Sonoma County gets plenty of attention for spawning it’s most famous athlete in a generation (perhaps in it’s history?) – Levi Leipheimer. Sorry guys, Joe Montana only lives here! With that, it’s easy to assume that perhaps the greatest gift to it’s “athletes” are it’s well-treed and undulating back roads on which to cycle producing Levi-like results? To that point, Yes, it’s valley’s are indeed picturesque with finely tuned vineyards, rolling countryside and a rich culture thick in culinary as well as the visual arts- but what’s “in it” for those “other” athletes who don’t feel comfortable wearing a lycra set while sipping on a glass of chardonnay?
Born and raised a runner in Santa Rosa, I came to understand and appreciate (especially after spending my college years in Southern California) the spectacular and varied training grounds that Sonoma County has at its fingertips. My favorite is Annadel State Park. For the hard-core runner or inspired hiker who is struggling to find that often elusive “2nd wind” during the 1200 foot climb to lake Ilsanjo, will have no trouble discovering it after a quick dip at its banks. Go ahead, reward yourself! No, there are no lifeguards lurking and you won’t find any annoying “Keep Out” signs posted- so take the plunge if you feel so inclined.
For the last 28years, I’ve gone on living quite contently in my ignorant bliss- believing that all my “hard-core” running in this region had exposed me to the best Annadel State Park had to offer. You might imagine however, the sad awakening that came over me when I was “forced” to discover the novelty of the bicycle due to a nagging running injury. The result has been nothing less than astonishing as the other half of the park which I neglected to appreciate has since come into focus.
Here is my recommendation: Park your car (for free) on Montgomery Drive at the base of the dam adjacent to Spring Lake. Take the road along Channel Drive (nice flat warm-up!), take the Warren Richardson trial (dirt parking lot and beginning of climb) to the South Burma trail, Burma dumps into Marsh. At this point you have two options. You can head Northwest (right turn) on Marsh which will lead you back to Spring Lake (the safe and utterly care-free route) or you can head South-East (turn left) for an even more expansive (and challenging) experience. The Lawndale trail offers the greatest reward/experience in my humble opinion. However, Lawndale will eventually dump you off at a parking lot near Kenwood. At that point, you may simply turn around and head back up Lawndale or you can navigate southward (my recommendation) via the paved roadway until you reach the south-east entrance: Schultz trail. That will take you all the way back up to Marsh where you could ultimately connect to Canyon then Spring Lake Park.
At a moderate pace, the Lawndale to Schultz loop will take you 3 glorious hours- but give yourself 4 hours just in case you want to stop and observe the occasional Peregrine Falcon, deer or wild turkey’s that call these 5,000 acres home.
~ Guest Post: Sean O’Leary
