# OLH and West Alpine ride



## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Sunday was a brilliant day. The best thing about cold, rainy days is they make you appreciate the good days more. Today is a road ride featuring some mtbr and roadbikereview members. The ride starts in Palo Alto, goes up and over Skyline Blvd and back to town. 40 miles and 4000 feet for today

My mileage will be a little longer as I decide to ride from home. Here's some supplies:









The steelman cross bike is ready. It's dirty and loves to play in the wet. Carbon Look bike don't play that.










This is what every roadie needs. It's a garage door keypad so you can ride from your doorstep and close the damn door.









15 miles, later, I meet up with the motley crew. Present were Derek, SMW, K-Max, Fr Ted Crilly, Jaishima and xxx









After Arastadero road and Portola Valley road comes the Old La Honda climb. Old La Honda is a special climb. It snakes through a canopy of trees with a gradual grade. Every climber in the area knows their time up OLH. Not today though.

















































After a break at Skyline blvd, we proceed on the west side of OLH and descend one of the most scenic roads in the area.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Going up West Alpine road, the road is closed. It looks lie a car ran off the road. By the size of the police force, the accident is probably very serious. This messes up our route and we have to go back the way we came down. We'll then take Skyline south and down Page Mill

































Going up West OLH is not half bad

















































Going down Page Mill is an e-ticket ride. The top is rough and sandy. The bottom is nicely paved and grippy.

































Mountain biking habits don't die... and rightfully so.









I get home and the kids are biking and smiling. That's a good day.










So there was a great ride. Four veteran roadies and three noobies had an absolute blast!!!

francois


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## MN Dan (Nov 22, 2005)

*Everything looks so green!*

Nice ride report, it looks like you guys had fun. The snow is melting here and it's all brown and nasty. Your pictures just look great with all the green grass and trees. Love the RBR shorts and jersey. Did you ever find out what happened with the car accident?
MN Dan


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

MN Dan said:


> Nice ride report, it looks like you guys had fun. The snow is melting here and it's all brown and nasty. Your pictures just look great with all the green grass and trees. Love the RBR shorts and jersey. Did you ever find out what happened with the car accident?
> MN Dan


Yes, unfortunately it was a tragic death:

The roads in the area were very slick as water crossed the road frequently and there were a bunch of small mud and rock slides. It seems the driver slid off the road and plunged into the raging creek.

My condolences.

francois

News article and photo:
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=56514


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## wooglin (Feb 22, 2002)

Sweet. Gotta love those e-ticket descents. Weeee!!!


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I have ridden alot of that route. When my sister lived in Santa Clara in 1997, I rode from her house to Saratoga and then up to Skyline. I dropped off of Skyline onto Alpine and descended. That would be a better descent without the tree roots messing up the pavement. I ended up riding into Pescadero and continued out to the coast to see the brussels sprouts. I turned back into Pescadero, had a big plate of carne asada and headed back inland to climb back up to Skyline. I don't remember all of the names of the roads, but it was a hard climb with the descent into Saratoga as a reward. It was all pretty much downhill after that to my sister's house. I think that it worked out to around 110-120 miles.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

bigbill said:


> I have ridden alot of that route. When my sister lived in Santa Clara in 1997, I rode from her house to Saratoga and then up to Skyline. I dropped off of Skyline onto Alpine and descended. That would be a better descent without the tree roots messing up the pavement. I ended up riding into Pescadero and continued out to the coast to see the brussels sprouts. I turned back into Pescadero, had a big plate of carne asada and headed back inland to climb back up to Skyline. I don't remember all of the names of the roads, but it was a hard climb with the descent into Saratoga as a reward. It was all pretty much downhill after that to my sister's house. I think that it worked out to around 110-120 miles.


WOW! That's the second time I heard of the carne asada in Pescadero. I must try that.

You probably climbed 84 to get up to Skyline. It is the most direct route.

The finest route after Pescadero is to go north on Stage road. It then merges with Highway 1 and then left on Tunitas Creek. It truly is one of the greatest rides in the area.

I live in Saratoga btw and will be doing this ride, maybe this weekend. 100 miles, 8000 feet if I add in this little gem call Lobitos Creek.

Where do you live now, btw? Why did you leave road cycling nirvana?

francois


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## snapdragen (Jan 28, 2004)

Bill's roughing it in Hawaii now....and soon it will be Italy. We shall shun him now.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

snapdragen said:


> Bill's roughing it in Hawaii now....and soon it will be Italy. We shall shun him now.


It has been raining, my bike is really dirty. Since there is no end in sight for the rain, I don't really spend alot of time cleaning up. Just enough to shift and brake. 

As far as the Santa Clara area, it is my second favorite place to ride next to San Diego. My sister and her husband worked for software and hardware companies in Silicon Valley in the mid to late 90's. They are still in the same field, just living in Southlake, TX now. 
The riding isn't too bad there, but it cannot compare to Santa Clara and SD. I was kind of hoping to get orders to SD next but have to go to dumb old Italy instead. They probably ride there as well.


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## johnny99 (Apr 2, 2004)

francois said:


> The finest route after Pescadero is to go north on Stage road. It then merges with Highway 1 and then left on Tunitas Creek. It truly is one of the greatest rides in the area.


Heading north, Tunitas Creek is a right turn.

I like this version of the route, starting in Palo Alto: https://www.paloaltobicycles.com/ride5.html


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