Riding on Mt. Tam can anyone guide me?

[drcarlos]

There is a chance that work will be sending me on some training early next year as the event that I was going to go to this year in Fort Lauderdale is now fully booked and oversubscribed. The new event is in Mountain View!
When I saw this I google mapped it straight away and it appears to be only 60 miles from the hallowed peak!
I thought I could stick (probably the CB) a bike on the plane with me and as the event ends at Thursday lunchtime leaving me a 1/2 day free before a Friday flight home I could get up there and ride the repack.
This would probably a once in a lifetime thing as i'm not likely to be able to afford to get across with the family so I don't want to mess it up.
So is it ridable in January or February? I'm not cluded up on the weather in CA really and being a mountain I was wondering if there was a chance of snow, even in CA!
Is there one of our American bretheren that could show me the trails?

This is all a bit finger in the air at the moment but it would be nice to know it could happen if this trip comes off

Carl.

 

[halaburt]

Weather in Jan/Feb is typically cool and can be rainy. Snow is almost unheard of because of the relatively low elevation and proximity to the ocean. The top of Mt. Tam usually only gets a dusting of snow once or twice a year and it usually melts the same day. Depending on how recently it rained, the trails can be muddy for a few days especially on the north-facing slopes of the mountain that get less sun.

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/CASPMTTM:13

Leaving Mountain View at mid-day and driving up would take a couple of hours due to typically bad traffic in the City. The days are still pretty short then -- getting dark at about 5:30pm.

Finally, "Mt. Tam" and "Repack" aren't really the same place. When people talk about riding on Mt. Tam, they could mean just about anything in area surrounding the peak. Repack is the one specific fire road a few miles north near Fairfax.

For me, while Repack has obvious historic interest, it's hardly a favorite trail for routine riding. It can be a fun way to wrap up a Pine Mountain Loop ride --- but I'd never ride up there just for the few minutes of fire road downhill. Others will obviously disagree.

 

[drcarlos]

That's a nice insight, thanks.
Maybe the wrong time of year to go but beggars can't be choosers. I will have to see what the flight situation is as it maybe that I could fly home Saturday, leaving me with the whole of Friday to spend on the Mountain but I'll have to see. Should be warmer than over here though!

Carl.

 

[FairfaxPat]

If it's not raining that day, I'll show you the way down Repack.