This ride is about 28 miles and includes one very challenging hill
(Old LaHonda), but can be shortened to 19 miles bit by simply lopping
off the ride up the hill and instead heading back the way you came
(on Mountain Home Road).
You start in Woodside, at
the corner of Canada and Woodside Road. Head south on
Mountain Home Road and pass by Fort Ellison (Oracle chief Larry
Ellison's estate, complete with underground parking!), shown in
the photo on the right. Looks like a summer camp, but don't
let that fool you! Mountain Home has a few little rises and
drops, but the most challenging aspect is the choppy pavement and
narrow shoulder. Fortunately, it gets very light car
traffic.
Mountain Home dead-ends into
Portola/Sand Hill Road. We head east (the Sand Hill side) up a
small rise, then descend a bit and then climb quite a bit until...
The killer descent with the
view! You drop down to the 280 overpass (be careful here, as
there are some pretty nasty cracks in the pavement on the
overpass), climb slightly and then descend to Alameda/Junipero
Serra.
Coming up on Page Mill
Road. If you head straight for 7.5, you'll be at
the doorstep of our Los Altos store!
But today we take a right turn (head
west) up Page Mill. Fortunately, we don't deal with the traffic
for long, as you immediately turn right onto Old Page Mill, a
virtually car-less little cruise that bypasses the big hill.
The contrast between the
idyllic car-free Old Page Mill and the real thing is immediately
apparent as soon as you merge back onto it. Just ahead is
one of the most dangerous obstacles to safe cycling on the
Peninsula- the 280/Page Mill interchange. It's worse than it
looks. After you get past the north-bound freeway onramp,
you end up with two lanes on the right that both turn!
No allowance has been made for bikes, and you essentially have to
fend off cars for a couple hundred yards that think you're in
their way.
But once you get past 280 you take
the first right onto Arastradero, a very scenic little road with
rolling hills (and not much shoulder).
At the end of Arastradero you make a
left turn up Alpine and head past the Alpine Inn, known as
Rosatti's Beer Garden, or just simply "Zotts" by
some.
Alpine Road is one of
the "main drags" for cycling. Nicely paved, wide
shoulder and not too steep.
At the "top" of Alpine Road
you turn right on Portola Road. There's a convenience store
here where you can refuel if needed.
A pair of cyclists
enjoying the unchallenging terrain and beautiful day (on Portola
Road).
But if a ride's on this website, it
probably does have a hill! In this case, Old La Honda Road,
about 1200 feet of climbing over 4 or so miles. Three pretty
steep sections, but this is still the most pleasant climb to
Skyline due to its beauty and relative lack of cars.
Bicyclists aren't the
only ones enjoying a nice day! SkyLonda, at the corner of
Skyline Blvd and 84, is a very popular hangout for all manner of
2-wheelers.
Highway 84 is a reasonably safe
descent with great views, a couple of which are worthwhile
stopping to admire. Much safer than taking pictures from a
bike at 35mph!
At the bottom of 84 you
head north, and take a slight detour on Tripp Road to the base of
King's Mtn.
At the end of Tripp Road is the Old
Store, an historic landmark (and not just because it's the timing
point for beginning the climb up Kings Mtn!).
At the end of Tripp Road you make a
right onto King's Mtn, which will take you back to 84 (Woodside
Road), where you make a left and ride a very short distance back
to Woodside. Alternately, you can take a left turn at
Manuella (which is what's shown on the map at the top of this
piece), and wind your way around to Canada Road and then back to
Woodside.
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