Category: bike

Mentioned in a previous post that there is a dredger at the end of the creek trail thats shoring up the levee that was damaged in the recent storm. When Steve and I did a bike ride on Saturday, the dredger had moved down the levee, but a row boat had been left behind. We were guessing that the crew used this to get back and forth from the dredger. Always on the lookout for a photo op, Steve jumped in the boat and went through some rowing motions.  We also include the Vandenbusch signature pose, pointing like Leif Erickson, or some other nordic explorer. Good thing there weren’t any oars around or Stevie would’ve been on his way to McCovey Cove.

Vandenbusch and I have been able to keep riding, even on the oh so cold mornings like this week.  We meet every Saturday at 8am at our local Starbucks.  We head out our normal route but decided to do some hill training instead.  Out Alameda Creek Trail to Coyote Hills.  At Coyote we headed off paved trail and up the very steep Red Hill Trail. Tough climb for a couple old men! A nice down hill and back onto the Bay View trail,  around the backside of Coyote and up heart attack hill. Back down and finish the Coyote Hills loop, back to the Creek trail and eventually back to Starbucks for reward and rest. I call  Starbucks the “courthouse” because Vandenbusch seems to know every other person that goes by.  He holds court while I drink a cappuccino. Great day for a ride. Cold but clear. Could see the city with mount Tam behind it pretty well from our vantage point a top Heart Attack.

Never a dull moment on the Creek Trail with Vandenbusch. We were heading out like always on our Saturday morning ride.  On the the last two miles of paved trail towards the bay and mile marker 11, Steve was just saying how his knee was bothering him a bit, how his back and neck were both sort of stiff.  Low and behold, like a gift from heaven, what do we drive up on but a hot tub right along side the trail!  We  are  guessing that the tub floated from somewhere in the bay and a little way up Alameda Creek.  Someone must’ve dragged it the 50 yards from creekside to the trail.  Nice little four person tub. Exactly the type we were thinking of getting for the backyard! I told Steve that we should head home and get some rollers and tow it back. Instead Steve took a quick soak to relieve his aches and pains.  22 miler today.

Crappy weather yesterday – Vandenbusch took  the chicken exit- so no Saturday ride. I still had the itch but the Sunday schedule was filling up fast.  Breakfast with Liz and Gary and Liz’s mom Rose, then a drive to Stockton to see Staci and Shane.  My only choice was a sunrise ride. I was on the bike a little after 7am.  Took the short way out to Coyote Hills.  Over Highway 880 and the curly que down to the bike path that skirts Ardonwood Farm. They were just opening the back gate when I came through. Perfect timing.  Through the empty farm on the first day of Autumn.  The Corn Maze ready, the pumpkin patch cleared.  AND PUMPKINS EVERYWHERE.

Through three blocks of city streets and into Coyote Hills. Heart Attack Hill and the back side of Coyote, then home the long way along Alameda Creek Trail. Stopped long enough to take another picture looking towards Mission Peak.  Turned out to be a nice little 15 miler.  Great way to start the day!

And the rest of the day was just as good.

Out early Saturday morning for a ride with Vandenbusch, cruising along the last two miles of the Alameda Creek Trail, just enjoying the peace, the solitude, and the beauty of the morning, when all of a sudden, the silence interrupted by a couple of short BWOOP, BWOOPs. An ambulance behind us on the trail! Holy cow! We pulled over and let them pass. A few hundred yards further, and by the time we got there, the paramedics were tending to a cyclist who was laying prone in the middle of the trail. Poor guy must have taken a fall or something. We made our way around and continued to the end of the trail, took a break and headed back. They had the guy in a neck brace, on a back board and were loading him into the ambulance.  Park ranger and park police had also arrived.  Very strange to see so much action in a place that is normally peaceful and serene. Best or luck to our fellow cyclist. Hope to see you out there again sometime soon.

Couldn’t ask for better winter weather than what we had yesterday.  Unlike our friends back east,  We out here on the west coast have had it pretty easy this winter.   When the Beverly Hillbillys said “Californee is the place ya oughta be” , they were right.    Yesterday was forecast to be in the 70’s with sunny skies.   Out at 8am for a quick ride to start the day.  Down Alameda creek trail to the end. Took some pics of the city skyline over 20 miles away. Around the backside of Coyote then up heart attack hill. At the top of heart attack there were a couple of California Poppys making an early appearance.  ahhhh,  winter.

Mentioned below that Ted and I headed over to Starbucks after our bike ride yesterday. As we pulled into the patio area, there was a husband wife and small boy sitting at one of the three outside tables, coffees in hand.  Just as we get off of our bikes, the young boy leans left and pukes all over the patio!  Didn’t stick around out front too long, rushed inside to get our coffee. I mention to Ted that the kid just heaved. I saw the mom come in and thought she told someone about it so they could clean up, turns out she just came in for napkins. yuck!  As we are heading out, its obvious that the family had attempted to cover the vomit with a couple of napkins. Then they moved to the next table, where the kid hurls AGAIN! So mom and dad cover that pile of barf with another couple of napkins, then commence to move to the last “unpuked on” area!  So they are settling into the last table as me and Ted come out. Dad is watching us to see if we try to sit down. NO FRIGGIN WAY! We take a spot away from the vomit zone and watch as mom and dad try to ignore the obvious. The mom then goes into nextdoor Togo’s and comes out with a bag!  Just in case junior blows chunks again. Since there is nowhere else for them to move they finally take a proactive step. NICE.  We left at that point, with mom and dad enjoying thier coffees and everyone else stepping over and around puddles of throw-up.

First day of winter here in California, and my first day of  Christmas vacation. With rain in the forecast I wanted to get in an early bike ride today.  Got bundled up, on the bike, and on the trail before 8am.  Out to the end of the trail and mile marker 11 by 8:30. Took some winter solstice pics and headed back. At the last minute I decided to take a ride around Coyote Hills and do a heart attack hill. We always say that we see something new or different every time we go out for a walk or a bike ride. Today was no different. As I made the turn to go around the backside of Coyote, I see a pink flamingo feeding in the old salt pond. At first I thought it was a fake one that someone had stuck in there, but sure enough, it was real!  So many birds in the old salt ponds, but I never expected to see such a big, beautiful, colorful, tropical bird ON THE WINTER SOLSTICE NO LESS! How wierd is that? Thought about that crazy flamingo the rest of the way home. Made my way up heart attack hill (hoorah!) and home the short way. Good thing too because I felt the first few raindrops as I rode through Ardenwood Historic Farm and raining pretty good about 5 minutes after I got home.  Welcome back old man winter! Don’t stay too long.