Page 35 - Sonoma County Gazette - August 2018

By Brian Borchers
b o o t t h h e e r r y yo o u u , , c c h h e e c c k k o o u ut t W e s t D r y
W W i it t h h g g r r e e a at t w we e a at t h h e e r r h h e e a ad d i i n n g
o
d d i i f f f f e e r r e e n nt t c c h ho oi ic c e e s s. . D D e e p p e e n nd d i i n ng
u
r
g
o
g
i
n
i
n
b
t
t
o
C
f f a a l l l l , , i i t t ’ ’s s t t h h e e p p e e r r f f e e c c t t t t i i m m e e t t o o g g e e
t
o
Creek to Dry Creek road. This
t
o
t
u
u
on your bike. Living here in S S
o
r i id de e s s h ho o u u l ld d b b e e d do o n n e e e e a a r rl ly y i i n n t t h h e e
o
m
a
n
n
o
o
t
r
m
a
d
C C o o u u n nt t y y w we e a a r r e e b bl l e e s s s s e e d d w w i it t h h m
y
m
a
n
a
n
d a ay y d du u e e t t o o a a l l l l t t h h e e w w i i n n e e r r i i e e s s i i n n t t h h e e
o
region and lack of shoulder.
n
y
y
r
o
mood you can pick from rolli
g
v v i i n n e e y ya a r r d d s s, , s s t t e e e e p p c c l l i i m m b b s s o or r t t w w
i
g
H
i
n
n
u
r
I recommend starting in Healdsburg and heading out
n
y
o
i
t
y
s
s
t
y
W
c c o o a a s s t t a a l l r r o o a ad d s s . . O O n n e e t t h h i i n n g g I I a a l l s s
o
t
a
k
e
Westside Road to West Dry
i i n nt t o o c c o o n n s s i id de e r ra at t i io o n n i i s s t t h h e e l lo o c c a at
i
C
o
t
a
k
e
Creek Road. This is the cream
t
i
n
o
o
n
o
of the ride.
Needless to say Sunday
s
f t t h h e e r r i i d d e e . . I It t r r o o l l l l s s a a l l o o n n g g a a n n o o a a k k
r
e c c o o m m m mu ut t e e. . I It t c c a a n n b b e e v ve e r r y y b b u u s s y y o o n n
w
nd d s s, , b b u ut t i it t d do o e e s s h h a av ve e a a g g e e n n e e r r o o u u s s
r
r
i
ek
s
ad de e d d c c o o u u n nt t r r y y r r o o a ad d. . T Th h e e n n t t a a k k e e
i
k
e
o
t
t
h
h
h
a
d
d
f
e
i
er Lambert Bridge or Yoakim
i
h
afternoon is not the day to
e
e
B
take Hwy 1, nor is West Dry
B
ge over to Dry Creek Road.
K
e
e
e
s
e
g
Creek Road on Passport wine
K
p i n m i n d D r y C r e e k i s t h e
e
r
o L L a a k k e e S S o o n n o o m m a a . . Th e a f t e r n o o n s
r
o
o
a
a
d
d
t
e
p
tasting weekend. If you are fortunate enough to pick the right road on the right day it can be like a powder day (you snow-folk get my reference).
an
t
o
a
e n n i i n n g g s s a a r r e e b b u u s s y y w w i it t h h b b o o a at t e e r r s s
g
h o o m m e e a a n n d d t t h h e e m m o o r r n n i i n n g g s s h h a av v e e t t h h e e
nd
re
d
e
ev
in
ev
ng
ve
e
v
gh
e
go
oi
r
rs
we
ee
e
n
bi
b
ne.
i
k
k
e
el
Th
id de e f f i i n n i i s s h h e e s s b ba ac c k k i i n n H He e a a l ld d s s b b u u r r g g
h
la
e
an
So picking your time
and place is important. Cycling is the fountain of youth. No matter your age,
y yo o u u c c a a n n g g e e t t o o u ut t a a n n d d r r e e v v i it t a a l l i i z z e
T
ri
w
h
wi
i
t
th
20
o u u t t e e s s r r a a n n g g i i n n g g r r o o u u g g h h l l y y f f r r o o m m 1 1 2 2- -
er
hr
ro
0m
2 h
a
i l l e e s s . . I I f f y yo o u u a a r r e e s s t t u uc c k k w w i it t h h o o n n l ly y
mi
av
ri
ing a weekend afternoon time to
vi
id
d
O O n n e e t t h h i i n n g g I I h h e e a a r r a a l lo o t t f f r r o o m m
y
e
.
r
e I I a a l lw wa ay y s s r r e e c c o o m m m m e e n n d d s s t t a ay y i i n n g g
.
a
m
g
m
I
f
found Burnside Road to be the
yI
h
g
h
her mileage.
h
i
a
i
w
e
I I f f y yo o u u h h a av v e e n n o o t t r r i i d dd d e e n n i i n n a a l l o
w a ay y f f r r o o m m t t h h e e r r i i v v e e r r v v a a l l l l e e y y a a n n d d t t h h e e
o
gc
n
n
co
g
oa
t i m e, s t a r t w it h t h e W W e e s s t t C C o o u u
n
ast.
I have been exploring the region
T r a i l b b i i k k e e p p a at t h h t t h h a at t s s t t a a r r t t s s i i n n S
t
n
t
y y
R R o o s s a a a a n n d d e e n n d d s s i i n n F Fo o r r e e s s t t v v i i l l l l e e. . I
s s c c e e n n i i c c . . I It t h h a a s s l l o o t t s s o o f f a a t t t t r r a a c c t t i i o o n
s
t
a r r m m s s t t h h a a n n w w i i n n e e r r i ie e s s s s o o t t r ra a f f f f i ic c i i s s
S
t
a
a
n
a
n
t
a
w
t
we e s s t t o o f f S S e e b b a a s s t t o o p p o o l l a a n n d d s s o o u ut t h h o o f f
I tH
f fo ol l l lo ow ws s a a n n o ol ld d r ra a i i l l b b e e d d a a n nd d i i s s
v
Hw w y y 1 1 2 2 . . T T h h e e r r e e a a r r e e m m o o r r e e o o r r g g a a n n i i c c
v
r
y
e
e
r
y
f
fa
n
s
o
t
o
m
give you a break.
I I a a l l s s o o r r e e c c o om m m me e n nd d p pi ic c k k i i n ng g u
mu uc c h h l l i ig g h ht t e e r r a a n nd d s s e e e e m m s s t t o o b b e e a a
b
t
i
p
i
u pc
y
b
t m m o o r r e e c c o o m mp p a a s s s s i i o o n n a at t e e t t o ow wa a r r d d
c
the map put out by the Sonom
y
m
a a
n
c
c l l i i s s t t s s. . T Th h i i s s a a r r e e a a i i s s h h i i l l l ly y a a n nd d h h a a s s
o
s
s h h o o u u l l d d e e r r s s o o r r b b i i k k e e l l a a n n e e s s . . C C y yc c l l i i s s t t s s
County Bicycle Coalition. It
o
n
i
s s h h o ow w s s a a l l l l t t h h e e r r o o a a d d s s c c o o l l o o r r c c o o d
t
d
df
e
d
w
t
h
h intermediate experience will
w
i
by levels of traffic. There are many nice loops off to enjoy.
n
e
i
n
f
i
d i i n n g g i it t c c h h a a l l l l e e n n g g i i n n g g , , t t h h e e m m o o r r e e
a
v
a
v a a n n c c e e d d c c y yc c l l i i s s t t j j u u s s t t n n e e e e d d t t o o d d o o
d
d
d
n n o o n n - - c c y y c c l l i i n n g g f f r r i i e e n n d d s s i i s s “ “ y y o o u u ’ ’r r e
crazy” or “the roads are too
g
eh
i
h
g
h
h l l i i g g h h t t s s o o f f a a r r . . O O n n c c e e o o n n t t o o p p y yo o u u c c a a n n
s
e
e
e t t h h e e w w h h o o l l e e S S o o n n o o m m a a V Va a l l l l e e y y a a n n d d t t h h e e
i
n n a a r r r r o o w w ” ”o o r r m m y y f f a a v v o o r r i i t t e e ... ... “ “ w w h h
y
s
e
would you do that?” And the
e
answer is yes, yes and yes! But the narrower the road,
t
i
yo
c
a
ei
o
c
a n n f f r r o o m m o o n n e e v va a n nt t a ag g e e p p o o i i n nt t . . T Th h e e n n s a a t t h h r r i i l l l l i i n ng g d de e s s c c e e n nt t t to o Blo om f ie ld
i
t
i
s
e
usually means the less travel
o
R R
d
t
t
o o
a
a
d. Then meander your way back
o
S Sebastopol.
a a n nd d t t h h e e s sl lo ow we e r r t t h h e e v ve e h h i ic c l le e s s. . O O
n
Re e m me e m m b b e e r r t t o o b b e e s s a a f f e e a a n nd d
l
n
e
d
e
dR
l
o
n
r
e
e d d i ic c t t a a b bl le e. . W We e a a l l l l l l i iv ve e h h e e r r e e, , w we e a a l l l l
o
e
ep
t t h h i i n n g g t t h h a a t t p p e e o o p p l l e e d d o o n n ’ ’t t r r e e a a l l i i z z
e
i
s
a
r
e
i
s
ad
p
cyclist can usually hear a car l
g
o
d r r i iv ve e h h e e r r e e. . A A l lw wa ay y s s r r e e m m e e m m b b e e r r t t o o gb
n
before we can see them (excep
n
b e e a aw wa a r r e e, , s t a y s i n g l e f i l e a nd b e curious. Pulling into a driveway
Prius or Leaf, they are sneaky).
t
f
o
r
a
to let traffic by costs very little, and might save your life.
S S o o i i f f t t h h e e n n a a r r r r o ow w r r o o a ad d s s d do o n
t
p
t
f
o
r
a
o
8/18 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 35
t