Had some chores to do and some company over this weekend, so wasn't sure if an opportunity for riding would present itself. But the skies cleared (figuratively, not literally) about 2 PM, and I was able to steal away for a few hours.

I wasn't feeling completely up to snuff, so at first, I was just content to be out there. I decided that I'd be satisfied if I could get 15 or 20 miles. Turned out to be an old-fashioned ass whuppin', and I was the whuppee.

I did a lower backside EG, zipped through the farm, and noodled around in the horse hills a little bit. While exploring a trail behind the hospital, I took a little side stitch off the main path and Whoa!, I was in a huge bike track carved into the side of the steep hill and completely hidden by a high canopy of coastal cypress. Someone had spent a good deal of time creating burmed turns, jumps, and several loops of track. Nice score.

I considered spending more time on the horse hill trails -- many of which are extremely challenging, but hilly, strands of singletrack -- because they were in such perfect condition. The rainy season is coming and once it rains a couple of times, these trails will be out of commission for a few months. But after the first five miles, I became fixated on 40 miles, so I pushed up Etheldore to Carlos through Montara and the POST into McNee. At the horse stables in McNee, there is horse named Feliz that is penned right next to the trail. Every time I pass through I call out "Hi Feliz" or "Bye Feliz." I've noticed the last couple of times I've passed through, she has kind of lifted her head as if to acknowledge the greetings.

The pull up and over San Pedro was uneventful. I made my way through the Linda Mar neighborhood across the Cabrillo and onto the paved bikepath that parallels it. It was pretty windy along the water, but the clouds lent depth to the seascape. 50 or 60 surfers dotted the water of Pacifica State Beach.

A local pumpkin patch	Rugged, but there	I see the light

Though it may seem like there isn't a lot of room there, the Pacifica coastline has a lot of good trails, most of it singletrack. Like San Pedro Point, the terrain is extremely rugged, with many impossibly steep climbs and descents. In fact, it's hard to believe how much is still left out there to ride. Shh.

Wheeled down past the Pacifica Pier then turned for home. Still fixated on 40, I decided to hit the Gray Whale Trail (GWT) for some extra mileage. While riding this coastal clifftop classic, far out towards the western horizon, three huge shafts of sunlight had broken through the cloud cover and were lighting up the ashen ocean like spotlights. It was very mystical, or should have been. Somehow it had me thinking of History of the World, Part I.

Coming up the back side of the San Pedro summit, I ran out of gas. I kept pedaling and moving forward, but there was no snap in the legs at all and every little hill felt like NorthStar. I made my number, but the last 15 miles was pretty weak. If it had been a 40-mile race, I would have been up with the leaders at the halfway point, but would have been passed by a lot of people in the last five miles. Duly noted.

I finally rolled into the driveway in the heavy gloaming. What started out as a one and a half hour tour had morped into six full seaons and syndication. I was completely spent.

Coming back through Montara, I startled three deer who were munching some tender chutes in a front yard. The first two bolted across the road and nearly got hit by a car. The third one had not seen me, but came inching out of the brush looking for its cohorts. It was only about 20 feet away but didn't know I was there. I gave a soft hiss and it jumped about 10 feet straight up and then bounded out of sight in three huge leaps. Chill buddy, you need to try some chai tea.