Pomponio State Beach off Hwy 1 attracted a few surfers on Sunday.
Taking a page from the latter-day rides of Jobst Brandt, I rode up Hwy 84 (30 cars passed going my way between the Portola Road and Skyline) and down 84 to reach the Pacific. It’s obvious why this route became the ride of choice, being the easiest climb to Skyline.
At the coast I headed south with no wind under high clouds. Wave action was enough for the surfers to have a good time at San Gregorio and Pomponio state beaches. I stopped to grab a photo of Pomponio State Beach, the least visited of the nearby beaches.
Pescadero was quiet two days before the 4th. As I headed back up Pescadero Road I noticed someone put a silver globe on the snout of the nicely done Mastadon wood carving.
While climbing Alpine Road, I remember Jobst always wanting to go this way and me always wanting to go up 84 to Old La Honda. Alpine is too hard, I complained. Now it’s my ride of choice. Mindego Hill and those redwood forests in Portola State Park make it worth the effort.
