This morning I rode up to Mt. Tam, around Alpine Lake and to Fairfax, CA, and back. It was the first real road ride since moving to San Francisco. What an incredible ride! I did 60 miles and climbed over 5,000'. Traditionally everyone rides the Seven Sisters counter-clockwise, but for whatever reason I decided to do it in reverse. The Seven Sisters is a narrow mountain road that cuts along the top of Mt. Tam along a spectacular ridge that overlooks the ocean and valley below. It's quite possibly the most beautiful stretch of road I have ever ridden.
The ridge is very exposed, yet the wind was very calm, and the sun was out. I followed most of the way with an Irishman who seemed to know the route really well. We chatted as we traded places and eventually got to ride most the bottom half of Alpine Lake with him.
I was so high that the clouds seemed to be miles below.
Alpine Lake sits just south of Fairfax, CA. Today was a really popular day for riding. I must have seen close to a hundred riders, mostly going the opposite direction. On our way back into Mill Valley we ran into a 4th of July holiday parade, and had to snake our way through town to avoid traffic.
Again, I'm floored by how beautiful the area is just outside of the city. It's hard to recall the beauty of the Hudson Valley after spending a few months of riding in the bay area. While I've been doing most of my riding on my mountain bike on mountain bike trails, I can easily be swayed for an afternoon on the outlying roads. There seems to be an endless amount of road to explore, each with a lot of challenging climbs and breathtaking views.
I made a pit-stop over in Sausalito to meet my wife and my in-laws for some fish tacos and chips. It was a good break to recharge and refuel before the very windy ride home.