Bill Rothenberg and I hooked up with Gary Covell who led this adventure. We drove in two cars from Los Gatos to La Honda and parked at the La Honda Center to begin our ride.
We passed a forested edge of Sam McDonald County Park, San Mateo County Memorial Park and some other towns that if you blinked, you were bound to miss. We continued our ride to Pescadero Creek Road that led us through enchanted wooded areas, and a charming farming community. It turned out to be one of our best classic, scenic rides. It features some challenging, climbs, through the magnificent redwoods and along the back roads around the Santa Cruz Mountains with virtually no traffic on single lane with great pavement. The scenic climb winds along the mountain under the shaded woodlands with estate homes and farms tucked away from the main road. We passed through miles of sweeping vistas and enjoyed the Zen like calm of the expansive lush green woodlands.
We navigated some gorgeous climbs along the remote back roads around the Santa Cruz Mountains. We enjoyed the quiet calm thorough the expansive lush green woodlands, the crisp mountain air and the refreshing cool breeze at Pescadero State Beach.
Aside from the spectacular views, the highlight of the trip was a small residential community of Pescadero where we saw colorful crafted old wooden homes and visited with the friendly and very curious Alpine Goats at Harley Farms Goat Dairy grounds and bought. The people and animals who live and work there reflect the dignity and grace of farm life. The white baby goats are too cute for words. One extended its’ head beyond the pen to smell my shoe. He, and, another baby goat was drinking milk from one of the feeders. The Alpine goats are known for their very good milking ability. The milkers welcome the goat herd each morning, the cheesemakers make cheese into an art form. We saw Rosie the donkey, whom the owners take on walks in the farm Secret Garden. I befriended one of the farm cats resting on some pillows in the empty dining room on the top floor. I sat next to him wearing my blue bandana over my nose, and mouth, and proceeded to gently rub its belly. The farm normally offers tours, but they have been put on hold due to the pandemic. We decided to continue on to Pescadero State Beach to take in the cool, refreshing ocean breeze before returning back to La Honda.
On the way back from our 30-mile round trip excursion, my electric assist bike battery ran out of power. I found myself stranded on the side of the road on an incline for the first time. I was unable to use my cell phone to text or call my bike mates because it was out of reach from the nearest cell tower. After waiting for twenty minutes, I saw a person about a hundred feet away on foot walking toward me. It was Bill checking up on me near the YMCA Camp Jones Gulch. He was low on battery power. He said he would go get his SUV and come back for me. He told Gary who was eating lunch and surprised about what happened that he was going to pick me up and we would take a different route home. I found a place in the shade, feeling overheated and a bit dehydrated with barely a half a bottle of water, left. A UPS stopped across the road to inform me that Bill was on his way. Forty-Five later Bill arrived. As the saying goes he was a sight for sore eyes. We drove back to La Honda Center, grabbed some lunch drove back home. All’s well. Thanks Bill, for saving my butt:-)
