The Duffel Bag: January 2011

Where the spirit leads the feet will follow.

Down distant paths for unmapped miles.

Heads forget but hearts remember:

The art of living knows no bounds.

"The best journeys answer questions that in the beginning you didn't even think to ask." - Jeff Johnson, 180 Degrees South

"The best way out is always through" - Robert Frost

Sleep doesn't help if it's your soul that's tired.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

* Point Reyes National Seashore

Point Reyes Cycling

Actual Date: 01/15/2011

We made another January trip out to Point Reyes, this time for some mountain biking. There are not many MTB trails in PRNS, but one I've been wanting to ride for awhile is the Inverness Ridge trail.

Marcie took me up to the Mt.Vision parking area and dropped me off. She then drove back down to the Marsh Trail near the visitors Center and waited for me. A short climb from the parking area takes you to the top of Mt. Vision and the trail head. The first section is fast, fun single track with a few uphills that are manageable. After a fast mile or so, the single track dumps you out on a narrow paved road, which I thinks is Drakes Summit Drive that comes up from Inverness Park (I could be wrong though). Then through a gate onto a dirt fire road for the rest of the ride to Limantour Road.

I peddled mostly uphill for a mile to the top of Limantour Road, then ripped (well, went as fast as I could with 2.25 29er wheels - about 35 mph) back down to Bear Valley Road and Marcie waiting for me at the Marsh Trail parking area.

Time: 00:45:00

Miles: about 6.0 (my bike computer malfunctioned)

Tomales Bay from the upper section of the Inverness Ridge Trail

We loaded back up and drove out Sir Francis Drake Hwy, through Inverness again, past the Mt. Vision road, to the Estero Trail head where the plan was to ride the Estero Trail/Drakes Head Trail (+/- 10 miles round trip) out to Drakes head.

We knew going in it was going to be wet and muddy, that's why we (I ;) ) went. But once we crossed the bridge at the Estero and tried to climb the first incline we knew we weren't going far. The trail was sticky slime from the recent rains. We didn't want to drop off the other side because we knew we would have to walk our bikes back up because of the conditions, so we turned around.

M at the Estero