Attendees:
- Ben Dodge
- Lexi Dodge
- Randy Domolky
- Serenity Marshall and friend Joseph
- Dan Phillips and friend Kori
- Dan Scannell and wife Christina
- Mark Thompson
- Rachel Vasquez
Friday, May 9th at approximately noon we headed south of Healdsburg along Westside Road. The pavement was smooth, and we were greeted by verdant rolling hills lined with vineyards. The roads were peaceful due to light traffic, within a few miles we reached Wohler Bridge. The bridge was closed due to construction, so we opted to venture down a road that was perpendicular to the bridge. Within minutes we learned that a portion of this road was closed to vehicles, but was passable for bikes. We were soon back on course as this detour added only a few extra miles to the planned ride for the day. As we approached the feature climb of the ride, the temperatures were rising quickly and the shade was becoming more elusive. We all began the climb up Pine Flat Road at around 3pm in the afternoon with temperatures in the low 90s. The climb was almost entirely exposed with very little shade coverage. We rested in a shady spot before reaching the summit, when we were rewarded by incredible views of the valley. We held a paceline back to the starting point and relaxed for the night before an additional two days of riding.
The Saturday ride included a diverse spectacle of delights: breathtaking scenery, steep climbs, redwood forests, the historic Russian River, coastal views along Goat Rock State Park, and lunch in Jenner along the coast. The lunch spot offered an opportunity for socializing and refueling for the ride back. Thankfully, the ride back after lunch was mostly flat with the wind at our backs. Saturday was a bit of a reprieve from the high temperatures we experienced on Friday, but as we headed back into the valley and away from the brisk Pacific winds the temperature increased, and the last few miles included uphill climbs in the exposed sun. We were all quite relieved when we reached the end of the ride.
The featured climb of Saturday’s ride was Sweetwater Springs Rd. It was also the place where my phone fell off my mount. Lucky for me, I was able to find it using location sharing. Several of us shared locations with one another on this ride, this was also useful on Friday when part of the group met up with us before heading up Pine Flat Road. Sometimes, technology can really come in handy.
Considering the hotel checkout time, we opted to start Sunday’s ride early. The air was much cooler on this day and the roads were surprisingly devoid of traffic. We enjoyed scenic views of the sunrise ascending on miles of vineyards along West Dry Creek road. After a brief climb to the overlook for Lake Sonoma, we took in the last stunning vista of an amazing trip. We leisurely rode back to the start, enjoying the last miles of three spectacular day in the saddle. We arrived back to the hotel with plenty of time to shower and stop at the café across the street before checking out.