National Trails Day is the one day every year where communities across America celebrate their trails! This year we are planning a (work)PARTY at Waterdog Park in Belmont on Saturday, June 7th. Won’t you please join us???
Our goal is to provide some care and trimming of the amazing singletrack trails in this multi-use park. The plan is to leave the digging tools out of the equation and just work on brushing out the trails, which despite our dry spring are getting rapidly overgrown! We’d like to make sure people can see around the turns, can ride or walk without getting scratched on the bushes, and can find places to pass safely and cordially.
One of our kind neighborhood volunteers sprayed the poison oak earlier this spring, so most of our work will be PO free! The work will be easy, fun and rewarding, and appropriate for well-behaved and well-supervised kids.
We will work on trimming back sagebrush, coyote brush, scotch broom, blackberries, etc, then gathering up the trimmings and pushing them over the edge and tucking them under the bushes to compost. Depending on the size of the turnout we may ask volunteers to bring tools from the garden shed to supplement our supplies of rakes, loppers, hedge trimmers and shears.
Details:
Date: Saturday June 7th, 2008
Start time: 9:30am
End time: 12:30pm
Volunteers needed: at least 20
Hospitality: Coffee and bagels in the morning, free BBQ and beers (hopped and rooty styles) afterwards
Swag: two $50 gift certificates to Passion Trail Bikes will be raffled off to volunteers during the BBQ
Ride or Hike: After the BBQ volunteers will be able to enjoy a fun ride or hike on the trails in Waterdog Park.
More info: call Patty Ciesla at Passion Trail Bikes 650-620-9798 or email her at
patty AT passiontrailbikes.comif you have questions.
Here is a ride report from Jay, who did a ride with Charles and some others this past Monday up in Pacifica.
(note – if you click on a picture, you will see a higher resolution version of that picture)
When you have no meetings, a boss out of town, some time off to burn, a new downhill bike, and a case of the Mondays, there’s only one thing to do – Go out to the coast and ride! The blooming spring colors, ocean views and quality of people couldn’t have been better today. Also, Tom and Charles had matching shoes, which somehow is less controversial than when Sterling and I show up in matching socks. Anyway…
We started off with a nice climb with what used to be the old Highway 1:
There was a recent post on MTBR that covers what the ride is supposed to be about: I spend a lot of time training and riding with a focused goals. Racing is great but it’s good to recalibrate once in a while. I went to the Passion Trails Wednesday night ride tonight and remembered why I started riding in the first place. Good people, friendly vibes and just a damn good time on a bike.
It was great to hear this.
Did remind me of some things meant to say before the last ride I lead, which I thought I would post here:
The event went off well. The weather reporters were wrong when they said we would get rain on Saturday – we got just enough Friday night to make sure the trails were dust free, but not so much to make things muddy. Good set of photos and comments showing up on MTBR (though I am copying some of the better ones over to this post).
Thanks for everyone who showed up! And special thanks to folks like JohnH, Justine, TomR, MichaelP, and others who chipped in to help.
Ok, we like bikes. And we like beer. So any event that involves both has to be pretty cool! Below is listed one in the city for this Friday that sounds like a blast…
I have been using Google Maps for driving directions for a while, and find it to be quite useful. But it really doesn’t help when you want to bike commute.
Charles and a whole crew went out for a ride at the Demo on Presidents Day. He has a new camera, so took a bunch of pictures and a few videos (plus one non-blurry pic courtesy of Caroline). Here is his write up:
A Three Hour Tour…
Well, that’s what I had planned. Ok, maybe a four hour, and at best a four and a half hour adventure in the woods, but I’ve swum with these fishes before, so I came prepared for an all day adventure as past experience has taught me. We used the occasion of Presidents Day to get together with friends and customers and take advantage of the warm Spring like day by taking a tour of the Soquel Demonstration State Forest. Of the fifteen or so riders that started last Monday’s ride, about half of us ended up spending over 6 hours riding just about every trail we could find.
(Updated Jan 13)
There were reports that one of the bridges on Chaparral Trail in Waterdog was losing its footing due to the rain. It was the one on Chaparral just uphill from the intersection with Ohlone.
Here is something to tide you over until the rains stop and the trails dry… Below are a pair of short video clips from the Winter Solstice ride a few weeks back.
First video is us going down the Ohlone Trail (what used to be called French Trail):
Next is us going down the switchbacks on Finch Trail:
...Rain and wind expected Thursday through Sunday across the San
Francisco and Monterey Bay areas…
A major change in the weather pattern is expected to take place in
the eastern Pacific starting Thursday. Strong zonal flow is expected
to bring a series of Pacific storms into the region…with the
potential for an extended period of significant rainfall and
strong winds.
The first in a series of weather systems will bring moderate to
locally heavy rainfall to the San Francisco and Monterey Bay
areas Thursday afternoon and evening. A second and very powerful
storm system is expected to bring heavy rain and strong gusty
winds to much of northern and central California Friday into
Friday night. Damaging winds gusting to as high as 60 mph are
possible…especially along the coast and in the mountains. Due
to the strong south to southwest low level flow with this second
system…there will likely be significant orographic enhancement
of rainfall across south and southwest facing mountain and
foothill locations. The potential for very high rainfall rates in
the mountains and hills will bring the possibility of flooding or
flash flooding.
A third weather system is expected to bring another threat of
rain or showers Saturday night into Sunday. At this time…it
appears that this system will be colder with less moisture. Snow
levels could lower to 2000 to 3000 feet…with snow possible on
the Bay area hills.
Preliminary rainfall totals look to be quite impressive for the entire
event from Thursday through the weekend. At this time…coastal
and valley locations can expect as much as 2 to 4 inches of
rain…with mountains receiving between 4 to 8 inches of rain.
Local spots in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Santa Lucia
mountains could receive in excess of 10 inches of rain by the end
of the weekend. Again…all these are preliminary numbers and can
be expected to change as new information becomes available.
These strong Pacific storms are also expected to bring a large
westerly swell into the coastal waters Friday through
Sunday…bringing the potential for high surf conditions across
all west facing beaches.
Please stay tuned to the latest National Weather Service forecasts
and statements as this weather situation develops.
High Wind Advisory
208 PM PST Wed Jan 2 2008
...High wind watch in effect from Thursday afternoon through
Friday afternoon…
The National Weather Service in San Francisco has issued a high
wind watch…which is in effect from Thursday afternoon through
Friday afternoon.
South to southeast winds will increase Thursday afternoon to 20
to 40 mph with gusts to 55 mph…and will continue through Thursday
night. The second…more powerful system will bring even stronger
winds to northern and central California. Winds along the coast
and valleys will increase early Friday morning to 30 to 45 mph
with gusts to 60 mph possible. Winds in the hills above 1000 feet
could possibly gust to hurricane force…75 mph on Friday. Winds
will decrease Friday evening.
A high wind watch means there is the potential for a hazardous
high wind event. Sustained winds of at least 40 mph…or gusts of
58 mph or stronger may occur. Continue to monitor the latest
forecasts.
Address: 415 Old County Rd, Belmont Phone: 650-620-9798
Our name says it – we are passionate about bikes and trails. We are all dedicated mountain bikers, and our knowledge of local trails can't be beat. Our mechanics are the best in the business, and we take customer service very seriously. We are committed to making your bike run perfectly. We guarantee great rides.
The event went off well. The weather reporters were wrong when they said we would get rain on Saturday – we got just enough Friday night to make sure the trails were dust free, but not so much to make things muddy. Good set of photos and comments 
I have been using Google Maps for driving directions for a while, and find it to be quite useful. But it really doesn’t help when you want to bike commute.
