Ever since I got my gravel bike, it's always been my dream to be able to do my coast dirt loop using Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail instead of road to get to Pacifica. It makes the loop 70% dirt and bypasses some road garbage miles. Today I finally got to do it and it's so good! Silas and I offered to this ride with people from The Ridership since access to Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail is only possible when accompanied by a docent on a SFPUC sanctioned event. Luckily we're both docents. :) It started off looking like we more people were going to join the ride than we could accommodate and then it went to most people bailing to the perfect size group. Unfortunately the day started off overcast and foggy - not ideal weather when you're at the coast. There were moment of sun in the forested, first part of Fifield-Cahill. Once we got to the open, ridge part of the trail, it was pretty foggy. Bob wasn't feeling it today so he and Sonny bailed at Sweeney Ridge. Unfortunately Baquiano Trail all the way to south of Gray Whale Cove, the views were obscured by fog. First time doing San Pedro Mountain Trail and Old Colma Rd. on a gravel bike. I wasn't sure about clearing the first part but it was easier than on the MTB. Old Colma Rd. was looser, dustier, and maybe rockier than the last time I did it on the MTB. Not having any suspension made a huge difference - the trail was quite bumpy. After San Pedro Mtn., everyone indulged me as I did some trail exploration at Rancho Corral de Tierra. Unfortunately, my Garmin was having a brain fart and wasn't giving me any navigation. We managed to do most of the trail I intended to do but not all of it because I wasn't exactly sure where we were and turned off the trail a little too early. Then after that, it didn't tell me the turn to get into Pillar Point from the north so we ended up starting from the parking lot. Everything after that was pretty smooth sailing. Dad's Luncheonette was excellent as always. Chatted a little bit with Scott. After that was where the pace got a little spicy. Braden at the front was going pretty fast. Knowing that we were going to do Whittemore Gulch, I really wanted to save the legs. Braden, Silas, and I managed to clear the steeps at the beginning of Whittemore but after that my legs were pretty done. It also got way hotter and I wanted take layers off but I also didn't want to stop. I waited until the top to strip. The last kicker to the parking lot was pretty brutal. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it all the way up but after the first really steep part, it eases up to just steep and I made it the whole way. At one point I was trying to pass a guy pushing his MTB up while a group of hikers were coming down towards me. I was thinking, slow down dude but I'm pretty sure he had no idea what was happening around him. Descending Skyline and 92 was fun. At the start of the ride Silas was offering donuts which I actually declined. Can you believe it? But I was able to take him up on it when I got back. Overall, it was a great day. Everyone seemed to have fun and enjoy it. Well maybe not the climb up Whittemore. :)