Mt. Tamalpais and Bolinas Ridge

Bill Bushnell - Saturday, October 9, 1993

After waking at 4:30 I go through my usual morning ritual before setting off on the day's adventure at about 6:45, just before sunrise. I ride through Palo Alto north on Middlefield Rd. and then Willow Rd. out to the Dumbarton Bridge and across to Union City to catch a San Francisco-bound BART train.

I am glad to be on the saddle again after having taken a week off from long rides, so I ride fast through the cool, damp air, just in time to catch the crimson sunrise through the clouds over Mission Peak as I crest the Dumbarton Bridge. The ride up Paseo Padre to Union City BART passes uneventfully.

I plan to meet Richard Mlynarik at his home near Dolores Park in San Francisco, so I continue on BART to the 16th & Mission station. The neighborhood around the station has become tougher in the last several years. As I emerge from the subway I am met with cold probing glances from several people loitering nearby. Others shuffle quickly by with their heads down and eyes averted.

I continue up 16th Street and then to Richard's house. After relaxing for a while and discussing where we could ride, we head down Church Street past construction for a streetcar line, across Market Street and then left on Page. Our route follows Page -> Stanyan -> Geary -> Arguello -> Washington, through The Presidio -> Lincoln Blvd. and then across the Golden Gate Bridge.

As we cross the bridge, we see several large naval vessels all in a line approaching the Golden Gate. Many warship worshippers crowd the overlooks on the Marin Headlands.

We continue through Sausalito and north on the bike path alongside Richardson Bay. After crossing Blithedale Ave. we continue on the path until it becomes too muddy. We had hoped to find the entrance of the old bore through the hillside where the rail line used to go, but the end of the path is a swamp, and it's too early in the ride to get all muddy.

We find our way uphill to the Corte Madera Ridge Trail. We continue on Blithedale Ridge Rd. and then Indian Rd. and Eldridge Grade all the way to the summit parking lot of Mt. Tamalpais. Many of the climbs along the way are in excess of 20%, and most of them are either rocky or dusty. We are forced to shift to the two-foot gear more than once.

After eating lunch Richard decides to head back to San Francisco, but I choose to continue north. I head down Ridgecrest Rd. to Fairfax-Bolinas Rd., and then I continue on Bolinas Ridge Rd. This beautiful unpaved road lies on the ridge for over 11 miles. The first seven miles pass through a mixture of shrubs and redwoods, and the northernmost four miles roll over bare, grassy hills where a few of the descents are so fast and furious that I can feel the heat of the gloves on my palms from the vibration. Looking north I see Tomales Bay and the coastline continuing into the mists.

At Francis Drake Blvd, I turn right and return through Samuel Taylor Park and San Geronimo Valley. When I reach Fairfax the traffic is considerably heavier. I continue on the main road through San Anselmo, Ross, Kentfield, and Corte Madera rather than plod tediously on the side streets on the marked bike route.

By the time I reach the Sausalito end of the Mill Valley bike path, I am starving. The bonk is near. I seem to need more food when the weather is cool. I stop at the market near the Sausalito Cyclery for a “Veggie Burger” sandwich with the works. I resist the strong temptation to buy candy or chocolate chip cookies and thereby save myself the ignominy of a Frank Award.

After eating I continue through Sausalito and across the Golden Gate Bridge. I head east on Lincoln Blvd and then make a hairpin left and descend to Fort Point where I take the informal gravel bike/jogging path through The Presidio and onto Marina Blvd.

The sun has set, so I turn on my light. I continue through Fort Mason and Fisherman's Wharf and ride with the traffic down Embarcadero and eventually find myself at the Embarcadero BART station.

At Union City I get off BART and commence the final 17 miles of the ride. I stop once at the Bay Refuge Center in Newark to get water. Even though the center is closed, water can be got from the tap just to the right of the main entrance of the building. When I see that the Coke machine offers soft drinks for 65 cents, I succumb to the temptation. A warm heavy dampness hangs in the air as I sip the bubbly liquid and enjoy the view from the benches overlooking the bay.

The ride over the Dumbarton Bridge and home is uneventful and somewhat unpleasant as there is little I can do to shield my eyes from the glare of headlights passing in the other direction on the freeway to my right.

Ride stats:

distance: 115.6 miles

climbing: 5640 feet

total time: 14:53

riding time: 8:49

average speed: 13.1 mph

maximum speed: 41.0 mph

index: 138

irp: 9.3

mirp: 15.7

climbing density: 49 ft/mi

climbing ratio: 0.0092

An article on indexing can be found here.

©2004, Bill Bushnell

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