Photos: Uvas Reservoir, Little Lamb, Wild Turkey
It’s a photo-ey kind of week. I just finished up (this morning) a big writing project I’ve been hammering away at for a while. My words are all used up. All I have is a little point n shoot and legs full of courage.
Today we headed off for our Bread and Butter San Jose ride – Uvas Dam. It’s a run-of-the-mill 45-miler with rolling hills and one decent punchy climb. Farm-roads and cows. Goats, sheep, and turkeys. Throw in a few spectacular wild birds of prey and a lingering view of the reservoir and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Launch pad. San Jose suburb.
Sal grew up in this house.
Getting out of the strip-mall rat trap requires about 5 miles of expressway riding.
Not the most scenic time of your life, but definitely exciting.
Then you hit farmland.
Which gets all kinds of technicolor on your ass.
I’ve never really ridden here in the spring. The grasses are mating like there’s no tomorrow. Their lushness is kind of obscene.
This is my view for a lot of the ride.
The Sicilian’s wheel. The Sicilian’s shadow.
Most of the time I’m thankful for the wheel. I can take or leave the shadow.
Walnut trees are dramatic. And kind of scary.
They’re everywhere in these parts.
Quality aside, these farm roads are breathtaking.
Kind of like the Sicilian.
Looks peaceful at first. A cross on a hill, a few errant cattle.
Down below in the pasture a wild male turkey is giving an intruding turkey buzzard the what-for.
Big plume feathers all up in his grill.
We actually stopped the bikes to watch this one unfold – the nature channel right there on the side of the road.
Another deceiving photo.
What you can’t hear is the Sicilian saying, “Minchia! Heidi!” and the sound of a dog bark getting closer and closer.
I won’t tell you what Minchia means because it’s not very polite, but suffice it to say the Sicilian was trying to get my attention.
A white dog, obstructed by a tree branch in this photo, was headed toward us at a full sprint.
And the gate was open. I abandoned the photo even as I was making it and pushed off in the direction of safety.
We emerged unharmed but I did not get the tender Mama Sheep + Baby Lamb photo I’d had my heart set on.
I picked one of these bad boys up at Bicycle Outfitters when we were out on Foothill yesterday.
This ones called Koka Moka. It’s good, but not as good as D-Sharp’s Homemade version.
Ok, I’m done showing this to you – I’m going to eat it now.
There’s a storm moving in. We beat it by a good margin, but you could feel it in the air.
New Hammer bottle favorite was discovered today: 2 scoops unflavored Sustained Energy powder + one serving Apple-Cinnamon Hammer Gel.
Tastes like apple cider!
Ham? Where?
Sal was right. I should have taken off my glasses before I fell asleep by the pool in Tucson.
I really wanted to stop and buy a hot dog, but the Sicilian wouldn’t let me.
Good thing – there was a crazy bread, pizza, prosciutto, deep-fried something smorgasbord for lunch when we got home.
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Gorgeous!
these roads are all too familiar, spent a month there with me wifey’s folks, some good riding in those parts. I usually made my way for coffee in Los Gatos and up up up! I am jealous of both your tan lines!
Very nice photos… thanks for bringing us along for the ride. They’re all nice, but I really like that open road shot just below the Mama Sheep + Baby Lamb. Thanks.
i could sit and look at your photos all day!
Thanks
Fantastic. I grew up riding those roads. Haven’t been back in 15 years. Thanks for the trip.