A digital travel diary. · WP v1.08 · Updated
I had decided to try using my iGPSPORT BiNavi GPS Bike computer to mountain bike from my house to Lexington Reservoir and back. This is a popular, highly rated trail also available on Komoot.. My GPX directions can be downloaded here.. . It was a very difficult, 20-mile climb with 2,835 feet of elevation gain. It has some spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. It…
Read More: Mountain Biking around Lexington Reservoir
On Saturday, June 21, Inna, Alex, and I decided to hike around Saratoga. Inna found a highly rated trail on AllTrails.com, called Seven Springs Trail, and we decided to hike it. . . The trail had panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area, including the new Apple campus in Cupertino. The grass was all yellow (burned out), so this hike might be more scenic…
Read More: Hiking Seven Springs Trail, Saratoga
On Thursday, June 19th (a U.S. Holiday), Inna, Alex, and I decided to hike around Felton. Inna found a highly rated trail on AllTrails.com, called Fall Creek Trail, and we decided to hike it. . . We parked our car here (see Google Maps link). There was a small parking lot (but it was full), so we parked on the side of the road. .…
Read More: Hiking Fall Creek Trail, Felton
Monday, December 30, 2024 . I decided to try Cross-country (Nordic) skiing at Aqua Dome. I walked downstairs and rented some Salomon Classic Cross-country skis (25 euros/day) from Sunup Sports.. . Salomon Classic 173 cm skis (ski length is based on 80 kg weight) . Salomon (44.5) boots. . Salomon poles. One of the Aqua Dome concierges explained where the cross-country trails were located, and…
Read More: Cross-country skiing in Langenfeld
. After many years, we returned to Felton to hike in the beautiful Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Inna decided to follow the river to the Cathedral Redwoods. . . . We followed the Pipeline Road (which parallels River Trail) from the parking lot to the Cathedral Redwoods, a small grove of giant sequoias. It was a pleasant day to hike among the giant redwoods.…
Read More: Hiking Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
. . . How was 2021 in Sports? With Covid-19 raging, it turned out quite different, with much more windsurfing and mountain biking than in previous years. . Here is the link to my Strava Year in Sports . 77 days of playing tennis at Almaden Valley Athletic Club (AVAC). . 42 days of surfing (Capitola, Rockpile Beach, Trestles) . 20 days of windsurfing (Crissy…
Read More: The Year in Sports 2021
On November 20, 2021, Inna and I revisited Sedona, Arizona. We last visited Sedona on November 28, 2019 (before COVID-19) and were eager to hike some of our favorites again. . Since the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock was much more expensive, Inna and I decided to try the Lantern Light Inn instead. We also booked Southwest Airlines Flight #2316 from SJC to PHX,…
Read More: Back to Sedona
With Alex out surfing with his friend at San Luis Obispo, Inna and I decided to revisit Carmel-by-the-Sea on Memorial Day. . After waking up at 07:30 and getting dressed, we drove to Carmel around 08:30 (stopping for gas at Shell). I noticed that gasoline prices have really increased recently (to $4.40/gallon for 87 unleaded) . . We arrived in Carmel-by-the-Sea around 10:00, parked our…
Read More: Returning to Carmel
On Saturday morning, we decided to enjoy one of our last COVID-19 days (before another lockdown) by visiting Point Lobos State Park and hiking to the famous Allan Memorial Grove, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean. . . The drive to Point Lobos was easy, with little traffic on Highway 101 heading south. We arrived around 11:20 am, parked inside the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve,…
Read More: Hiking Point Lobos State Reserve
On Sunday, November 22, 2020, Inna and I decided to hike the trails of the nearby Sanborn County Park in Saratoga, CA. We drove to the Costanoan Group Area parking lot and parked our car there.. . We walked to the Sequoia/Person Grove Picnic area from the parking lot, taking photos of the beautiful trees.. . . . The fall's yellow and red leaves were…
Read More: Hiking Sanborn County Park
The last time I mountain biked on the John Nicholas Trail was May 3, 2020. I had a fantastic time; this is one of my favorite bike trails in Los Gatos.. . . . I really enjoy biking on the John Nicholas Trail in the fall. The leaves are turning yellow, red, and all the shades of the rainbow. The temperature is cool - in…
Read More: Biking John Nicholas Trail
We returned to our usual routine after returning from our long staycation at Laguna Beach. . . . . . . When I heard (from Trey) that Alex's Firewire Tuomo v4 surfboard repairs were complete, I drove to Santa Cruz's Midtown Surf Shop to pick it up. . . . . . I made it a fun day by walking with Inna on West Cliff…
Read More: Enjoying Santa Cruz
Having last hiked the Dipsea Trail in September 2016, I was eager to experience the raw beauty of untouched wilderness again. I was especially keen to revisit the rainforest, with its lush vegetation and moss-covered trees. . . Although the Dipsea Trail has multiple entrances, I decided to start the hike from the intersection of Highway 1 and Arenal Avenue in Stinson Beach. The trail…
Read More: Hiking Dipsea Trail
With the California wildfires raging and the air quality in San Jose in the 150+ (unhealthy range), according to PurpleAir, Inna and I decided to escape the smoke and haze by hiking in Pacifica.. . . . The drive from San Jose to Pacifica was uneventful, taking about 45 minutes. We parked at Mori Point (the parking lot there was closed). From there, we hiked…
Read More: Hiking Pacifica
With my City Sports Gym closed (due to the COVID-19 outbreak), I decided I needed a stationary spin bicycle to keep my cardiovascular fitness. Although I try to mountain bike as often as possible, I don't always have 2 hours.. . . . After much research, I settled on the Keiser M3i bicycle because it's available at my City Sports gym, and I was already…
Read More: Keiser M3i Spin Bike
With the coronavirus raging in San Jose (and across the United States), I resumed exercise. I thought that Almaden Quicksilver County Park would be closed, but I learned it was still open on closer inspection.. . . . . On April 17th, I rode my Specialized FSR S-Works mountain bike on my standard 10.5-mile trail. According to Strava, my ride took me 87 minutes. With…
Read More: Back to Almaden Quicksilver
Having never been to Sedona or the Grand Canyon, my wife decided it would be fun to travel to Arizona during the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday. She found inexpensive airline tickets on Southwest Airlines from San Jose to Phoenix, Flight #1984, departing at 7:35 p.m. from San Jose and arriving in Phoenix at 10:25 p.m.. . . . She looked into several hotels and resorts and…
Read More: Exploring Sedona
Since I've been ill, I haven't been able to ride my Specialized FSR S-Works mountain bike at Almaden Quicksilver County Park.. . . . I decided to try a few rides on Sunday, November 17, Saturday, November 23, and Sunday, November 24. My overall time improved from 86 minutes to 69 minutes. However, I am uncertain about the accuracy since Strava keeps lowering my distance.…
Read More: Back to Almaden Quicksilver Park
It's been a while since I could windsurf at Coyote Point. The wind had been inconsistent and quite gusty. . . . This time, I drove up, expecting to try my new Exocet RF81 foil board, but the wind was much higher than expected. It blew 17-20 knots at the beach and 23 knots in the channel. . . . . . . I rigged…
Read More: Windsurfing Coyote Point
After reviewing the iWindsurf.com weather forecast, I determined that the best place for wind on Saturday would be Crissy Field or Treasure Island.. . . . I decided to drive to Crissy Field, which was closer and more convenient. When I arrived around 13:30, the wind was just picking up. Windsurf's station at Anita Rock was reporting 14-15 knots. When I looked at the other…
Read More: Windsurfing Crissy Field