Sunday, September 7, 2008

"The Most Beautiful Ride" (Alpine Dam / Marshall / Pantoll)

A long ride today (91 miles) with lots and lots of uphill (8,500'), but I rode pretty fast by my reckoning (5:30) which means that I haven't completely lost my fitness since France.

This ride was characterized by an insanely thick fog -- even by Northern California standards -- that blanketed the low valleys around Mt. Tam and the entire coast. But the fog was so dense that it just stuck there; it never crept up the mountain and never ventured off the beach. Pretty much ideal conditions for riding and just simply taking in the beautiful surroundings. I ride this area a lot and have seen a lot of killer days, but today was probably the best scenery I've ever had around here. The pictures speak for themselves.