California Dreaming with Alexis

Returning contributor Alexis Berthillier brings us a fun collection of routes from his home state of California.

All of Alexis’ rides in this collection can be characterised by bright blue skies and stunning climbs that highlight the natural beauty that California is blessed with.

It’s hard to pick a standout, but this week it’s Pine Creek Road. The route is a long, consistent climb from the township of Mesa, up Pine Creek Canyon. The opening section features desert-like conditions, however as the ride progresses you’ll enter a true canyon that surrounds us for the remainder of the climb. Whilst it has an average gradient of 6.9% the stunning views make it worthwhile.

You can find these rides under NEW in FulGaz or by searching Alexis. 

MAMMOTH LAKES TO ROCK CREEK

Ride from Mammoth summit to the top of Rock Creek Road. The first part of the ride takes us from Mammoth to Tom's Place on a rolling terrain allowing us to warm up for the Rock Creek climb. This big climb up the spectacular eastern side of the Sierra Nevada begins at the small community of Tom's Place. Towards the very end the gradient eases and with 2Km remaining the road reduces to a wide single lane with jagged mountain views in places. This route ends as the highest paved road in California.

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54.18km
DISTANCE
02:34:54
DURATION
1148m
ELEVATION

MAMMOTH LAKES

The Scenic Loop is a rolling, bending road that is a favourite out-and-back cycling route in Mammoth Lakes. It is often used as a way to get to-and-from Highway 395 for longer rides, but it is also a beginner-friendly, or short and relatively easy route all by itself. The road has wide shoulders, little traffic, and mountain views through the treetops. It’s one of the quieter roads you’ll find just outside of town. The cars that you do see tend to be friendly, sharing the road and waving as they pass.

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30.34km
DISTANCE
01:00:31
DURATION
303m
ELEVATION

HENRY COE STATE PARK

Henry Coe State Park east of Morgan Hill is the largest park in California and is very remote. The ride starts right away with Thomas Grade steep gradients but offers very nice views of the valley with nice switchbacks. After a brisk downhill we go over the bridge and then the long climb to the park starts.

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16.36km
DISTANCE
01:08:00
DURATION
834m
ELEVATION

CALAVERAS ROAD NORTH

Calaveras Road is familiar to many road cyclists living in the South or East Bay. This road extends 14 miles north from Milpitas to the small town of Sunol. Its northern reaches trace the sides of some rolling hills overlooking the road's namesake reservoir lake and present lovely views along the way owing to the patchy tree cover in that segment. The road initially starts with a nice warmup climb, and then the turn left presents the infamous Calaveras "wall". While it's steep, this is not too long so that you can recover quickly to enjoy the nice views of the rolling hills and soon to be the Calaveras reservoir. When done as an out-and-back ride with Calaveras Road South, this ride would provide a nice and non-taxing ride with very light motor-vehicle traffic that could be ridden as a light workout or a pleasant cruise.

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26.33km
DISTANCE
1:05:08
DURATION
445m
ELEVATION

CALAVERAS ROAD SOUTH

Calaveras Road is familiar to many road cyclists living in the South or East Bay. This road extends 14 miles south from near the small town of Sunol with no punishing climbs (when traversed southward anyway). Its southern reaches trace the sides of some rolling hills overlooking the road's namesake reservoir lake and present lovely views along the way owing to the patchy tree cover in that segment. When done as an out-and-back ride with Calaveras Road North, this ride would provide a nice and non-taxing ride with very light motor-vehicle traffic that could be ridden as a light workout or a pleasant cruise.

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22.377km
DISTANCE
0:53:37
DURATION
399m
ELEVATION

RED MEADOWS DEVILS POSTPILE

Devils Postpile National Monument is a US National Monument located near Mammoth Mountain in Eastern California. The monument protects Devils Postpile, an unusual rock formation of columnar basalt, all closely and perfectly fitted together like a vast mosaic. The ride from Red Meadows back to the summit is about 8 miles and 1,600ft on a twisty narrow road with little traffic beyond the bus shuttle from Mammoth. Be on the lookout since there are quite a few beautiful vistas there.

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13.713km
DISTANCE
0:55:20
DURATION
561m
ELEVATION

PINE CREEK ROAD

Pine Creek Road is one of my favourite climbs in California and the USA. The first two miles are in high desert-like conditions, but at about three miles we enter a true canyon that surrounds us for the remainder of the climb. This is a slot canyon which ends at a gate that can be passed by bike, with the climb finishing at a long-abandoned (but maintained for potential future use) Pine Creek Tungsten Mine.

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15.11km
DISTANCE
01:16:56
DURATION
867m
ELEVATION

GLACIER LODGE ROAD

Glacier Lodge Road is another of the multiple and difficult Owens Valley climbs in eastern California. This one begins in Big Pine, California and leads up the spectacular eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It carries a steep and fairly steady grade almost all the way up to a scenic alpine setting.. A stout start soon eases and then a cattle guard just under two miles in announces solid grade for the majority of the remainder of the climb. A big switchback approximately 3 miles in will get your attention as it produces steeper climbing with views in places. Toward the top the grade finally eases and some trees begin to appear within the final segment.

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17.088km
DISTANCE
1:44:41
DURATION
1156m
ELEVATION

ABOUT ALEXIS

Originally hailing from Caen in the North of France, Alexis Berthillier has been living in Mountain View California for the last 20 years.

A seasoned ultra rider, to date, he has completed more than 100 double centuries (200 miles non-stop) as part of the California Triple Crown in the past 7 years.

He is proud to be in the Hall of Fame for the California Triple Crown, Silver State 508, and Hoodoo 500 and was the first rider to complete the Mountain West Ultra Cup last year which includes Race Across Oregon, Hoodoo and the Silver State 508!

 

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