Fall north bay ride: Nov 2004

23 November 2004

The Major WWWobble ride report

The plan

Meet at Chris’s in Pacifica, ride thru SF, over GG Bridge into Petaluma for breakfast. Maybe meet Jon Beining who may lead us somewhere, or failing the arrival of Jon, then Chris will lead us somewhere else. Return in time to take advantage of car pool toll [no toll] over GGB.

Trip recap

WWWobble arrives Pacifica shortly after sunrise. It’s cold. Chris, Duncan, Marco, and Rob, Marco’s brother, look like they’ve been there for hours. William is missing. Rob rides a beautiful Triumph Triple painted the correct colour for a Triumph. It has 12,000 miles on it and the electrics fully function function fully fully function.

In gracious accommodation to this scribe’s request, Chris leads us through SF via the Great Highway to the GGB. We find less traffic and a better view than 19th Ave. There are also many stop signs to warm up bike and body. It works for all but Duncan who is not wearing enough gear. Too bad because it appears today his BMW actually has all it’s gears. Duncan aborts.

Traffic over the bridge and into Petaluma is light and moves well. Moves well right into a moist, cold fog. The Three Cooks must not be cooking as we land at the famous Henny Penny. The waitress here is in love with Chris. She remembers him and she wants his camera. We watch expectantly as we’ve never seen Chris without the swivvely Nikon that shoots backwards, but No…, it’s No Deal. WWWobble asks the waitress if they have sugar free syrup. “Yes,” she replies, and brings the normal stuff. She’s distracted. William, we learn, is still asleep. Jon fails to show.

Chris mumbles something about Meyers Grade, Kings Ridge, Hauser Bridge… and so we set off behind our Road Captain. Through Sebastopol, check, West on Bodega Hwy, check. Hey, the damp fog has lifted, bright sun now warming us. Right turn into Occidental. Gentle on the throttle through Camp Meeker and the thick Redwoods along Moscow Road – you DO remember where Moscow Road is do you not? and yes that greenish, damp look on the road edge IS as slippery as it looks. West at Duncan Mills, to Hwy 1, through Jenner and over Meyers Grade. Now the fun begins with great roads and vistas of note no matter where you look. A riding rhythm begins, the Triumph with it’s unique cadence sounding like, what, maybe Elgar’s “Imperial March” op. 32. Four bikes in quick procession along the Kings Ridge. Marco seldom touches the brakes. Very smooth riding. One learns from the rear.

At the sign for Hauser Bridge Road Chris turns, uh… wait, this isn’t Hauser Bridge Road, this is a dirt road, well, a mostly unpaved – oh what the hell. One can’t make corrections to the route from the rear. We bump down to the coast and on to Stewart’s Point where it is clear, calm, and nearly 70F. Marco points out the Captain’s road choice was not a mistake, that Chris has never met an "unimproved" road he didn’t like. We head up the hill on Stewarts Point Road, then Tin Barn, King Ridge, Cazadero, Sweetwater and too soon back to the 101 and light traffic easily making the GGB before the No Toll Curfew of 6pm.

So, another notch on the fairing. No crashes, no tickets, no breakdowns, no arguments, and we can STILL do the Hauser Bridge Road.

*****DISCLAIMER

All views expressed are those of Major WWWobble and are therefore insightful and pertinent. Most events described in the recap happened, may have happened, or should have happened. Clarifications or outright denials may be forwarded to the Director of Investor Relations, Krispy Kreme Donuts.

Chris rebuts

Ah yes, an insightful, but occasionally errant report on yesterday’s ride. No, we didn’t turn right on Hauser Bridge, but left on Kruse Ranch which was ‘improved gravel’, one lane wide. It does take you to the coast, but through the Kruse Rhodorendron State Preserve (wild Rhododendrons thrive here, but not in bloom this time’o year which, of course, was my fault). If we’d taken Hauser Bridge we would have missed Stewarts Point and Tin Barn Road, about 25 miles of superb countryside.

And where’o where is there any mention of Sweetwater Springs Road. (Say Major, what ride were you on?)

We picked-up Sweetwater Springs at the end of Armstrong Woods Road (just before the State Park entrance). Armstrong Woods Road is THE major intersection in downtown Guerneville. Sweetwater Springs goes East, over the mountain, passing a dillapidated Cinnabar mine in the process. Very steep, tight turns before falling into a Redwood tree filled valley. It’s about 15 miles long, paved, but mostly very narrow. It ends on Westside Road right at the Hopkiln Winery. We turned right here and then left on Wholer Road and across the Russian River to River Road and US #101 at Fulton, (just north of Santa Rosa).

There corrections are mine, and therefore, correct!