Bill Bikes
My bicycling expeditions and jaunts

Home  News  Tours  Rides  Articles  Riders  Pix  Links  About  Search



Elephant Rocks with Jeff
6 August 2021

Santa Rosa has been incredibly lucky. Despite all the wildfires raging in northern California, the prevailing winds have prevented smoke from drifting our way. That was expected to change today, with temperature into the 90s, smoke, and unhealthy air quality in the forecast.

What to do? Jeff and I headed for the coast. We drove to Two Rock and parked at the church, then mounted up and pedaled toward the ocean. No smoke this close to the coast. It was sunny and about 70° when we left Two Rock, about 60° when we reached Elephant Rocks, and at least 80° when we got back to Two Rock, and much warmer (and smoky) in Santa Rosa when we returned.

After eating our sandwiches and exploring Elephant Rocks, we took a slightly different route back. On one of the steep downhill segments, Jeff hit 40 MPH. I reached 38 MPH but had to hold it down a little because the front end started to feel squirrelly. The Ogre ain't built for speed. Neither am I.

Overall, we saw approximately a dozen other bicycles. In fact, back on Whitaker Bluff Road, we encountered an old faculty colleague from our pre-retirement days on campus. He was riding with three other people, including a guy on a bike with homemade electric assist and every electrical gadget you could imagine, except a microwave oven.

We didn't need electric assist or a microwave on the way back to Two Rock, because the breeze picked up quite a bit, and we enjoyed a big tailwind all the way to the car.

After turning onto low-traffic Fallon - Two Rock Road, we received a pleasant surprise.

This was always the bumpy-est, scabby-est, pot-hole-iest road in the county, but now it's the perfectly-est smoothly-est.


One of the side roads off Fallon - Two Rock. We didn't explore any of these today.


I just wanted to get a photo of the sign.

After we cross Route 1 (the Pacific Coast bikeway), this becomes Whitaker Bluff Road.


Here's Jeff, almost at the end of Whitaker Bluff Road, overlooking the bridge over the Estero San Antonio.

At the insistence of our dermatologists, under our helmets we have matching caps with neck flaps.

We are so very snazzy. My ace support crew always finds me irresistible, and I'm sure Carol feels the same way about Jeff.


Jeff exploring the eroded and exposed hillside along the road.

Probably some dinosaur fossils to be found, or remains of ancient bicyclists.


At the end of the road, we turned left onto Valley Ford - Franklin School Road, crossed the Estero, and started uphill.

I paused to snap a photo of the hills to the east. And catch my breath.


Jeff sails up the hill.

I swear he must have installed hidden electric assist.


At a pullout just over the summit, there's a good view west across the Pacific Ocean.

The long, narrow finger jutting from left to right is Tomales Point on the Point Reyes peninsula. That's the location of one of my favorite hiking trails. Ask Jeff and Cap'n Will about their wet boots.

Between the peninsula and the mainland, the narrow body of water is Tomales Bay. Point Reyes Station is farther to the left. Dillon Beach is straight ahead, steeply down from the edge of the bluffs.


And here we are at Elephant Rocks.


Looking across Tomales Bay, Tomales Point, and the Pacific Ocean from Elephant Rocks.


The Ogre at Elephant Rocks.


Lunchtime at Elephant Rocks.


You know the Ogre loves to pose.


Me too!

Cool and windy out here by the ocean, so I don my windbreaker.

(Photo by Jeff)


Steady!

I could just about sail away on the gusts blowing off the ocean.

(Photo by Jeff)


Another view west.


I'm not the only one climbing the rocks.

Up goes Jeff.


There's Jeff, king of the world.


Greetings and farewell from Elephant Rocks.


PS: Almost exactly one year ago today, I was pedaling out this way with a special surprise ending: Sonomarin.

Summary

Date: 6 August 2021
Time: 11:00 - 2:00
Weather: 70-60-80° F, partly cloudy with increasing wind
Route: Two Rock - Fallon - Elephant Rocks
Distance: 25 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: With Jeff

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I'd like to hear from you.

~ 125 ~



Home   News   Tours   Rides   Articles   Riders   Pix   Links   About   Search
bstone@sonic.net

Bill Stone

::: Bill Books ::: Bill Bikes ::: Bill Games ::: Copyright © 1983-2021 Bill Stone