|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Ride Pictures: Old Haul and Gazos Creek Roads, November 2005
November 13, 2005
I started this ride as usual in downtown Sunnyvale, California and took the quickest route I knew to the top of Page Mill Rd., one of the popular local climbs (and descents). The climb up Moody and Page Mill Roads went without incident. I continued across Skyline Blvd. without stopping and continued climbing a short distance on Alpine Rd. before it begins a swift and scenic descent toward Butano Ridge. At Portola State Park Rd. I continued left and descended quickly into the cool, damp redwoods of Portola State Park. I had the road to myself all the way. I continued past the park headquarters building, crossed Slate Creek and continued on the service road past the maintenance buildings and ranger's residence. The climb up the short steep hill to Old Haul Rd. was slippery on a partially-paved road covered with wet redwood needles. At Old Haul Rd. I turned right and continued to its end at Wurr Rd. The road surface was damp and occasionally slippery with mud, but the parts that get really muddy and gummy in the winter were still firm. Everything looked and smelled different than it had earlier in the summer. Fall was in the air. At Wurr Rd. I turned left and continued around the south side of Memorial Park before coming out on Pescadero Rd. in Loma Mar. I continued west on Pescadero Rd., then left on Butano Cutoff and left again on Cloverdale Rd. At Gazos Creek Rd. I turned left and began the long climb up into Big Basin Redwoods on a gently rolling climb alongside Gazos Creek under the brilliant turning color of the big leaf maples that line the creek. At the gate where the road turns to dirt I noticed that the road to the old Mountain Camp now had a new arch over it proclaiming "Gazos Creek Mountain Camp". (www.gazos.org) I recall spending a couple weeks one summer at Chuck Taylor's Mountain Camp back in the mid-1970's where I had the opportunity to explore many of the old logging roads in the hills nearby. The climb alongside the upper part of the south fork of Gazos Creek is one of the prettiest roads through a deep and narrow canyon of old growth redwoods. At the top of the climb I found myself at the Sandy Point Junction where a couple of other roads join Gazos Creek Rd.: Whitehouse Canyon Rd. and Johansen Rd. Also at Sandy Point was some new development. Gone were the old foundations of the guard shacks and the rotting sofas of the occasional squatters. Instead I saw the Sandy Point Line Shack, complete with corral, log cabin, a short section of rail and a truck, a platform, and a teepee. Was this a re-creation by the state park for the edification of the visiting public or the realization of a nostalgic fantasy by the owner of an inholding? I continued east on Gazos Creek Rd. and enjoyed the sun a few times where the road went through cuts in the hillside on solid standstone. I took care at one right-hand bend where on an earlier trip I had washed out on deep sand that I mistook for hard sandstone. After a gradual descent into the West Waddell Creek watershed the road began a long climb back up to Middle Ridge before dropping into Big Basin and back onto pavement. I turned left at North Escape Rd. and continued up along Opal Creek and then steeply uphill to the junction with CA236 where I met up with some cycling friends for the ride to Waterman Gap and up CA9 to Saratoga Gap. I continued down CA9 into Saratoga and then took the straight road home. (85 miles; 7500 feet climbing) http://tinyurl.com/d4bct -- Bill Bushnell http://pobox.com/~bushnell/ |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Ride Pictures: Old Haul and Gazos Creek Roads, November 2005
What a cool ride.
I haven't ridden that area very many times, I'm wondering if you could help me visualize some of that route. When I've come down Alpine (I can't remember where Portola State park is) I come out to a fork and go left. That leads me to a climb that eventually brings me to Pescadero road. Where is Slate Creek and Old Haul Road in relation to that? Does that bit add much distance and/or climbing? What width tires did you have on? I've ridden Gazos creek road one time and it was from the park towards the ocean. Before I came to the paved part I remember a downhill section that was so steep and rutted that I was close to having to dismount on my df road bike (23mm tires). It's hard for me to imagine climbing that on a recumbent. My memory of that section is a bit hazy but I don't know if I could climb that on my road bike. Do you have better rear wheel traction on a lwb bike? "Bill Bushnell" wrote in message ... November 13, 2005 I started this ride as usual in downtown Sunnyvale, California and took the quickest route I knew to the top of Page Mill Rd., one of the popular local climbs (and descents). The climb up Moody and Page Mill Roads went without incident. I continued across Skyline Blvd. without stopping and continued climbing a short distance on Alpine Rd. before it begins a swift and scenic descent toward Butano Ridge. At Portola State Park Rd. I continued left and descended quickly into the cool, damp redwoods of Portola State Park. I had the road to myself all the way. I continued past the park headquarters building, crossed Slate Creek and continued on the service road past the maintenance buildings and ranger's residence. The climb up the short steep hill to Old Haul Rd. was slippery on a partially-paved road covered with wet redwood needles. At Old Haul Rd. I turned right and continued to its end at Wurr Rd. The road surface was damp and occasionally slippery with mud, but the parts that get really muddy and gummy in the winter were still firm. Everything looked and smelled different than it had earlier in the summer. Fall was in the air. At Wurr Rd. I turned left and continued around the south side of Memorial Park before coming out on Pescadero Rd. in Loma Mar. I continued west on Pescadero Rd., then left on Butano Cutoff and left again on Cloverdale Rd. At Gazos Creek Rd. I turned left and began the long climb up into Big Basin Redwoods on a gently rolling climb alongside Gazos Creek under the brilliant turning color of the big leaf maples that line the creek. At the gate where the road turns to dirt I noticed that the road to the old Mountain Camp now had a new arch over it proclaiming "Gazos Creek Mountain Camp". (www.gazos.org) I recall spending a couple weeks one summer at Chuck Taylor's Mountain Camp back in the mid-1970's where I had the opportunity to explore many of the old logging roads in the hills nearby. The climb alongside the upper part of the south fork of Gazos Creek is one of the prettiest roads through a deep and narrow canyon of old growth redwoods. At the top of the climb I found myself at the Sandy Point Junction where a couple of other roads join Gazos Creek Rd.: Whitehouse Canyon Rd. and Johansen Rd. Also at Sandy Point was some new development. Gone were the old foundations of the guard shacks and the rotting sofas of the occasional squatters. Instead I saw the Sandy Point Line Shack, complete with corral, log cabin, a short section of rail and a truck, a platform, and a teepee. Was this a re-creation by the state park for the edification of the visiting public or the realization of a nostalgic fantasy by the owner of an inholding? I continued east on Gazos Creek Rd. and enjoyed the sun a few times where the road went through cuts in the hillside on solid standstone. I took care at one right-hand bend where on an earlier trip I had washed out on deep sand that I mistook for hard sandstone. After a gradual descent into the West Waddell Creek watershed the road began a long climb back up to Middle Ridge before dropping into Big Basin and back onto pavement. I turned left at North Escape Rd. and continued up along Opal Creek and then steeply uphill to the junction with CA236 where I met up with some cycling friends for the ride to Waterman Gap and up CA9 to Saratoga Gap. I continued down CA9 into Saratoga and then took the straight road home. (85 miles; 7500 feet climbing) http://tinyurl.com/d4bct -- Bill Bushnell http://pobox.com/~bushnell/ |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Ride Pictures: Old Haul and Gazos Creek Roads, November 2005
In article ,
"Human powered" wrote: What a cool ride. I haven't ridden that area very many times, I'm wondering if you could help me visualize some of that route. When I've come down Alpine (I can't remember where Portola State park is) I come out to a fork and go left. That leads me to a climb that eventually brings me to Pescadero road. The left turn off Alpine Rd. onto Portola State Park Rd. is really more of a "going straight" where Alpine goes right and crosses the ridge and descends into the trees. This is about 3.5 miles from Skyline Blvd. Where is Slate Creek and Old Haul Road in relation to that? Does that bit add much distance and/or climbing? My mistake. I meant Peters Creek. Slate Creek is over the next ridge to the east. If you go through Portola State Park and take Old Haul Rd. it adds a couple miles but no more climbing than taking Alpine and Pescadero Rd. It takes a bit more time because when the distsance/climbing is close, riding pavement is almost always quicker than taking a dirt road. For less climbing but about the same distance as taking Alpine and Pescadero Roads, one can take Camp Pomponio Rd., Bridge Trail, and Old Haul. Again it probably takes a bit longer than the paved roads, but the distance is about the same and the climbing is 200 feet less. Frame 2 of the online album has a topo map of the area with the ride route marked in red. What width tires did you have on? I've ridden Gazos creek road one time and it was from the park towards the ocean. Before I came to the paved part I remember a downhill section that was so steep and rutted that I was close to having to dismount on my df road bike (23mm tires). It's hard for me to imagine climbing that on a recumbent. My memory of that section is a bit hazy but I don't know if I could climb that on my road bike. Do you have better rear wheel traction on a lwb bike? Tires are (Primo Comet 406x37 front) and (Avocet City 26x1.5 rear), both slick. Climbing the really steep stuff on the recumbent is tricky. The longer wheelbase makes low-speed balancing more difficult, the bike tending to stall out around 1-2mph. The key when climbing slowly on loose surfaces is to lean as far back as possible to keep the rear wheel from slipping and to maintain a smooth pedal stroke. But, if the grade is very steep (25%) and the surface slippery, it may not be possible to ride. I walked up one short uphill (~30 feet) on Gazos when I couldn't get any traction. Descending the steep stuff is much easier, and I usually try to plan my rides that way. It's also easier to stop and take pictures when I'm going downhill than when I'm going uphill. The 2" gravel that now covers much of the road in the canyon is better than riding through mud bogs, but it's also unkind to thin tires. Fat tires may not be immune. I came down Gazos Creek Rd. a week later (last weekend) and had a center of tread blowout that I suspect was aided by a sharp rock. I'll post the picture album later. -- Bill Bushnell http://pobox.com/~bushnell/ |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|