TrailLink: Bike, Run, Walk

I did this ride on Sunday afternoon, September 8, 2924, in 102 degrees. No joke. Must explain why it wasn’t very busy. I started at Anderson Lake County Park in Morgan Hill and went to Tully Road, just past the golf course south of downtown San Jose, and then turned around and returned to the park—40 miles, 1,190 feet elevation gain. Well maintained, all paved, relatively flat, and interesting trail with SO many squirrels and chipmunks dashing across the trail. Probably just playing with the bikers. Saw a flock of young turkeys on the trail. A hawk zipped close by me and tried to grab a rodent (missed). Lots of waterfowl in the ponds along the way. Vegetation became greener the further north I went from Morgan Hill, and more water in Coyote Creek. Saw coyote scat on the trail but no animals (too hot for them). There are several homeless campsites near the golf course, and even a rooster and cats and dogs. Overall, a great trail to see the arid landscape of the Santa Clara Valley (I live in the Pacific Northwest). Will plan to do it again in the springtime when it’s greener and not so hot, when I visit relatives again.

When cyclists are reviewing this trail I think it would be extremely helpful to state if they did their routes with an e-bike or a non-assist regular pedaling bike. We rode from Hill City to Mystic and found it difficult with the 8 mile steady uphill grade from Hill City to Red Fern, using non-assist bikes. Nearly everyone cycling at the same time, same distance as us, was using an E-bike and sailing right along. We spoke with several cyclists using E-bikes and they said they found it easy. We based our route today on reviews we read on this site. So if E-bikes are used, it would give other cyclists looking at trail reviews on this site, to know that fact so they can better plan their choice of sections to ride. As some have mentioned, the reverse route after a long 8-mile climb is an 8-mile downhill return (out and back riders). The grade was so steep we had to use our brakes to avoid spinning out on the gravel trail. Beautiful….yes. But we were not expecting the many miles of unrelenting uphill grade using our regular pedal bikes. We average 4,000 miles cycling every year, so we are well-seasoned cyclists.

Just came back from two days of doing about 65% of the Lamoille Trail. First day we basically went from Morrisville where we were staying to. Hardwick had a nice little breakfast there and rode back in the most hellacious thunder and lightning storm that we’ve ever drove through, there is a saying that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger well we’re basically super humans now because there was lightning flashes and thunder when we were on steel bridges, but yet the trail held up marvelously considering the huge huge amounts of rain that were just pouring down at one point I couldn’t even see it was so much so this is basically a very positive review for that. The next day I have a good fortune of having a cousin that lives in Saint Albans, so we went from Morrisville to Sheldon Junction and then took the trails into Saint Albans that was about 45 miles and it was a beautiful day after the drenching rain this trail was in great shape. Bravo.