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Quadrophenia #2: Los Altos Hills Overload (1/24/2015)

Date: Saturday, January 24
Meet time: 9:00 a.m.
Ride-out time: 9:30 a.m.
Meeting place: Stevenson Elementary School, 750 San Pierre Way (map)
City: Mountain View
Rain policy: Rain cancels
Pace: 2 - moderate pace (10-12 mph)
Terrain: 3 - rolling hills, some steep climbs
Miles: 35


Los Altos Hills is so close to Mountain View that you might think you've already done Every Friendly Hill in town. Think again! We've got some new ones this time, as well as a few of our, um, "favorites" from the past.

After about 6 miles of warmup, we start with an old friend: Alta Tierra Road in the tougher direction (0.2 mile, 10%). Then we'll descend and tackle an all-new challenge: the combination of Ascension Drive and Anacapa Drive (0.6 mile at 9%). Next we head over to Page Mill Road and start climbing gradually until we reach another new one: Via Ventana Way and Briones Way. It's 1.2 miles at 7% total, but the last part on Briones is an attention-getting 0.1 mile at 13%. All this climbing earns us the right to cruise along the scenic crest of Altamont Road and descend past Foothill College.

Time for a rest stop? Not yet! Two more challenges await. First, we'll do the easier side of Quinnhill Drive (0.2 mile, 8%), and then we'll head the other way on Valley View Drive (again 0.2 mile, 8%). Now we're ready for a break!

OK, rest stop's closing in five minutes; back on the bike. We'll do the full climb of Magdalena Road (1.2 miles, 5%) and then head past the end of Mora Drive for an all-new adventure on a freshly repaved path (0.5 mile, 10%) that descends steeply right into the heart of Rancho San Antonio County Park. After a bit more climbing to get out of the park and over to Foothill Blvd., we'll finish with the little eastbound "bump" on Stevens Creek Blvd. and eight easy miles back to Mountain View. Don't forget the dessert tray at the end of the ride!

Ride With GPS reports about 2,500 feet of climbing for this ride. Toilets and water are available nearby at Stevenson Park; Safeway and Jack In The Box are a half-mile away at Shoreline Blvd.

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