Five weeks out…
The first good rain of the season
came yesterday and everybody knows how good it smells the day after a
rain. The dry grass lays down and
emits a glorious, sweet aroma.
Puffy white fair weather clouds dance across the sky, sometimes clinging
to the tops of hills like whipped topping on a deep purple mocha. All the dust and smog and smoke from
nearby fires is knocked out of the air and all the roads all appear to be
leading to Eden.
It’d had been nearly five weeks since I’d gone in for surgery
on my little finger. Recovery from
that trauma reminds me that joints in guys my age provide ample venues for arthritis
to invade. Not only is that gimpy
finger stove up, so is the whole damned hand. Perhaps a short spin on a lovely day will loosen things up a
bit. Maybe the vibration from the
Guzzi’s throttle will be like a gentle massage. Plus: the weather's so nice.
A favored short loop runs north on
US 101 to Hopland, west-southwest on Mountain House Road and east on CA 128
back to Cloverdale. The route
includes both freeway speed and twisting turns against a backdrop of vineyards,
open range, oak studded hillsides and historic barns and bridges. The perfect route for a slightly rusty
rider.
South of Hopland, the old 101 is now called River Road. It traces the eastern side of the Sanel
Valley through a canopy of oaks.
Cattle graze the hillside and pears grow in the bottomland. Its two lanes are bucolic, superior to
the nearby US route.
At the Campovida Winery (nice tasting room, wonderful
gardens, superb wines) River Road intersects CA 175: closed to the east due to
fire this day. A jog west crosses
the Russian River and puts me back in Hopland just south of the Bluebird Café
(funky, homey, filling breakfasts; you’ll be treated like a regular). Heading south on 101 for about a block,
a right turn places me on Mountain House Road. A mile on is the Terra Savia winery and olive oil mill (try
the Meritage and pick up some Meyer Lemon Olive Oil.)
I stop ostensibly for some photos, flexing that out-of-shape
hand. The Spanish moss looks
rejuvenated in the rains from yesterday.
The chill that had accompanied the front prompts colors to change on
some of the area’s black oaks.
Crossing the historic Mountain House Road Bridge, I wonder
if this road preceded River Road as the major north-south route 100 years ago.
Ten miles southish, I intersect with CA 128. A right hand turn would take me 58
miles through wine country and redwoods out to the glorious Mendocino
Coast. But a left takes me eight
corkscrew miles back to toward Cloverdale. I elect to head back to the barn. Sporting as the Moto Guzzi Breva is, my confidence has ebbed
a bit; I pull to the side to allow an Audi to pass, receiving a courtesy wave
in response.
A warm water soak on my hand, once home, loosens things up enough
that I can type. I’ll try this
again in a week or two…
© 2015
Church of the Open Road Press
As I was reading this post, I was so hoping that the ride would help the healing process. Ah well, maybe in another week or so. At least you managed to get out for a ride on a beautiful day.
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