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Category Archives: Scenic
Davis Double Century – Resurrection rest stop
Davis Bike Club member Diane Richter, right, pours water onto a rider to cool him off at the Resurrection rest stop at mile 136 of the Davis Double Century near the Colusa County line on Highway 20 on Saturday afternoon.
The 43rd annual Davis Double Century was held on Saturday, May 19. The afternoon temperatures ranged in the mid-80′s, and when riders arrived at the Resurrection rest stop on Highway 20, many were getting quite hot. Using a variety of methods including a garden sprinkler can, a hose, a spray bottle and ice-filled tube socks, volunteers helped cool the riders.
Warmer and drier weather
It was a gorgeous day on the bike trail today as you can see from this image of a cyclist headed west on the trail on the south side of Lake Natoma on Sunday afternoon. The weather for the week will be drier and warmer according to the latest weather story on sacbee.com.
Posted from Rancho Cordova, California, United States.
Morgan Territory rest stop time-lapse video, DMD
It’s an amazing sight to watch a rest stop at a cycling event take shape. It seems almost like a Flash Mob, but with a purpose. A group of volunteers converge on a location, set up tents, tables and coolers. Slowly riders start to arrive, then in a flash the rest stop is jammed full. Soon it empties out and the volunteers pack up their supplies and move on, leaving little to indicate they were there other than footprints and tire tracks. Above is a time-lapse video of the Morgan Territory rest stop on the Devil Mountain Double Century on Saturday morning, April 28. It compresses 3 hours and 16 minutes into one minute 17 seconds.
Posted from Livermore, California, United States.
Devil Mountain Double Century staff ride
The Devil Mountain Double Century staff ride took place last Saturday, April 21. It was a hot day and a challenging ride, but well worth the effort. Scott Halverson and the Quackcyclists put on an amazing show of force to get the riders through the course. This is a video of highlights from the ride. If you are planning to do Devil Mountain Double Century this Saturday, have a great ride and I’ll see you at the Morgan Territory rest stop.
And, as always, thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the music titled, “Noble Race” from his website, www.incompetech.com. The music is used under the Creative Commons license.
Posted from San Ramon, California, United States.
Upcoming events, weekend rides
Riders take the ramp descending off the Hazel Avenue bridge on the American River bike trail.
If you are still looking for a ride to do tomorrow, the “Bike around the Buttes” is still open. In its 27th year, this event is a benefit ride for the Yuba-Sutter Childrens Type 1 Diabetes Support Group & Resource Center with all proceeds being used locally and for a variety of programs for diabetes in the Yuba-Sutter community.
On Sunday, April 22, there is a Tireside Chat Guest Lecture and Book Launch with Author Matt Biers-Ariel at the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame at 303 3rd Street in Davis. His book is titled, “The Bar Mitzvah and the Beast.”
If you are looking further down the road, the California Bicycle Coalition has posted their bimonthly selection of “…the state’s most interesting rides, routes and bike-related events.” Included in the list is the ever popular Chico Wildflower Century Ride on next Sunday, April 29, which is sponsored by Chico Velo Cycling Club.
And, this Saturday is the Devil Mountain Double Century staff ride, which is where I will be. I will post pictures and video next week from the ride which is a precursor to the DMD ride next Saturday, April 28. And, if you noticed, the rider on the left in the picture above is wearing a DMD jersey.
Posted from Fair Oaks, California, United States.
Looping around Placerville
I rode one of my favorite rides on Saturday. It’s a ride with a huge amount of climbing, but one that’s well worth the effort because of the amazing scenery. It’s a ride that I found years ago on Richard Zipf’s website. Over time, I have modified the ride to avoid a stream (Weber Creek) that is usually a overflowing and to exclude a climb up Shoo Fly Road because I never seem to have the legs for it.
It begins at the El Dorado Hills park and ride and goes through Coloma (with a quick climb up Prospector Road). The next leg goes to Placerville, then on to Camino. Next is a return to Placerville, then a drop to the south fork of the American River on Mosquito Road. Then comes the best part of the ride, crossing the river on the Mosquito Road suspension bridge and climbing out of the canyon. Many spectacular views grace the climb and the following descent along Rock Creek Road.
The photograph above is of my riding companion, photographer Martin Christian, as he heads down Hwy. 193 toward Chili Bar on Saturday afternoon. The photograph at the right was taken by Martin from Rock Creek Road. It shows the south fork of the American River east of Chili Bar.
You can view a map and profile of the ride at the RideWithGPS website here.
Please be aware that this is a difficult ride. It is 107 miles long with almost 12,000 feet of elevation gain. The great thing about the ride, though, is you can delete some of the loops and do only as much as you want.
You can view a gallery of images from the ride here.
Posted from California, United States.
Stormy and cloudy Sunday
Clouds hover over the Sacramento Valley Sunday afternoon as seen from on top of Cantelow Hill in Yolo County. We rode around Yolo County on Sunday and everywhere we went, folks would shake their heads and say it had just hailed there. We skirted the storms all day without ever getting wet. The weather forecast is for “unsettled” weather all week, but the chance of rain is only around 20 percent.
Posted from Vacaville, California, United States.
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
I was riding with friends in the Volcano – Plymouth area on Saturday and chuckled when I saw the sign at the left in downtown Volcano across from the park. The sign above, is always a welcome sight after climbing Slug Gulch Road northeast of Fair Play. Slug Gulch is one of the tougher climbs around, covering about 5.4 miles and a little over 1,300 feet of elevation gain. It is part of “The Century” ride and “The Challenge” ride that are offered at the Sacramento Wheelmen bicycling club’s Sierra Century which is back in Amador County this year on Saturday, June 16
Posted from California, United States.
Friday evening along the bike trail
A cyclist heads west along the American River Parkway bike trail Friday evening as an egret and a few ducks feed in the slough nearby. The great weather will continue through the weekend, but there is rain headed our way for most of next week according to this story in on sacbee.com today. Enjoy the weekend, but, if you’re out and about on Sunday morning, the bike trail will be closed from Discovery Park to Del Paso Blvd. until about noon. There will be more than 6,000 runners out there competing in the Shamrock’n Half Marathon. Good luck to all those runners participating in the race.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Drippy Saturday morning in Davis
Saturday provided an chance to ride into the drippy fog hovering over Davis. The day finally turned out sunny and warm, but the morning was downright clammy. This image was taken heading west on 3rd Street in downtown Davis around 8:30 a.m.
Posted from Davis, California, United States.
Spring blossoms in February?
A cyclist passes a blooming pear tree along the American River bike trail Friday morning. Kind of strange to see trees blooming in mid-February. According to an article in The Bee, by Debbie Arrington, the warm weather, intensified by reflected heat off asphalt and cement is causing trees in the city to begin flowering. Although, most trees in the countryside surrounding Sacramento are not blossoming yet, Arrington wrote.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
High winds and clean air
The winds kicked in on the commute this morning and are getting stronger. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for today in northern California.
The clear air and cloudless sky created a deep blue background for this image of the cyclist headed south along the Sacramento waterfront last night at sunset.
Looks like the next chance of rain is Friday night or Saturday morning, but it’s only a slight chance.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Riding part of the Grizzly Peak Century route
Saturday was spent riding two of the loops that are part of the Grizzly Peak Century ride that will take place on May 6, 2012. It’s a tough ride with lots of climbing in the hills above Berkeley. There are three options on the ride, 75 miles, 102 miles and 109 miles. Beware, the 109-mile route has about 8550 ft. of climbing. If you’re in shape for the hills, it’s well worth all the climbing because of the great views of the Bay Area. The ride is well supported, but if you go on a training ride, as we did on Saturday, there are no places to get food and water, so plan to bring your own. Or, you might happen across a lemonade stand along the way as we did just after noon along Skyline Blvd.
Posted from Oakland, California, United States.
Birds on a wire
A bird lifts off from the high-tension power lines where she and other birds were roosting on a recent evening near the intersection of Howe Avenue and Fair Oaks Blvd. in Sacramento. I noticed these birds as I was unlocking my bike from a rack at the grocery store on the way home. It’s a sight I’m sure I would have missed had I been driving instead of bike commuting.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Slight chance of rain this evening
Warm weather continues over the region and fog often shrouds the morning commute as it did this morning along the levee overlooking the Campus Commons Golf Course. There is a 20 percent chance of rain overnight tonight and into tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Sunday morning run on the bike trail
Another warm, sunny Sunday morning brought out the runners on the bike trail. This runner startled a pair of mallard ducks and they launched from the slough next to the trail near the 3.5-mile post.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Sun and warm temperatures return
Hard to believe it’s January. The National Weather Service is predicting a high temperature of 63 degrees today which is well above the normal of 56 degrees. Sacbee.com has a detailed forecast in their weather story today.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Descending Cardiac Hill – Hwy. 128
With rain moving through the valley today, I’m thinking back to sunnier days. Here is a video I made on a warm sunny day a couple weeks ago. It is the descent on Highway 128 near Lake Berryessa in Napa County dubbed “Cardiac Hill.”
Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the music, “Long Time Coming” downloaded from his site, www.incompetech.com under the creative commons license.
Posted from Napa, California, United States.
Cold and damp mornings, record-breaking warmth in the afternoon
The mornings remain cold and damp these days but the lack of rain has set us up for a rare occurrence, the chance of wildfires in January. Read more in the weather story at sacbee.com
A spider web drips with moisture in the morning fog along the Watt Avenue bridge on Friday.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Surly Steamroller sunrise
My Surly fixie rests on the railing of the bridge at the William Pond Recreation Area this morning.
Posted from Carmichael, California, United States.
Warmer mornings ahead
The morning commute continues to be a cold one these days with temperatures remaining below freezing well into the morning. The daily lows should warm up as clouds and a possible shower move into the picture later this week. Read Bill Lindelof’s weather story in The Bee.
The sun rises over the American River near William Pond Recreation Area on Christmas morning.
Posted from Arden-Arcade, California, United States.
Christmas decorations adorn the Fab 40′s
Every year Christmas decorations adorn many of the homes in the Fab 40′s. Some of the displays are outright stunning. The best way to see the displays is to ride through the neighborhood on a bicycle. If you want to ride with a group, the 5th Annual Nite Brite Bike Parade is tonight at 7 p.m. If you can’t make the bike parade, check out the video below or a photo gallery of some of the displays here.
Happy Holidays.
As always, thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the music which was downloaded under a Creative Commons license from his website, Incompetech
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Sunset graces the evening commute
A gorgeous sunset graced the evening commute on Wednesday. Enjoy!
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Weekend weather – cool, clear and relatively calm
There are still a few leaves remaining on the trees after a windy couple of days. It looks like we’re in store for a great weekend. See Mark Glover’s weather story in The Bee for more details.
Tower Bridge sunset
A winter storm front is moving into the Sacramento region on Friday. So, here is probably the last colorful sunset in Sacramento region for the next few days. I photographed this guy taking pictures from his boat of the sunset over the Tower Bridge on Thursday evening.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Monday morning light
The morning sun rises over a cyclist commuting on 21st Street.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Full Moon Rising
A full moon rises over a cyclist headed east along the American River bike trail Thursday evening in near Cal Expo in Sacramento, Calif.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Frosty Fall Morning along the American River
Frost coated the plants along the American River this morning as fog rose from the river creating many spectacular sights. Here’s a small gallery of images from the morning commute.
Fog rolls into the Sacramento Valley
A bicyclist heads west along the American River bike trail on Monday morning as fog rolls into the Sacramento Valley. The fog should burn off by afternoon, ushering in a cool but dry day, according to the weather story by Bill Lindelof on sacbee.com.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Sunrise at Guy West Bridge
A cyclist crosses the Guy West Bridge at Sac State Wednesday as the sun rises over the American River.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Auburn Folsom Road descent
This is a recent ride down Auburn Folsom Road out of Auburn, Calif.
The music is a song titled, “Presenterator” from Kevin McLeod and used under a Creative Commons license from his website, www.incompetech.com
Posted from Auburn, California, United States.
Evening fishing on the Sacramento River
This time of year Salmon fishing season is in full gear on the Sacramento River. 
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Fall descends on the Davis Farmer’s Market
As fall descends on the Sacramento valley, it’s time to ride to the Davis Farmer’s Market and then cruise along the bike trails in the UC Davis campus.
Posted from Davis, California, United States.
Foxy’s Fall Century 2011
The Davis Bike Club hosted their annual fall ride, Foxy’s Fall Century, on Saturday. The new full century route of just over 95 miles was well supported with four rest stops plus the lunch stop and a pasta dinner at the end. Enjoy the video of the ride. Thanks to Kevin McLeod at Incompetech for the music.
Posted from Davis, California, United States.
Fall light and shadows
A young cyclist heads out onto the American River bike trail Tuesday evening as the sun sets near the Guy West Bridge in Sacramento.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Foggy morning gives way to warming trend
Fog rises over fishermen on the American River north of the J Street bridge Friday morning. Sunny skies and warmer weather are in store for Sacramento this weekend, according to a story by Bill Lindelof at sacbee.com.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Rainy Thursday morning commute
Rain moved into the Sacramento region on Wednesday. By Thursday morning, a slight drizzle made my commute damp and chilly. The music is a song titled, “Windswept” by Kevin McLeod and downloaded under a Creative Commons license from his website, Incompetech
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
The tortoise and the heron
I happened upon this tortoise and Great Blue Heron sharing a log last evening along the American River bike trail on my way home.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Knoxville Double Century – Lake Hennessey rest stop
I volunteered on Saturday at rest stop #5 of the Knoxville Double Century. I made a time-lapse video of action at the rest stop from the initial setting up which began at 2 p.m. until the tear down at 8:30 p.m. after the last rider had passed through. The Knoxville double is one of two hosted by the Quackcyclists. To learn more about double centuries in California, check out the California Triple Crown website. For a good idea of what it is like to ride this double century, check out the video posted by Knoxville DC rider Stan Tsang here
Posted from St Helena, California, United States.
Floating into fall
The weather in Sacramento is still hot, even though summer is swiftly coming to a close. The warmth chases people to the river, like these folks I saw tubing down the American River north of the Fair Oaks Avenue bridge on Tuesday evening as I headed home along the bike trail.
Posted from Arden-Arcade, California, United States.
The changing of seasons
Clouds moved into the skies over Sacramento this weekend for the first time in months. They provided soft natural light for this picture of a fisherman working his line under the railroad bridge north of downtown this morning.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Turkeys on the bike trail
Almost hit a flock of turkeys on the bike trail near Cal Expo this morning.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Great California Paint Out
Rode to Davis this morning. After visiting the Farmer’s Market, we discovered Davis was hosting the Great California Paint Out. A hundred painters descended on the city to paint a variety of scenes. I found Davis resident Will DuPratt painting a scene on 3rd Street in the city. For more about the paint out, click here.
Posted from Davis, California, United States.
Evening ride past the golf course
Cyclists pass by the Campus Commons Golf Course on the American River Bike Trail Tuesday evening as the sun drops through the trees. 
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
Dropping into the American River Canyon
The ride down Hwy. 49 north of Cool, Calif. down into the American River Canyon is always fun. It’s a drop of about 800 feet in about 2.4 miles. There are lots of hairpin turns and plenty of good views. It’s well worth the effort to get there, and, after climbing out of the canyon on Old Foresthill Road, the best remedy for tired legs is a Tasty Burger at Ikedas. The music is a song titled, ” The Whip” from Kevin McLeod and downloaded under a Creative Commons license from his website, Incompetech
Enjoy!
Posted from California, United States.
Morning reflections
The morning sun reflects off the CalSTRS building in West Sacramento.
Posted from Sacramento, California, United States.
American River swimmer
A confession: I am an avid open-water swimmer, so when I see someone swimming across the American River and back, I’m impressed. Caught this video on my commute home this evening from the Fair Oaks bridge. Looks like fun.
Great Egret
Saw a Great Egret looking for dinner in a slough along the bike trail near mile marker 4.5 on the way home.
