This street leads to a Moorish fort above the small village of Frigiliana, Spain. The route beyond the fort is on the same road that goes to El Acebuchal but turns east up a very steep hill. The locals still find metal fragments and bones around the fort from the battle of 1569. Spain hasContinue reading “Frigiliana”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Flow
Monterey Bay at low tide with the Santa Lucia range in the background. Positive psychologist, M. Csíkszentmihályi first coined the term “flow.” Prior to that, athletes used to just describe it as being in the zone. Flow is characterized as the experience of becoming so absorbed in an enjoyable activity that one loses track ofContinue reading “Flow”
Bluebird Field
This is a field full of bluebirds with a view of Loma Prieta. There is a field a short ride from my house with a bench that provides a glorious view of Loma Prieta. I ride there almost everyday. In the Spring and Summer cows graze in the fields. This field also seems to haveContinue reading “Bluebird Field”
Rodeo Gulch Road
This is a photo from the top of Rodeo Gulch Road in Santa Cruz, CA, with the Monterey Bay barely visible to the right. Rodeo Gulch Road is steep, with some parts at a 17% grade. The ride starts from sea level and quickly rises to 900 feet elevation in 5 miles. At the topContinue reading “Rodeo Gulch Road”
Santa Cruz Mountains
View from Capitola, California of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Santa Cruz Mountains are covered with Redwoods or Live Oaks, depending on moisture availability. They rise up slowly from the Monterey Bay for ten miles and then descend quickly to the next valley. They have provided me with an endless variety of hills to explore.Continue reading “Santa Cruz Mountains”
The Steepest Hill in Santa Cruz
In Santa Cruz County, a few miles back in the redwoods, is a Buddhist retreat. In order to see the Buddha (there are several there), one must ride up the steepest hill in Santa Cruz (26% grade). At least it is the steepest paved road I have ridden here, and I have ridden most ofContinue reading “The Steepest Hill in Santa Cruz”
La Maroma
View of La Maroma’s peak with snow. A majestic massif in the Sierra de Tejada mountains of the Axarquia region of Spain.
Promesa
A sign along the Portuguese route El Camino of St. James. Many of the Spanish walking El Camino are doing it as part of a promesa. A promesa is a tradition in Spanish Catholicism where a person asks a saint to intercede in their request ,in exchange for a personal sacrifice. For example, “heal myContinue reading “Promesa”
10 Up, 10 Down
Loma Prieta, California in Winter with Snow Hills are a great measure of health. If you can walk or ride in the hills, then you are healthy. You can pretty much ignore every other measure that is saying otherwise. Besides being a good measure of health, the effort of being in the hills makes youContinue reading “10 Up, 10 Down”
Bench
My favorite walking destination. A bench on a 50 foot cliff overlooking the Monterey Bay
Head for the Hills 