Showing posts with label Mount Tamalpias. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mount Tamalpias. Show all posts

Thursday, February 10, 2011

5 Corners, Rocky Ridge, Willow Camp Ride on Mount Tam

This was an end-of-January ride I did with my buddy Chris.  My first day back in the saddle after a too long sabbatical.  The weather made it fun and interesting.  We started with some overcast at the bottom, and as we progressed up Mount Tam, it kept getting colder and colder and wetter and wetter, and on the top it was coming down in a steady stream, which, you can't see all that well in the photos.  We were soaked through by the time we rolled into Stinson, an awesome ride, as usual!

I was going to try to document the ride, all the trails we went on.  It's been a few weeks, so I am asking my readers, please help recollect this ride.  We started at Java Hut in Fairfax, to 5 Corners, to Rocky Ridge, around Lake Laganitas and the other lake, named something.  Up top, there is something Dell, and then down into Stinson, single track, Willow Camp.

Okay, I also include a little expose on Oliver.  He's Andre's son.  3?  And then, yes, Ellie. and Stinson.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Mount Tam Ride and spill

This is last weekend's ride.  I have to get pictures up.  It was probably the last for my camera.  I crushed it, along with tearing myself up, ending up with stitches.  It was a fantastic group, about 10 or 12 of us.  We rode about 3.5 or 4 hours, a big day.

The cool effect with the pictures is because the camera lens thing does not open all the way, and covers the picture.  I think it's messing up the shutter speed too.  Anyways, great day on Tamarancho.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

GI Jane, Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim, Gerbode Valley - Pelican Inn Ride

Yes, thank you all, my patient followers and not-so-patient followers.  I am now busy with work.  Needless to say, life goes on, and so should the Jib Jab.  There has been lots going on.  It's not that.  I just haven't had the luxury of so much blogging time.  It may even mean, Jib Jab gets more concise.  Heaven forbid.

Jib Jab and Swimming
So, getting to it, GI Jane.  One of my swim buddies, (starts with a D, ends with amon) sent an email to us, Zola swimmers, saying his inspiration for us is GI Jane.  Remember when she pulls master chief out of harm's way?  Remember her one-arm push-ups?  So, that's our inspiration for the Trans-Tahoe swim, coming up this summer.  I swam with this tight-knit group, as the new kid on the block, which is an oxy-moron because I am about 15 or more years older than everyone else on our team...  Anyways, there is a legendary battle with 'the girls' team.  I forget their name.  They always seem to win.  Last year, it seemed like the tide was turning.  As we were about 10 miles into the swim, we were gaining on them, about 100 meters every 30 minutes or so.  We were virtually neck and neck at 11 miles, and in the last mile, they disappeared.   I hoped it was behind us, but alas.  They beat us again.  We are sure they are cheating.

Jib Jab - continued - The Grand Canyon
On another note, my best buddy, and friend since college was out last week for work.  We got together, and did a little hike around my house, which is actually, a pretty amazing hike [note to self.  add pix]  You can see San Francisco, Stanford, east bay, the San Francisco bay, and bay trees.  Lots of them.  It's both wooded, and open fields, and very hilly.  It's an awesome trail, anyways, Mike is my favorite adventurer.  Just a super short list of some of our adventures, on the top of my mind; camping, fly fishing, Wind River, Wyoming.  Heli-skiing, Banff, Canada, Grand Canyon, rim to rim to rim, twice.  Numerous ski trips, and other fun stuff.  So, always wanting to take it one more level, Mike has been talking about rim to rim to rim, all in one day.  He has said it before, so this time he says, so, are you in?  I can't help myself.  I smile, and start laughing.  I know I can't say no, even though it's ridiculous.   So, I am like, okay, so, it's 50 miles, which, on a flat surface is probably a 15 hour hike at a fast pace.  The Grand Canyon adds about 35,000 feet of elevation change, both up and down, just guesstimating (nice word!).  So, yeah, all said, maybe a 20-22 hour hike, if all goes well.  With any hiccups.  Well, disaster.  So, he says, we better start training.  I love him. [i will add some pics]

Jib Jab -extreme - Mountain Biking
I think last section is the extreme, and this is continued, don't you think?  :-)
So, a new arena I have thrown myself into, and am loving is mountain biking.  I have some great new friends, and re-acquaintances, who I have been totally enjoying riding with, and getting educated on riding and trails to ride.  So, another friend and brother in law[starts with P and ends with ete] has been graciously and generously including me into his circle of life-long buddies he has been riding with, well, his whole life.  I have missed a couple of the rides, and especially missed going on the last one, as it sounded like a real adventure into areas uncharted by me [Tennessee valley].  So, he also sent, or forwarded another ride of another of his good friends, who lives by me.  I need to study it, but it's within 15 minutes of my house.  All these other rides are across the Golden Gate bridge, and beyond.  About an hour plus from my house.  So, that is good news, and it doesn't stop there.  The newest ride, I think is a long one.  Maybe 4 hours?  Gerbode Valley to Pelican Inn.  You may remember Pelican Inn from a previous post.  Awesome spot.
Good beer.  Super beautiful area.  Can't wait.  [another note, Matt essentially called me a sissy, until I do something called Alpine mtn, or something...more later....apparently, a long ride, 4 hours, and some hard hard sections...]

Jib Jab - PS Happy Birthday Sis!  [That's mom and Kathy].  We had my family, including Sarah's room mate and boyfriend, mom, Kathy and Mark down to Kabul's in San Carlos.  This is our local family Afgan restaurant.   We regularly get the same waiter, who we love, and who showers us with wisdom, sometimes at awkward lengths.  It's a great place.  Very good kabobs, of every meat, and always get the Kadu (is that how you say it?  - it's this amazing, delicious pumpkin with yogurt and meat sauce.  It's great with or without the meat sauce).  They have a whole veggie section of the menu too.
I guess it has been a while since I posted!!  We have been celebrating my sister's birthday.  Mom's in town.  Sarah's in town, her dear friend, Ann and Michael were in.   We went to one of my sister and Mark's favorite hang outs in San Francisco.  It's great food, super people, very cute place, newly spruced up.  It's called Ideale, at the corner of Columbus and Broadway- basically in the thick of North Beach, San Francisco.  [That's Kathy and Ann in the picture at Ideale.  Ann is Kathy's friend from Cherry Hills, going back to probably elementary school.]

What's next?  I am going to ABQ/ Santa Fe in April, next Friday.  I get to see some cliff dwellings, my sister and brother, and their families.  So, to all who have read to here, thanks!  Come back, I will post pictures.  Thanks for hanging in.  I am hoping to keep this up, even as my work schedule tightens...
That's mom and my sis.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Rocky Ridge Ride - Mount Tam

Awesome ride,
Fairfax, Deer Park, Rocky Ridge, 5 corners, Bon Tempe dam/lake, Java Hut. 
This is one we have done a few times. It's shorter than some, but some pretty serious hill climbing. It's a lot of fire roads, so plenty of space, but there are some challenging downs, too, and baby-head uphills and a couple really long uphill steeps.  


Jib Jab:
I wish I had a map of the area.  I can see the route, for the most part, but would love to have some reference, from a topo map or something.  I'm not sure how long or how much time we were on the trail.  

By the time we had a brat and a couple beers at Gestalt, it was 2pm.  We started at 10am or 10:15am.  My guess, we were on the trail about 2-2:30 hours.  It was perfect for me.  Hard, but not too hard.  Some long steeps, but not too long.  I cleared some stuff I haven't before.  And some technical sections, that were not too too technical, and again, I completed some stuff I walked/hiked through before.  All in all, I didn't hit it too hard, but somehow was able to stay on top of it more than usual... which made for a great day.  Some really nice progress and successes on the trail, and my trapezious didn't give me any trouble at all.

So, it was a great day for a few reasons.  I got the thumbs-up from the doc, to go ride. First day back on the bike after about a month. We had gorgeous weather- perfect for riding weather, actually. It could have been a bigger ride, but with my nascent shoulder recovery, I asked for a less challenging ride, just to ensure I would be able to ride again soon.  So, Chris and I had a great day on ms mt tam, and then a perfect conclusion at the Gestalt House, in Fairfax.


I have some photos, coming soon.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Top of Willow Camp, Stinson Beach Below


IMG_0865, originally uploaded by timmerbrew.
Matt is my buddy from middle school, and Chris is my new friend, the firefighter. We are getting ready to head down Willow Camp, after the grueling climb up from the Java Hut, in Fairfax.  This was the Sunday ride, after a weekend in Stinson.  The same ride I did with Gary, on Friday, after he got off work.  If I remember, about 3 hours up and over.

IMG_0868, originally uploaded by timmerbrew.

IMG_0875, originally uploaded by timmerbrew.
  
Below is the view off to the right, you can see Bolinas lagoon, and some of the far end of Stinson beach before it turns west, and into Bolinas.

IMG_0870, originally uploaded by timmerbrew.

Tim and Gary on top of Willow Camp trail

This was an awesome weekend back in June. Gary and I rode from Fairfax, over Mt Tam, to Stinson. It's a heck of a climb to this point, and then, it's such an awesome view, down to the ocean, and a steep decent down Willow Camp into Stinson. June 26th ride.

Below, is the view from the top. Crazy steep on the way into the beach. Such a reward, after the climb up.

IMG_0844, originally uploaded by timmerbrew.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Mount Tamalpias Mountain Biking













Okay, something new to post... Yep, mountain biking. These pictures are of an awesome ride up on Mount Tamalpias. The shot with the vistas includes the ocean, just outside the golden gate, if you look carefully, you can see the north tower of the Golden Gate bridge and the Sutro tv tower.

Okay, something new to post... Yep, mountain biking. These pictures are of an awesome ride up on Mount Tamalpias. The shot with the vistas includes the ocean, just outside the golden gate, if you look carefully, you can see the north tower of the Golden Gate bridge and the Sutro tv tower.

I got a mountain bike about 6 months ago, maybe not quite that long ago. It was quite an interesting turn of events, which, as you may have guessed, I can go on and on...so, at the risk of being so predictable, here goes. So, actually, the timing can be traced back to a post I did a while back, on going skiing. I went with an old friend, Matt, I reunited with. We went skiing, and during our awesome ski trip, I said, I am really looking forward to getting a new mountain bike...so, trying to make a long story short, he says, I mountain bike. So, a couple weeks later, I am at the bike shop, texting back and forth with Matt, on what I am looking at, and he is texting me on what to look for, and say and request. So, after about 30 texts, I am leaving with a bike, super nice bike actually. Way nicer than I would have gotten without his help. Thanks Matt!! I hope you know how much I appreciate your help on that! So, I got a Trek EX9.0 something. Looking back, the previous post was in March, so I got the bike in April.

So, anyways, these guys rode with me for my birthday ride. Starting in Fairfax, and in the end, riding up and over the Bolinas Ridge and then down the super steep Willow Camp Trail into Stinson Beach.