Mid-Week Rides: March ride

I met Chris at the north end of the Golden Gate bridge about 8:45. The weatherdood was mostly correct. I rode through a few showers in the city; the prognosis was for mostly blue sky. We left the bridge about 8:55 and headed to the restaurant

Randy joined us at the restaurant where I ate way too much for breakfast. Note to self: skip the breakfast burrito next time.
It’s huge!

Chris writes: We’ve had a great deal of heavy rain which ended the day of our ride, creeks and lakes are full; vineyards flooded. This lead to our first ‘spectacle’ at Cohn Dam (Hwy#128) just east of Rutherford. Cohn Dam creates Lake Hennesey, Napa’s water supply. … I’ve never seen the likes of this before.

How many riders does it take to put on a pair of totes? Three, if you include the one taking the pictures.

We stopped at the lake Hennesey boat launch to unload some of the excess coffee obtained at breakfast.

Chris says: Just before the Blacksmith’s Shop at Pope Valley we turned East for Lake Berryessa and Lower Lake (Clear Lake), the start of the ‘Big Wendy’. Lake Berryessa was full like I’d never seen before, took two pics from the same spot on the bridge…

Note the concentration of our ride leader in action. I got to play in the mud when I parked the bike to take that picture.

Who knew that just a few miles later all of us would get to play in the mud, albeit just a little bit of mud. The only interesting thing here was when Chris got his left foot tangled in a branch for 1/2 a second.

Hmmm, Randy was leading for a few miles when we ran into this situation: Go on Randy, it doesn’t look that deep!

Chris says: I’ve leaned into the wind, I’ve leaned into corners, but here you’ll note the rider must lean into the current.

Chris gets a chance to show off his water crossing skills, too.

Chris says: We rode up the hill, around the bend (not 300 yards), and encountered the same stream, same situation but with sufficient differences that (we mutually agreed), called for a ‘Wendy’. Deep, slick ‘goo’ on the far side, the narrower crossing (read deeper/faster water) lead to our decision and the 26 mile ‘Wendy’. Lower Lake would have to wait.

Chris says: Aetna Springs was a resort establishment abandoned some time in the late 40’s, early 50’s and is accessed by a paved dead-end road. We rode-up to take a look. Somebody is working to bring it back, a couple buildings have been restored, but lots yet to go. There’s a golf course across the street, little one, I’d guess only a ‘nine-holer’. The stone work here gives a hint as to this place’s past ‘glory’.