Saturday, Nov 18 – Mt George/Atlas Peak road ride

[SadieKate]

Come explore more of the remote roads of Napa. We’ll start in Fairfield, ride up Wooden and Gordon Valley roads, over Mt George to Napa and then up Atlas Peak. This is part of the spring Davis 200k brevet route.

Distance and climb: 60 miles (out 30 and back 30) and about 4,900 ft.
Start: Safeway parking lot in Fairfield at Waterman/I-80/Hilborn
Route Map: http://www.routeslip.com/map.php?map=6712
Eats: Corner store/gas station at 20/40 mile points as we go through Napa both ways
Time: Let’s talk. How about 10 am? Earlier? What?

Oh yeah, rain cancels.

[Veronica]

We'll be there. We may turn around early, but we'll be there.

V.

[Trekhawk]

Would love to come on this one (see you are turning me into a hill groupie after all) even though I will probably swear at you on the way up them.

Not sure if DH will be working though (should know by middle of next week). Count me as a hopeful maybe.:D

[SadieKate]

Does the 10 am start sound OK?

[Veronica]

Fine with us.

V.

[jobob]

excellent :cool:

[aka_kim]

Okey dokey.

[Bike Goddess]

If you haven't done Mt George before, just a word of caution....the road after Wooden Valley which leads you up to the pass gets quite narrow with NO shoulders. People driving up that way tend to go fast so keep your ears open (you'll hear them coming!).

That's a great ride. Haven't done Atlas Peak yet (it's on my list). Sounds like you will have a challenging, but great ride. Gordon Valley is especially beautiful right now- orchards full of yellow trees. Quite the sight!

[SadieKate]

Thanks, Nancy. I know the roads and 121 is used heavily for brevets and the Knoxville Dble, to name a few rides. As it is after the boating season, the traffic should be better than during the summer. Atlas Peak is amazingly remote and deserted though there is home construction up there.

[jobob]

I'm not worried.

[Bike Goddess]

Yes, the signnage for the Knoxville double and the Fall Foxy are quite visible both on Gdn Valley and at the turn onto Wooden Valley and then up at the junction. Everytime I ride up there, it's a reminder of how popular this route is! AND for good reason as some of you know!

Have a nice ride!

You will find nice folks at the Vintage Cafe (Mankas Corner) if you need water or bathrooms. They are quite used to cyclists coming in. Great food too! That's about the last place to get water until you get to the other side of Mt George that I know of.

[SadieKate]

Thanks, Nancy. We're starting in Fairfield and there is a corner market at the intersection of Vichy and Atlas Peak -- only 20 miles away. At these beautiful temperatures we should be fine if we stock up there before the 40 miles round trip to the peak.

Bill and I've ridden this route. I was really surprised by some of the landscape up there. There is one section that flattens and rolls along where there is a huge cattle ranch of about 50,000 acres. I hope you can make it up there sometime.

[Bike Goddess]

I couldn't remember where the Atlas Peak Road was in relationship to the store down on that side. Don't know about their bathrooms, though.

When I do George, I come back through Gordon Valley as I don't like riding through Napa to Hwy 29 and back to Benicia. Much prettier the way you are doing it.

[SadieKate]

I couldn't remember where the Atlas Peak Road was in relationship to the store down on that side. Don't know about their bathrooms, though.We could always stop in at the Silverado Country Club. It's less than a mile up Atlas Peak Rd. I'm sure they'd love us to stop by. :p

The store at Vichy is mentioned in a lot of route directions so it must be OK. Can't be worse than the Pope Valley accommodations.

[SadieKate]

Weather is looking good except for a few pesky spots of fog. I assume someone from the west will shout if the weather gurus got it wrong?

I'm off to bed.

[SadieKate]

Odd forces converged today so we're postponing the ride until Sunday.

Same time, same place, just 24 hours later.

[aka_kim]

I believe the Krebs map shows 12 double chevron sections and 1 triple chevron section for this route.

Don't you think these chevrons should be painted on the pavement too, so you know what you're getting into? Just a thought ...:o

[jobob]

just what I needed to know :p

[Veronica]

This was a nice ride. Thanks for the conversation beans SK! They were fun and yummy. I was bummed we had to turn back early, but the Christmas card is nearly done and we got a roast and a pasta sauce cooked up for the week.

Thom kept "attacking" me on the way back. I'd be riding along, pulling and he'd suddenly fly ahead. Of course I had to respond. :D It was his way of turning it into an interval workout. Eventually I set the pace high enough that he couldn't jump off the front. Sudden sprints aren't really my strong suit. Then just before we got back to the parking lot, he did it again. It was actually quite fun.

I had a good hot buttered rum flavored latte at the coffee shop there and a cheese danish.

V.

[SadieKate]

We really need to get you up Atlas Peak one day. The geology is very unexpected. Lots and lots of volcanic rock outcroppings. Huge area with a large concentrations of stone walls (you know the century-old 3 ft high types). Great fall colors. Long views across several ridges. Very different from the normal scenery in the Napa area.

I was both bummed and elated at the top though. The first time I rode this route, Bill had been off his bike for a couple weeks and it was hot (day after the KX dble), so I rode up ahead of him. I finally decided that the maps were wrong, the road was longer than I expected and I didn't wanted Bill to worry about me. So, I turned around at 30.1 miles. Yesterday, we made it to the dead end - only 4/10s of a friggin' mile farther! Glad that I made it so far the first time on a hot day, but bummed that I missed the end by such a teeny amount.

This time the total climbing registered 5,105 ft.

[jobob]

Lee & I, on the other hand, turned around about halfway up Atlas Peak. There is only so much a couple of loaded bobs can do without a tow, after all. :p

I was worried about how long it would take us to climb back over Mt. George so, rather than risk riding home in the dark, we went on ahead and did our snails-pace plod back up Mt. George and waited for the rest at the top. We didn't have to wait very long. :o Very pleasant ride with the gang back into Fairfield.

So the Bobs totals worked out to about 51 miles and total climbing was a bit under 4000 ft.

[aka_kim]

Atlas Peak was beautiful, and well-worth doing. Mt. George on the otherhand, I hope never to do again.:(

Last night I was looking at bike club cue sheets, etc. that include Atlas Peak on the route. One started in Napa, did Atlas Peak, stopped for lunch (yeah!) and then did Mt. Veeder. Oh, here are their pictures (http://sports.webshots.com/album/555474710TMCodk). 59 miles and 4800'.

[jobob]

That sounds promising especially the lunch part.

Good sleuthing, Kim.

Altho L.B. & I didn't get up close and personal with the pig poo truck, we'd just as soon avoid Mt. George in the future as well. Especially the return direction, oy.

[Trekhawk]

That sounds promising especially the lunch part.

Good sleuthing, Kim.

Altho L.B. & I didn't get up close and personal with the pig poo truck, we'd just as soon avoid Mt. George in the future as well. Especially the return direction, oy.

Hey am I missing a team pooh story here????

[aka_kim]

No, Team Poo! had nothing to do with the poop truck. While making the unpleasant climb up Mt. George, a pig (cattle?) truck just about grazed all of us, and left its unpleasant slop all over the road. You didn't miss anything.

[Veronica]

I'm so glad I missed that. :D Our climb up Mt. George was uneventful.

V.

[Trekhawk]

No, Team Poo! had nothing to do with the poop truck. While making the unpleasant climb up Mt. George, a pig (cattle?) truck just about grazed all of us, and left its unpleasant slop all over the road. You didn't miss anything.

Oh my - climbing is enough to make me want to barf without the poo smells.

Glad to hear you all got to the top safely even if a little out of breath from the aroma.