Monday Ride Options
MAIN ROUTE: “San Miguel to Parkfield and Back” (47.4 miles, 3365 vertical ft) Monday, Main Ride
LONG ROUTE: “Adelaide Inn to Parkfield and Back” (67.3 miles, 3942 vertical ft) Monday, Longer Ride
There is no short route option today, however, since it is an out and back, you can turn around whenever you like and make it a shorter ride.
(Download RideWithGPS route from links above)
Today’s picturesque ride takes us again to the east side of Highway 101, out to The Earthquake Capital of the World — Parkfield,Ca and the V6 Ranch. The bridge over Little Cholame Creek spans two tectonic plates — The American and the Pacific plates. Parkfield lies along the San Andreas Fault which appears in the town as a seasonally dry creek bed. There is a bridge across the creek with piers on either side that have shifted more than five feet relative to one another due to seismic creep since the bridge was constructed in 1936. There is not much in the town other than the Parkfield cafe and an understated Inn. Laura and Bob T. have stayed at the Parkfield Inn and have done numerous cycling routes from Parkfield. They love the beauty of the oaks in this remote town and wanted to bring this ride back to Paso Gran Fundo!
The Long Route leaves from the Adelaide Inn at 9:00 am and is an out and back to Parkfield. It is about 67 miles with 3900 feet of elevation gain. Once we cross Hwy 101, we will turn left on River Road and take that to Indian Valley Road for a short distance and then turn right on Vineyard Canyon Road at about mile 12. From there, it is a modest 15 mile climb up a remote country road to the summit at about mile 27. From the summit it is a nice 6 mile descent into Parkfield. Keep a look out for stray cattle and wild hogs. The route then reverses and returns to the Adelaide. You might consider stopping for a beer at the Elkhorn Bar in San Miguel on your way back to Paso.
The Main Route leaves the Adelaide by car at 8:30 am and will drive to the town of San Miguel where we will start the ride at 9:00 am near the intersection of Mission Street and River Road. We will ride across the bridge over the Salinas River, turn left on Cross Canyon, and then an immediate left on Indian Valley Road. After a little over a mile, we will turn right on Vineyard Canyon and start our climb. The Main Route is about 47 miles with 3,365 feet of elevation gain if you go all the way to Parkfield which is recommend.
Of course, you can shorten this ride to any length as it is an out and back. It is about 17 miles to the top of the climb and only about 2,000 feet of climbing, for those that may want to turn around there and make it a 34 mile ride.
There are no services on this route and cell reception is spotty at best, especially after you crest the summit. The Parkfield Cafe may be open but don’t count on it. An announcement will be made the morning of the ride if we’re able to get in touch with the owners of the cafe. Shawn will stage our SAG stop at a safe spot near the summit of the climb. We haven’t done this ride in years but we’re excited to resurrect it! We hope you enjoy the solitude and beauty of this route.
