Did I mention we rode up Mt St. Helena?

Mark and I purchased new mountain bikes this summer.
Specialized Hard Rock's.
He and I have ridden and ridden all across the PUC property and other spots in Napa County. In late August there was the annual Howell Mountain Challenge race held at PUC and Mark came in third in his class on his very first race. The race for his class was ten miles of roads and trails in our back yard and his local knowledge probably helped cover his lack of experience.

I was supposed to ride in the race but was unable to enter after a tragic and freak accident involving a massive sprain of my left ankle while practising riding wheelies on my new bike. Freak thing, should not have happened and I failed to calculate the forces of gravity. So no race for me.

But last sunday we rode up the fire road to the top of Mt St Helena.

From the website: summitpost.org

Mount Saint Helena is the highest point in the San Francisco Bay Area watershed. It is located on the boundaries between Napa, Sonoma, and Lake counties, about 80-90 miles north of San Francisco. It is of volcanic origin, situated in the general area of Clear Lake Volcanic Field, a geologically active area with numerous geysers and hot springs. From the summit on a clear day Lassen Peak, High Sierra, Snow Mountain, Mount Diablo, Mount Tamalpais, Pacific Ocean are all visible. With a binocular you can even see the high-rise buildings in downtown San Francisco.

Mount Saint Helena has a summit plateau bordered by five sub-peaks. North Peak is the highest point. The edges of the summit plateau drops off precipitously to the surrounding valleys. A fire road (gated) goes to the top, where there are radio and TV antennas. Most of the hike is along the fire road, however the lowest 1 mile is a hiking trail if you use the hiker's trailhead. Along the fire road there are numerous rock outcrops popular for technical rock climbing.

About biking up Mt. St. Helena: it is a rewarding 5 mile up-hill journey to the 4343 foot summit. You start right around 2200 feet at the fire road entrance. There is a gate but you can easily hoist your bike over it after parking just down the road a little bit. Be extremely cautious of traffic when crossing the highway to the entrance. Many drivers think they're competing in the Indy 500 when they drive this stretch of highway so WATCH OUT.

Once you reach the top keep an eye out for some of the outstanding features of California. All of this is hard to take in at one time especially if the weather isn't on your side. Try to go on a clear day or just after a storm. If you can swing it, go early before the sun rises and you'll be rewarded with a SPECTACULAR sunrise. I always bring a camera. Every day presents something new. So Mount Saint Helena is one of those places that should be visited over and over agian. It's gaining popularity though and it is often almost impossible to find a place to park. So go early!

Now back to Craig

the ride up took 1 hour and forty five minutes of relentless riding, walking, riding, pushing, short rests and riding some more. Each of us thought about quitting at different times, but we pushed on to the top of the south peak. If I keep this up I may end up in shape.