Alpine Dam on Velodromedary

I Point My Wheels To The North

Sun, 27 Apr 2014 17:57:00 +0000

I was itching to get out of the city and just ride. So a small group of us headed North to Mill Valley, Panoramic, Pan Toll / Mt Tam, Ridgecrest, Bolinas-Fairfax, Alpine Dam, Fairfax… and back home. About 65 miles, very hilly, and took us all day (with the requisite stops for Sol Food limeade, looking at the ocean, burgers, and beer).

Alpine Dam, again

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:04:00 +0000

Six of us rode the Alpine Dam loop today (starting from various locations– my day was about 67 miles and 6 hours riding time).

It’s still one of my favorite non-overnight Bay Area rides – the stretch along Panoramic Highway and the following “seven sisters in reverse” on Ridgecrest are scenic and exhilarating. I only took a few photos:

Iron Springs brewery in Fairfax. The enchiladas were fine, but most importantly, they were calories. The dark rye beer was interesting.

Alpine Dam on Saturday 9/17

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:03:00 +0000

The West sidewalk of the golden gate bridge is reopening to bikes, at last!

In celebration (and to celebrate a new bike I hope to have by then), it’s time for a decent-length Marin ride: not this Saturday, but next Saturday, the 17th.

The plan: a clockwise Alpine Dam loop, 65ish miles depending where in SF you start, quite hilly in some sections. Friendly pace, regroups at the tops of major hills, and an obligatory stop on the way back in Fairfax at Iron Springs Brewpub or Gestalt.

Instead of TV: 60 hilly miles

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:00:07 +0000

Four of us rode the 60ish mile Alpine Dam Loop on Sunday at a somewhat leisurely pace. It’s still my favorite Bay Area ride – some long, merciless uphills combined with incredible views in every direction. And it gets easier every time (funny how that works).

A mid-morning start at Velo Rouge:

There were almost no pedestrians or cyclists on the Golden Gate Bridge (Superbowl Sunday effect?)

Three upcoming February rides

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:30:00 +0000

If it’s not rainy:

Friday 2/4: joining the SF Bike Party, a slow-rolling evening with hundreds of cyclists and several big bike-mounted stereos (photos of the last one). Just 9 miles. 7:30pm meetup at Civic Center.

Sunday 2/6: Alpine Dam. A beautiful and hilly 50-60 mile ride, meeting 9:30AM at Velo Rouge Cafe. No rider left behind, probably a stop in Fairfax for some food afterwards, no commitment to making it back in time to watch That Sporting Event (hey, at least the roads should be empty…).

Alpine Dam and Sausages & Beer next Sunday?

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 06:25:00 +0000

[ edit: cancelled due to early-morning rain, though it ended up clearing up– oh well ]

Tentative plan: an Alpine Dam loop ride next Sunday (1/30), about 50 miles round trip from the Golden Gate Bridge (map), with some substantial but satisfying hills.

Stopping in Fairfax at Gestalt Haus (run by the people behind the original SF Gestalt Haus before it changed ownership?) for some sausages & beer before heading home.

Departure time TBD in the morning (early? mid-?) and a no-rider-left-behind pace as usual, though I definitely want to get back in the afternoon, before it starts to get dark and cold on the bridge.

Alpine Dam, take 2

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:04:00 +0000

Rode Alpine Dam again today on the new bike, leaving the house at 6:40AM (ouch…).

Here’s a quick overview image of the route (you can also check out the GPS track I recorded, though it’s approximate). The ride was about 70 miles and 4500’ elevation gain, and I wrapped it up with a visit to La Taqueria (3 tacos con aguacate) and Humphry Slocombe (peanut butter curry ice cream).

Alpine Dam Recap

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:46:00 +0000

The Alpine Dam Loop last weekend is my favorite ride in California to date– I highly recommend it. It was scenic enough to make me swear out loud in amazement on several occasions (a crystal clear day with views of SF and the Farallones didn’t hurt).

It was also a moderately challenging 65 miles door to door, with a fair amount of climbing (about 4500’ ascent total) and fast twisty downhills. Here’s a route map based on CC’s GPS track.

Some blurry cell phone photos from the excellent Alpine Dam ride. More here from...

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:26:00 +0000

Some blurry cell phone photos from the excellent Alpine Dam ride. More here from JG: http://mediaingredient.com/?attachment_id=481 . We spent all day riding, about 65 miles and 4500’ of elevation gain total, beautiful views, and a break for food and beer at Iron Springs Brewpub in Fairfax.

Saturday longer ride: Alpine Dam

Sat, 29 May 2010 00:08:00 +0000

The loop is 31 miles, and the total ride starting and ending at the SF Ferry Building is about 60 miles. Approximate route (I’ve since been told that one of the roads Google shows is not actually passable). Beyond just the length, I hear it’s moderately challenging – I may have no idea what I’m in for. Of all things, a Yelp review about it.

Some people like to start early, some like to start late, so to compromise: meet at 10AM at the Ferry Building (or get there at 9:30 to eat some pastries / chilaquiles / etc at the farmers market with me).