by Dennis Augustine
This Memorial Day, Bill and I met up with our good friends Jimi and Jennifer Hunter at their home near downtown Los Gatos before heading out on a beautiful ride around Lexington Reservoir in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
According to my Strava app, our ride covered 27.38 miles with nearly 2,700 feet of elevation gain over 2½ hours of riding.
The route took us through towering redwoods, peaceful reservoir views, and winding mountain roads far removed from heavy traffic. After a steep climb to the upper water level, we enjoyed a leisurely ride tracing the shoreline high above the lake with breathtaking scenery at every turn.
One of the unique experiences of riding in the Santa Cruz Mountains is the changing microclimates — cool coastal fog and brisk morning air giving way to warm canyon sunshine.
After descending back down, we ordered sandwiches from Mr. Pickle’s in downtown Los Gatos, and enjoyed a well-earned picnic lunch beneath the shady eucalyptus trees at Jimi and Jennifer’s home. A perfect Memorial Day filled with friendship, fitness, nature, and gratitude.
