Sea Otter Classic

For many years I've heard the buzz about a huge cycling festival, the Sea Otter Classic, held annually in the Monterey area. But I was not curious enough to go.

Until this year.

The MS Society would have a booth there to promote their Waves to Wine cycling event, and needed volunteers to help staff it. In return, we'd get a free pass. [Sign me up!]

I donned last year's jersey and brought a cycling friend (captain of the team I joined last year) who is afflicted with multiple sclerosis.

While we waited at the entrance gate, I chatted with a guy wearing a Sea Otter-emblazoned jacket. He'd been attending the festival for 30 or more years and told us that it would draw 74,000 people. [Yikes!] On the weekend, the crowds would be so thick that you would just have to go with the flow of bodies (and bikes).

This being Friday, the vibe was more to my liking. A few families, plenty of room for people to meander or even ride their bikes through the exhibit area.

Mountain bikes, mostly. Which is what I expected, and why I'd never felt drawn to this event.

Never say never ... over the weekend, lots of people would pass the Bike MS booth and learn about the cause. Maybe some would actually sign up to raise money and ride? But, well, the Sea Otter is mostly about mountain biking.

Our booth was part of the giant trade show, with all the major brands represented: bikes, parts, attire, and all sorts of cycling-related gear. Our mission was to catch the attention of passers-by, hoping to persuade some to sign up for Waves to Wine. Which is a job for which I'm not particularly well-suited, empathizing with those who'd quickly turn their gaze elsewhere when they sensed you were about to approach them. I had better luck when I wandered through the sea of booths, handing a flyer to a woman with a road bike who was sporting a Sierra to the Sea jersey.

I managed to engage with a few guys who paused at our booth and seemed intrigued: hailing from Brazil, Italy, and Spain. Which was consistent with the hype I'd heard about this being the world's biggest cycling festival.

I had a little time to wander; enough to find the Bianchi booth and confirm, for a friend, that they are indeed not making an electrified road bike in the size she needs (43). Enough time to know that I would not come back to brave the crowds and explore the full event on Sunday. [Or, probably, ever.]

Trailing Thoughts

I was planning to bike—not hike—today.

But then I was jarred this morning by the unexpected, and very sad news, that a friend's husband had passed away. I was shaken and distracted; when my first, second, and third route plans were thwarted, I decided that the universe was telling me to stay off the bike.

I made a sandwich, traded biking attire for hiking attire, and headed for a suitably challenging trek—one that I imagined he might have enjoyed.

Up the hill I went, at an especially slow pace: stopping often to examine whatever caught my eye.

I discovered a clearing I don't recall noticing before, and perched on a log to enjoy my lunch. (After ensuring there were no hidden snakes sharing the space.)

I had seen a few elusive butterflies fluttering about, which I knew were Sara Orangetips. Some butterflies will linger on a host plant; others, like these, rarely seem to alight for more than a second. I rounded a bend on the trail and suddenly found a slew of them busy with some yellow flowers. With a little patience, and plenty of blurry misses, I was able to get some decent shots.

I'd figured I'd turn back at the trail junction, but stopped short of that when I considered how much time I'd need to hike back down.

Hiking over 7 miles (round-trip) made my body suitably tired and soothed my soul.

It was a day to appreciate the privilege of being here, to see and hear and feel the world around me.

Take nothing for granted: not one single day.

Flowers, Eclipsed

Rancho Cañada del Oro was on a list of sites recommended for wildflower viewing. I've hiked here before, more than once, though I didn't have vivid memories. [I do now!]

A friend who hikes here regularly gave me a valuable tip to reach a bridge that would cross a seasonally-broad stream at the beginning of our 4.3-mile loop.

We startled a small pack of deer.

I was really impressed with the views. A couple of people had shared that this was their favorite place to hike, and I see why.

The trails passed through open fields as well as below tree cover.

We arrived at a comfortable vista point, complete with a picnic table, at the time for peak viewing of the solar eclipse in our area. (If I had tried, I couldn't have planned it better.)

Well outside the area of totality, we could nonetheless see what we could see: a dark, curved chunk (blotting out less than 30%) slowly creeping from right to left across the bottom of the sun.

And the reason we could see that was thanks to one of our regular hikers, whose well-prepared partner supplied us with a bunch of the proper ISO-compliant safety glasses.

Oh, and there were some flowers, too—like these California golden violets, as yellow as the sun (with their own dark spots).

San Andreas Lake

It's a good time of year to cycle along Cañada Road—hills are green, wildflowers are blooming. My chief cycling buddy agreed, and we met up in Portola Valley. The area is teeming with cyclists on weekends, much to the dismay of some residents. It's advisable to be on one's best behavior when pedaling through the tony towns.

Our timing was such that the locally notorious massive peloton whizzed past before we rolled out.

Returning along Cañada, I passed a guy who appeared much stronger than I. Clearly faster, he sat on my wheel for quite some time (rather than passing me, in turn). I don't offer much of a draft, but ... whatever. And sure enough, at some point he finally pulled around and powered away.

We could have extended our route, but we were content to finish after 23 somewhat hilly miles. Neither one of us has been cycling enough, and we need to fix that.

Fresh Flowers

Flowers, flowers ... where are the flowers?

We expected more flowers than we found, but hiking this 4.6 mile loop in the counter-clockwise direction promised a strong finish (flower-wise). We've hiked these trails before, but this time we started from a different trailhead in the southwest corner of Santa Teresa County Park.

Maybe it's a bit early for the flowers? (Despite all the rain we've had.) The California poppies, however, did not disappoint. Distracted by the dazzling blooms, watch your step along the rocky trail!

Comrades, Conversation, and Croissants

Former colleagues and friends proposed that we gather for a comfortable hike; I suggested the Los Gatos Creek Trail. And as ordinary as that might seem, we were surprised to spot turtles and black-crowned night herons in the creek bed! Take nothing for granted, in the Bay Area.

Besides, it was a beautiful day.

Thinking ahead, they'd made lunch reservations—and we were happy to eat (and continue chatting), after ambling close to 4.5 miles.

But what about those croissants? After lunch, we were enticed to visit one more location, for pastries.

What's not to like about any of that?

Three-mile Adventure

Although I've visited the Cherry Springs area of Sierra Azul before, if I have no other plans when the next outing is scheduled, I'm in. Like today.

We started with a little bonus walk through open meadows before moving on to the regular loop. A rafter of turkeys was surprised to see us; a male was strutting his stuff to impress the hens (not the humans).

Along the way we passed a dead tree that was studded with acorns—surely the handiwork (uh, “beakwork?”) of our local acorn woodpeckers.

The first time I did this hike, one of the guys had a curiously large backpack. Larger than anything I'd carry on an all-day hike. He joined us again today; when we reached a section of trail that was blocked, he pulled a hand saw out of that pack. A couple of other hikers were prepared with gloves, and just like that(!) the trail was cleared.

Our group included a couple of teens with their family, and I was impressed that they were just as keen to study the flora and fauna as any of us. As they helped to clear the fallen branches, one was excited when he found a newt. We all got a close look, and the newt got some needed hydration (raindrops from a water bottle) before it was returned to ground level.

Go for a hike! A world of little surprises is there for you to discover.