Touring * Slalom *

From State Highway 99, take the Pinedale/Herndon Avenue exit and head east on Herndon. Go 7.5 miles and, just before you reach the intersection with State Highway 41 (you can see the overpass a block away), take a left on Blackstone Avenue. One mile north, Blackstone curves to the right to pass under Highway 41 and at that point becomes Friant Road. Proceed about 4.5 miles north, until you reach the bottom of the long hill. Turn right at the sign for Friant View Lane and park on the shoulder near the row of mailboxes.

Here is one of those "secret spots" that will delight the touring slalom skater. Picturesque Friant View Lane curves invitingly up the side of a low mesa, bordered on both sides by wooden fences. It takes some effort to reach the top, but before you even leave your car, you can see that this is a perfect spot to indulge in carving rhythmic, carefree slalom turns. The little lane is not marked as a private road, but it is basically the access road for no more than 10 homes that overlook the newly installed country club golf course to the south. Once you reach the top of the mesa, the road flattens out and splits in two directions toward private driveways. The pavement is delightful and the scenery pristine. On a weekday during work hours, this place is totally traffic-free and serenely quiet. Besides your wheels stroking the pavement, the only other sounds you are likely to hear are hissing sprinklers, the chirping of birds, or the bark of a backyard dog. After you finish exploring the lane, you're ready to play on the hill going back down. There's a blind curve as Friant View Lane leaves the top of the mesa to descend to Friant Road. Either start lower down where you can see around the bend, or send a skate partner to the curve to watch for oncoming cars. (Even if you haven't seen a single car since you arrived, Murphy's Law dictates that one will show up the minute you start making wide slalom turns down the hill.)