We began with a pre-ride fashion showdown between Courtney and Anton:

We climbed up Page Mill and paused near the top of the descent Alpine Road.

The road was smooth at the top, but the conditions deteriorated as we descended into the trees. The road became damp under the redwoods and the clutter became worse. Hippo lost traction with his front wheel on tight right-hander and slid out - on his face.

Some quick repair work on the bike and the face, and we were underway again.

We stopped in Pescadero for a lunch (and a heavenly loaf of fresh artichoke sourdough bread). The group split up - some went back early while a few of us headed up the coast. I tried and failed to chase Eric up Tunitas at threshold, then we bombed down Skyline and made our way home. Total ride time was around 5:30 for the longer bunch.