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6/13
Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007: Henry Coe State Park Mountain-Bike Camping / Day 1: Downtown San José to Henry Coe State Park /

In the suburban town of Morgan Hill, I head up Dunne Avenue, which climbs to the top of the hills straight ahead.

05193-dunne-avenue-800px.jpg Henry Coe State Park's land becomes visible on the distant hilltops at the centre of the photo.ThumbnailsFurther up Dunne Avenue, well above Anderson Reservoir, looking back down toward Silicon Valley, Morgan Hill and San José.Henry Coe State Park's land becomes visible on the distant hilltops at the centre of the photo.ThumbnailsFurther up Dunne Avenue, well above Anderson Reservoir, looking back down toward Silicon Valley, Morgan Hill and San José.Henry Coe State Park's land becomes visible on the distant hilltops at the centre of the photo.ThumbnailsFurther up Dunne Avenue, well above Anderson Reservoir, looking back down toward Silicon Valley, Morgan Hill and San José.Henry Coe State Park's land becomes visible on the distant hilltops at the centre of the photo.ThumbnailsFurther up Dunne Avenue, well above Anderson Reservoir, looking back down toward Silicon Valley, Morgan Hill and San José.Henry Coe State Park's land becomes visible on the distant hilltops at the centre of the photo.ThumbnailsFurther up Dunne Avenue, well above Anderson Reservoir, looking back down toward Silicon Valley, Morgan Hill and San José.

After a short break in Morgan Hill's little downtown for refreshments and iced espresso, I turned off Monterey Road and am now heading up Dunne Avenue, which ends at Henry Coe State Park headquarters some 12 miles up the hill.

The bike lane here is a nice touch, but the ride through the 101 freeway interchange, which I just crossed, can be intimidating to the uninitiated.

Unfortunately, the bike lane disappears there during double free-right-turn lanes onto the freeway (which California bike-lane design standards allow). So, even though I know what I'm doing out "in the middle of the road" avoiding the on-ramps, motorists have occasionally reminded me that they don't know what I'm doing out there (where the bike lane would be if there were one).