West Best

2620.5; 76.0

New record, one that I hope won't stand for too long. Left a little late for a "longish" ride--had no definite plans other than to check out West Dry Creek Rd., which continues north beyond Healdsburg from Westside Rd., and probably figures into any century I might do this summer. Home by 6:40, so almost exactly 10mph average... obviously, need to leave a bit earlier if I want to do a century!

West Dry Creek is about another 11 miles of rolling hills among vineyards (Raymond Burr is for sale...), really pleasant with quite a lot of shade interspersed with sun, a slight upgrade, I think, and an eventual dead end so there's not much traffic (and that upgrade means a downgrade on the return trip).

Then I cut over on the Yoakim Bridge Rd to (non-West) Dry Creek Rd.--a MUCH less pleasant proposition, with 50mph limit and slim shoulder. Had lunch at the Dry Creek Store, a really nice stop (note: that's included in my total time and ~10 mph avg). I ate half a Pannini with turkey and cheese--still have the other half. I also ate three graham crackers, about 10 cherries, and a small package of trail mix at various stops on this ride.

Had enough of Dry Creek and decided to cut over on Lytton Springs and Chiquita Rds., which turned out to include a pretty big climb with seemingly no reward, just a big vista and the Healdsburg airport at the top and seemingly almost no downgrade into Healdsburg. Then Eastside, Trenton-Healdsburg, Laguna, Guerneville, Willowside, and the bike path.

I did NOT hit the usual wall at 35 miles--felt I was just getting started then! I made sure to stop and rest regularly, drink lots of water, and just enjoy the ride. It wasn't till around 60 miles that I started feeling tired and slow (and sore! left hip and knee, and hands going numb), but I kept pushing on with reasonable rest stops and actually started to come out of it near the end, at around 70.

Saw a jackrabbit before it saw me, and got as close as maybe 20 feet before it saw/heard me and took off. Red-shouldered hawks still screaming everywhere--I'm guessing they're juves still trying to get food from the parents, but maybe the just like to scream. One notable red-tail; no other hawks. Looking forward to migration time soon, cooler weather and more big birds.

In these cases at least, West is Best: Westside Road more pleasant than Eastside, and West Dry Creek far better than Dry Creek. I could've come back down West Dry Creek and crossed over to the store on the Lambert Bridge Road.

Not a bad ride!