Coastal View Loop
Trail Review
I cycled a loop from Muir Beach, where I rode on Muir Woods Road, Deer Park Fire Road, Coast View Trail, Highway 1, Muir-Beach Overlook, Seacape Drive, and Highway 1 again.
Muir Woods Road was a road with no bike lane, but it was so empty that it was the most peaceful part of the loop.
Deer Park Fire Road is a fire road that gains 1200 ft of elevation in a little more than 2 miles. It was so difficult for me that I ended up walking my bike up half of the ride. It rides through a redwood forest, though, so the walk itself was nicely shaded with wonderful views.
Coast View Trail is a single-track trail with deep ruts and some rocks. Because it loses 900 ft of elevation in a little less than 3 miles, I was pretty much on my brakes the entire time. I also had to be very alert, but I still got to enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean, the coast, and some beautiful greenery.
Highway 1 and Seacape Drive were steep roads, but there weren’t too many cars, so it wasn’t too bad at all.
There weren’t a few people that passed me while I was riding my bike, and it was the busiest on Deer Park Fire Road, as the famous Dipsea Trail crisscrosses it many times. But even with that, I felt like I was alone out there, which is the feeling I like in nature.
I didn’t see much trash; just lots of footprints and bike tire tracks.
What I Learned
I rode my godson’s old mountain bike, and I really enjoyed the extra fat tires that it came with—it gave me tons of grip on the trail, which was especially nice for the downhill portion. What I didn’t like was that it had regular disc brakes—I definitely missed the hydraulic disc brakes as my hands felt fatigued when I was done with the ride.
I gained 25+ lbs since the beginning of last year, and I could definitely feel how out of shape I was for hill climbs. Still, I did the loop, even if it took me 2 hrs.
I ate a very big breakfast, and I paid for it on Deer Park Fire Road. I think if it weren’t for the breakfast, I could have ridden more, but with the big breakfast floating in my stomach, I felt nauseous and just unwell as my heart rate climbed and temperatures rose.
Media Consumed
The Tunnel by A.B. Yehoshua
What Happened?
9.6 miles, 1 hr 43 mins, 1402 ft of ascent
One of the best ways to beat the heat in the Bay Area is to head to Marin County. On a weekend without much planning and warm temperatures, we made a day trip north to enjoy the outdoors without overheating.
We arrived at Muir Beach about mid-morning. The parking lot was only half full, and we had an easy time finding a spot. We grabbed our stuff as Cassie headed to the beach while I headed towards Muir Woods on Muir Woods Road.
It was overcast, so it was a little chilly to start the ride, but once I started climbing on Deer Park Fire Road, the jacket came off only about 200 ft into the ride, and I never felt cold after that. More than the temperature, though, I felt nauseated as I paid for enjoying such a big breakfast (a bahn-mi sandwich). I ended up stopping every quarter-mile or so to stop, cool down, and walk the bike a bit before jumping back on and repeating the misery cycle. Even with how I felt, I simply could not ignore the beauty that surrounded me. My favorite parts were the redwood forests that I rode in and out of—once clouds faded and the dappled light hit the forest floor, I felt like I was in a forest cathedral. In such a holy place while feeling awe-struck and nauseated. That’s how I spent an hour or more on Deer Park Fire Road.
All miserable experiences must end, however, and I found myself turning left onto Coast View Trail. While I still rode in and out of forests, there were a few differences—the forests were filled with bay trees and not redwoods, the trail was a single-track trail that was rutted out in many parts, and I got to see more and more of the ocean as I got closer and closer to the beach. The ride sure was more exciting than I had planned for, especially since the entire trail was downhill and speed on a rutted-out trail was not my friend. Even if the trail bucked me off the bike a couple of times (especially when the pedals got caught on dirt when I was in a deep rut), I had a great time focusing on the trail and trying my best not to take a bad fall like the last time I went for a mountain bike ride.
After I hit Highway 1, the rest of the ride ended very quickly. The paved roads were very steep, and I just rolled back into the Muir Beach parking lot. I walked the bike to the beach, found Cassie, and we headed off to the Pelican Inn for some well-deserved drinks. After catching our breath, we walked back to the car and headed off to one of the prettiest places we’ve been to—the Mill Valley Public Library.