The group actually started at Chrissy Field in San Francisco and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge, but I just couldn't bring myself to drive over there on a holiday, especially one where there will be people coming to Chrissy Field for fireworks. Also, the tourist traffic walking and riding rental bikes across the bridge is always ridiculously high on summer weekends.
I met the group in Sausalito at the bike path next to Mike's Bikes. We continued on the trail a short way and then through town to Mill Valley. We started climbing on Marion Ave. and continued to Panoramic Hwy. Marion is a very quiet, twisting residential street with plenty of redwood trees and shade. It is one of my favorite climbs.
On Panoramic Highway, there is some climbing and rolling hills. In places it is narrow and traffic can be a drag. We regrouped at the Bootjack campground, except Bob. He must have gone right by this stop without noticing us. It was getting warm at this point, so it was good to have a break and get some water before the climb up Pan Toll Road.
In my mind, the climb up Pan Toll was terrible and 100% hot and exposed, but it turned out to be not so bad and only exposed toward the end. The distance is also not as much as I thought, only about 1.5 miles to W. Ridgecrest Blvd. When we turned on to Pan Toll Rd. we officially entered Mt. Tamalpias State Park.
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| Mt. Tam sign. |
There is a lot of talk about micro-climates in the Bay Area. During this ride, I think we experienced all the possible climate varieties that exist. Although, it was quite warm up Pan Toll, to the west we could see the coast socked in with fog and feel the occasional ocean-influenced breeze coming our way. It a few places, ribbons of fog were trying to make their way inland without much success.
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| It may be hard to tell in this photo, but at the horizon is the fog from the coast. This is looking down from the top of Pan Toll Rd. |
We did not summit the mountain, but turned left and took W. Ridgecrest Blvd. In this direction, it is mostly rolling hills and, with good timing, you can use momentum to get over most of the uphill sides. You start out being on an open windy ridge top with grasses and some brush and trees to moving into a redwood forest that is deeply shaded and somewhat damp.
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| Forested area at Fairfax-Bolinas Rd at W. Ridgecrest Blvd. Can you see the cyclist in the lower right corner? |
At the intersection with Fairfax-Bolinas Road we went down hill to Alpine Dam toward Fairfax. I love to go down hill (the best reward for tough climbing is a good down hill) so this was a treat, especially because I didn't encounter any cars at all until I reached the dam.
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| View at Alpine Dam |
From the dam, it is a fair bit of climbing to get to Fairfax, but not exclusively; there are some rolling hills and down hill, especially the last 3.5 miles. During a lot of the climbing section, there is a pretty good amount of shade, but toward the end it is hot and exposed and not nearly as scenic as lower down. I was thinking a lot of some kind of coffee blender drink at the Coffee Roastery when I got downhill and into town.
Shortly after I arrived at the roastery, Bob found me and we both got blender drinks and sat in the shade. Soon the rest of the group joined us and we had our lunch break there. The roastery is an independent coffee house that is cyclist-friendly. (I'd list their website, but they don't seem to have one. If you want to find it, it is at the corner of Fairfax-Bolinas Rd and Broadway Blvd. in down town.)
After the lunch break, we returned through San Anselmo, Ross, Corte Madera, etc. In Corte Madera we went over Camino Alto and got back on the bike trail.
Stats:
36.28 miles
3,093 feet of elevation gain
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