 |
Bill Bikes My bicycling expeditions and jaunts |
 |
Blizzard on Bald Mountain
24 February 2023
It almost never snows in Santa Rosa. The flurries last night were unusual. What's more, overnight the hills around here received more snow than they have in probably 40 or 50 years. Naturally, I decided to head for higher elevations in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park where I thought I might find a couple of inches of accumulation.I loaded the Ogre in the back of the Forester, but I figured the situation might rule out pedaling, so I also loaded gear for hiking. Sure enough, it soon became apparent that bicycling conditions would not be optimal.
Consequently, this turned into hiking expedition, and I didn't even manage to pose the Ogre in the snow for some cool photos.
But the expedition wasn't entirely devoid of bicycles.
Driving toward the park, I could tell there would be plenty of snow as I climbed to higher elevations.
The road into the park was closed due to snow, ice, slush, and downed trees. I parked nearby and switched from cycling mode to hiking mode.
Trekking up the road in snow flurries.
A couple of miles later, I reached the visitor center.
A worker waved at me. No one else around. Technically, the park was closed.
Lots of snow on the hillsides, and more snowflakes coming down.
The Bald Mountain trailhead.
I've been here a million times, but never have I seen snow at the trailhead.
No one else has been here to disturb the snow, but plenty of animal tracks.
After carefully ascending the snowy trail, I reached the fire road leading to Red Mountain and Bald Mountain.
I could see tracks of one person ahead of me. Pushing a bicycle. Occasionally I'd see a spot where he pedaled for a few feet, then started pushing again. Too steep and snow too deep to stay in the saddle.
Eventually I met the bicyclist riding down the fire road. He told me that farther up the road was completely blocked by downed trees.
The bicyclist and I swapped photos of each other.
Gaining elevation on the fire road. Snow gets deeper as I get higher.
View from the fire road.
When I came to this blockade, I could see the biker had turned around here.
Even on foot there was no easy way for me to get around, over, under, or through this spot. Needed a chainsaw, which I did not have with me. I decided to head back down. End of the line.
So I didn't make it to the summit, but it was a spectacular treat to see this familiar landscape covered in a pristine blanket of snow. It will probably never happen again in my lifetime.
~ 95 ~
| bstone@sonic.net | ::: Bill Books ::: Bill Bikes ::: Bill Games ::: | Copyright © 1983-2021 Bill Stone |