A Pair of Peaks

“I like Country View, the road is in great condition and there's no traffic,” commented our ride leader.

Those are words I never expected to hear in the same sentence (“like” and “Country View”), but that's what she said.

Fortunately I'm not required to climb this punishing little hill, as just desserts for having introduced it to our club. There were a few first-timers on the ride today, including one who was in way over her head. [She bailed out before the midway point.]

Seemed like I should be able to pedal up the whole way. Without a break. Having done that before, I know I can do it again. [That sort of self-talk helps.]

There is a driveway where I've paused before, and that's where I passed our ride leader. Because I remember that although the road keeps climbing after that, it's ever-so-slightly less steep around that next bend, I can make it. [And I did.]

The reward at the top is a clear view of Mt. Umunhum to the west and much of the Santa Clara Valley and Diablo range to the east. Calero Reservoir is visible only from a lower point. There is also a view of the IBM Almaden building at the top of the next bump we'd tackle, though that part is private and off-limits. Bernal Road has its uphill moments; after Country View they felt like small moments indeed.

I spotted a hand-made “deer xing” at the bottom, alongside the Santa Teresa Golf Club's greens, and looked to the right. Well-placed.

46 miles, only 2,410 feet of climbing ... so you see, much of it was flat. More or less.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Back home, after all that riding, and off the bike for an entire week.

That's just not right, not right at all.

Having donated blood two days earlier, what I needed was an easy-going ride. Short, nothing to get my heart rate up too high.

There was a club ride that fit the bill: just one hill to climb. [So it's steep. Get over it.]

Normally the group would make a turn to climb up a side road, toward Walden West. The plan today was to bypass that, going straight to Sanborn County Park instead.

There was some chatter about going to the very end of the road. [Huh. What's up there?] I hadn't visited the actual park in years; the road doesn't end at the park?

Of course I had to keep going.

There was a spirited disagreement about whether, if you kept going past the end of the pavement, you would connect to Bohlman or Black. Looking at the map, it appears that both answers are correct—though private property might get in your way.

Twenty-eight miles, 1,735 feet of climbing.

Easy. Like Sunday morning.