Bay Area Bike Ride #14: Lafayette - Moraga Regional Trail

I met my daughter half-way for lunch. Her knee is rehab'ing nicely.  She has replaced the crutch with a cane and is moving along much quicker than last month.  It was a nice spring day, so after lunch I took to the folding bike for a quick ride on the  Lafayette - Moraga Regional Trail. A "new to me" trail.   It is short rail trail and #14 in the Bay Area Bike Ride deck.    It was a pleasant and leisure ride.  Lots of people were out enjoying the warm day and the trail crosses over several neighborhood streets.  From Lafayette to Moraga it is a mild grade - so I kind of appreciated the excuse to put my feet down at the road crossings.  😊

The trail passes the entrance of St. Mary's College.  The college has a beautiful bell tower.  As I was snapping the sunset picture below I heard the bells chime for the 6 o'clock hour.  The chimes were lovely and were a good reminder that it was time to turn around and head back.  The trail is seven miles long but I was racing the setting sun  and was only able to ride 5 miles.  A good excuse to come back and ride all seven miles.  

Death Valley - Meet Gallivanting Girls

I have lived in California all my life and have never visited Death Valley.  I was super excited when one of my biking friends planned a 4 day weekend biking outing to Death Valley.  This is the same group that biked in Tahoe and Crater Lake, not to mention bike camping and completing a century last fall.  One of your husbands referred to our biking trips as "gallivanting" so we named our group the "Gallivanting Gals".   

DV Gallivanting Girls Ready to Take Off

Seven of the Gallivanting Gals loaded up seven bikes in two trucks and made our way to the lowest point in North America.  In order to get to Death Valley from our homes, we have to across the Nevada Sierra mountain range.  It was slow going for the first 150 miles.  Spring snow had change controls in effect so the limit was 35 MPH all the way through the mountains to the desert.  


Our first day in Death Valley was SUPER windy.  It was blowing 30 - 40 MPHs all day.  (Hey that is the same speed of our travel the day before. 😉 ) Instead of biking we explored on foot and took a hike.  I can now say I "got blow'in away" at the lowest point in North America - 262 ft below sea level 

Devil's Golf Course

Badwater Basin - Lowest Point

I don't think I have every been anyplace so windy.  I actually was knocked off balance once or twice.  We did find a canyon to hike with much less wind.   Sidewinder Canyon was cool with several narrow passage way off shoots.  

The next morning the wind had completely stopped.  Their was not even a slight breeze.  We have a fabulous day biking through the desert.  The wildflowers were bright yellow and colored the desert floor nicely.  A trip to remember!!  

  

 T