Mark P.
Google
My guide was a congenial chap named Trace Denna, a special education therapist who works with autistic children and who, on the side, does endurance cycling events (the kind that are way above my pay grade).
We proceeded southeast from Calistoga along the valley floor, riding a well-built bike path all the way to Oakville. The day was pleasant, with minimal wind and temperatures in the low 70’s. After stopping at the Oakville Grocery for a water bottle refill and a pastry, I soon found out how we were going to grab the desired elevation in an otherwise flat area. Turning off of the highway, we ascended the Oakville Grade, a popular hill training route with a gain of 700 feet and an average grade exceeding 10 percent. Trace repeatedly reminded me that it was ok to turn around at any time, but I was too stubborn to give in. Reaching the top proved to be hugely satisfying while the subsequent descent was somewhere between exhilarating and terrifying.
By the time we returned to the valley floor, the temperature was well into the high 80’s. We continued to Yountville before crossing to the Silverado Trail, then turned back toward Calistoga. Silverado Trail skirts the hills that define the east side of the valley, resulting in a pleasant succession of rollers that provided variety and pleasant views of the seemingly endless vineyards laden with grapes nearly ready for harvest and the distant tan hills dotted with dark green oak trees.
We arrived at the bike shop not quite four hours after we departed, just as the temperature cracked 95 F. Trace was an excellent guide – he could have hammered me into the ground, but you never would have known it. My legs felt good the whole time. It was a very good day.