Henry Coe State Park mountain-bike camping trip 2007
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Henry Coe State Park Mountain-Bike Camping 2007
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At the top of the first ridge on Coit Road (around 2400 feet), I note a spur road leading to a look-off that is not on my map.

At the top of the first ridge on Coit Road (around 2400 feet), I note a spur road leading to a look-off that is not on my map.

Date: September 02, 2007, 14h18

Henry Coe State Park Mountain-Bike Camping 2007

An eight-night mountain-bike camping trip in Henry Coe State Park, August 26-September 3, 2007, starting from, and ending at, home in downtown San José. I enter and exit the park via Park Headquarters at the end of Dunne Avenue outside Morgan Hill. The loop route within Henry Coe State Park from Park Headquarters has stops at Mississippi Lake, Jackrabbit Lake, Pacheco Camp and China Hole.

It will turn out that I don't see anybody for five days in the middle of the trip.

Quite unintentionally, this trip has a theme song: Testament by VNV Nation, from a recently purchased CD that I played often during the weeks before the trip. Its chorus line and catchy tune, cycling over and over in my head during the trip, somehow seemed fitting:

We conquer paradise just to burn it to the ground
We build a future to honour pasts we've left behind
We bring destruction, we bring war without an end
And then we hope that tomorrow never comes

Date: August 26, 2007, 12h00
Size: 9 items (225 items total)
Day 1: Downtown San José to Henry Coe State Park

Album: Day 1: Downtown San José to Henry Coe State Park

Ride from downtown San Jose to Morgan Hill on Monterey Road, then up into the hills on Dunne Avenue from Morgan Hill to Henry Coe State Park Headquarters at 2640 feet. 34.7 bicycle miles.

Date: August 26, 2007, 12h00
Size: 13 items
Day 2: Sierra View camp to Mississippi Lake

Album: Day 2: Sierra View camp to Mississippi Lake

The 12-mile trip from Sierra View to Mississippi Lake is tough due to the Willow Ridge Trail, which is steep enough to require that the 10-ton bike be dragged up most of the hill, a few feet at a time.

Date: August 27, 2007, 10h05
Size: 24 items
Day 3: A short day hike from Mississippi Lake to Bear Spring

Album: Day 3: A short day hike from Mississippi Lake to Bear Spring

I originally planned to head out to Jackrabbit Lake today, but I think an extra day here at Mississippi Lake to rest a bit and enjoy the area is a better idea.

Date: August 28, 2007, 10h12
Size: 20 items
Day 4: Mississippi Lake to Jackrabbit Lake

Album: Day 4: Mississippi Lake to Jackrabbit Lake

Today's hot and beautiful 13.8-mile ride is largely downhill or level (with numerous short uphills along the way): from Mississippi Lake at 2200 feet, down to 1080 feet on Orestimba Creek Road, then up to about 1300 feet at Jackrabbit Lake.

Date: August 29, 2007, 10h20
Size: 30 items
Day 5: A short day hike from Jackrabbit Lake to Paradise Lake and back.

Album: Day 5: A short day hike from Jackrabbit Lake to Paradise Lake and back.

Another great day of solitude, but very hot again, so I take it easy. I settle on a short (six-mile round trip) walk to Paradise Lake and back. I'm having problems with my water filter.

Date: August 30, 2007, 10h49
Size: 27 items
Day 6: Jackrabbit Lake to Pacheco Camp

Album: Day 6: Jackrabbit Lake to Pacheco Camp

Another day of solitude. A very enjoyable 11-mile ride from the Orestimba Creek valley up over Mississippi Ridge, then over Pacheco Ridge, which doesn't take as long as I expect.

Date: August 31, 2007, 07h58
Size: 23 items
Day 7: A short day hike from Pacheco Camp up Pacheco Creek, then returning via Pacheco Ridge; about six miles round-trip.

Album: Day 7: A short day hike from Pacheco Camp up Pacheco Creek, then returning via Pacheco Ridge; about six miles round-trip.

There are a lot of interesting possibilities for a day hike or mountain bike ride from centrally located Pacheco Camp, especially since this is my first visit to this corner of the Park.

Date: September 01, 2007, 13h03
Size: 26 items
Day 8: Ride from Pacheco Camp to China Hole

Album: Day 8: Ride from Pacheco Camp to China Hole

I've never explored the part of the Park on today's route, so I'm looking forward to it. My route is simple enough: just stay on Coit Road (which becomes Mahoney Meadows Road) and then head down China Hole Trail to the bottom.

Date: September 02, 2007, 09h49
Size: 31 items
Day 9: China Hole to Park Headquarters, followed by the ride home to downtown San José

Album: Day 9: China Hole to Park Headquarters, followed by the ride home to downtown San José

After a pleasant climb out of the canyon from China Hole, I'm almost back at Park Headquarters to mark the end of my trip when firefighters begin arriving to fight a brush fire that has broken out in a remote area on the northeast edge of the Park.

Date: September 03, 2007, 10h31
Size: 22 items
Page: 1
Other bicycle camping trips on drycyclist.com:
  • Mojave National Preserve Lanfair Valley Loop Bicycle Camping, Fall 2012 (8 days)
  • Mojave National Preserve Hiking and Bikepacking, Spring 2012 (15 days)
  • Cady Mountains, Sleeping Beauty and Kelso Dunes Wilderness Bicycle Camping, Fall 2011 (8 days)
  • Mojave National Preserve and Area Hiking and Bikepacking, Spring 2011 (15 days)
  • Route 66 and Kelso Dunes Wilderness Bikepacking, Fall 2010 (eight days)
  • Mojave National Preserve Bikepacking and Hiking, Spring 2010 (14 days)
  • Mojave National Preserve Bicycle Camping and Hiking, Fall 2009 (eight days)
  • Mojave National Preserve Bikepacking and Hiking, Spring 2009 (16 days)
  • Henry Coe State Park Bikepacking 2008 (eight nights)
  • Mojave National Preserve Mountain-Bike Camping and Day Hiking 2008 (two weeks)
  • Mojave National Preserve Mountain-Bike Camping Xmas 2007 (one week)
  • Death Valley Bicycle Camping 2007 (two weeks)
  • Henry Coe State Park Mountain-Bike Camping 2006 (four nights)
  • Mojave National Preserve Bicycle Camping 2006 (two weeks)
  • Mojave National Preserve Bicycle Camping 2000 (11 days)
  • Mojave National Preserve Bicycle Camping 1999 (one week)
Contact henrycoe2007 at priss dot org