I didn't take many photos on the way up Telegraph because I was huffin' and puffin', and not too many downhill to Sidewinder because it was ridiculously steep and I walked it:
However, Sidwinder was utter bliss. Best time I've had on a bike trail in a while: curvy, gentle hills, banked turns, and I hammered along because nobody was on it.
Later I stepped off trail a few yards to check the view and was psyched to see this latter-day miniature dinosaur, a.k.a. horny toad:
Everything in arid climates seems to want to stab you:
That was Sidewinder. This is coming down off Telegraph Hill:
Distance was 10.22 miles, time 2:05 (moving 1:30), elevation gain/loss 1,387 feet, avg. speed 4.9 mph, and max speed 16.5 mph.
Later in the day I went for a second ride, up to Raider Ridge and back down via Bread Express and Skyline. I'd run these trails earlier in the week, but apparently didn't remember how rocky and narrow they were. Skyline was tough, and really pushed me with its narrow tunnels through scrub oak, rocks, roots, and hairpin turns.
On the uphills, I just couldn't get much in the way of momentum, and was stopped every time I hit a snag of some kind.
I did OK on the down, walking some of the steep tight turns, but rode the rocks, roots and oak corridors that had defeated me on the way up with some modicum of skill.
Distance was 5.26 miles, time 1:20 (moving 1:00), elevation gain/loss 1,019 feet, avg. speed 3.9 mph.
