Today we’re hiking from Rock Harbor up to Mt Franklin again, then along the Greenstone Ridge further west to Mt Ojibway. Plenty of great views, signs along the trail, and a little bit of fall color. There are some awesome views from the top of the tower at Mt Ojibway, but it’s crazy hot and we’ve got a very long way to go still. It’s back down to Daisy Farm and a lunch break for some well earned rest. ...
It’s another beautiful day on Isle Royale, so we’re off for some great hiking on the eastern end of the island. We’ll be taking the M.V. Sandy over to Lookout Louise, then we’ll head along the Greenstone Ridge out to Mt Franklin for a great view. We get a nice view of the Ranger on our way back to Rock Harbor. Check out the details of our hike over on Strava. ...
This year I’m joining Charlotte on her fall trip to Bootjack to bring Gordon back to Capitola for the winter. For most of the time though, we’ll be enjoying the outdoors, hiking, and boating in beautiful Isle Royale National Park. We’re headed over on the Isle Royale Queen out of Copper Harbor, and we’ll be staying at the Rock Harbor Lodge. As soon as we arrive, we’re already off on our first activity. We head over to Passage Island on the M.V. Sandy for a guided hike and some exploring. Here’s a nice sampling of the wildflowers and berries on the island. ...
I’m traveling to Upper Michigan again with Charlotte on her regular trip to bring Gordon back to Capitola. We’re planning a week of hiking and exploring in Isle Royale, but we have a day or two before we leave. Charlotte shows me her latest discovery for hiking and agates over at Seven Mile Point
We’re heading south today for a road race in San Ardo. I love heading down this way since it feels like I’m headed to San Luis Obispo to visit Nick. It’ll be a busy day with a long race for Gabe, and a nice long ride in the hills nearby. Mack and Matt take off first and we’re hoping for a great placing. Gabe is off next after rollout with Ryan. I don’t think they’ve raced together for quite a while. Gabe is jazzed about his chances today. ...
Gabe is racing Elite 4 at the Burlingame Criterium today with Mack. It’s the first big elite field criterium Gabe has signed up for, and he’s been looking forward to it. Mack did a very nice job of attacking throughout the race, but unfortunately the field was plenty fast and no one was going to get away today. Gabe hung in the pack nicely for the entire race, while managing to avoid getting into any trouble. Sorry to see Justin and a few others go down, but I don’t think anyone was seriously hurt. ...
Time for the Central Coast Circuit road race again. Not much wind, but it’s a typical cool, foggy morning as Gabe and Mack get ready to roll in the Elite 4s. Charlotte and I hike out towards the other side of the course, and catch a glimpse of them coming down the hill before we continue up to the top. There’s a pretty cool lookout at the top of the hill, but Charlotte confirms that yellow jackets are swarming just like the warning sign indicated. Time to head back down the hill. ...
Gabe’s frame was recently cracked in a minor car accident, so it’s bad news for my wallet, but good news for the bike racing crazy junior. He was convinced the Specialized S-Works SL3 was the way to go, but we were both hooked on Cervelo once we checked them out at Spokesman in Santa Cruz. Gabe got the S3 with Roval wheels and S-Works shoes. Now that’s a racing machine! ...
This year’s Memorial Day Criterium is also the NCNCA Junior State Championships. It’s not a surprise to see Jack leading the pack in the 13-14 group. He eventually won it, but Adrien from Gabe’s SJBC team did an awesome job staying right on his tail and eventually getting second place. Now it’s time for the 15-16 age group to roll. Zeke, Tim, and Gabe will be working together to help Zeke lock in his Junior Points Series (JPS) win. Henry from Tieni Duro broke away early as he often does, but this time none of the other teams were willing to work together to chase him down. SJBC had their plan, Tieni Duro certainly wasn’t going to chase, and Matt from Specialized was on his own. I’m sure it was frustrating for a number of the riders, but big kudos to Henry for winning state. ...
The Mt Hamilton Classic road race is an epic ride, and Gabe has come to give it his best. It’s far and away the longest climb he’s ever done, more like 3 of the usual mountain climbs right in a row followed by lots more climbs on the other side of the mountain. We’ve got the lucky hat, the magical dog, and plenty of time to warm up. It’s a beautiful day for the climb out of San Jose, and there’s no shortage of climbing specialists ready for action. Charlotte and I head out to Livermore to hang out while Gabe is visiting the pain cave. ...