Joined
·
455 Posts
Hello,
Well, I was going to ride with Charlie (Skyline35) but my car was being worked on Saturday. So, I had to put off the Coe Ride until today. Let me start by saying I recently had Spokesman in Santa Cruz install new Mavic Laser Disc Rims, a new pair of Fox F100 forks (white), and a new Avid Juicy 7 hydraulic disc brake in front. My old rims were of '98 vintage and the rear was skipping. It was time for a replacement of parts. I still have a Shimano De Ore V-brake in back. I left the house around 11:00 am. When I got to Hunting Hollow it was surprisingly warm. Mid-80's probably. The ride down was a bit cool on 101 south. Lots of Harley's going to and from Hollister (unwelcome this year, I hear). I started up Gilroy Hot Springs Road and on to Coit Road until I hit the Anza Trail. Up Anza, to Jackson. I made a lot of the difficult switch-backs. Especially that one I could never make until today. I yelled with excitement. There is still a section that gets me on that Jackson Trail. Steep for a while. Someday I'll clear it. I got to Eldeberry Springs Trail head and took in the view. Down Eldeberry and that rut at the beginning is always tough. I hit Rock Tower Trail and connected with the Domino Pond Trail. Lots of nice hills to test your power. And! a flat to test the old patience. It was a thorn. I had rode the bike on the streets the day before and I might have picked it up then. I've rarely got a flat from a thorn in Henry Coe. Up to Wasno. Wasno Road was unfortrunately bulldozed. Why do they have to do that? Loose rocks, deep powder and difficult riding. I got to Kelly Lake via the Kelly Lake Trail. This was fun and the Mavic Laser Discs are fast. Also, the front disc brake is a but grabby. I had to be careful when braking so I didn't end up over the bars. To Kelly Lake and in. I swam the width from the shore. On to Coit. Another swim at the dam end across the width. I emerged and went up Coit Dam Road. That's a tough uphill and in summer there is a lot of gravelly rocks and slipperiness. One wrong move and it's all over. I cleared it. Hurray! While I was on the shores of Coit Lake I decided to look at the map. Hmmm. Huricane Pond. Down Center (non) Flats Road. That's a bit of cross-country but I've never been there (let alone swam it). When I got to Center Flats Road (via Wagon Road, with the crappy bulldozing, why do they do this? Please make it stop. It's not helping. Damn) I decided to go to Hurricane Pond. I recall a fellow Coe rider told me that if you go down Center Flats Road you will come to a meadow. Go to Hurricane Pond at this point and it's easier. Looking down that steep embankment at the intersection of Wagon Road and Center Flats Road it seemed to make sense. Although, looking at the map I see a river bed that might make it easier. I went cross-country to Hurricane Pond. Many, many stickers. About 400 ft. from the Pond I put my bike down and decided to hike bikeless the rest of the way. I hit that river bed (all dry at this point) and followed it to Hurricane Pond. I jumped in and swam across it. I heard tell there is some good fishing in here. Also, it was brisk. Does that mean that it's pretty deep? I don't think Hurricane Pond dries up so there might be some good fishing. There certainly aren't too many people crazy enough to hike down here. I did see a photo on the web of Hurricane Pond so there are some. I dressed and headed back to pick up my bike and take that steep hike out. I went a ways and felt I must have gone too far. No bike. Ahh (a calm one). I combed the area (in sweltering heat). Mild panic. I went back towards the pond. Ah, there it is. Visions of wandering aimlessly with puffy, blistered lips, bloodshot eyes and whip marks from the weeds and burrs and screaming insanely like Martin Landau in some Outer Limits episode from the '60's. Not today. Going back was tough as I knew it would be. An unbelieveable amount of burrs all over the lower half of me. And that sort of sticky weed stuff that cements them so well onto the leg hairs. I didn't bother to pull any off. This will be done at the car. I got back to Wagon Road and headed down (and up) it. I eyed Rodeo Pond thinking briefly and insanely of a swim. No. Covered completely with leaves and algae and disease (well, maybe not but pretty mucky. Maybe 6 ft. leaches. Ah, maybe not. More like the bottom 6 inches from the surface). I hit that uphill and had my head down with effort. As I raised my head I saw a bobcat right in the middle of the trail. I stopped (quietly, thanks to my new front brake, paying dividends already). He seemed to be checking out something on the ground. I was about 15 ft. away. No camera. Damn. After about 15 or 20 seconds he saw me. Probably my scent. He ran away. I rode up the trail and came around a bend and saw him again. He ran away farther this time. I love seeing wildlife at Coe. I continued on to Hunting Hollow. The downhills were very fast with these new rims. Scary fast. At the parking lot it was a painful pulling of burrs and stickers. Worth it, though. Yeah, I've been to Hurricane Pond. I swam it (insane laughter that goes on for 45 minutes). Beautiful day and very warm.
Roy.
Well, I was going to ride with Charlie (Skyline35) but my car was being worked on Saturday. So, I had to put off the Coe Ride until today. Let me start by saying I recently had Spokesman in Santa Cruz install new Mavic Laser Disc Rims, a new pair of Fox F100 forks (white), and a new Avid Juicy 7 hydraulic disc brake in front. My old rims were of '98 vintage and the rear was skipping. It was time for a replacement of parts. I still have a Shimano De Ore V-brake in back. I left the house around 11:00 am. When I got to Hunting Hollow it was surprisingly warm. Mid-80's probably. The ride down was a bit cool on 101 south. Lots of Harley's going to and from Hollister (unwelcome this year, I hear). I started up Gilroy Hot Springs Road and on to Coit Road until I hit the Anza Trail. Up Anza, to Jackson. I made a lot of the difficult switch-backs. Especially that one I could never make until today. I yelled with excitement. There is still a section that gets me on that Jackson Trail. Steep for a while. Someday I'll clear it. I got to Eldeberry Springs Trail head and took in the view. Down Eldeberry and that rut at the beginning is always tough. I hit Rock Tower Trail and connected with the Domino Pond Trail. Lots of nice hills to test your power. And! a flat to test the old patience. It was a thorn. I had rode the bike on the streets the day before and I might have picked it up then. I've rarely got a flat from a thorn in Henry Coe. Up to Wasno. Wasno Road was unfortrunately bulldozed. Why do they have to do that? Loose rocks, deep powder and difficult riding. I got to Kelly Lake via the Kelly Lake Trail. This was fun and the Mavic Laser Discs are fast. Also, the front disc brake is a but grabby. I had to be careful when braking so I didn't end up over the bars. To Kelly Lake and in. I swam the width from the shore. On to Coit. Another swim at the dam end across the width. I emerged and went up Coit Dam Road. That's a tough uphill and in summer there is a lot of gravelly rocks and slipperiness. One wrong move and it's all over. I cleared it. Hurray! While I was on the shores of Coit Lake I decided to look at the map. Hmmm. Huricane Pond. Down Center (non) Flats Road. That's a bit of cross-country but I've never been there (let alone swam it). When I got to Center Flats Road (via Wagon Road, with the crappy bulldozing, why do they do this? Please make it stop. It's not helping. Damn) I decided to go to Hurricane Pond. I recall a fellow Coe rider told me that if you go down Center Flats Road you will come to a meadow. Go to Hurricane Pond at this point and it's easier. Looking down that steep embankment at the intersection of Wagon Road and Center Flats Road it seemed to make sense. Although, looking at the map I see a river bed that might make it easier. I went cross-country to Hurricane Pond. Many, many stickers. About 400 ft. from the Pond I put my bike down and decided to hike bikeless the rest of the way. I hit that river bed (all dry at this point) and followed it to Hurricane Pond. I jumped in and swam across it. I heard tell there is some good fishing in here. Also, it was brisk. Does that mean that it's pretty deep? I don't think Hurricane Pond dries up so there might be some good fishing. There certainly aren't too many people crazy enough to hike down here. I did see a photo on the web of Hurricane Pond so there are some. I dressed and headed back to pick up my bike and take that steep hike out. I went a ways and felt I must have gone too far. No bike. Ahh (a calm one). I combed the area (in sweltering heat). Mild panic. I went back towards the pond. Ah, there it is. Visions of wandering aimlessly with puffy, blistered lips, bloodshot eyes and whip marks from the weeds and burrs and screaming insanely like Martin Landau in some Outer Limits episode from the '60's. Not today. Going back was tough as I knew it would be. An unbelieveable amount of burrs all over the lower half of me. And that sort of sticky weed stuff that cements them so well onto the leg hairs. I didn't bother to pull any off. This will be done at the car. I got back to Wagon Road and headed down (and up) it. I eyed Rodeo Pond thinking briefly and insanely of a swim. No. Covered completely with leaves and algae and disease (well, maybe not but pretty mucky. Maybe 6 ft. leaches. Ah, maybe not. More like the bottom 6 inches from the surface). I hit that uphill and had my head down with effort. As I raised my head I saw a bobcat right in the middle of the trail. I stopped (quietly, thanks to my new front brake, paying dividends already). He seemed to be checking out something on the ground. I was about 15 ft. away. No camera. Damn. After about 15 or 20 seconds he saw me. Probably my scent. He ran away. I rode up the trail and came around a bend and saw him again. He ran away farther this time. I love seeing wildlife at Coe. I continued on to Hunting Hollow. The downhills were very fast with these new rims. Scary fast. At the parking lot it was a painful pulling of burrs and stickers. Worth it, though. Yeah, I've been to Hurricane Pond. I swam it (insane laughter that goes on for 45 minutes). Beautiful day and very warm.
Roy.
