Check out our Tunitas Creek loop, right in your backyard.
But you gotta like hills...
This ride's an old favorite...a great introduction to moderate distance (40 miles) and
hills (maybe 4,000 feet of climbing or so). The very steepest parts of Tunitas Creek will
make you wince if you've only got a 23-tooth cog though!
Robert's of Woodside, at the corner
of Highway 84 (Woodside Road) and Canada Road. A great many peninsula rides use this as a
starting point! Parking is available at a Park N'Ride near Woodside Road & 280.
The ride starts out on Mountain Home Road,
a classic example of all that Woodside has to offer...gorgeous scenery, generally few cars
(except on Canada and Woodside Road) and lots of potholes.
Mountain Home takes you out to Sand Hill
Road, part of The Loop. Just past the curve ahead is
the turn-off for Old La Honda Road.
Old La Honda Road...3.75 miles,
moderately steep in parts, entirely tree-covered so even on a very hot day it's a
tolerable climb.
Here's the west side of Old La
Honda, one of the more pleasant "unknown" roads in the area. Very few
cars, narrow, scenic, moderate grades. In general the west side of Old La Honda is
better-suited for climbing than descending, but it's still a pleasant diversion from the
main highway to the coast (84). Actually, the same can be said for the eastern side, only
more so.
Old La Honda meets up with Highway 84,
about 3 miles below (west) of Skyline.
A few miles later and you're heading past the
bustling metropolis of La Honda!
Highway 84 features an excellent road surface and is
quite scenic, but it's also one of the main routes to the coast, so it can get busy at
times. For your own safety, I'd recommend planning to arrive at the coast no later than
11am or so, and head back not too much later than that. Too many tired people with too
many beers under their belt.
Pulling into the old town of San Gregorio,
with the general store in the background. You must stop there! This store sells everything
from Levis to Twinkies to greeting cards, and a bar that's always open. In fact, while we
were there a woman was drinking her breakfast (a Bloody Mary) which she later chased with
a cup of coffee.
After leaving San Gregorio, you head up Stage Road
and connect with Highway 1 at the top of a moderate hill. It's about a
mile to the bottom, where you'll make a sharp right turn onto Tunitas Creek right after a
bridge.
Old barns slowly becoming one with the earth,
farmlands, cow pastures and very little traffic await you on Tunitas Creek.
And, for the moment, it's nice and easy too! This won't last...you've got about three easy
miles.
The middle third of the climb would be rather nasty
if not for the spectacular beauty of it. Like the earlier climb up Old La Honda Road, this
one's entirely tree-covered and relatively cool even during the summer.
The top of Tunitas Creek, which comes out directly
opposite the top of King' Mtn Road. From here it's a 4.3 mile
descent down into Woodside and another couple of miles to the end of your ride.
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