I blame the Tour de France, World Cup, the Yard and my Wife

Well it has been a long while since my last blog post entry, as the title implies, I am innocent. First the World Cup 2010 was underway, an event that is a must-see, unless you watch nascar and have a confederate flag somewhere on your property. Before the World Cup ended another sporting event began, the Tour de France, if your reading this blog I would hope that it would require no explanation. My backyard has been a work in progress for a little over a year and with the fall semester around the corner, my wife demanded that I complete the backyard landscaping. This included tearing out sod, laying down grass edging, remove massive weeds and two trees, and anchoring a weed barrier, shoveling and leveling over 1.5 cubic yards of bark, a dripping system to water the plants, five robellini palm trees, five hibiscus plants, four purple pointy thingies, ten decorative grasses and annuals... whew! Did I miss something? Oh yes, the whole time I was attacked by hordes of territorial wasps. The last part, my wife, requires time and affection, which is non-negotiable.

That said, during that time there have been no "real" significant rides that require any blogging. The rides usually consist of me jumping in my gear as quick as possible and heading out onto a dusty country road that is sidelined with wire fences, cows, and speeding tractor trailers. It is sad, instead of motivating me to want to cycle more often and explore new routes, the Tour de France which was on air at the same time that I do my rides, therefore I skipped on the latter. Doh!

With the Tour de France victory nearly clinched, Alberto Contador grabbed his third TdF win of the general classification, I felt the need to go out and challenge myself. I chose my destination, Don Pedro Reservoir to Groveland and back. The ride was short and challenging which would allow me to get back to my house-husbandly duties.

Don Pedro Reservoir is frequented quite often during the summer months by boaters, campers, house-boaters who are seeking to get out of the hot summer heat and into the water. I chose to park on one of the vista points overlooking the reservoir, for quick access to the road. I do not necessarily recommend parking at one of the vista points, there is always the possibility of theft when someone spots an empty bike rack, lucky for me I do not own a bike rack, yay! Hrmmm nay!

Here is the point where you decide how bad you want to suffer? Lucky for me, the choice was simple enough.

The weather on today's ride was absolutely perfect, hovering in the low 80's at around ten in the morning. The only downer of the day was the unexpected construction on Old Priest Grade Rd. The road is narrow and steep with gradients that exceed 20% at times, however the road has been in need of serious repair for some time. The great thing about ascending up this grade is that there are twin roads that lead to the same location.

The importance of claiming your lane cannot be emphasized enough. The shoulders will vary from small to non-existent on the way up, there are also plenty of blind corners like this one pictured above, therefore when in doubt "claim your lane."

This picture slightly exaggerates the gradient on one of the early sections of the grade, however there will be a few spots where the percent of gradient will hoover well into the teens. One of the best parts of climbing is that you get to look back down and see actual vertical movement, at least for me this is one of the most satisfying feats.

When you reach the top of the grade you can peer back down into the valley and catch a glimpse of the Don Pedro Reservoir. Cutting its way through both sides of the mountains are the twin roads. When you reach the top of the grade there is a nice little mountain cafe with a friendly staff, they were kind enough to give me a refill on some H20 and I even got a recommendation for a nice mountain road loop that would take me to the top of the PG&E power lines that were cut into the side of the mountain.

Merrell Rd. is a directly off of Highway 120 on your right hand side, if you are headed eastbound, and loops up to the top of the mountain and back around to Highway 120. The tricky part is in the names, the locals call the entire loop Merrell Rd., however it in fact is Merell/Harper Rd. that loop you back and around to the Highway. Here is a nice pic to illustrate this so you don't get lost.

Merrell Rd. will have a challenging climb that easily exceeds 20% and will make you glad its a short loop to the top and back. Here is a pic of one of the steepest portions of Merrell Rd.

This ride was a great "short-ride" and will definitely be extended in the near future, for now the distance was kept short and the stopping to a minimum, but if you have time I recommend you stop and grab some lunch at Groveland. Its a charming little mountain town that is the gateway to Yosemite which is 30 miles east.

I rarely stop on any of my rides and enjoy the localities, but I will make an exception for this little saloon the next time I come around. There are many beautiful mountain roads in all directions from Groveland,Ca. If you are feeling brave enough and want some serious climbing I would recommend making the ascent to Yosemite or take a scenic drive down Old Wards Ferry Rd. toward Sonora, a 40 mile loop will include nearly 6000 ft. of climbing.

One of the best parts of going vertical on any climb, is the descent. Going down Priest Grade you will easily reach speeds in excess of 50mph, so grit your teeth and trust your tires and give it what you got. It was a fun, short, and scenic ride that is less than an hours distance from my home, what more could you want?