Tuesday Ride Report - ACHD - SOAP!

The ACHD Ride scored a respectable five rider turnout today: Mary Ann, Beth, Bob, Jerry, and me. We knocked around a few route ideas and finally settled on a ride to the north with a bit of the San Pasqual Valley thrown in.  We hit the first of three bike paths, right out of the gate, as we went through the Marabella and Trails neighborhoods of RB. It was a quiet alternative to Pomerado Road and there's a nice downhill on Bernardo Trails Road.
 
Crossing over the lake we had our second bike path and encountered SOAP. Yessss, that'd be: Snake On A Path.  Beth managed to shoo it to a safe location without resorting to Samuel Jackson's technique for in-flight reptile removal.
 
After heading further north into Escondido, we joined the third bike path at Juniper Street. A good choice as it turns out, since we were able to experience the newly-built Ash Street underpass and introduce Jerry to a path he was unaware of.
 
Upon exiting the path at El Norte Parkway, we made our way over to the eastside Escondido hills, but unfortunately had to part company with Bob there. His front derailleur cable came loose from the shifter and he decided  in favor of taking a crosstown diagonal back home rather than a field repair attempt or going nine-speed. Hmmm... I really hoped he could finish the ride with us in the small ring, but maybe he was secretly angling to get home in time for a BBC rebroadcast of QE II's Diamond Jubilee message?
 
Whatever the case, we had an enjoyable finale riding up Idaho, over Summit, down Old San Pasqual, along Old Milky Way, up Bandy Canyon, and down Highland Valley. Whew! And Extra Credit given to Jerry and Beth for tacking on a loop out to Ramona!
 
Hope you were able to view the Transit of Venus today, and that your Primary Day votes were all in the majority. I guess it was truly Anything Can Happen Day.
 
Next week, we revisit San Pasqual Valley: 
The Old Milk Run 
Date: Tuesday June 12, 2012 
Time: 8:30am 
Foray into the San Pasqual Valley, sans Venus, sans Jubilee, sans Elections, but with a coffee stop in Escondido! 
 
Cheers,
Steve