Fresh off a Jet Blue from Boston last night, I had to hustle my ass this morning to get the Blade prepped and get myself out to Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir to meet Romulus at 12:30. No, it didn't help that I slept in until 11:30, but I needed the rest. The Blade didn't need much work, but I cleaned and lubed the chain, checked the brakes, and wiped down the titanium frame with some Pledge handiwipes. It's been a while since I cleaned her up, so there was a lot of road grime on the brakes, the down tube, the seatstay and the chainstays. I then had to prepare some food and a Cytomax drink for the ride, get my camelback ready, and figure out the clothing situation. Somehow I pulled it all together and was on my way by noon.

On the drive over the hill, I let my mind wander where it would -- into the redwooded canopy of the Crystal Springs watershed, riding the pristine network of illegal roads and trails in there, exploring deep canyons and rocky beaches, experiencing elements of what Portola must have felt here over 200 years ago. Damn, I'd love to get in there. Maybe there is some kind of "legal" access from the southernmost point of Sweeney Ridge. I'll check that out the next time I roll over Montara Mountain into Pacifica.

Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir	Enjoying Old La Honda	Romulus rides off into the sunset

I was jolted back to reality by the Galapagos tortoise lodged in my lower intestine. Business travel always stops me up and I didn't have time this morning to clear out the tubes. I really wish I had, because I ended up holding back a turtlehead for most of the ride.

I arrived at Cañada before Romulus, so I got the Blade out and started getting my act together. Ooh, but a very chill wind was blowing out the northwest, so I hopped back in the RX to stay warm and watch the snowy plovers swirling and swarming in and over the water.

Rom arrived and we started south on Cañada towards Woodside. At Woodside, we took Whiskey Stage over to Portola Valley, and from there we climbed up three-mile Old La Honda Road to Skyline. This is a GREAT climb. The road is narrow and winding, a stately redwood-columned promenade to the sky. And we just about had it all to ourselves. There were enough vehicles to keep us honest, but for the most part, we could just put our heads down, breathe in the crisp smell of fall evergreens, and crank the pedals. I love hills.

Skyline, on the other hand, was a nightmare of screaming engines and inadequate shoulders. As always, I was wearing my glasses-mounted rear-view mirror and a flasher, so Romulus took point and I took the rear in order to keep an eye on death from behind. There were long periods with no cars, but then three or four in a row would come by and it would be pretty nervewracking. After a few miles on Skyline, we ducked down just below a shoulder of the road to check out the great view of the Bay and dutifully review safety procedures for the upcoming descent of Page Mill. From our vantage, we could see all the familiar landmarks: Mt. Diablo, Mt. Hamilton, the Stanford campanile, Shoreline Amphitheater, the Moffett Field hangars, and the bridges.

Righteously prepared, we braved another mile or two of Skyline, then dove down Page Mill. That is a descender's descent. Tight hairpin turns mixed with sprint-friendly straightaways and grippy pavement add up to an adrenaline rush better than any video game I've ever played. I had a shit-eatin' grin plastered on my face that wouldn't quit, and the Blade was taking the turns like it was on a rail. The only other time I've ever ridden this road was about three years ago on the LeMond (Which is now Romulus' road bike) just after I had gotten a nasty front-end speed wobble at 40 MPH on Skyline. I was petrified and remember creeping down the hill in near-terror, just wanting it be over. Today, I was the master, and I wanted more, more, more; this time, I didn't want it to end.

Back down on the flats, we took Arastradero Road through the foothills over to Alpine Road. Coming down Alpine, we took the paved bikepath that parallels the road. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend this bikepath on a road bike. It is a very narrow path with numerous roots and cracks that twists and turns downhill through large trees and shrubs. It was liking riding asphalt singletrack.

In Menlo Park, we took Alameda to Ralston and then picked up that nifty little bikepath over the freeway bridge and right back to our cars on Cañada. A beautiful ride with the right amount of everything, including long climbs, winding mountain roads, frenetic downhills, sprintworthy straightaways, and technical testers. If everybody could do a ride like this once a week, the world would be a much better place.

In addition to the Plovers we saw at Crystal Springs, we also saw four deer grazing just below 280 near the huge red paper clip sculpture.