Mt. Tam Test Run

Steph got her new bike set up and it was time to test out all the gear and get her ready for meeting me and touring through Yellowstone this summer. So last weekend consisted of a mini bike tour for a night on Mt. Tamalpais. We started in SF, had breakfast at the Farmer's Market, crossed the Golden Gate and hopped into Mill Valley. The day was ridiculously gorgeous, probably high 80s or low 90s, and everyone in the Bay Area knew it. The parks and roads were busy busy busy with people doing whatever the hell they feel like on a summer Saturday.

We took an unplanned detour which resulted in some "unnecessary" climbing, but is it really unnecessary if it's all training anyways? Then we proceeded to dominate Mt. Tam. I was really impressed with Steph's determination and that we didn't stop from the Mountain Home Inn until Pantol campground. Take a look at the GPS data (Day 1), it's 500 feet of vertical ascent over just a mile, all with loaded bikes!

Camping on top was great, especially after enjoying a couple PBR tallboys that we picked up at the Mill Valley market. I can't say I really enjoy carrying unnecessary weight, which is why a large beer is considered NECESSARY.

I'm a huge fan of the hiker/biker sites that are just $5/person/night up at Pantol. Do a little cooking, a little crosswording, and it's pretty much time to be exhausted and hit the camping pillow.

Day 2 was a complete change: foggy, windy on top, and cool. We donned insanely bright jackets and blasted downhill. I'm not gonna lie, there are times with all that weight going downhill that I'm a little uneasy about the braking power of my beast. Just have to be careful and take it slow and keep a lookout. We swung through the Presidio, Legion of Honor, and stuffed our faces at the Beach Chalet with a veggie burger, fries, fish & chips, and a couple of tasty brews.

All in all it was a great trip and I think we're both pretty ready for our respective trips! Also, here's the Day 2 data.

30 Days and Counting...

2 Weeks Notice

Update to the LOA post is that HR wouldn't budge so I gave my two weeks notice today! If you belong to my generation it's probably no surprise that I'm quitting my job to pursue a life changing experience. If you're my parents generation it may be a bit of a shock given the economy and general sentiment that work is often numero uno.

But fear not! I now have a significant amount of experience in a technical field and the country actually has a shortage of technically trained employees. I'm planning on returning to my current employer and I don't expect to have any complications, but if I do, SO BE IT! I'll figure something else out.

April 27th will be my last day of work and tomorrow will be the month countdown, giggity giggity goo!