I met up with Alex in Palo Alto, and we loaded our two bicycles into the
Toyota Sienna. We drove another 55 minutes to Half Moon Bay, parking in the
empty parking lot across from
Half Moon Bay Sportfishing & Tackle.
After unloading the bikes, we changed into our biking outfits and started the ride along Half Moon Bay, heading toward Purisima Creek. The ride was very, very pleasant, with gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean.
At Surfers Beach, we saw many young surfers testing their skills on small
shorebreak. There was also a surfing class on the shore. I even saw one lonely
SUP Surfer trying his luck.
We continued our ride along the bike lane by the beach, encountering many
pedestrians, dogs, and a few other bikers.
When we finally turned into Purisma Creek Road, we encountered very few cars.
Instead, we saw many farms with horses, goats, cows, and other animals. The
trail turned into a hill climb, and we struggled a bit to reach the top.
We saw lots of cars near the
Purisima Creek Trail at the Purisima Creek Road Trailhead. We didn't stop to explore
further, but I learned a bit more about this redwood preserve later.
Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is located on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains overlooking Half Moon Bay. The centerpiece of this 5,412-acre preserve is Purisima Creek Canyon, with its towering redwoods, rushing creek, and understory of ferns, berries, and wildflowers. Magnificent views of the coast and Half Moon Bay are visible from the northern part of the preserve.
On the way back, we stopped at Half Moon Bay's downtown for a coffee at
Cafe Society. The cappuccinos
had excellent foam but were nothing special.
We continued our ride back to Pillor Point Harbor, encountering strong
Northerly wind. I even saw a kitesurfer on the water.
After we secured our bikes in the van, we decided to eat a quick lunch at
Barbara's Fishtrap. We hoped
to dine inside, but the wait for a table was 25 minutes, so we decided to
order from the to-go menu and eat while standing.
I ordered the following items for lunch:
- Fish & Chips
- Cup of Clam Chowder
The Clam Chowder was awful, but the Fish & Chips were
decent.
Purisma Creek & Higgins Canyon Road Loop
Road ride · September 13, 2026
23.43 miDistance
1152 ftElevation gain
2:12:46Moving time
Not recordedAvg power
10.6 mphAverage speed
1,312 kcalCalories
Elevation-5–221 m
Elevation gain 1152 ft / 351 mMax elevation 728 ft / 222 m
Speed3–36 km/h
Avg speed 10.6 mph / 17.0 km/hMax speed 26.9 mph / 43.3 km/h
Heart rate85–184 bpm
Avg heart rate 129 bpmMax heart rate 184 bpm
Cadence0–91 rpm
Avg cadence 77 rpmMax cadence 112 rpm
Temperature19–23 °C
Charts use 30-second averages across the full elapsed time (2:48:10), so horizontal gaps reflect stops. Session totals supply the headline and chart statistics.
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