Henry Coe epic

I mentioned the Henry Coe epic ride I did in the weekend; wanted to post some more pics, as this time of the year the largest state park in California looks incredibly beautiful. Flowers, streams, vistas are everywhere. There is also waist-high grass, obscuring some of the already overgrown trails completely.



I felt adventurous: a solo ride, on a route I hadn't done before, just using the map. Lesson learned: never underestimate Coe! Some of the climbs are immensely brutal (e.g. the climb out of the canyon where Kelly Lake is); those overgrown trails can be rather confusing; and just when you think you never going to get a flat again, you can be sure you're going to be reminded those tubes aren't indestructible, probably somewhere ten miles away from the inhabited world.



Around Kelly Lake I met some backpackers that were on a camping/fishing trip and got lost - fulfilled my civil duty and helped them out with a photocopied spare map I happened to have in my pack. A great thing about Coe is the solitude: the place is too big and remote for most day-hikers. No problem with the bike though, if you can digest the intimidating climbs. Those backpackers were the first humans I met in two hours.



At the end of the ride I met some equestrians and a photographer that were doing a photoshoot for a magazine - ended up doing some modeling work and trail-sharing etiquette poses. The ride took me a couple hours longer than anticipated but that was okay; I ended up just not being late for the concert at the Davies Hall in San Francisco that night.