# Sonoma Highway / Route 12



## brock

Hello Northern Californians...

I have the good fortune to be spending a week in Napa Valley, Oakville specifically, and will be bringing my bike. I'm planning a few longer rides in the hills, but I wonder what the traffic is like on some of these roads... All the rides should be midweek.

Anyways, one ride in particular would be from St Helena, up Spring Mountain Road and down towards Santa Rosa on St Helena Rd / Calistoga Rd, then back south along Sonoma Highway / Route 12 to Trinity Road, up and back down on Oakville grade. That leaves about ten miles on route 12 - is that going to stink or are the shoulders wide enough for comfortable riding?

Thanks for any advice on this route, or others!

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/napa/492951564


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## fogman

brock said:


> Hello Northern Californians...
> 
> I have the good fortune to be spending a week in Napa Valley, Oakville specifically, and will be bringing my bike. I'm planning a few longer rides in the hills, but I wonder what the traffic is like on some of these roads... All the rides should be midweek.
> 
> Anyways, one ride in particular would be from St Helena, up Spring Mountain Road and down towards Santa Rosa on St Helena Rd / Calistoga Rd, then back south along Sonoma Highway / Route 12 to Trinity Road, up and back down on Oakville grade. That leaves about ten miles on route 12 - is that going to stink or are the shoulders wide enough for comfortable riding?
> 
> Thanks for any advice on this route, or others!
> 
> http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/napa/492951564


Oakville Cross to Silverado Trail.
Back to 29 and St. Helena on the Pope Valley cross-road or somesuch.
Spring Mountain! Yes!
After descending into Santa Rosa, you can meander through the neighborhoods and get to Spring Lake. There's a frontage road that runs into the retirement community of Oakmont. Out of Oakmont look for Lawndale. Follow to Warm Springs. You can double-back on Arnold and Dunbar to get to Trinity. For more excitment, ride some on Hwy 12 and go up Cavedale. Trinity is real, but hardly memorable. Cavedale is a keeper. Trinity and Cavedale intersect at the return to the Oakville Grade.
Perhaps someone will have a decent description of the Spring Lake -> Oakmont -> Hwy 12 connection.


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## moschika

fogman said:


> Oakville Cross to Silverado Trail.
> Back to 29 and St. Helena on the Pope Valley cross-road or somesuch.
> Spring Mountain! Yes!
> After descending into Santa Rosa, you can meander through the neighborhoods and get to Spring Lake. There's a frontage road that runs into the retirement community of Oakmont. Out of Oakmont look for Lawndale. Follow to Warm Springs. You can double-back on Arnold and Dunbar to get to Trinity. For more excitment, ride some on Hwy 12 and go up Cavedale. Trinity is real, but hardly memorable. Cavedale is a keeper. Trinity and Cavedale intersect at the return to the Oakville Grade.
> Perhaps someone will have a decent description of the Spring Lake -> Oakmont -> Hwy 12 connection.


yes. hwy 12 sucks, so you want to spend the least amount of time on it that you can. definitely cut thru oakmont, hit lawndale, then warmsprings to glen ellen. from glen ellen you can easily connect to trinity or cavedale with minimal time on hwy12. as soon as i find my map i can tell you the street names through oakmont.


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## brock

Wow, thank you both. That was super helpful - Silverado looks like a better way to head north, and it's good to hear there's a better way south than on 12. 

The connection through Spring Lake and Oakville looks a little tricky, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. Once on Lawndale it seems pretty easy to get to Trinity, or Cavendale... I was just dazled by the ToC star qualities of Trinity. But if Cavendale is a better climb, I'm for it  :thumbsup:


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## mohair_chair

I would go through Bennett Valley to Warm Springs, down into Glen Ellen, then pick up Trinity Grade. Bennett Valley Road is a nice ride. If you really want extra credit, throw in Sonoma Mountain Road. It's closed at the top because of a slide, but you can walk across.


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## brock

That would sure up the ante - sixty miles and 4500 feet of elevation gain.


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## fogman

brock said:


> Wow, thank you both. That was super helpful - Silverado looks like a better way to head north, and it's good to hear there's a better way south than on 12.
> 
> The connection through Spring Lake and Oakville looks a little tricky, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. Once on Lawndale it seems pretty easy to get to Trinity, or Cavendale... I was just dazled by the ToC star qualities of Trinity. But if Cavendale is a better climb, I'm for it  :thumbsup:


A better climb. Hmm. Dang. Trinity might be more fun for you relative to watching the T. of Calif. Having done both, I prefer Cavedale. At the same time, it is hard to pass up Trinity Grade for the sake of saying you've done it! Trinity is a sustained effort. Cavedale mixes it up some. Cavedale can be deserted. Views are awesome.

You COULD ride Oakville Grade to Trinity... down to Hwy 12 and return via Cavedale and Mt. Veeder, etc., returning to Oakville. Add-ons as desired.

Another nice ride, let's call it a recovery ride, would be to head up the Silverado Trail to Howell Mtn. --> (straight on to) White Cottage --> (left on to) Howell Mt. -> (right) Pope Valley -> (left) Ink Grade -> (right) Howell Mtn. --> (straight) Deer Park --> return. A good compromise when out-of-the-saddle grinding seems daunting.

Be forewarned, the road quality in Sonoma County... leaves much to be desired.

It's all good, y'know.


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## JAJAJA

This is a very good suggestion too.

Another nice ride, let's call it a recovery ride, would be to head up the Silverado Trail to Howell Mtn. --> (straight on to) White Cottage --> (left on to) Howell Mt. -> (right) Pope Valley -> (left) Ink Grade -> (right) Howell Mtn. --> (straight) Deer Park --> return. A good compromise when out-of-the-saddle grinding seems daunting.

+1 on stay off of HWY 12 at all costs.


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## brock

Recovery ride, sure  The climb up Howell looks sustained but not _too_ steep.

Anyways, been mapping out the options.

Here's the Spring Mountain / Cavedale ride avoiding route 12 as much as seems possible:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/napa/773696356

And along Bennet Valley with Sonoma Mountain:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/napa/368405505

Howell / Ink Grade:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/napa/1208663535

Thanks again everyone, I'm looking forward to these rides. They should sure serve to jump start my fitness if nothing else.


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## jgrantv10

There is a series of rides posted on the Grizzly Peaks Cyclists web site that I do every year. They generally sample much of the best of wine country and environs riding. I've really enjoyed them. They are from Mike DeMicco covering his Tour de Napa series. I've posted the ride descriptions below. if any of them appeal, you can go to the following link to find links to the cue sheets for these rides. Doesn't get much easier than that: 

http://www.grizzlypeakcyclists.org/cue_sheets/

* Tour de Napa, Part Un: Napa Valley, Lake Berryessa, and Pope Valley - Start on Church St. in St. Helena (located one block east of Hwy. 29 on between Pope St. and Hunt Ave.). The ride will go up Sage Canyon past Lake Hennessey, on to Lake Berryessa and Pope Valley. We will return via the Ink Grade and Howell Mountain Rd. Some places to buy food along the way. Hilliness=3, Mileage=57, 3500' Elevation Gain.

* Tour de Napa, Part Deux: Napa to Sonoma via Mt. Veeder and the Trinity Grade - Low gears, good brakes, and an attitude for climbing are recommended! Head out from the Napa College and enjoy the rustic scenery, then climb Mt. Veeder. Once you have reached the summit, a fast, twisty descent awaits. After plummeting to the bottom, ascend the Trinity Grade (be prepared for a few steep sections). After topping out, the Trinity descent to the Sonoma Valley is steep and will test your cornering skills. Enjoy lunch in historic Sonoma, and head out on the flats and rollers back to Napa. Meet at Napa College (parking lot off Streblow) in Napa. Hilliness=4, Mileage=55, 2900' Elevation Gain.

* Tour de Napa, Part Trois -- Suisun to Pope Valley by Lake Berryessa - This ride combines rides 13 and 21 of the "Cyclists' Route Atlas". We'll ride Pleasants Valley road, climb Cardiac Hill and ride almost the full length of Lake Berryessa before before climbing the "Wall" and heading into Pope Valley. We'll cycle through beautiful Pope, Chiles, and Wooden Valley. Those not wanting to do the whole ride can loop back at the midpoint at Moscowite Corner (~62 miles total). Turtles are welcome, but please take a route sheet. There are places to buy food along the route. Meet at 8:30 am at the park 'n ride lot at Solano College, Suisun Valley Rd. (Take I-80 to Cordelia, exit on Suisun Valley Rd., go N, college is on the right. Park in the first lot). Hilliness=3, Mileage=110, 4800' Elevation Gain. Short option Mileage=62.

* Tour de Napa, Part Quat: Pope Valley (almost) to Clear Lake (LONG OPTION) or Pope Valley to Loch Lomond (SHORT OPTION) - From Pope Valley, we'll take Butts Canyon to Middletown, then head up scenic Big Canyon and climb to Loch Lomond (be prepared for 1.5 mi. of 10% grade). A shorter option is available here back to Middletown. Those continuing on will ride Hwy. 175 almost to Clear Lake, and climb Cobb Mountain on Bottle Rock Road to Cobb and then to Middletown, returning to Pope Valley on Butts Canyon. Take two large water bottles. There are places to buy food along the way, but overall the area is remote. Expect about 5500' of climbing. Meet in downtown Pope Valley. Hilliness=4, Mileage=90, 5300' Elevation Gain. Short option Mileage=70.

* Tour de Napa, Part Cinq: Franz Valley, Chalk Hill & Spring Mt. Ramble - This ride will take us from the north end of the valley, over the Mayacmas mountain range, west to Santa Rosa. Some notable roads will be Franz Valley, Chalk Hill, and Spring Mountain. This ride has some challenging climbs and descents and goes through some of the prettiest countryside Northern CA has to offer. Meet on Church St. (between Pope and Hunt) in St. Helena, east of Hwy. 29. Hilliness=4, Mileage=55, 3700' Elevation Gain.

* Tour de Napa, Part Six: Mt. George & Atlas Peak - Cycle the Silverado Tr. in the Napa Valley, and then head up Sage Canyon (Hwy. 128). After stopping in Moscowite Corner for a brief respite, climb the back side of Mt. George. Descend Mt. George on a steep, twisty road. At this point, you may decide to call it a day and make your way back to the start, or climb Atlas Peak for an out and back. Plummet back to bottom and continue on to finish the ride, congratulating yourself on a job well done! Meet at Napa College (parking lot off Streblow) in Napa. Hilliness=3, Mileage=71, 4850' Elevation Gain. Short option Mileage=51.

* Tour de Napa, Part Sept -- Lonesome Lower Lake Loop Pope Valley to Lower Lake - The final, and perhaps the best of the originally planned series of seven rides! We'll start this ride in thriving, downtown Pope Valley, head out towards Lake Berryessa, and then take the lonesome Berryessa-Knoxville Rd. to the town of Lower Lake. After lunch, we'll climb Seigler Canyon and descend Big Canyon to Middletown, taking Butts Canyon past the Hubcap Ranch back to Pope Valley. Bring plenty of water (especially if it's a warm day) because this ride is long, desolate and has lots of climbing! Expect about 4800' vertical. Meet at the H&M Market in Pope Valley. Hilliness=4, Mileage=85, 4800' Elevation Gain.


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## moschika

getting to oakmont from SR isn't too difficult. just go out Channel Dr on the backside of annadel to the end, you'll see a short dirt path(fine for road bikes) that's only about 200 feet. then you'll hit pavement. that's timber springs road, turn left on white oak road, right on oakmont drive for about 1-2 miles. at top of small rise you'll turn left on valley oak dr, then first right on Pythian. take Pythian to Hwy12, turn right till you hit Lawndale.


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## brock

Wow, this is more helpful than I could have imagined. Those look like some killer rides.

Moschika, thanks for the directions to Oakmont, I'll have to find a more detailed map but I'll print your description out anyways.


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## fogman

*Ride report!!*



brock said:


> Wow, this is more helpful than I could have imagined. Those look like some killer rides.
> 
> Moschika, thanks for the directions to Oakmont, I'll have to find a more detailed map but I'll print your description out anyways.


Dude! How about a ride report?


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## brock

Righto! Meant to, completely forgot. 

First off, amazing weather. Like partly cloudy, 65 degrees. I guess you Californians are used to that, but I'm from Portland, and it was snowing in town that week.

In addition to a few mellow valley rides for recovery and errands, I fit in two longer rides based on everyone's suggestions:

*Howell / Ink Grade*. This was just about perfect as far as rides go. About 45 miles with maybe 3000 feet of elevation gain. So not too hard, not too easy. The climb up the lower part of Howell was amazing. Easy, but sustained grade, not a single car. Road was rough and narrow (like many in the area), but hey, I was going up. Fast and twisty descent off of the back side to Pope Valley for a stop at the store for water. Watched as two cars narrowly avoided each other at speed as I inhaled a Milky Way, that would have been a ride buzzkill. Quick ride along the valley and then a left onto Ink Grade. Shorter than Howell but similar. The descent back down on Deer Park had some traffic but we were all going fast.

*Spring Mountain / Bennet Valley / Cavedale.* This ride just about killed me, but it was one of the best I've ever done. 70 miles or so, maybe 6000 elevation gain. Started with a mellow pace up Silverado into St Helena, and then onto Spring Mountain. Seriously? Ok, this was an all out sufferfest just to keep the bike moving. Compact crank is nice, but a 34x23 doesn't let you sit in. I had to give it all I had to keep from unclipping or eddying out into a driveway to catch my breath. Finally I'm over the top and cruising down to Santa Rosa. The descent was a bit rough and hard to read not knowing the roads, so I pretty much had to pick my way down. One little short steep leg breaker again and I'm at the bottom. Cruised through the SR sprawl, checking the ride notes that I scribbled on the back of a receipt. Dropped a water bottle in traffic and had to circle back (what a gumby). Finally found Bennett Valley Road. Windy, narrow, and with a little traffic, but not too bad. Came to Sonoma Mountain road, but didn't take the turn as I was starting to cramp a little and thought that Cavedale would require the rest of my effort (ha ha, if only I knew). Few rollers into Glenn Ellen for some hydration and onto Cavedale. Wow. This is the real deal. Had I been paying a little more attention, I would have realized what I was getting into and jumped over to Trinity. But anyways, up I went. Super narrow and rough, only a few cars. Not as steep as Spring Mountain but it seemed to go on forever and was exposed. One of those days where you keep the corner of your eye on the turkey vultures  Eventually I reached the top where I thought I'd intersect with Trinity Rd. But there was more up and down before I got there. I was really cooked at this point, and the not too long climb back to the top of Oakville Grade was a grind. Back down into the valley - super fast. Waited for almost ten minutes behind a half dozen really timid drivers tring to take a left back onto 29. Triscuits, Cytomax, and many pints of beer followed.

Anyways, great area for riding. I just love the access to serious climbs on narrow and rough roads, with smooth arterials to cruise back down. Not sure we'll be able to swing it, but I'm going to see if we can line up a week again next year to get our team down here for an early season camp.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions!

Oh, BTW, I picked up a cycling map of the area, right at the _end_ of the week (brilliant). Anyways, I forget who published it (I'll look) but it was really well laid out and gave good inclination markers for the climbs.


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## fogman

*Trinity is no piece-of-cake*



brock said:


> Righto! Meant to, completely forgot.


Awesome ride report! Those are such memorable bike rides. Dang. BTW, Trinity Grade does not have much in the way of a break on the way up. It does have better grading so you can measure your effort better. Next spring, I guess you will have to return for a comparison of Cavedale and Trinity!


brock said:


> Oh, BTW, I picked up a cycling map of the area, right at the _end_ of the week (brilliant). Anyways, I forget who published it (I'll look) but it was really well laid out and gave good inclination markers for the climbs.


That must be the Krebs map? (Krebs Cycle Products) It is definitely a good way to anticipate the effort required for an unknown ride.
Glad to hear that it worked out so well.


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## brock

Yeah, I figured Trinity was a little shorter and didn't climb as high, but it's all relative when there's that much up to go up... Next year 

Krebs, yep - "North San Francisco Bay & Wine Country Bicycle Touring Map". Little arrows on the hills indicate your expected pain level. So like, Spring Mountain has a set of four triple arrows in a row. Hurts.


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