Sonoma Coast Hills - April 28

[Deanna]

Hello!

This Saturday I'm planning on doing a ride from my house in Santa Rosa up to Fort Ross, down Hwy 1 and back in through Occidental via Coleman Valley. It's about 80 miles and about 8200' of climbing. If any of you want to make the trek up to Santa Rosa to join me, I'd love the company.

Pace will be steady, but not fast. Aiming for an average of 13-14 mph door to door, but more likely 11-12 as the hills and miles add up.

Thanks!
Deanna

[SadieKate]

I'd love to but I'm going to SLO. I'll do my best to find you and say hi (and thanks for volunteering) at the WCC.

[maillotpois]

I'd love to also, but have other plans. Sounds like a great route. How do you go to Ft. Ross? I am trying to envision the route. The only time I did Ft. Ross it was from Hwy 1 (after Skaggs) and it was BRUTAL. Toughest climb I have ever done, no exception.

[Deanna]

I'll be easy to find this year--registration on Friday night and the bike coalition table the next morning.

Enjoy the Wildflower. If it wasn't so close I might have taken Kim's ticket.

MP: I'll be taking Harrison Grade into Occidental, then Bohemian down to Monte Rio and up to Cazadero "HIghway"/Austin Creek Road. It's sort-of a lollipop route, with the stick being the out and back to Occi from my house, and the candy part being a loop out of Occidental.

[Deanna]

I'd love to also, but have other plans. Sounds like a great route. How do you go to Ft. Ross? I am trying to envision the route. The only time I did Ft. Ross it was from Hwy 1 (after Skaggs) and it was BRUTAL. Toughest climb I have ever done, no exception.

I won't go all the way down to the coast on Ft. Ross Rd, I'll actually cut down to 1 on Meyers Grade.

[Veronica]

Man if only it were Sunday. I'm working DMD Saturday. Have a great ride Deanna. Sounds kind of epic.

V.

[maillotpois]

Okay - I think I get it. Need to look at map.

I think your cut off back down to 1 from Ft. Ross is what we'll do for our DR route this year, but from 1 back to 1 on Meyers Grade.

Sounds like a great route. I hope the Freestone Bakery figures into your ride plan.

[jobob]

I'll be easy to find this year--registration on Friday night and the bike coalition table the next morning.

Great ! I'll look for you at the Friday night registration.

- Jo.

[maillotpois]

Hey! Deanna! Did you do this ride?? How was it???

The course sounded great, and I wanted to join you. I knew when you posted it, though, that I was going to be doing DMD, although I didn't really want to talk about it at that point.

[Deanna]

Yep. It was tough but gorgeous. It's what made me post about how pretty the Coleman section of the 200K is going to be. I hope the weather's as awesome for the WCC as it was for my ride.

[Deanna]

PS: I could probably be talked into doing it again if anybody wants to come up some time!

[Veronica]

MP gave me a link to a ride up there that I plan on doing over Memorial Day weekend. It's about 100 miles and I think it includes both Skaggs and Fort Ross. Of course it's on my home e mail.

V.

[maillotpois]

V - will you have SAG? There isn't any water that I am aware of on Skaggs, so be prepared. Once you hit Hwy 1 there is a campground before Ft. Ross that has facilities. There's also a store just before you turn off 1 to go on Ft. Ross Rd.

You can also make the ride a bit easier by omitting Ft. Ross and going down 1 to Jenner.

Also be careful on the Skaggs descent as there is a somewhat hidden in shadow cattle guard. (I don't know if I mentioned that in my email but it just occurred to me.)

[maillotpois]

Deanna - sounds like a great ride! YEah, I put 2 and 2 together after the fact and realized that must have been why you posted about Coleman.

[Veronica]

Thom probably won't ride it with me, so he'll be around to do water duty.
I want to keep it hard.

V.