Some Good News For Once

Combine the constantly surprising national news, add a little rain over the past weekend, plus the approach of a major holiday this week, and even those of you who cycle in Marin regularly, might have missed some big news last Friday.

Bolinas Road is open!

A panorama of the repair from below.
photo: Glen Kinion

A chunk of the road slumped last March (2016) after accumulation of runoff from storms eroded and undermined the pavement just above the hairpin turn at the Cataract Falls trailhead.

According to a Marin County Public Works Department press release,

“The presence of northern spotted owl nests in the vicinity further complicated the project by delaying the commencement of repair work until after the end of the owl’s nesting season in September.”

The closure at Pine Mtn. last September.
photo: Glen Kinion

Many riders continued to use the road during the 8-month closure (I’ll admit to sneaking around the gate twice myself), but by the end of September, presumably once the owl nesting was over, construction repairs began in earnest. Word went out that some riders were issued $400-ish tickets.

Work in progress: Setting anchors and reinforcement for the new retaining wall.
photo: Marin County Department of Public Works

Last Friday morning I rode out to the locked gate at the top of Pine Mt. while doing hill repeats. I had no clue that by that afternoon, the gate would be open. I heard the news from my good friend, training buddy and fellow racer Henrik Schubert.

With rain most of the weekend, my first legal trip on the long-forbidden road had to wait, so instead I used the time to strip the bike down to the frame and give it a complete overhaul, replace all the cables and housings, and top off with new bar tape.

Another look at the repair from below.
photo: Glen Kinion

After breakfast today I rolled out to check out the work. On my way back, there must have been at least 25 cyclists on their way to do the same thing.

With creative wedging, hikers who park near the Cataract Trailhead might find one or two more spaces to park near the hairpin turn... but along the road above the new retaining wall, there's no room on the shoulder anymore. Well, you're here to hike in beautiful scenery, so walking a few hundred yards from a safer parking spot won't kill you.
photo: Glen Kinion

If you ride in Marin much, you already know this stretch of Bolinas Road is amazing. There’s very little auto traffic, and the scenery is beautiful. It’s got great descents, curves and climbs. I happen to love the rough pavement. The 2-mile 8% grind from Alpine Lake up to the junction at Ridgecrest is a staple in my workouts, and my fitness suffered over the past months without access to it. The road is also a perfect connector to larger cycling routes.

I’m planning to get out there several times each week, until another mudslide closes it again.