Loma Prieta in the Fall
Jobst Brandt
Loma Prieta, Sunday, 19 Oct 97
In spite of dire warnings of El Ninio and the weather changes we
should expect, the fog has come rolling over the Coast Range here on
the San Francisco peninsula the same as always. Our fog comes from
moist offshore air, chilled by deep water as cold as 10 deg C that
rises along the coast. Fog also gives us that San Francisco weather
that Mark Twain called "The coldest winter I ever experienced was a
summer in San Francisco". We shouldn't complain, it's the fog belt
that gives us our redwood forests.
Fog still shrouded the foothills as we headed up Alpine Road, that is
only open to non motor vehicles, first because it is closed by gates,
and second, because the road slid into the creek, leaving a vertical
wall where the road had been. A steep single track trail detours
around this section. The fog evaporated as we reached the woods, and,
although deep in the canyon of Corte Madera Creek, rays of sunlight
illuminated the huge yellow leaves of the big leaf maple that stand
out brightly against dark green redwood and Douglas fir needles that
shade them. Meanwhile the creek gurgled peacefully in its rocky bed
as it does most of the year.
Although this is a veritable bird cage in spring and summer, the woods
were quiet now except for the occasional yacking of a woodpecker or
jay. We have flickers, acorn, downey, and nutall's woodpeckers, the
last two little ones being more heard than seen. Most of the noise
now comes from the stellar's and scrub jays. Above the gate, the road
was in good shape helped by a recent light rain a week and a half ago.
This also improved traction on the singletrack so that we could
readily ride up the whole thing with our narrow road tires. It's a
bit of a grunt but it works.
By the time we reached Skyline Blvd, the fog had retreated to about
the center stripe with shreds of fog still blowing out of the trees
across the road. The solid fog bank to the west allowed us to imagine
that maybe the Himalayas loomed there from the bits of forest visible
now and then above the road, alluding to much much more, that wasn't
really there. The road was dry except under larger trees that had
captured moisture from the fog as it rode on its own wind, the day
being otherwise windstill.
Skyline Blvd (HWY35) rises gradually as it heads south until it passes
Saratoga Gap and HWY9, beyond which it exposes a broad panorama to the
sea with Santa Cruz, the long curved beach of Monterey bay and
Monterey at the tip of the Santa Lucia mountains where they drop into
the sea about 30 miles to the south. Today only a sea of fog lay
before us, with Empire ridge and the distant mountains to the south
rising above this puffy quilt. Here the fog level was below us
blocked by the mountain from pouring into the Santa Clara Valley as it
does in the evening.
The road crests at about 3300ft just beyond Castle Rock, a favorite of
spot rock climbers with its odd shaped smooth sandstone cliffs with
spherical holes and cusps. Here the forest is especially dark so that
causing the maples to develop leaves as large as 30 cm across to
collect enough light. The road descends gradually staying mostly on
the top of the ridge as it becomes narrower and less traveled over the
last 10 miles toward the main north-south arterial, HWY17 between San
Jose and Santa Cruz. Here at the summit of HWY17 at about 1800ft, we
were back in the fog and on a few miles stopped at the Summit Store.
The weather was much like the ride I took in the spring except that
the mood today was definitely autumn as we rode up to the saddle
between two watersheds, at the Radonich ranch. Here a row of huge
poplars was dropping gold-leaf through the autumn air, a scene that
reminds me of many rides past with riders who hardly recall bicycling.
We headed up Mt Bache (pronounced batch-ee by the locals) and up
Summit Road to Mt Loma Prieta (3808ft). This is a steep but scenic
climb, that reaches the end of pavement at the top of the "one mile
hill". We continued to the base of the peak on the fairly rocky road
that includes the "dirty bump" that is steep and loose. Today Brian
suggested we should go to the top of the mountain, having never been
there. I hadn't been up here but once, 40 years ago, when the first
antennas were being installed. Although the summit gives a panorama
from the southern end of the Santa Clara Valley to San Francisco and
Mt Tamalpais to the north, most of this can be seen better from the
plateau below. Besides, there is a substantial gate across the road
to keep Vandals and Visigoths out.
After stopping for a big drink at the spring on the perimeter road
below the summit, we headed back down the "dirty bump" that was easier
down than up and headed south on Summit Rd. From up here we could see
that we were ultimately headed back into the fog. Meanwhile, the
windless day had given way to a dark grey smog in the Santa Clara
valley. Summit Road is sometimes smooth, sometimes rocky with a few
ups and mostly downs. Although the fog was receding, it still
blotted out the lowlands to the west.
As we descended to the huge and slender TV mast that broadcasts to
Salinas, we came across a grader that was preparing the road for
winter. One of the men was standing on the road while the other
drove. I recognized the man on the road as a "git offa my land" type
that I had encountered before and rode by swiftly. Brian somehow got
stopped and I realized this was probably a solo ride from here.
When I reached the paved part of the road I waited for ten minutes
before calling it a lost cause. Continuing on to the junction of
Summit, Mt Madonna, and Pole Line roads, I turned west descending
under the fog to Hazel Dell Rd that loops back through the redwoods to
Corralitos. The road still had several unrepaired washouts from last
winter. Near the top a 100 yard skid mark came straight down the road
and off into the creek between the trees, the bumper and license plate
still marking the end of alcohol enhanced road appreciation.
At Corralitos my friend Peter Johnson, who built my bike, and his wife
had just arrived on their motorcycles, he on his antique 250cc 1960's
Honda team racer. This bike was built for jockeys and looks a bit
slim under a normal sized person. In contrast to other motorcycles,
it looks more like a moped.
Being aware of the shortage of daylight at this time of year, I didn't
stay long and headed off up Eureka Canyon at 3:00 PM just as the sun
broke through. At the Summit store, I tanked up on a large soda and
candy for the remaining 40 miles home. Returning over the same course
on which I had come was a different scene because the fog was
reclaiming its territory and the sun had put on its gold filter to
illuminate the cliffs, and black walnut and maple trees with a light
that made even the dry grass on the meadows look like threads of gold.
At Saratoga Gap the pleasant warm air became chilly as the fog with
the wind of its own returned to whip across the road and descend to
the inland valley 2500 feet below. In this direction the road is
mostly downhill except a half mile climb to Page Mill Rd. Page Mill
is one of the greatest descents of any that I know with all sorts of
curves and steep sections with a marvelous view of the valley. I
passed several bicyclists who appeared to be unaware the it would soon
be dark as pressed on quickly. I rolled through Stanford University
at about 6:30 as the last swift were darting around before ducking
into their roosts under the roof of the old main library.
When I got home I checked with Brian, who told me he had backtracked
from the wrath of the mountain men and then took a tour through parts
of the Forest of Nisene Marks and was actually behind me at the Summit
store. However, he took a shouter route home and arrived a bit before
me. It was a great day with 124miles of brisk riding.
-------------------------------
Jobst Brandt <jbr...@hpl.hp.com>
Jeff Orum
> ... headed south on Summit Rd.
> As we descended to the huge and slender TV mast that broadcasts to
> Salinas, we came across a grader that was preparing the road for
> winter. One of the men was standing on the road while the other
> drove. I recognized the man on the road as a "git offa my land" type
> that I had encountered before and rode by swiftly. Brian somehow got
> stopped and I realized this was probably a solo ride from here.
Interesting. There was an article in the San Jose Mercury News Roadshow
column on 10/13 about this road. According to the article, the Sheriff's
Department indicated that Summit Road in this area is a public road, but
maintained by private funds, and it is legal to ride.
Jobst Brandt
Jeff Orum writes:
> {about Summit road] There was an article in the San Jose Mercury
> News Roadshow column on 10/13 about this road. According to the
> article, the Sheriff's Department indicated that Summit Road in this
> area is a public road, but maintained by private funds, and it is
> legal to ride.
Yes I am aware of that article. I intend to talk to Mr Roadshow about
that. I have always assumed the road was public because it was never
officially abandoned and 40 years ago, the sheriff patrolled it and I
drove there with my car. It was a popular place to drive to then.
Jobst Brandt <jbr...@hpl.hp.com>