event. Women weren't allowed to climb that many feet, cycle those distances, ride that many days. In 1990. In 1990, 1967 was 23 years ago.

To say that I had miscalculated our alternate route would be ... an understatement. It was how far from the park's headquarters to Boulder Creek? [Uh-oh.] And I'd thought we'd climb just a couple of miles back to the intersection that had led us to the park. [It was nearly eight miles.]

The film was inspiring with stories of strong, determined women. And here we were: not racing, but headstrong and determined to finish. “Where's my chauffeur?” joked my ride buddy. “Send the limo!”

My ill-conceived route entailed 64 miles with 6,180 feet of climbing. I got home in time to return the DVD to the library. By bike.

November 28, 2009

Mycological Wonderland

Having indulged in a deserved rest day after Thursday's climb, Saturday was reserved for a fresh hiking adventure.

Six of us set out from the Rancho del Oso trailhead at Big Basin Redwoods State Park. I have happy memories of many excursions to Big Basin's waterfalls along this less-traveled route, but today's group deemed that destination too ambitious. Our shorter "eight-mile" hike turned out to be even longer (13 miles). [Ahem.] Although we did not quite make it to the overlook we sought (the summit of Mt. McAbee at 1,730 feet), the ridge delivered impressive wind gusts and grand views of steep, tree-lined canyons all the way to the shimmering Pacific.

Undeterred by a sign warning that the bridge over Waddell Creek had been removed for the winter, we followed the scenic bypass rather than the wide, flat fire road that forms this end of the Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail. Now I understand why my regular hiking companion has always insisted that we stay on the fire road. Up, up, up goes the bypass, until it goes down, down, down to the creek. The water level was low in spite of Friday's rain showers, so it was straightforward to ford the rocky creek bed without getting more than the soles of our boots wet.

The base of the McCrary Ridge Trail is marked with this sign. Need I say more? We headed straight up. Overall elevation gain for the day was somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 feet.

On the trails, we crossed paths with only one fellow hiker. Along the way were banana slugs, a newt, and more varieties of mushroom than I have ever seen.


If there are any muscles in my legs, ankles, or feet that aren't sore now, I am not sure they have a purpose.

Okay, so what did you expect me to do? Go shopping?