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Bill Bikes My bicycling expeditions and jaunts |
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| News and Notes, 20 April 2024 | New photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
This day in my biking history, 20 April 1983 - 20 April 2024
→ Monterey Peninsula, April 2017 (opens in new window/tab)
→ Belly of the Beast, April 2019
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we will be on hiatus for an indefinite period of time.
Photo of the Month
16 December 2023
Monthly favorite photograph from my rides in years gone by.
This month: San Francisco, April 2016.
Can I get a leaf blower for Christmas?
15 December 2023
Time: 12:30 - 2:30
Weather: 55-60°, mostly cloudy
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Out at the end of the Greenway, the trees must think it's autumn, because they have completely covered the trail with leaves.
Fog Lake
13 December 2023
This morning dawned foggy. I decided to head for Spring Lake to see about a few Misty Moody photos....
Recovery
5 December 2023
Time: 12:00 - 1:00
Weather: 60°, mostly sunny
Route: Spring Lake
Distance: 10 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Recovering from a respiratory ailment probably induced by a gaggle of snot-ridden grandchildren at Thanksgiving. Is it possible to pedal while unable to breathe? PS: I pulled the bottom bracket, greased it liberally, and reinstalled. I might have finally eradicated that annoying intermittent noise.
Video: Munda Biddi
1 December 2023
Munda Biddi: Solo Bikepacking and Camping in Western Australia by Kayleigh Brown. (YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
[Screen grab from Kayleigh Brown's video. →]
Maintenance
16 November 2023
Time: 12:00 - 1:00
Weather: 65°, dark clouds
Route: Spring Lake
Distance: 9 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: We had a few rainy days, and I took that opportunity to perform a little maintenance on the Ogre. Today, with more rain forecast for later in the afternoon, I pedaled over to Spring Lake for a quick lap to see if all systems remained in working order in the wake of my mechanical ministrations.
Photo of the Month
15 November 2023
Monthly favorite photograph from my rides in years gone by.
This month: Golden Gate Bridge, April 2016.
Greenway trikes
9 November 2023
Time: 12:30 - 2:30
Weather: 60° - 65°, overcast and breezy
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: While on the way out the Greenway, I spotted these two enjoying an outing on their trikes.
Dia De Los Muertos
2 November 2023
Time: 12:00 - 1:30
Weather: 65° - 70°, sunny
Route: Downtown
Distance: 13 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: The annual two-day Day of the Dead celebration downtown at Courthouse Square resumed this afternoon. Not much going on when I rolled up, but I know the action increases when the sun goes down.
Video: Mongolia
1 November 2023
Solo Cycling Mongolia by Giacomo Turco. (YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
[Screen grab from Giacomo Turco's video. →]
Halloween
30 October 2023
Pedaling the neighborhood in search of the biggest, wildest, scariest, and tackiest decorations....
Greenway
24 October 2023
Time: 11:30 - 1:30
Weather: 65° - 70°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Beautiful autumn day for a quiet spin out the Greenway and back. Construction continues on the "affordable" apartment complex alongside the path on the site of the old cannery.
Tour de Murals
20 October 2023
Thanks to a coordinated project bringing together the talents of multiple artists, the exterior walls of several buildings in downtown Santa Rosa sport big, new, colorful murals....
Spring Lake
16 October 2023
Time: 12:30 - 2:00
Weather: 65° - 70°, cloudy
Route: Spring Lake Regional Park
Distance: 12 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: A few quick miles. Seeing tons of elaborate and extravagant Halloween decorations on the way to and from the park. Might need to photograph a few next time.
Photo of the Month
15 October 2023
Monthly favorite photograph from my rides in years gone by.
This month: Salton Sea, March 2016.
Pilgrimage
11 October 2023
Time: 11:30 - 1:30
Weather: 65° - 70°, sunny and windy
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: I encountered a group of about 25 backpackers on the Greenway. When I slowed down to talk to the guy who seemed to be the leader, he explained they were on a six-day pilgrimage on the Camino de Sonoma, walking from the town of Sonoma to Fort Ross, the site of the old Russian fort on the coast. It turned out this was in part a legacy of my old friend, the late Jeff Tobes (not to be confused with my bicycling friend Jeff), who for many years led groups on long hikes throughout the county.
Nearly thump, thump
6 October 2023
Time: 10:00 - 12:00
Weather: 70° - 90°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Where the Greenway path runs under city street overpasses, folks without homes can often be found taking shelter. Those are dark, shadowy places where it can be difficult to see. Today I came very, very close to running over a gentlemen who had passed out on his back, stretching all the way across the path. He was wearing all black, and nearly invisible in the shadows. I saw him at the last instant and slammed on the brakes, nearly crashing as I came to a sudden stop inches from his belly. At the same time, another bicyclist coming toward me also made an emergency stop just in the nick of time on the opposite side of the unconscious obstacle. We tried to rouse him to no avail, eliciting no more than a grunt, a slight shift in position, and maybe the blink of one eye. The other cyclist and I shrugged at each other, then lifted bikes over and around his feet. On the way back, he was still there, but it looked like a couple of outreach folks were on hand.
Video: Annapurna
1 October 2023
Annapurna: Not as Planned by Mick Turnbull. (YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
[Screen grab from Mick Turnbull's video. →]
Three parks
29 September 2023
Mostly cloudy. Pedaled through three contiguous parks. Photographed a few scenes—some familiar, some unfamiliar—under moody sky....
Fish n Greenway
28 September 2023
Time: 11:30 - 1:30
Weather: 75° - 80°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: On the way back ran into a guy on a mocha Surly LHT with one yellow Ortlieb pannier. He said he's getting ready for touring.
That time of year again
18 September 2023
Time: 11:30 - 1:30
Weather: 70° - 75°, sunny, breezy
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Yep, harvest has started, and soon these plump berries will be plucked and transformed into juice of the vine.
Greenway again
14 September 2023
Time: 12:00 - 2:00
Weather: 75° - 80°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Just another ride out the Greenway and back.
Photo of the Month
12 September 2023
Monthly favorite photograph from my rides in years gone by.
This month: Salvation Mountain, March 2016.
Napa County Loop
7 September 2023
Time: 1:00 - 3:00
Weather: 80° - 85°, sunny, some breeze
Route: Yountville - Napa - Silverado Trail - Yountville
Distance: 21 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: With Bud
Note: Bud and I drove over to Yountville and pedaled down the bike path to the northern side of Napa, then cut across the valley on back roads to the Silverado Trail (not really a trail; it's a busy road with wide shoulders). Then east on Yountville Cross Road and wandering around before returning to the Forester. Sometimes tough for me to keep up with that electric assist!
Spring Lake and Annadel
5 September 2023
Time: 12:30 - 1:30
Weather: 75° - 80°, sunny
Route: Brush Creek - Howarth - Spring Lake - Channel Drive
Distance: 14 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: I went out for a short spin through Howarth, around Spring Lake, and partway into Annadel. Unlike Labor Day, all paths, trails, and parks very quiet.
Lost it
4 September 2023
Time: 12:30 - 2:30
Weather: 75° - 80°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: A crowded day on the Greenway. I should know better than to pedal that way on a holiday. Too many bikes, pedestrians, children, strollers, and dogs. On top of that, I lost it. My nice rear blinkie, that is. Must have bounced loose when I ran over an annoying pedestrian. (Kidding!) Didn't notice until I got home. Oh, well. Amazon promises to deliver a replacement tomorrow. The photo? That's the new "affordable" apartments project at the site of the old cannery building along the Greenway.
Video: Iceland
1 September 2023
Cold and Afraid by Bike Max. (YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
[Screen grab from Bike Max's video. →]
Murky day
31 August 2023
Time: 9:30 - 11:30
Weather: 70° - 85°, smoke
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Supposed to hit 95 or thereabouts today, so I got out fairly early. Checked air quality before I started pedaling, and weather app reported moderate conditions due to smoke from distant fires. Hmm. Looked worse than that. But I headed out the Greenway. The air tasted thick. When I got home, the AQI was at 167. Well above moderate, and not a good number for bicycling.
Happy Birthday, Spring Lake
28 August 2023
Time: 10:30 - 11:30
Weather: 75° - 80°, sunny
Route: Howarth Park and Spring Lake Park
Distance: 9 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: A quick spin before the temperature shot up. I'm pleased to report my shoulder and arm seem to have settled down. No more pain. No more discomfort preventing me from getting decent sleep at night. I think I'm just about back to my usual self: old, weak, and slow.
Olompali with Bud
26 August 2023
Time: 11:00 - 1:00
Weather: 70° - 80°, sunny
Route: Petaluma to Olompali State Historic Park
Distance: 18 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: With Bud
Note: With Bud aboard his new electric-assist bike (Bud and bike in photo at right), we pedaled down to Olompali from the north. The last time I tried to ride there was in March when I pedaled from the north side to see the buckled road caused by a small landslide on the road leading to Olompali from the south. That ride was a bit of a disaster. All access to Olompali, including the bike path, was closed except to construction vehicles, and I suffered two flat tires. Today, the bike path was open. However, crews are still working on the landslide and threatened gas pipeline, so the road from the south is closed (although bikes can get through). With the park inaccessible to motorized vehicles—only bikes can get there until the landslide work is complete—Olompali was closed. Oh, well.
Babying bum arm
23 August 2023
Time: 9:30 - 11:30
Weather: 70° - 85°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: My bum arm has been giving me trouble, just like it did before it completely crapped out a few years ago. (Fortunately, I regained use after about a year.) I've been diligent about doing everything I can to keep from losing it all over again. We'll see how it responds after a leisurely ride out the Greenway.
For Greg
9 August 2023
Greg went bison hunting. Unarmed, I should add. But had no luck. My photo, from Antelope Island in Utah, is for him.
Arm again
8 August 2023
Time: 1:00 - 2:00
Weather: 75°, sunny
Route: Spring Lake
Distance: 7 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: I am unfortunately suffering a recurrence of my painful, useless arm syndrome that KO'd me a few years ago. So far it seems not as bad, but I'm afraid I'm on the road to losing use of my right arm again. I decided to see how my neck, shoulder, and arm would hold up on a very short ride at Spring Lake. We shall see.
Video: India
1 August 2023
Varanasi to Taj Mahal by Monkey on Two Wheels. (YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
[Screen grab from Monkey's video. →]
Souvenir
26 July 2023
Time: 12:00 - 2:00
Weather: 75-80°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Out the Greenway wearing my spiffy new Iceland jersey.
Tolay Morning
23 July 2023
I managed to drag myself out of bed early enough this morning to take care of all my chores and still get down to Tolay Lake Regional Park while the temperature remained very mild. The Forester was the only vehicle in the parking lot. Until I returned, I encountered only a mom and her daughter and their dog. It was a delightful, cool, refreshing ride on the old ranch roads....
Greenway, sort of
18 July 2023
Time: 11:00 - 1:00
Weather: 75-80°, sunny
Route: Part Greenway, part alternatives
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Iceland for two weeks. Covid quarantine for a week and half. Excessive heat for several days. Glad to finally get out on the Ogre in nearly perfect weather conditions, even though much of the Greenway was closed for trail maintenance.
Iceland 2023
Part 10: Vacation snapshots
Iceland 2023
Part 9: Riders in the rain
Iceland 2023
Part 8: F35
Iceland 2023
Part 7: Dettifoss
Iceland 2023
Part 6: Glacier view
Iceland 2023
Part 5: Airplane on the beach
Iceland 2023
Part 4: In search of Trollafoss
Iceland 2023
Part 3: Riding Reykjavik
Iceland 2023
Part 2: Arriving
Iceland 2023
Part 1: Introduction
Ilsanjo
2 June 2023
Time: 12:30 - 1:30
Weather: 75°, sunny
Route: Lake Ilsanjo
Distance: 7 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Another training ride to Ilsanjo.
Ilsanjo
23 May 2023
Time: 12:30 - 1:30
Weather: 70-75°, sunny
Route: Lake Ilsanjo
Distance: 7 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: It looks like this off-pavement route up to Lake Ilsanjo will be a good training ride for my expedition next month, so I should do it several more times before departure.
Photo of the Month
18 May 2023
Monthly favorite photograph from my rides in years gone by.
This month: Indio, February 2016.
Bud goes electric
17 May 2023
Upon returning from my ride out to Graton and back today, who should I encounter but my friend Bud. Wait, what's that? Good heavens, just like Bob Dylan, he got himself electrified!
Graton
17 May 2023
Having not been on the West County Trail recently, I decided to pedal out that way on this lovely, sunny day. I had a tip about a photogenic spot just off the trail in Graton. It was definitely worth expending a few pixels....
Into the shadows
16 May 2023
Time: 11:30 - 1:30
Weather: 70-80°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Just another ride out the Greenway.
Video: Iceland
14 May 2023
Iceland: Journey into the Interior by Barry Godin. (YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
[Screen grab from Barry Godin's video. →]
Visible from Space
12 May 2023
Perhaps our unpredictable weather has finally settled into a more typical pattern for May. Maybe. Anyway, it was a lovely day and I could hear Lake Ilsanjo calling me and the Ogre....
In search of yellow
10 May 2023
Time: 11:30 - 1:30
Weather: 60-65°, sunny, windy
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Usually this time of year I can count on the Greenway for acres of screaming yellow weeds to brighten photographs. Not so this year. Our weather has been completely wacky for months, and the vegetation seems mighty confused. I pedaled all the the way to the far end of the Greenway beyond Willowside Road but never found the usual masses of yellow. I managed one shot testing my lemony camouflage.
Athens to London, 1983
10 May 2023
Today marks the 40th anniversary of my arrival in Athens to begin my bike tour through Europe to London.
Read all about it (Opens in new window/tab)
Petaluma River Bike
27 April 2023
Anyone diligently following my posts here over the years (and who wouldn't?) will remember I have on more than one occasion made mention of water bikes....
Green - Joe Loop
24 April 2023
Time: 12:00 - 3:00
Weather: 70-75°, sunny
Route: Greenway, Sebastopol, Joe Rodota Trail
Distance: 30 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: The Greenway was closed for a week or more for maintenance. The Joe has been closed due to another encampment (now removed) and deep cleaning. Now both are open, so I took advantage of that fact to pedal a loop out one and back on the other.
San Andreas Fault
21 April 2023
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Weather: 65°, sunny
Route: San Andreas Trail, sort of
Distance: 6 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Whose fault? Maybe my fault. I had my route all planned out. Drove down to the trailhead on San Andreas Lake. There I discovered the bike path was closed for maintenance. I pedaled the short segment that was open, then wandered around looking for another route. No go. I ended up driving to the Pulgas Water Temple, which was supposed to be my turnaround point. I could have done some road riding from there, but I was too bummed. I ate lunch, took a photo, and drove home. Oh, well.
Photo of the Month
16 April 2023
Monthly favorite photograph from my rides in years gone by.
This month: Marin Headlands, February 2016.
It's a lake
9 April 2023
The actual name of the place is Tolay Lake Regional Park.
Lake? I've never seen a lake at the park....
Video: Iceland Traverse
7 April 2023
Bikepacking Iceland: Traverse from west to east, 2019 by Fernando Del Valle Bravo. English subtitles. (YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
This is a long (40+ minutes) video. If you don't have time for the whole thing, start at around the 34 minute mark and watch to the end.
[Screen grab from Fernando Del Valle Bravo's video. →]
Bandit country
2 April 2023
Time: 9:30 - 11:30
Weather: 45-55°, mostly sunny, windy
Route: Greenway and beyond Willowside
Distance: 25 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: An early start this morning. Perhaps I should have waited a couple hours while the day warmed up. I pedaled past Willowside Road and along Santa Rosa Creek on the very rough path extending through what is commonly referred to as "bandit country." No bandits in view, but large piles of debris along the creek from recent flooding. On the way back I stopped to talk to about six old guys with white hair and white beards, all on recumbents. The oldest told me he was 88. I mentioned maybe I would tell my ace support crew there's hope I can be riding for more years. Another rider suggested that might not be a good idea. His friend chimed in, "Sometimes it's best not to say anything like that to wives." They all laughed hilariously. I might need to start riding with them.
Nothing but trouble
25 March 2023
Time: 12:30 - 2:30
Weather: 55°, sunny, windy
Route: Petaluma toward Olompali and back
Distance: 12 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Well, that didn't go as planned.
A couple of days ago, the road from the south that dead-ends at Olompali State Historical Park collapsed and buckled from landslides and undercutting by runoff from heavy rainfall. Now the only access to the park is via the paved bike path from the north, which is the way I go.
I decided to pedal down and have a look. Unfortunately, a worker stood guard at the entrance to the bike path. It was closed to bikes because—the only way in from the north—it was being used by big trucks and emergency crews trying to stabilize the hillside, deal with a newly exposed high-pressure gas pipeline, and repair the road. No way the big guy was going to allow me or anyone else to pedal down the bike path. Worse, just as I reached the path and started to converse with the worker, I heard an unusual sound coming from below. Damn! Both tires went completely flat at the same time. In 40 or 50 years of serious bicycling, having both tires flat at the same time had never happened to me. I had no choice but to hunker down in a grassy spot and deal with double flats. Not a successful mission.
The top photo is from Olompali's FaceBook page. The bottom photo is a sad looking Ogre. I probably looked even sadder.
Article in online Press-Democrat newspaper after I turned back [Opens in new window/tab]
Season of yellow
20 March 2023
Time: 12:30 - 2:30
Weather: 55°, cloudy, then clearing
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Rained yesterday. Rain in the forecast for tomorrow. Along with a parade of other old, retired guys in yellow jackets and black tights on bikes, I took advantage of today's lack of rain to pedal out the Greenway. In addition to many, many signs of recent heavy rains and local flooding, I could see that we're reaching the season of yellow around here.
Downtown
16 March 2023
After forty days and forty nights, we've enjoyed two days of mild, sunny weather. I've been trying to make the most of it when not busy dealing with our swamped yard and mud-crater of a landscaping site. All the workers on that project were reassigned to help construct arks.
After I finished my chores, off I pedaled to check out downtown scenery, including a couple of new additions near Courthouse Square....
Closed due to flood, mud, and thud
13 March 2023
Time: 1:30 - 2:30
Weather: 60°, sprinkles
Route: Brush Creek, Howarth Park, Spring Lake
Distance: 10 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Trying to beat the next atmospheric river. Spring Lake Regional Park closed due to flood, mud, and falling trees going thud. Headed home before the rain returned.
Atmospheric river
9 March 2023
Time: 2:00 - 2:30
Weather: 45°, pouring rain, breezy
Route: Twice around Spring Lake
Distance: 5 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Our so-called atmospheric river offers a perfect opportunity to prepare for my summer expedition. I dragged self and Ogre outside to test heavy-weather gear and remind self that it's okay to intentionally ride in a downpour.
Ilsanjo
8 March 2023
Time: 1:00 - 2:30
Weather: 50-55°, sunny
Route: Lake Ilsanjo in Annadel State Park
Distance: 8 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: After a quarter to a half inch of rain overnight, Canyon Trail up to Lake Ilsanjo was wet and muddy today, with deep puddles as well as water steadily flowing down and across the dirt and rocks. I managed to get up to the lake without getting too splattered, but going back down at higher speed was a different story. Anyway, I snapped a timer shot at Ilsanjo, one of my favorite and most frequent photographic venues. Now the forecast calls for at least nine straight rainy days.
Hey, that's me
8 March 2023
While pedaling around Spring Lake yesterday during sunshine and rain showers, I stopped and put the Ogre up on a bench in the hope of lining up a shot of the bike under a rainbow. The rainbow never materizlized. (See below.) But I noticed a guy down on the road below the hillside taking a photo of me. I didn't realize it at the time, but it turned out to be the staff photographer for our local newspaper, and I was quite surprised to see myself—and the Ogre on a bench—in the online edition of the paper this morning.
[Photo by Pulitzer prize-winning (really!) Kent Porter of the Press-Democrat →]
Showers + sunshine = rainbow
7 March 2023
Time: 12:00 - 1:30
Weather: 50°, showers and sprinkles
Route: Brush Creek, Howarth, Spring Lake
Distance: 11 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: The sun broke through behind me. I could see rain showers on the hills in front of me. I waited for a rainbow. No luck.
Video: Another Bikepacker in Iceland
6 March 2023
Keflavik to Vik and Myrdal on the ring road, and to Akureyri on F-208 and F-26 by
Simone Campagnolo (YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
[Screen grab from Simone Campagnolo's video. →]
Snow in the distance
3 March 2023
Time: 12:00 - 2:00
Weather: 55-60°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Feeling healthy enough to head out the Greenway. Mountains in the distance remain dusted with snow.
Back in the saddle
2 March 2023
Time: 12:00 - 1:30
Weather: 55°, sunny
Route: Brush Creek, Spring Lake
Distance: 12 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: One damn thing after another has kept me mostly off-bike (except indoor trainer) for way too long. I finally got out for a short ride today, although I didn't go far. I think med issues have cleared up, so now it's up to the weather to cooperate.
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....
Photo of the Month
15 February 2023
Monthly favorite photograph from my rides in years gone by.
This month: Golden Gate Bridge, February 2016.
Short ride
14 February 2023
I'm still hors de combat following minor surgery, but I slipped out for a very short ride.
Video: Bikepacking Iceland
9 February 2023
3 months and 3000 km between volcanoes and glaciers by
Joffrey Maluski
(YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
[Screen grab from Joffrey Maluski's video. →]
Short ride
8 February 2023
Following minor surgery (minor surgery is surgery on somebody else, right?) I'm not really supposed to be pedaling, but while my ace support crew wasn't around I slipped out for a very short ride.
Trees with no leaves
2 February 2023
Time: 12:00 - 2:00
Weather: 50-55°, gray
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Someone parked an empty chair among trees with no leaves near the end of the trail in "bandit country" beyond Willowside Road. I had one of those sudden flashes of memory.
Song with No Words (Tree with No Leaves) by David Crosby [YouTube video opens in new window/tab]
Cannery
31 January 2023
Time: 12:00 - 2:00
Weather: 55°, sunny
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: The city wanted to build affordable (???) apartments here, but they also wanted to preserve the teetering wall (that's all that remains) of the historic cannery building. So the plans retain the old wall, and construction is underway along the Greenway. Not sure if the graffiti stays.
Baby, you can pedal my car
31 January 2023
A pedal-powered Volkswagen?
Read all about it (and see more photos) at SFGate.
[Photo from SFGate. →]
Waterfall
27 January 2023
Time: 1:00 - 2:30
Weather: 60°, partly cloudy, breezy
Route: Brush Creek - Howarth - Spring Lake - Canyon Trail
Distance: 14 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: Good opportunity to refill water bottle.
Unum
26 January 2023
Time: 12:00 - 1:30
Weather: 70°, sunny
Route: Downtown
Distance: 12 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: I pedaled to Courthouse Square to see the new "Unum" sculpture, already on display for a few days but with official dedication tonight. Unfortunately, the sculptor and team were working on—repairing?—it, so I couldn't get any good shots. It's very nice, but it looks like it might be highly susceptible to vandalism and damage. I returned in the evening (see last photo) for the dedication ceremony.
More at the Press-Democrat newspaper story.
Debris
22 January 2023
Time: 12:00 - 2:00
Weather: 55°, sunny, breezy
Route: Greenway
Distance: 24 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo
Note: The rain stopped a few days ago. Santa Rosa Creek much reduced in flow. But tons of debris remain on and along the Greenway. This photo shows piles of detritus covering the banks of the creek at Willowside Road.
Photo of the Month
18 January 2023
Monthly favorite photograph from my rides in years gone by.
This month: San Francisco Super Bowl 50, January 2016.
Video: South Iceland, including Laugavegur trail
14 January 2023
Bikepacking South Iceland, Extended Cut by Drew Jackson
(YouTube video opens in new window/tab)
[Screen grab from Drew Jackson's video. →]
More riding in the rain
13 January 2023
I've been making an effort to get out for brief rides in the rain, of which we've had no shortage for the past three weeks.
I have reservations for an expedition this summer, pedaling that will probably feature plenty of wind, rain, and chill. So I gotta test various combinations of gear in similar conditions while I have the opportunity.
Rainy day maintenance
12 January 2023
But we do have a brief break in the rain.
Rain continues
11 January 2023
I pedaled just far enough for a photo and a soaking.
It's sugar for sugar and salt for salt
8 January 2023
It has rained practically every day for almost two weeks, and more rain is forecast for tonight and beyond, but today should be dry. That means I need to mount up and pedal out the Greenway to see how Santa Rosa Creek is doing....
Forecast
4 January 2023
Weather forecast for today and next nine days in Santa Rosa. Gotta get a hydro-bike.
Happy New Year
1 January 2023
No rain today. It's a miracle!
Old News:
| 2022 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2021 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2020 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2019 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2018 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2017 | Pre-Sep | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
~ 9125 ~
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