| 1 | Napa Valley Ride by Subbu Allamaraju, Apr 6, 2008, 56 miles, 3238 ft ascent, 2477 ft descent, near Union, California, US |
Total distance: 56 miles
Total time: 4 hours 14 minutes
Total ascent: 3238 ft, Total descent: 2477 ft
Rider notes: My plan was to ride from Napa to Middletown - a 50 mile ride. However, I took one wrong turn towards Lake Berryessa in stead of turning left. I did not realize this till I reached Lake Berryessa Recreation Area after riding through what seemed like a very remote area. By then I ran out of water and food. After refueling at a resort along the lake, I continued towards Turtle Rock cafe/pub on to 128, and then up to the Corners store at the intersection of 121 and 128. Vara picked me at this intersection.
The best part is that, instead of the planned 50 mile route, I ended up riding 56 miles.
Some parts of this route are very scenic, particularly along the Silverado Trail, and even the Chilles Pope Valley Road, but dryness of the terrain reminded me of Southern Colorado and New Mexco.