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.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

* Sharks Win Opener!


The 2011-2012 season is underway. Nice start by the boys in Teal.


I'm stoked Michal Handzus is now a Shark. He has always played tough against San Jose.

The Couture/Clowe/Havlat? line will be fun to watch.


All photos pull from the Sharks web-site.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

* West Dry Creek Road Cycling


I took a bike ride out to the Dry Creek Valley this morning to see how the fall foliage was coming along. Not a lot of color happening yet, but the smell of grape harvest was in the air.

I treated the to/back as a work out, but rode part of West Dry Creek Road at a leisurely pace, taking pictures, enjoying the crisp morning and brilliant blue skies.

Total Miles: 27.5

Waiting for harvest on Dutcher Creek Road.

Dry Creek vineyards.


Raymond Burr Vineyards @ West Dry Creek Road.

Old family owned vineyard.



Quivira Vineyard vines with Mount St. Helena in the distance.

Entance to the Rafenelli Vineyards Winery.



The old Rafenelli grape trucks.



Fall foliage on West Dry Creek Road.



Gina G's Dry Creek Store.

Geyser Peak Vineyards @ Geyserville

The old Pastori Winery along Hwy 101 @ Geyserville.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

* Bizz Johnson Trail

I joined the COOA group to ride the Bizz Johnson Trail near Susanville, CA. Total distance - 30 miles.

It was a long day Friday, as I had a sales meeting in Hayward. I was up at 3:00am to be at the distributor at 6:00am to prepare for a 8:00am meeting which included a E&J Brandy/Camarena Tequila presentation. After the meeting, I drove directly to Susanville, arriving about 7:00pm. I secured a room at the local Best Western, had a couple glasses of wine, and fell soundly asleep.

Being right there, I was at the Historic Train Depot in Susanville (where we were to pick up a shuttle) at 7:30am ready to go. Everyone's bike/self was loaded by about 9:00am and we were on the road back down to Westwood for the start of the ride.

There was about a mile or two of riding on pavement to get to the trailhead (my bike computer wasn't working at the start, so I'm guessing). The fast group pulled ahead and when we gathered at the start there was five of us. We covered the first 8 miles at a workout pace. Once we crossed the Susan River for the first time, the landscape opened up and the scenery changed. I stopped several times to take pictures and found myself way behind the the group I started with and quite a ways ahead of the casual riders several miles behind me.

It was great! I rode the next 22 miles at a rather leisurely pace, stopping often to take pictures and soak up the Susan River environment which included, bridges, tunnels, aspens, volcanic outcroppings and lush stream side vegetation.

I arrived back at the train depot in Susanville at 1:10pm for a total ride time of about 3 1/5 hours.

COOA member getting ready at the Historic Train Depot in Susanville.


The Bizz Johnson Trailhead just outside Westwood, CA.

A Susan River sighting.

Looking back at the first crossing.

An old shack along the route.

Susan River.




The old Railroad track converted to an hiking, biking, equestrian trail (Rails to Trails).

Volcanic outcropping across the canyon.

More railroad grade riding.

Great views!

Beautiful country.

Susan River with small volcanic rim.



Historic trestle.







Along the Susan River.

Rabbit Brush along the Susan River.





The first old train tunnel.

Volcanic outcroppings.

The second tunnel.

The hiking/MTB trail around the second tunnel.

More Susan River.

Outcropping along the trail.

Great area!



The start of the trail at the Susanville end.

The home stretch. Train depot in the distance.