Wednesday, Sep 18 2013
Chris Writes:
Six made it to breakfast and a great ride. Jonathan Jefferies, wwwobble, Brent Hansen, Dick Zunkel, Chris Weld and the new guy, Buck Allison, all turned-to. The missing? Where were Joe Steiner, Marco Hyman, Bill Grass and Randy Bush, to name but a few.
Chris was late getting to the GG Bridge meeting point, arriving seven minutes late, this inspite of leaving early. (Where did all these %^&$# people come from?) We (Zunkel, Allison and Weld) waited a few minutes for others who may have been ‘caught-up’ in traffic and shoved-off. The other three riders were already at the restaurant and wasted no time in dishing-out the grief, studying their watches and announcing the time. Oh well!
We beat a post breakfast dash up US 101 for the central Healdsburg exit and a mile’er so of Westside Road, turning NB on Dry Creek Road for Skaggs Springs. We made a pit stop at the fish hatchery at Lake Sonoma to off-load fast moving coffee. We stopped again in just a few miles for the overlook of Lake Sonoma and took a couple of group photos before continuing WB. We passed the sign, ‘No Services Next 50 Miles’ and rode the twisting highway to the Annapolis turn-off and bridge. Brother Zunkel was dissappointed to find his long ago found wrecked Mercury had been removed and a chain-link fence errected.
You can’t go back!
We turned south on Tin Barn and the Buddhist’s enclave is now almost invisible due tree growth, and it is something to see. (You can’t go back!). We turned onto King Ridge and the vineyards recently planted there (3-4 years ago) are now healthy and producing. The old one-room schoolhouse, erected with hand forged square nails, is no more. It’s just a flat scattering of sun-bleached wood today. (You can’t go back!). About now our lone Alameda rider (there’s usually two), is complaining of the need for beverage. He was warm it being a hot day and his Aerostitch suit wasn’t helping him retain body moisture. Cazadero was about 13 miles distant on the single-track roadway. We found the general store and cold beverages, plus microwave sandwiches and were thus able to calm Jonathan.
Brothers Burns (wobble) and Jefferies needed to beat a fast track home which they did upon reaching Hwy#116. The ‘real riders’ turned the other way for Duncan Mills, Moscow Road and the Bohemian Highway through Occidental and Freestone where Bro. Hansen turned toward home, he living in Sebastopol. That left Zunkel, Weld and Allison to wend their way to Hwy #1, Valley Forge and Middle Road for Tomales and Chelano Valley etc. for the Cheese Factory west of Novato. We worked our way through Nicasio and then Lucas Valley Rd and Hwy#101. Allison wanted gas, as that low-fuel light can be annoying. We gassed-up and he parted for home while Zunkel tried to connect with his child bride via cell phone.
Thereafter Zunkel and Weld jumped on the highway for the GG Bridge and were making excellent time right to the top of the Waldo Grade when everything came to a screeching halt. It took us a half-hour to go from the top of the grade to the bridge’s surface. (Where do all these &*^%$ people come from?) In the old days…but then, you can’t go back!
Pictures from Chris and Bob
Lake Sonoma
Overlook Lk Sonoma
Skaggs Sprngs Rd
Skaggs Sprgs#2
Tin Barn
King Ridge
King Ridge2
King Ridge3