“A good bicycle, well applied, will cure most ills this flesh is heir to.”
—Dr. K.K. Doty
Friend and neighbor, Bill Rothenberg and I began our ride from Rinconada Hills, where we live to the Los Gatos Creek Trails to downtown Los Gatos. We then made our way to Great Bear Coffee for an iced coffees to go. It was perfect timing for me as I recently had a drink holder installed on my handlebar by Mike’s Bikes, thanks to Bill who got me keen to the idea.
From there we navigated a few neighboring streets to get to Hernandez Avenue for a steep climb to El Sereno Open Space Preserve that is named after the 2,249-foot Mt. El Sereno, located between Los Gatos and Saratoga, CA in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The 1,415-acre Preserve park offers a distinctive scenic backdrop to these towns.
Several small meadows also boast terrific views of Lexington Reservoir where I had just completed a solo climb and loop high above and around this wonderful body of water the day before.
El Sereno Preserve is the perfect place for hikers, campers, bike riders, and nature lovers. Some of the photos I took are a combination or sampling from both the Preserve and Lexington Reservoir County Park.
Once Bill and I got into the park, the first one-third of the ride is on a nice fire road which offers plenty of shade. Then we broke out into the blazing sun for a couple of miles on a fairly rocky and somewhat steeper terrain before returning to some shade again for the final quarter mile of the ride to the top. The view of Silicon Valley took our breath away. I am always amazed that we can access a pleasant trail like this so close to home, with amazing views, not so long or burdensome steep climbs that makes you feel like you are in your own private sanctuary. Who needs ownership when you can have access to such beauty that is blissfully quiet. Some of the photos with the panoramic views were taken in a hidden open meadow off Overlook Drive.
In spite of the great vistas, El Sereno isn’t as steep as most mountains, though the descent into town follows many exhilarating twists and turns down a relatively mild slope that bicyclists look forward to after a strenuous climb.
