This was a truly amazing event.
It was my birthday, but I always take off work because I don't want a fuss
made. Here's a super-fuss, but someone else is the focus! Perfect.
I will literally drive 7 hours to see David, Jim, and Hugh, so it was great
to see them on my home turf again. Here's an aside - Jacquie knows and
loves people from every aspect of a life lived diversely. "Oh I know her
from what some people call 'old-timey' music. Don't call it 'old-timey'
music." "I've known Charlie since forever. We grew up in Mill Valley
together." ("*I* grew up in Mill Valley!!") "I did some racing in the '80s.
Jacquie and I were two of the very few females in the early mountain bike
scene." "My kid and his friend over there stalked Jacquie and Charlie when
they were in high school." ("I know him! Your kid is AWESOME!") "We're
neighbors. We live on the best street in the world," (this may be true),
but people were like, "You know Jacquie from the INTERNET? That's weird."
("I know DAVID from the internet, and everyone thinks we must have grown up
together! I know your KID from the internet!")
So that's the gist of the aside: the internet is rad, and it's this group
here that brings all us weirdos together.
I had never stayed at the West Point Inn before, or done more than go up on
the porch once, even though I'd gotten water there, or rested with the
other mountain bikers, probably hundreds of times. For future reference,
you basically need a toothbrush and a sheet. Everything else is provided.
You don't need to make two trips from Pantoll with a sleeping bag, pad, air
mattress, pillow, growlers of beer, and two changes of foul-weather gear.
If you DO schlep that stuff, though, the views are spectacular and homey at
the same time. The two growlers of Pliny and Stonefly Stout were probably
necessary, though, in the first outing of a Carradice bag I traded from
Patrick M. more than a year ago. https://www.instagram.com/p/_LDLrCA5tN/
I made a new friend, Craig Cos <http://craigcoss.com/>s, who made Jacquie's
flyers, and was kind enough to sag back with David as I wheezed and huffed
up the Deer Park trail out of Muir Woods. By any competitive measure of
cycling, I was last. Last down, most timid on the Coastal Trail, last up
Deer Park; weirdest and cheapest bike; least skilled at living off a bike.
I still feel like a winner. Best day, best ride, best people, most
fun. https://www.instagram.com/p/_OG9Xeg5sL/?taken-by=biketinker
If there's a "half-birthday" gathering up there, I'm in. You should be,
too.
Philip
www.biketinker.com
On Sunday, December 20, 2015 at 6:11:39 PM UTC-8, cyclot...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> A touch late on posting this, but have tho share what a great time I had
> up in Marin recently! Last weekend, Jacquie Phelan (Alice B. Toeclips to
> many) invited a few of us from SoCal up to her 60th birthday party she was
> throwing for herself. It was being held at the West Point Inn
> <http://www.westpointinn.com/>. She's a member in good standing, and
> rented the entire facility out for Friday and Saturday night.
>
> It ended up being myself, Hugh, and James W. that drove up on Friday. A
> little bit of rain just north of LA, and then clear sailing the rest of the
> way up. We arrived a bit late, but met up with Jacquie, a bunch of her
> long-term friends, and Philip W at the Inn. And WHAT a great time we had.
> An amazing facility for just hanging out, sleeping in, eating and drinking
> well (Jackquie went to school w/ Sierra Nevada people) and yeah, riding
> bikes.
>
> We hung out late that night talking by the fire. Met some real great
> people there. Jacquie's husband, Charlie Cunningham, was there earlier, but
> had left by the time we made it up. He is the man that was injured recently
> that has the gofundme site stickied on this list. At least 30 other people
> were there. Most from the immediate vicinity, four from Napa, and then the
> three of us from SoCal. Can't say enough how pleasant it was that evening,
> amongst 30 people you were pretty much best friends with already, but just
> didn't know it!
>
> After left-overs for breakfast, some more hanging out, we jumped on the
> Coastal Trail and headed out for a ride! Lunch at the Pelican Inn
> <http://www.pelicaninn.com/> at Muir Beach. Then a bit of a climb, back
> up and through Muir grove to Pantoll and the Inn. Philip pulled off to head
> to another birthday party (his!), leaving the three of us to enjoy a
> fantastic catered meal by yet another of Jacquie's friends! Fell asleep to
> an incoming storm, and wisps of clouds blowing through the open windows of
> the porch I was sleeping on!
>
> Another breakfast there with more delicious leftovers, packing up, saying
> good byes, and a fun ride in the rain back down to our cars at Pantoll.
> Eight hours later, it was all over! Even found an awesome back route
> bypassing the Altamont Pass (Patterson Pass Rd) on the way back!
>
> I hope Hugh and Jim will chime in with their impressions. Here are my
> photos from the weekend:
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclotourist/albums/72157661872299170
> I took a lot, as I really wanted to document the event, and convey my
> experiences there!
>
> Only thing I would have done differently is try to get some more of y'all
> to ride up there. Apparently JP knows everyone in Marin, so door-busters
> and party-crashers were all welcomed! Thanks to Hugh and Jim for jumping on
> board and doing this, and especially to Ms. Phelan for inviting us up!
>
> Maybe, just maybe, we could pull off something similar this summer!!!!
> Some conversations to that end are happening!
>
>
> --
> Cheers,
> David
>
> Member, Supreme Council of Cyberspace
>
> "it isn't a contest. Just enjoy the ride." - Seth Vidal
>
>
>
>
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