March 6–Pope Valley and Lake Berryessa Road Loop

[SadieKate]

Road ride for anyone who wants to join us! We’ll ride north through the Pope Valley and then down the west side of Lake Berryessa.

Start: Moskowite Corner (intersection of highways 128 and 121 NE of Napa)
Time: 10 am, ready to ride as soon after as possible
Length: 45 miles
Climbing: about 1,700 feet

We’ll climb up Lower Chiles Road (part of the Tour of Napa Valley), cross the valley floor (keep your fingers crossed for some gorgeous wildflower displays), and over the ridge to the Lake. We’ll then ride south down the west side of Lake Berryessa followed by a short steep climb out of the canyon and a cruise back to Moskowite Corner.

Facilities are limited this time of year, but there is a very small country store in Pope Valley.

PM or email me for more details or about carpooling from Davis. We'll have riders of varying speeds, so all are welcome.

[jobob]

waaa, that looks great! but starting the end of Feb. my Saturdays are shot w. the ACTC academy :( :(

[SadieKate]

Ah, the sounds of the whambulance! Can you do it if we move it to Sunday, the 6th? Everyone else who pm'd me to say they're coming have said they can move to the 6th. So, Jobob, do we? Can you bear the pressure of the decision? ;)

[CorsairMac]

*C'Mac chants in the background: do it Jobob, do it Jobob, do it Jobob!*

[jobob]

well gee, if you're going to be that way about it....

Sure :D

[SadieKate]

Please note the date change!!! This ride is now on March 6. All details remain the same but the date.

Thanks, Jobob and Yellow!

[SadieKate]

For those of you who say Moskowite Corner? Where the * is that? It isn't on the map!!

Here you go . . . Map to Moskowite Corner (http://home.att.net/~rfzipf/VF_Map.htm). Look for the little red bike icon near the bottom right corner.

NOTE: the highlighted routes are NOT the ones we will be taking. We'll be going north from Moskowite, upper Lower Chiles Vly Rd, east across Pope Canyon Rd and down the west side of Berryessa.

I can email this same map to anyone who wants with our actual route highlighted in a bright orange.

[snapdragen]

I can email this same map to anyone who wants with our actual route highlighted in a bright orange.

Me! Me! I think I kinda figured it out on my Krebs map, but I'd like to see the route. It's a real possibility I will go - I love cycling up there! And it would be a cool way to celebrate my upcoming b-day......

[jobob]

meee too!

- Jo, digging out her Krebs map to count the chevrons :p

[SadieKate]

I realized that it is a jpg file so I uploaded it to my photos. Does this link work?

The orange line is our route. Less total climbing than Mt Diablo and the climbs are broken up. After 5 miles of a nice easy warm up there is one very short climb of 6.4% (according to my trusty guide book).
Route Map (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sadiekatel/detail?.dir=65dc&.dnm=5bff.jpg)

[SadieKate]

Just trying to bump this to the top in case someone needs to see it.

Anyone carpooling from my house should be there by 8:30 so we can count noses and pack up the carpool by 8:45 am.

[aka_kim]

Anyone happen to know the "best" way of getting there when coming from the south? Yahoo says to go straight thru Napa and continue on the 121, but would going to Cordelia then heading north be faster?

And just what is this Muskowite Corner anyway? Will the parking lot be obvious?

aka--more anal than Jobob--kim

[SadieKate]

Moskowite Corners is a sparkling cultural hub of wily and mysterious Moskowillians - actually it consists of a mini-mart, diner and gravel parking lot.

Regarding the best route there for you, dunno. Looking at the map, going up past Rockville to Wooden Valley Road is a straighter shot. You'll probably get less traffic. You may have lower speed limits but I really haven't a clue. You'll pop out onto 121 just like if you went through Napa. That early in the AM, the traffic at Cordelia Junction should be manageable. Perhaps another one of your Bay Area cohorts would have a more informed opinion.

From Davis, we take the back roads to Winters and then drive over the dam and past the Lake so we actually drive some of what we will be riding. It's not fast but it is scenic.

[aka_kim]

Moskowite Corners is a sparkling cultural hub of wily and mysterious Moskowillians...
And this is prime viewing season! I'll bring my binoculars. ;)

[Veronica]

So Kim it's similar to Elko, NV - which you had ALWAYS wanted to visit. I know your dream came true when we stayed there.

V.

[SadieKate]

So Kim it's similar to Elko, NV - which you had ALWAYS wanted to visit. I know your dream came true when we stayed there.
V.

I haven't seen any space aliens at Moskowite Crnrs (unless you count the Harleys - that outta get Corsair riled up! :D )

[aka_kim]

I can't wait. Space aliens, Harleys, and it's as interesting as Elko!

[Bike Goddess]

Hello everyone- I am a new registered user from Benicia. I happened on this forum as I was looking for comments about the Solvang century coming up next week (on Google) and Voila! I discover some of you are coming down my way to ride Pope Valley and Lake Berryessa. I was at Muscovite corner a couple of weeks ago with some the guys in my club- we went to the top of George and then came back down and home. So it looks like a right turn is the way you are planning to go- I've wanted to do that ride for some time but its a century from Benicia. I am doing a century in Merced on Saturday and was planning to ride somewhere Sunday. 45 miles sounds just about right. I may ride over from Joe's cafe in Rockville as they have a good parking lot there. We'll see. In any case I hope to meet you all Sunday! What a treat to ride with women!!

I am also registered in Cinderella as well as doing ALC4 in June.

Nancy- I ride a silver Jamis Quest.

[SadieKate]

Hi, Nancy! Welcome to the group. I got your PM and will respond.

Now that you've found the forum why don't you got to the "Getting to know you forum" (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2001&page=1&pp=15) and tell us about yourself! You'll find lots of stuff about those of us on the ride.

Sarah

[CorsairMac]

I haven't seen any space aliens at Moskowite Crnrs (unless you count the Harleys - that outta get Corsair riled up! :D )

Space Alien Harleys??....wow, I didn't know H-D had branched out, I guess in this case waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out, on a new line. Gonna have to go check my 2005 Harley catalog! :p
Now if its Aliens ya'll want, I live about 2 hrs from Roswell...ya know...THE Roswell. Right up there with Area 51 for mysteriousness and cover-ups!

Welcome to the forum Nancy - ain't this just about the Grandest place to be when you can't be on your bike???

[Veronica]

What a great ride and a fun group! It was a little warmer than expected, although when we were moving the red cashmere was great. I only felt hot when we were stopped. :) I wish I had taken pictures of some of the daffodils. They were beautiful. I gotta say Thom and I felt really good on the tandem. There were some hills that we just powered up. Last year as a team we didn't seem to get into as great shape and it's nice to start the season feeling pretty good.

Gerald was pretty amazing on that mountain bike. He stayed with us on most of the descents, pedaling while we were lazy and coasted. Jesse was pretty inspiring. Yellow REALLY does LOVE hills. I'm tired and need a shower and a pizza. Maybe I'll have more to say tomorrow. Maybe a picture or two...

V.

[SadieKate]

My fortune cookie was true! We had chinese last night and I ate one of the leftover cookies this morning. It said, "A thrilling time is in your immediate future." So true, so true today. Thank you, everyone, for joining us. The microwave timer just went off on the rest of the chinese food so I'm going to eat and nap, hopefully, in that order.

[jobob]

Glad you guys had a great time ! Lee and I went for a short ride today to enjoy the beautiful weather, and then I went into work to do some final preparations for my trip to DC tomorrow (where I gather it will be cold and rainy and possibly snowy :p :p ).
Some other time, I hope!

- Jo.

[SadieKate]

By the way, just to rub it in for those of you who missed the ride, I finally got one of Veronica's cookies. Actually two, but I earned it! They were sure yummy! :)

[Bike Goddess]

Thanks to all of you for a GREAT ride! It was so much fun to be with such a friendly group! I thoroughly enjoyed myself riding with you. I hope to be able to join you on another ride. If anyone is so inclined I would love to organize a ride from Benicia to the famous 3 Bears. We'll start and end in Benicia, going across the Carquinez Bridge. It's about 60miles total and maybe 3500 el gain. Lots of nice climbs and gorgeous scenery! Or, we could do Rockville via Cordelia, Green Valley Road, and then onto Gordon Valley and Mt George.

Let me know if any of this interests you and I will figure something out. Generally speaking I can only ride Sundays and Tuesdays (my days off- I work at Gump's in San Francisco, if you are ever there come say hello!).

Also, I forgot to ask- if anyone would like to sponsor me on the upcoming SF/LA AIDSLifcycle ride- raising money for AIDS programs- let me know and I will send you all the info. I'd love to have you on my team- I'll do the ride...you do the rest!!!

Meanwhile I hope to see you all soon!!!
Nancy :)

P.S. - I'll get my profile in soon as well as my name.

[SadieKate]

Thanks to all of you for a GREAT ride! It was so much fun to be with such a friendly group! I thoroughly enjoyed myself riding with you. I hope to be able to join you on another ride. Ditto!


Let me know if any of this interests you and I will figure something out. Generally speaking I can only ride Sundays and Tuesdays (my days off- I work at Gump's in San Francisco, if you are ever there come say hello!). Riding? Of course, it interests us! Do we get a discount at Gump's? Don't know why I'm asking as I probably still can't afford anything.


Also, I forgot to ask- if anyone would like to sponsor me on the upcoming SF/LA AIDSLifcycle ride- raising money for AIDS programs- let me know and I will send you all the info. I'd love to have you on my team- I'll do the ride...you do the rest!!!See the charity ride listing and the press releases. We have lots of people do rides for Aids, MS, etc. Some brilliant person asked the forum admin to add a charity forum just so we could post our pleas for support there and voila!

Sarah

[Bike Goddess]

[QUOTE=SadieKate]Ditto!

Riding? Of course, it interests us! Do we get a discount at Gump's? Don't know why I'm asking as I probably still can't afford anything.

See the charity ride listing and the press releases. We have lots of people do rides for Aids, MS, etc. Some brilliant person asked the forum admin to add a charity forum just so we could post our pleas for support there and voila!

Sarah[/QUOT

Well, if we ride again, please feel free to ask me as I will you! :)

[Bike Goddess]

re Riding from Benicia- I'll get some kind of schedule together for the next few months of Sundays I can ride- then I'll post dates. I generally don't know my schedule until a week before I get it. (That's retail for you!).

You might be surprised at prices at Gump's. How about a vase for $20.00, some yummy chocolate, etc. all less than$20.00!
nancy

[jobob]

You might be surprised at prices at Gump's. How about a vase for $20.00, some yummy chocolate, etc. all less than $20.00! Road trip!!! :D

(er, BART trip!)

[Bike Goddess]

BART trip! Montgomery stop will do it. Bike it, then ride across the GG Bridge and have lunch in Tiburon (yummy!)

[Veronica]

I didn't take many.

http://www.tandemhearts.com/bike/diablo-2/berryessa-ride-2.jpg

L to R Kim, Jenny, Sarah, Sue, Veronica

V.

[CorsairMac]

Very nice V! Its nice to see faces to go with names! and that cashmere jersey! (you do know you can never retire that now don't you?)

[SadieKate]

Very nice, V! Bubba just said "A #1 picture!"

Nancy hadn't shown up yet because they wearing dealing with the motorcycle crash. We'll have to be sure to get her next time.

[yellow]

The front wheel of the tandem is strategically placed. Note that you cannot see my right sock. :rolleyes:

And V, thanks for not posting the picture of the back of my knees. I recently saw one (of my knee) taken by a friend and I have to say that PedalFaster was right (though I think we're still safe in assuming that most members of the opposite sex are not looking at the backs of our knees).

[Veronica]

That's funny. The picture did come out pretty good, but the backs of your knees.... looked like backs of knees. So we didn't post it.

V.

PS Was the right sock the one with the ahem... problem?

[CorsairMac]

Problem??.......the right sock had a problem??......did someone Post the problem and I missed it?? You can NOT leave us in suspense now....besides.....no matter What the problem, Someone here will have a solution!! :D :D

*waiting with baited breath*


*using cookies for bait ;) *

[SadieKate]

Yellow had a fashion faux "paw" with her right sock that she fixed post photo-op. We promised not to tell.

[yellow]

You know how it is when you're getting dressed at 0-dark-thirty and hubby and dog are still snoozing away and thus you get dressed in the dark?

Not as bad as the day I went to work with one black shoe and one blue shoe. Messed up socks aren't all that noticeable.

Speaking of socks, it's too bad you can't see all the very interesting socks on the bunch as a whole. If I remember correctly, V and Petunia and Kim had me in sock envy.

[SadieKate]

Not as bad as the day I went to work with one black shoe and one blue shoe. Messed up socks aren't all that noticeable.

Back in the day when we actually work heels and pantyhose to work, I actually wore 2 different earings each about an inch across. It wasn't until mid-afternoon someone told me why everyone would sway from side to side while they were talking to me and not look me in the eye.

[snapdragen]

*using cookies for bait ;) *

Oh, cookies! I wasn't there but I'll make something up........ :D

[Bike Goddess]

Oh thanks SK. I'd love to be in one of those photo-ops! :D
Nancy

I'm going to have my digital for Cinderella (at least at the beginning) and if I can remember, I'll take it to the pre Cindy dinner (provided I get excused from work early to come!)