The Lynch Creek Trail ends at the east side of the creek on the northeast edge of the city where Prince Park fetches up against the Rooster Run Golf Course, a private entity through which no public trail can pass.
So to follow Lynch Creek toward its source you have to cut south a hundred yards to Washington Street and run along on the shoulder northeast to where it tees in to Adobe Road, which thankfully has a stop sign to let you get across onto the east shoulder. And then you head northwest on Adobe Road with the foothills of Sonoma Mountain on your right.
After a bit over a half mile, you cross Lynch Creek.
And just beyond this crossing you can take a right on Sonoma Mountain Road for a bucolic ride in the countryside as you gradually climb the mountain. Well, this ain’t the Sierra. The “mountain” is only 2400 ft at its highest point, but it’s far enough north that from the summit you can see Sonoma Valley to the east and, on a handful of days of the year when there’s no maritime haze, the Pacific to the west.
About a quarter mile up the road, you cross Lynch Creek again.
I rode up Sonoma Mountain Road on the Segway in the expectation of getting photos of lush countryside punctuated by derelict farmhouses. Alas, prosperity has swept over this whole valley for at least the last twenty years, so there’s little dereliction in sight. Here’s the best i could come up with.
What’s been going on at an escalating pace the past few years is gentrification, as seen in those upscale developments flanking the creek back in town and in country estates like this.
That hawk above the right end of the roof has been privatized and put under contract to circle the manse. He’s wearing a small videocam tied into the Intruder Detection System. At night, there’s no need for anything to connect to the detection system because four of OR7’s cousins have been hired to pad quietly around the grounds. A key feature in their benefits package is that they get to eat anything they catch. Fence? No need.
As we rise up the mountain, we see additional signs that security is being maintained.
And this.
And this.
Not to mention other roadside attractions.
Still, as you rise, it gets lovelier, as with this teasel.
Sonoma Mountain Road leading back down into the valley.
As we climb higher, we get good views of southern Petaluma nestled in its valley.
When we get high enough on Sonoma Mountain Road, we reach the first point at which Lynch Creek crosses any road.
Well, no, not much to it this close to the source.
On the other hand, the views up here are splendid.
And this framing of the northern edge of Petaluma.
And hey, another great big house.
Might as well admit it now. These pics were taken during four rides up the mountain. Here’s another big house taken in early June.
And finally, a fence shot from early June.
4 Comments
Many pics in June and earlier? Lots of green, which ain’t there now. Some lovely photos. Love the teasels especially. You see them occasionally on roadsides.
All the pics except the last two were taken in March and April. I threw the last couple in for contrast since i like the look of the brown grass contrasting with the green trees and grapevines almost as much as i like the green grass in the spring. Many thanks for identifying the teasel for me, as i find the structure quite handsome. My great regret is that i somehow never spotted one blooming, as they’re lovely at that time.
Found the pics, so I take stuff in blue means a LINK.
Rule number 1: Always click on Matte’s links:-)