Yesterday my Tuesday group did what I thought was going to be a flat ride so I took my recumbent. I had just put a new rear cluster on it which shifts better but does not have as low of a gear for climbing. Then I heard we’d be adding a loop that includes climbing the steep front side of Malech Road to the route. Oops! It turned out fine, I just had to work a little harder going up that climb, heart rate reaching 144.
And I’m glad I did because it took us past the new Coyote Ridge open space preserve, also called Máyyan ‘Ooyákma in the language of the indigenous people of the area. From the website: “Máyyan ‘Ooyákma (pronounced My-yahn Oiy-yahkmah) directly translates to Coyote Ridge in the Chochenyo language. Chochenyo is the language stewarded by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, whose members trace their ancestry to the Indigenous Peoples, or aboriginal inhabitants, of this region. The Open Space Authority is partnering with the Muwekma Ohlone to raise awareness about the importance of the protection of irreplaceable landscapes”. Previously one could only visit this area on docent-led hikes or special occasions. I mentioned a very nice wildflower hike I did in the spring in this area here.
We followed the visit to the preserve by continuing on to Metcalf Park then returning to town for lunch on the Coyote Creek Trail. It was a total of 3 and 1/2 hours for me, a nice workout.
Original source: https://bionicoldguy.home.blog/2023/09/06/challenging-group-ride/