I am dedicating the first of my Summits of Houston posts to the Surfside Bridge. The surfside bridge is probably my favorite "hill" in the Houston area. It is one of the longest and most sustained climbs you can get (which isn't saying much) and it has some pretty great views of the Gulf of Mexico from the top. The bridge has a nice shoulder for almost the entire way, so you don't feel to cramped with the cars. It only takes about an hour to get there from downtown, which really isn't that bad. There is a nice gas station at the bottom of the bridge that has restrooms and a good selection of options for refueling and rehydrating. And, the best part is....when you are done you can walk over to Surfside beach and go for a dip in the ocean!
Stats:
Elevation: around 75 feet of gain and loss
Distance: about .75 miles to go from one side to the other
Average grade: around 3.5% (no too steep, but enough that you feel it)
This means that 1 lap of the bridge (over and back) nets you about 150 feet of climb (and 150 feet of descent). So in 7 laps you can pick up 10.5 miles and around 1000 feet of vertical.
Location:
On Hwy 332 in between Freeport and Surfside Beach (about 1 hour south of Houston off of Hwy 288).
View Larger Map
No comments:
Post a Comment