Loma Prieta and Summit Rd.

Bill Bushnell — August 13, 1994

On my way from home in Palo Alto to Saratoga High School, I met up with Brent Silver. We continued on to the high school where we hooked up with Beth Dawson’s ride up Loma Prieta. While we rested at the start, I met Thomas Maslen, Larry Sokolsky, a fellow LMSC employee, and his friend Denise. Ron Porat and Sam Wilkie arrived a minute later. Beth wanted to warm up a bit before starting up CA-9, so she and the group started off on a warm-up loop while Ron and I went to top off our water bottles. Feeling slow, Brent started up the hill first.

Fifteen minutes later Ron and I took off and began climbing up CA-9. We caught up to Brent at the two long switchbacks and continued at his pace to the top. About 3/4 of a mile before the top Denise zipped by at about 10 mph. (We were doing 5 mph or so.)

At the top we regrouped and relaxed for a little while before heading south on Skyline. The ride south was very pretty and quiet. We regrouped again at Bear Creek Rd.

As we passed the Redwood Estates turnoff on Summit Rd., a mystery cyclist without a helmet and with a toothless grin came upon us from behind. At our next rest stop, the Summit Store, he introduced himself: Jan Zaluda. Jan has been riding in the Santa Cruz Mountains since 1974. He’s ridden up Loma Prieta before but wanted to join us today.

We continued south on Highland Way and turned left on Mt. Bache and began a very hot climb. In less than a mile we reached Loma Prieta Ave. and continued climbing into the sun. After what seemed like an hour but was really only 28 minutes, we reached the end of the paved road. This was as far as Beth, Sam, and Thomas wanted to ride, since they were on skinny tires.

The rest of us were more foolish, so we said our goodbyes and continued on the rough, rocky, washboard, dirt road. Loma Prieta Rd. climbs gradually up to the junction with Summit Rd. We stayed left at the junction and began climbing up a visciously steep and rocky road. Fortunately, the steep part wasn’t too long, but the weather was hot and dry, and the dust and rocks made the climb more challenging. Brent remarked to me later that Denise got off her bike and walked some sections faster than he could ride them.

About 500 feet below the summit, we reached a junction where someone had placed a mobile home with a sign in the window that reads “For Rent”. To the left Loma Ridge Rd. continues down the ridge to Mt. Umunhum and Loma Almaden Rd. Jan claims to have ridden up to the top of Mt. Umunhum several times even when the Air Force used to be there. He prefers that climb. “All pavement,” he says. He said he never had a problem being kept out by the gunslingers that are said to prowl the area. To the right Casa Loma Rd. plunges down to Uvas Rd., and to the middle we continued up to the Summit. The road is steep, and after we passed a gated road to the left that goes to the antenna farm at the top, I found I lacked the right combination of traction, balance and power to stay pedaling. Larry managed to stay in the saddle as the rest of us plodded uphill on our two-foot gears.

The road ends at a microwave relay antenna farm that isn’t behind barbed wire. A short footpath leads up the northeast side of the peak to a small helipad just outside a high razor-wire fence and about 20 feet below the actual summit of the mountain. The temperature was a very dry 90F. The view of San Jose to Gilroy is reminiscent of the view from the top of Mt. Diablo toward Concord. Loma Prieta is nearly as high as Mt. Diablo. Mt. Hamilton is about 400 feet higher, but it doesn’t look it.

We spent about 20 minutes enjoying the view and drinking our precious water before we began the bumpy descent. When we reached Summit Rd. we turned left and began the long trek south to Mt. Madonna County Park. Larry and Denise had gone ahead. They were going to go down the west side of Mt. Madonna Rd. and return to Saratoga via Eureka Canyon Rd. and Highland Way.

Shortly after the turn I discovered my rear tire going flat. It was a patch that had come unglued. I’ve never had that happen before. After spending fifteen minutes mucking around on the dusty ground, we got going again. Five minutes later, Ron stoped to fix a flat. Since Brent had ridden on ahead, I decided to go catch up to him so he didn’t think we had turned back. Brent waited at the upper gate on Summit Rd. just past the road into Uvas Canyon County park and just before Ormsby Cutoff. A sign reads “Private Road. No Trespassing”, but having checked with Santa Clara County beforehand, I know it is an illegal sign and that Summit Rd. is a public right-of-way. The gate was open.

Brent and I waited for a good half-hour before deciding that Ron and Jan were taking far too long to fix a flat. So we started back. In less than half a mile, we met up with them. Ron had two punctures, but he didn’t discover the second until he had fixed the first.

We continued without further delay down Summit Rd. and past several hovels on the hot, dusty, treeless ridge. The 1000-foot antenna is about a quarter mile off to the left of Summit Rd. behind a high fence. I was curious to know what it’s for. Not many antennas are on such a high tower.

Soon we reached the lower gate. After passing through we continued a little further on dirt and then onto blessed pavement. Despite what some people think, I’m not crazy about dirt roads. I like to ride them if they go someplace interesting, but I usually don’t go out of my way just to ride dirt. Loma Prieta Rd. is one of the roughest dirt roads in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and both Loma Prieta and Summit Rds. are dusty and rocky. The ridge along the southeast flank of the Santa Cruz Mountains is mostly treeless, and on a hot day, a ride down this road is very dry and dusty. If these roads were paved next week, I wouldn’t cry.

Since the time I had been waiting with Brent at the upper gate, my digestive system had been grumbling, and now grumblings punctuated by sharp stabs had become alarmingly frequent. I knew we had a few miles of mostly downhill before we’d reach the “little building” at Mt. Madonna park, but I couldn’t wait any longer. As soon as I saw a secluded bunch of trees, I stopped. This time I brought an adequate supply of paper. When I was finished, I even dug a little trench with a stick and buried the fruit of my labor.

The others had gone on ahead. I caught up to them at Mt. Madonna Rd. We continued into the park and stopped for water and a snack next to the little building.

After resting, we turned around and rode back on Pole Line Rd. to Mt. Madonna Rd. Then we turned right and headed down on the dirt. Brent and Ron were ahead. A half mile from the top, I picked up a set of keys, tools, and a bottle of sunscreen. It looked like Brent’s or Ron’s.

A little further down, Jan flatted. He had advised me earlier not to pump my tires to 110 psi, that it wore out the casing. I replied that I pumped up the tires to avoid pinch flats on bumpy dirt roads. Jan had gotten two pinch flats and one puncture flat. Now it was my turn to give advice.

A half-hour later, we got moving again. The road was steep, but about 3/4 of a mile before the bottom, the pavement returned. Ron was at the bottom of the hill. He had just left a note for us on the “Yield” sign at the bottom, and Brent had ridden on ahead. The three of us continued down Redwood Retreat Rd. at a fast pace and then left on Watsonville Rd. Jan took the lead and pulled us into the wind at a difficult 20 mph.

When we got to Monterey Hwy, we turned left. I knew Brent was going to stop for food somewhere along here, so I kept my eyes open for his bike. As we passed the Subway shop on the right I looked behind and recognized Brent’s bike. We stopped, ate, and drank.

Brent looked tired and unhappy. He asked if I had found a set of keys on the road. When I said I had, his face lit up.

“It must be my day.”, he said.

“Yes,” I replied. “Also, you’re the only one who hasn’t had a flat tire.”

After a moderately long rest and a good two-hour ride ahead of us, we resumed riding. We could have taken the county transit bus #68 to the San Jose Caltrain station, but we were too macho for that. Besides, I wanted to get “credit” for a century.

We started north on Monterey Highway taking turns at the front. But when Jan got to the front, he pushed the pace to about 21 mph and held it there for an hour. (!) It was like following a locomotive. Without the food stop I would have been unable to hold on. As it was, I was comfortable drafting at 21 mph, but had I been at the front I would have ridden at 17 or 18 mph. I was not feeling particularly energetic.

After stopping very briefly in downtown San Jose at Cesar Chavez Plaza, Brent left us by heading home to Sunnyvale on San Carlos Blvd., and I led the way north on Coleman, De la Cruz, and Central Expressway at a slightly slower pace of 19 to 20 mph. Ron cut off at Mary St., and I cut off at Middlefield. I got home at 20:38.

Ride stats:

distance: 112.4 miles

climbing: 6930 feet

total time: 13:33

riding time: 8:05

average speed: 13.9 mph

maximum speed: 47.0 mph

index: 140

irp: 10.3

mirp: 17.3

cd: 62

An article on indexing can be found here.

©2004, Bill Bushnell

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