And Back Again

The climb up was just right: steep but not too steep, long but not too long. I parked my bike at the highest point of paved road, just below Hawk Hill, and gazed at the City across the bridge. The sky was clouding up, and a brown-grey haze lingered over the city. Despite being a weekday afternoon, there were a fair number of cyclists roaming the hills. I stopped frequently on the way down, again soaking up the spectacular views. For the return trip, I decided to go around the city. Sticking to the paths and sidewalks along the water, I was able to avoid Van Ness, traffic and the worst of the hills. Using VN on the way there, I'd made it to the Marina in about half an hour. It took me well over an hour to return. I walked the bicycle briefly while passing through the heavy pedestrian traffic of Fisherman's Warf. By the time I reached the Mission, street traffic was heavy and the sun was approaching the horizon. I struggled a bit going up the final hill to Noe. It was dusk when I reached home.