Mountain biking in
The East Bay
- Redwood
- Joaquin Miller
- Tilden/Wildcat
- Lake Chabot -
- Hayward Plunge
- Mission Peak
- Mount Diablo
- Briones
- Pleasanton Ridge
- Sunol
- Del Valle -
- Morgan Territory
- Black Diamonds
- Rockville
- Photos
- Links
- Home -
I don't know who designed the fireroads in the East Bay, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't
a mountain biker, or maybe one who had long gone mad from rubbing against too much aluminum.
Despite gentle rolling feel of the grassy hills, the fireroads take sadistic countours climbing up the ridges,
often maintaining grades into the teens for a mile or more.
To the west such trails are considered difficult, but here they seem to be the norm.
But what goes up must come down, and while the ascents are gruelling the downhills fly.
It's almost all fireroad though-- singletrack seems unusually restricted to mountain bikers (and
accomodating to equestrians) even when compared to federal lands.
There is volcanic and sedimentary geology here to distinguish
this area from the rift zone along the peninsula and Marin.
Views on the open hillsides can be exquisite, and on Mount Diablo range from the Pacific Ocean to the Sierra Nevada on a clear day.
Redwood Regional Park
"It should have been raining. Not today, necessarily, or yesterday or tomorrow, but around
this time we should have been getting storm after storm rather then the 'perfect' weather we've been having. The dryness
would no doubt lead to consequence during the prime riding of the coming season. But now was
another balmy and hazy day along the stepwise grind as the East Ridge fireroad climbed toward Skyline.
The Christmas smell of pines, casting lines of loose shade across the trail ahead,
brought a calming scent to the air while mall parking lots were cramped with the holiday rush.
Redwood rainforests didn't seem in character with this side of the bay-- but here they were,
tucked in the hidden valley below, drawing moisture from the prevailing Pacific winds streaming through the Golden Gate
toward the hot plains of the east."
(b. November 29, 2002)
Directions:
By car, from SF, it's practically just on the other side of the Bay Bridge. Follow 580E a few miles to 13N.
Very soon, take the Redwood exit turning right on Redwood Road, then follow it over the crest and down into the wooded
valley where you'll find the park headquarters to your left ($4 to park inside and gates lock at sunset, or there is
plenty of roadside parking nearby).
On bike, we followed the bike route described in the
park map, which takes you up the
Canyon Trail, left on
East Ridge to the Skyline Staging area, and back to headquarters along the West Ridge trail.
The only deviation we made was to detour along the Graham, Dunn and Baccharis
trail since Kenny had already done this route. Graham goes to the western areas of the park
with some brief views of the Bay (don't blink). Staying on the West Ridge trail gives you more technical
riding through the redwoods.
Profile: The worst climb is at the beginning, going from the visitors area
in the valley (elev. 500) and climbing up the Canyon Trail to the East Ridge (elev. ~900) in .4 miles.
The map lacks countour information, but I'd guess it's a 15+% grade.
From there it's a slow undulating climb along wide fireroad to the Skyline Staging Area.
Turing onto the West Ridge trail it continues
climbing in this way for a couple more miles, getting steeper and more washed out as you go.
Eventually on West Ridge you'll climb to around 1600 feet,
beyond which some of the descents get pretty technical due to steepness,
roots, and exposed uneven bedrock. The whole route is about 9 miles,
and there were many hikers and unleashed dogs that wanted to play.
Check it out in the morning because that's when the sun best lights the western trails.
Comment [6½]: The East Ridge is a gentle climb through sparse pine forests,
and along the West Ridge you'll find technical descents through heavy redwood growth.
But you never get far from civilization, and there were TONS of hikers, dogs, and several horses.
I hear that at the right time of year there are plenty of joggers-- of the revealing spandex kind--
and then it might score higher. But the end of November wasn't that time.
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Joaquin Miller Park
"'Nice bike,' the young gangsters spoke of my Turner, so I thanked them and quickly moved on.
Pretty, as Cinderella twisted through the forest
along dense creekside undergrowth, it could not have been much more than a couple minutes long.
So here is what all the fuss is about. Like the West Bank of singletrack,
I wondered if such emotion and angst were worth it for this."
(b. August 10, 2003)
Directions:
Joaquin Miller, located in the semi-urban setting by the Oakland Zoo and Redwood Regional Park,
is best known for the technical downhill trails scattered throughout the park
and the trail use controversy that has ensued ever since.
If you haven't been there before, this loop will give you a general sense
of the place.
By car, from SF, cross the Bay Bridge and head on 580 east then 24 East toward Walnut Creek,
then 13 south toward Hayward. Exit on Joaquin Miller/Lincoln, then turn left on Joaquin Miller Drive.
Park at the intersection of Joaquin Miller and Sanborn, at the main park entrance.
On bike, There's a posted map at the ranger station a couple hundred yards up Sanborn,
which will tell you which trails are legal.
From the entrance, stay right on the Sunset trail up to Bayview-Sequoia, then turn left,
and ride to Sequoia Arena near the Chabot science center.
Take Castle Rock or Cinderella down to Sunset,
turn left, and return to the start. This shouldn't take too long, so explore the other trails at your leisure.
After Cinderella we rode Palos Colorado and Big Trees, which isn't a bad clockwise loop.
Profile: The park ranges from 1000 to 1400 feet.
Bayview-Sequoia is the main artery through the park, along which most of the trails connect.
It follows an even contour
across the hillside, gently rising in the northward direction so gradually you'll barely feel it.
Getting there, the Sunset trail is kinda steep but quite short, with one hike-a-bike section near the end.
The Chaparral, Cinderella and Castle Rock trails are singletrack descents from Sequoia Arena back down to Sunset, which offers
a mild grade back to the start.
It's a hiker-dense area with skid damage in the technical parts.
One full loop is about 4 miles.
Comment [5½]: If Skegg's and Soquel are mountain biking theme parks, then this is a neighborhood playground.
It was too short and flat to meet our cross-country needs, and we didn't want to go looping around forever and
ever. The downhill trails were moderately advanced, but ended much too soon.
Scenic in some places, like riding through the 'hood in others, it's fine for messing around a couple hours,
or maybe detouring from a ride in Redwood.
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Skidding, mainly of the rear tire, is bad mountain biking form, characteristic
of newbies, and is about the only way a mountain bike can actually do damage to trails, other than riding in deep mud.
If many people do it, trails widen in the technical parts and a characteristic wave pattern of troughs will develop.
You can avoid it on steep downhills by (1) applying, approximately, twice as much braking pressure on your front brake
(left hand) as your rear,
taking care not to lock either wheel, (2) relaxing your grip on both brakes briefly to roll gently
over obstructions such as rocks,
roots, and small gullies, and (3) maintaining a reasonable speed particularly in loose conditions.
And, at 200 pounds, my Hayes hydraulics never hurt.
Before writing poetry, Joaquin Miller (1837-1913)
had abandoned his first family and neglected his second, supported the Confederacy and slavery, shot a constable,
killed Indian women and children, and been banned from the state of Oregon where he once served as a judge.
Dubbed "Poet of the Sierras" for his heavily metered
verses about life in the old west, Walt Whitman declined to meet with him,
and contemporaries correctly predicted his work would be forgotten within a generation.
But after Songs of the Sierra in 1871, he found a theatrical niche in the palaces of Europe selling his image as
the mad frontiersman.
Calling himself a lover of nature, he planted a forest in the native scrub around his Oakland home,
"The Hights," that was
maintained by water from distant springs.
His persona bizarre, his sanity in question,
and his ethics loathesome-- he still managed to create a romantic vision of the far frontier
that during his time drew audiences of respected writers from abroad.
Tilden and Wildcat Regional Parks
"Muggy haze on the bay scattered the western light, through which stood vague outlines of
downtown buildings and charming houses climbing the hills.
That was my city, so familiar, well-known by regular loops--
but now dreamy and abstract like a castle in the sky.
That, at least, was how I was felt about housing prices in San Francisco riding
along the backbone of the ridge.
The sweaty grades and rocky descents to the south, or smooth pavement through cow patures to the north,
offered grassy panoramas east and west that kept going on for miles.
Comfort came from the continuous motion of two wheels,
where in holding no ground came possession of the wind.
At that point ownership comes of that which is perceived, and
territory the anchoring force disrupting the cadence of my spin."
(b. April 19, 2003)
Directions: Tilden and Wildcat are basically one contiguous preserve that follows the ridge above
San Pablo Reservior north of Berkeley.
From "Inspiration Point," at the center of the Tilden, rides here divide into thin loops to the north or the
south.
By car,
from the Bay Bridge take 580-E to 24-W toward Walnut Creek. Take the "Orinda" exit after
the Caldecott tunnel, and turn left on Camino Pablo following it a couple miles
north to Wildcat Canyon Road. "Inspiration Point"-- which keeps reminding me of Happy Days-- is the first sizable parking
lot after the road winds up the hill.
On bike, we rode south first, following the Seaview Trail past Vollmer Peak to the steam trains.
By then we had a been-there-done-that attitude about the southern section,
so we just sped back down Lomas Cantadas and South Park Drive.
Back at Inspiration Point we took the paved Nimitz Trail north along the ridgeline, turning left into Wildcat Canyon
along the Mezue Trail (although Conlon, Havey Canyon, and Belgum all work as well).
The Wildcat Creek Trail returns to Jewel Lake, and after Loop Road we took the
Meadows Canyon trail back since it was getting dark. Kenny tells
me Wildcat Gorge to Curran Trail is a more interesting but steeper ride through riparian forest.
So that the ride doesn't end with a climb,
I'd recommend the north loop first, then take the Big Springs trail south toward Vollmer Peak,
and finish with a coast down the Seaview trail.
Both a north and south loop ride can add up to 20 miles.
Profile: For the north loop, from Inspiration Point (elev. 1050),
it starts out mainly flat with mild ups and downs for about 5 miles
along the paved Nimitz Way, before a fast descent into Wildcat Canyon on trails heavily trampled by cows.
The Wildcat Creek Trail follows a stable contour to Jewell Lake (elev. 500) before climbing back to the start.
Loop Road and Meadow Canyon are gradual and moderate grades (around 5-8%),
but the Wildcat Gorge/Curran option has an abrupt ascent at the end.
For the south loop, it's another sudden 300 foot
climb up the Seaview trail to the Big Springs junction (which you can bypass by taking the Quarry trail
or South Park Road),
before coasting to the Big Springs picnic area. From there it's 500 vertical feet in under a mile to
the Seaview Trial (elev. 1600), and downhill along Seaview to Inspiration Point on trails loose and poorly maintained in parts.
Comment [6]: There were a lot of mountain bikes here, and Tilden offers some of the best
views of San Francisco and the North Bay from the east.
Nimitz Way, out-and-back, can stand alone as an easy scenic ride.
But much of the park was heavily developed,
and while I can understand keeping cattle on a couple preserves as a historic reminder of the old hacienca days,
enough is enough alright already.
Cows are basically in every East Bay preserve, where they stomp up the trails, attract swarms of flies, and leave
a scent of cattle urine everywhere.
Clearly they disturb the natural ecology (see photos below).
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Wildcat (158K PDF) -
mtbREVIEW.com
Regional Parks in the East Bay don't have parking lots or trailheads, they have staging areas.
It's the same thing, that's just what they are called.
I think that's kind of cute, like I'm "staging" my next big adventure.
Lake Chabot: Honker Bay Bike Route and Bort Meadows
"Distracted by the childhood memory of spring likesides fading in the distant past,
my attention drifted with sparkling currents between marshy islands of reeds.
The blissful comfort of this lazy delirium soothed the dull aching on the ride out of Honker Bay.
I should have been downshifting or pacing better, even locking the fork, but
the reality of this sharp upward twist faded in an opioid daze as the
deep blue lake fell farther and farther below.
As the acid burn in lungs and muscles had gone well beyond a few minutes rest,
strained gasping finally roused me from this insidious collapse into oxygen debt.
Along scenic ridgelines and grassy meadows, where cows lounged comfortably under the sun,
serum lactate would eventually convert to usable sugar.
Still my legs, limply attaching hips to the pedals, could only flail numbly in
desperate efforts to generate forward momentum."
(b. March 29, 2003)
Directions: Starting at Lake Chabot, our route followed the Honker Bay variant of the "bicycle loop"
described on the free map,
except taking the Redtail Trail instead of the Brandon Trail from the shooting range down to Grass Valley.
By car, after the Bay Bridge follow 580 east to the Fairmont Drive exit, then head East on Lake
Chabot Road to the entrance. It's $4 to park in the lot, with plenty of parking along the street.
On bike, "bike route" signs are clearly marked at the intersections. Starting at the Marina, follow
the lake counterclockwise, and just past the bridge you can turn up the Live Oak Trail, or continue
on eventually climbing the Honker Bay trail when you reach it. We took Honker Bay, but the Live Oak trail
avoids most of the road and eucalyptus forests so I'd probably take that next time.
Either way, you reach Marciel Road.
Instead of the bike route we followed the Redtail Trail down to Grass Valley Creek,
and there is no reason not to continue on the Grass Valley Trail out to Bort Meadow since it's a flat 1½ miles.
Continuing along the MacDonald Trail to Parkridge drive or even Redwood Road
completes the full length of the park. From
Bort meadow, return along the Brandon Trail to the Goldenrod Trail down to the lake and back to the Marina.
Profile: The East Shore Trail is basically flat along the lake (elev. 235), until you hit Honker Bay
where you'll face a short but miserable 300+ foot climb in just over a quarter mile.
I find it's a common pattern in the East Bay to hit these sharp grades with little warm up.
This is the worst part and the remaining climbs are either short or more gradual.
The Redtail Trail peaks at around 1000 feet, along up-and-down trail that narrows to kinda fun singletrack in places.
It eventually descends to Grass Valley (elev. 600), and
From here it's mainly flat to Bort Meadow. The very optional extension
up the Macdonald trail is a gradual grade to Parkridge Street (elev. 1100) over 1½ miles. From Grass Valley
it's an up-and-down descent to the lake, and as you ride along the shore there are still a series of small hills you'll
need to climb. Watch your speed as you descend on pavement to the dam-- there was some guy wearing a "trail
safety guide" shirt with a walkie-talkie who waved "hi" at us. Thinking back, wonder if he was waving
for us to stop.
Comment [7]: Lake Chabot is about as typical as mountain bike riding gets
and was less crowded than Redwood nearby.
There was a good range of trail types from grinding fireroad to easy singletrack, and
the terrain varied from pleasant lakeside riding, to oak and eucalyptus forest, to meadow and chapparal.
It's a nice ride, and a good workout.
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Hayward Memorial Park (aka "Hayward Plunge")
"Time, the score in the tug-of-war between distance and speed,
being an abstraction which we can sense directly has no doubt led to much speculation about its nature.
But perhaps dimension and motion are the real questions at hand.
Ripping through the twisting but short pathway, through shady oak and deciduous groves
dry and dusty on the eve of summer, over steep ravines through which dwindling streams trickled down below,
I couldn't help but regret that this would all be over soon.
The effort it took to come here would be quickly consumed by a few minutes of pure thrill.
My fingers pulsed at the brakes levers in an unconscious struggle between the rush of acceleration and the sense of loss
that would come at the end of the trail."
(b. May 18, 2003)
Directions: "Hayward Plunge" is a cutesy double entendre named after the swimming pool at the base
of the ride.
It's a twisting and at times steep descent through creekside greenways separating housing tracks
along the ridges above.
The East Avenue Trail and Ward Creek Road Trail start high in the hills, at the corner of Oakes and Durham,
and run in parallel along each side of Oakes Street.
They reconverge about halfway down, and the Wally Wickander trail finishes the descent to the pool.
By car,
From SF, take 280, 101, or 880 south to the 92 freeway, then head east to where it becomes Jackson Street.
Follow Jackson to Mission Boulevard, then turn right a block to Fletcher. The Hayward Plunge pool
is at the corner of Mission and Fletcher.
On bike,
since the Hayward Plunge is a downhill beast, we both agreed that the most sensible way
to the trailhead is to take the streets. From the pool, climb Fletcher (which becomes
Walpert past the graveyard).
Turn right on 2nd, go a ways, then right on Campus, left on Oakes, and up and up and up to Durham Street.
Ward Creek starts to the right on Oakes, and the East Avenue Trail
begins a hundred yards up Durham to the left. Take your pick for whichever route to try first-- they both seemed
similar, although our only exposure to the East Avenue Trail was riding up it at night. Ride down
one trail to the Oakes & Campus intersection, then return up Oakes and take the other trail down.
Then from Oakes & Campus follow the Wally Wickander trail back down to the start.
If you must ride the trails up, Wally Wickander
starts behind the swimming pool to the right, in the back of the little park.
Profile: From the swimming pool (elev. 90) the ride to Oakes & Durham (elev. 900) is over several miles of
paved road on highly variable grades, ranging from flat to very steep.
East Avenue and Ward Creek Trails are each 2 miles long dropping to Oakes & Campus (elev. 300).
Wally Wickander is also 2 miles, descending with steep ups and downs the rest of the way.
Trails are mainly doubletrack, getting eroded or slippery in the steeper parts.
There was plenty of hiker traffic and many blind turns.
Comment [6½]: It's a fine downhill run and uphill workout if you're local. If you
have to drive here, I suggest wait until later in the year when the deciduous colors should be ripe along the creek beds.
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Mission Peak: Stanford Staging Area and Ed Levin Park
"Where were my friends? You know, the little guys who help push me up the hill.
I was looking all over for them, for I needed them badly, but they were no where to be found. My friends are real!
The go by names like pyruvate dehydrogenase, succinyl CoA synthetase and Coenzyme Q, and live within
muscle cells firing the machinery of aerobic glycolysis. I don't know if all the friends in the world could
have gotten me up the first stretch of Peak Meadow in any kind of satisfying way, but the frequent rest stops
were at least rewarded by the views of South Bay cities along the flatlands beneath the newly green hillsides.
Still, struggling up the slick muddy trails deeply pock-marked with cattle tracks,
the lactate stiffness was coming sooner and heavier than usual.
No doubt it related to the degradation of these enzymes, as proteins do, without the production of new ones
in my three week respite due to illness and storms.
But once we hit the ridgeline trail, the acid was quickly dispensed and my legs
started cranking in smooth sustainable strokes.
In the time it takes to syntesize a cofactor I began to feel good again."
(b. December 23, 2002)
Directions:
By car, from SF, cross the Bay Bridge and take 880 south 2 exits past Auto Mall Parkway in Fremont.
Head east on Mission Boulevard passing under 680 and up the hill to Stanford Avenue, one block after Paseo Padre.
Turn right on Stanford and follow it to the parking lot.
On bike, forget about any easy way to the top, but the consensus on mtbREVIEW.com
is that the route which begins behind Ohlone college is the least of three evils.
Ohlone College is just a couple miles north on Mission Boulevard from the Stanford staging area-- use the ride
there as a warm up because all the trails here start out steep.
We took the Peak Meadow trail to where it reconnected with Hidden Valley, then continued onward and upward
to the Ohlone junction at the outhouse.
There we turned right, and followed the Eagle Trail to the Bay Area Ridge Trail, and down
to Ed Levin County Park (following signs to Aqua Caliente).
Getting back to Stanford Street you can turn around and backtrack, or you can take city streets.
Take Calaveras road westward and turn right on Evans, the first cross street.
It will bear left to become Jacklin, and follow that a few blocks under the 680 overpass to Milpitas Boulevard.
Turn right, and ride 3-4 miles to Mission Boulevard.
Turn right, and follow Mission back to Stanford Street.
The good news is there are bike lanes almost all of the way, and it's all flat or downhill except at the very end
(and riding under 680 on Mission can get pretty hairy).
Profile: The Ohlone and Stanford staging areas begin around 400 feet, and the highest bike-legal point along
the ridge is 2400. From Ohlone, the climb to the ridge is about 3.0 miles, along Hidden Valley it's 2.4,
and on the Peak Meadow trail it's 3.0. Peak Meadow is remote and scenic, and looking at mileage and elevation gain
it seems more gradual than Hidden Valley (climbing 1200 feet in 2 miles [vs. 1½] to the rendezvous).
BUT, having seen it, there is no appreciable elevation gain the second mile. Almost all the climbing is in the first-- yikes!
I hear Ohlone is more gradual than either, but still pretty hard.
The grades along the ridge are comparatively easy, for the most part, until we started descending to Ed Levin.
There were some places it seemed we were going straight down the side of the mountain.
Comment [6]: It's a fine place to train, and steep fireroad descents can be fun.
But other than good south bay views and the relief to finally see green hillsides, there wasn't too much to
get excited about.
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"Devil's Thicket," or Monte Diablo, was the original Spanish name,
innacurately translated into the now familiar term.
Its ancient volcanic cone emerges prominently from an alluvian plain to provide this distinctive landmark easily seen
throughout the East Bay.
Managed by State Parks of California, there are significant restrictions to mountain bikers; but three natural
loops form within the park.
From Mitchell Canyon, near Clayton, a fireroad rises to Deer Flat and loops back
along Meridian Ridge. From Macedo Ranch in Danville,
you can grind to Rock City and return along the fun Wall Point Road.
A third loop involving very technical singletrack begins at Juniper Camp, halfway up the mountain,
follows Summit Road to
Devil's Elbow, and then descends along the North Peak trail and Prospector's Gap to Deer Park
before returning to the start. Combining the Mitchell Canyon and Juniper Camp loops results in
a long ride with uphill and downhill sections that require conditioning and skill.
Also, Dan Cook Canyon in Danville is a pleasant entry for a Diablo ride, which
eventually connects to Rock City and from there any number of loops can be put together.
Mount Diablo State Park: Mitchell Canyon Loop
"Built of fiery lava escaping from the Earth's molten core,
the jagged peaks and cracked ridges towered like war helmets black against the ebbing sun.
One painful crank after the other carried us higher up the switchbacks, rising from the woodlands below,
that struggled to take what life they could from the gentle trickling of the creek.
I've always thought my depths of self-reflection and awareness of the senses placed me in a
class of poets, but here the lactate battle cry pulled me through the walls of pain, where
at the crest of Bald Ridge, with deep and steady breaths, I gazed down the steep descent
that would insanely follow Prospecters Gap.
Testosterone, pounding in my veins, sweating through my pores,
clouded the judgment warning me against the raw vibrational violence of screaming acceleration.
Down dry and dusty straightaways, we flew atop the hogback incline
into softly rolling meadows below."
(b. May 8, 2002)
Directions: This loop rises to Deer Flat and Bald Ridge halfway up the northern side of the mountain.
It seems more remote than trails around Rock City, travelling sharply up and down
steep but technically simple fireroads.
By car, after crossing the Bay Bridge from San Francisco follow 580 east,
and shortly thereafter take 24 west toward Walnut Creek. Around the 680 junction follow signs to Ygnacio Valley
Road heading east. In Clayton, about 10 miles later, turn right on Clayton road,
and soon after turn right on Mitchell Canyon Road,
and follow it a few miles to where it ends in a parking lot. Parking was free, but since they
lock the gate at sunset we parked in one of the nearby neighborhoods in Clayton.
The ticket is $80 if you're late. Riding late in the day had the advantage of being cooler on the uphill grind,
and relatively hiker-free heading down. On bike, follow the Mitchell Canyon Fireroad about 4 miles, past Deer Flat
to Propectors Gap Fireroad. After crossing over Bald Ridge, turn left on Meridian Ridge Road down to Donner
Canyon, then take the Bruce Lee (?) trail through the hilly meadows back to the parking lot.
Profile: The Mitchell Canyon fireroad (elev. 600) starts along the shady creek
for two miles until the switchbacks begin (elev. 1000). From there it's a long hot 1½ miles
to Deer Flat (elev. 2100), but at least it's good quality fireroad.
From Deer Flat, continue left at the first fork to the crest of Bald Ridge.
First you'll loose about 100 feet of elevation before the
worst climb of the ride begins. It's pretty short, probably less than a quarter mile, but then the rest of the
uphill is okay. From Bald Ridge (elev. 2300), it's a steep little drop to the
Meridian Ridge fireroad (elev. 2200), then a stepwise descent along the crest
where good visibility and brief
steep drops with flat streches in between allow for ripping down the smooth fireroad-- not that you should.
Donner canyon road leads to rolling
meadows back to the parking lot, with several ups and downs on small hills you gotta cross.
The loop is just under 10 miles.
Comment [7½]: The Mitchell Canyon Loop to Bald Ridge is a satifying climb with some steep and fast descents
through interesting volcanic geology.
Detour: Juniper Camp & North Peak Option
"Bowing my head before the sun, helmet dangling beside my grips,
my gaze fell upon gravel and stones passing my tires slowly below. Halfway up the mountain,
all knowledge of self, strength, balance, and conditioning would come to play in a crank-by-crank
gravity battle in which I would barely prevail.
On wide fireroad I held a narrow line, between maintaining forward momentum and
preventing oxygen debt.
Little did I suspect the grind up to the summit would be the easy part of the ride."
(b. October 12, 2003)
Directions: From Deer Flat, out of Mitchell Canyon, you can continue up to the summit.
The remaining uphill eases up a little, but the downhill is quite advanced.
Just past Deer Flat, turn right on the Juniper Ridge fireroad to Juniper Camp,
take Summit Road up to Devil's Elbow, then circumvent the mountain on the North Peak singletrack.
Turn left at the fireroad fork and descend Prospectors Gap to reconnect with Meridian Ridge fireroad.
Go carefully and bring the best map you can find--
signage all the way from North Peak to Mitchell Canyon can get a little strange.
You can easily make a loop out of this detour alone, which might not be a bad option for those
who thrive on technical downhill and have the 38-lb. bikes to show for it. Park at Juniper Camp,
ride to Devil's Elbow, take the North Peak Trail and Prospectors Gap down. But instead of turning
right at the Meridian Ridge junction, continue straight, toward Deer Camp then climb the Juniper Trail back
to the start.
Profile: The remaining 2 mile climb from Deer Flat (elev. 2100) to Juniper Camp (elev. 3000) is what you
would expect of a 9% grade--
except for a quarter-mile section just before the Burma turnoff called the "Widowmaker."
Continue 1½ miles up Summit road to Devil's Elbow (elev. 3500), where
the North Peak singletrack, returning down, is very technical.
It is loose and rocky with steep uphill and downhill lava beds and hairpin switchbacks running alongside vertical slopes.
From Prospectors Gap (elev. 3000), the fireroad is steep... silly steep... bring-your-hydralic-brakes-to-their-knees steep,
on ground so gravelly that if you are going more than a couple miles per hour and need to stop, forget it.
Meridian Ridge fireroad eases up a bit, and the dirt is packed so it was easier to maintain traction.
But by then, resonance vibrations from my Hayes were making screeching sounds more
horrific than the worst feedback from a high school band,
and the rear disk seared my leg as I got off to adjust the seat.
Comment [8½]: This is the quintessential Diablo ride, with an amazing 360° panorama of the East Bay.
Both of the uphill and downhill segments border on insane.
All-mountain cruisers, while far from optimal, are probably best for managing, barely, both extremes.
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Photo Exhibit
Mount Diablo State Park: Rock City Loop
"The white western glow of the evening sun through the haze
softly lit the granite monoliths rising from of the green dwarf forest.
Beyond Rock City the fireroad followed the sharp apex of the ridge,
where on each side rows of yellow hillsides faded stepwise in the distance.
I dialed soft the coils and cranked up the gear as the trail began it's twisty descent down the slopes to
Macedo Ranch below.
In this rapid gravity sleighride over jagged lines, the grip of the suspension brought a sense of meditative
reflection rather than the usual intrusive flashbacks of falling hard and sliding down the trail.
In the steady intensification of high-pitched hums from tires ripping against the ground,
this single-minded focus brought a peaceful disconnection from the reality of deep erosions and slippery patches of sand.
Holding tight the corners and accelerating down the grades, velocity built with each passing second and
time lapsed into a sense of slow-motion glide across the grainy hills.
(b. October 14, 2002)
Directions: The core of this ride follows Wall Point Road as it drops from Rock City,
halfway up the western slope of Mount Diablo, down to Macedo Ranch on the outskirts of Danville.
By car, from the Bay Bridge take 580 east toward Stockton,
then 24 west to Walnut Creek. Get on 680 heading south, and just before Danville head east
on Stone Valley Road for a couple miles. After the High School turn left on Green Valley road and follow it to the
parking lot at Macedo Ranch. The lot closes at dusk, and parking is prohibited without a permit in adjacent neighborhoods,
so if there is any likelihood you'll be returning after sunset your best bet may be to park at the High School.
On bike, from Macedo Ranch we followed Wall Point Road to the top of the first hill,
then turned left and coasted along the Pine Canyon Trail. At each subsequent fork, keep to the right to reach BBQ Terrace
along South Gate Road.
There turn right and coast a couple miles to Rock City/Live Oak.
Maybe hike around a little, then backtrack a couple hundred feet up South Gate to the first fireroad
on your left. This is Wall Point Road. Follow it back to the Macedo Ranch.
Profile: Wall Point Road from Macedo ranch (elev. 700) climbs a quick hill (elev. 1000) before dropping into
a valley (elev. 700).
It will climb and descend for a mile or so, before starting a continuous ascent to South Gate Road (elev. 2100).
This is the worst of the climb, about 1000 feet in 1½ miles (13%).
The grade was steady on decent fireroad so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.
After that it's a gentle coast down South Gate Road for a couple of miles to Rock City, then once you find the
Wall Point trail it's a fun and fast fireroad descent back to the car. The loop is about 10 miles.
Fireroads were in fair condition with a number of erosions and exposed rocky surfaces.
Comment [8½]: The climb to BBQ terrace
was more like a slave march than anything fun, but burning down the Wall Point fireroad at
sunset, with excellent views in either direction, is easily worth the effort.
You can ride to Rock City via Dan Cook Canyon for an easier climb, but you'll lose some of the panoramic vistas.
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Mount Diablo State Park: Dan Cook Canyon to the Summit
"A howling wind screamed outside the tower windows that we huddled within for
warmth, hungrily consuming the little food we had.
Thousands of feet below, on the flat plains that surrounded the peak, city lights sparkled
under the last few moment of dusk.
Our idea had been a good one: ride to the summit in the coolness of late afternoon,
catch sunset from the peak, then use the light of the full moon to guide us back down the mountain.
But the faint silvery glow around the periphery of cumulus formations
exposed the Achilles heel in our plan.
The diminished light was barely adequate to ride by once our leaden legs began to pedal.
But seduced by the subtle luminescence of moonlight across the rolling hillsides,
we joyfully rolled from the peak in laughing and carefree abandon."
(b. September 7, 2003)
Directions:
From Danville, this is a fairly direct route to the summit incorporating a short and easy stetch of singletrack
through Dan Cook canyon.
By car, from SF, after the Bay Bridge take 580 east toward Pleasanton,
then 24 west to Walnut Creek. Take 680 south to the Diablo Road exit, then turn left.
Drive 3 miles to Mt. Diablo Scenic Drive, which turns left. If there is any possibilility of returning
after sunset then park around here, otherwise there is street parking ahead on South Gate Road just beyond the gate.
On bike,
Follow Mt. Diablo Scenic Road to the entrance of the park, where the Summit Trail starts as singletrack
to your left. After it passes through Dan Cook Canyon, turn right on the fireroad to the Live
Oak picnic area near Rock City. Continue upward on South Gate Road to where the Summit Trail resumes to the right around BBQ Terrace.
You will cross over South Gate Road once, then at the second crossing you legally have to continue on to the summit
by road. There is no obvious loop down from the summit, but from Rock City there are different ways
to the Macedo Ranch staging area which isn't far from the start (see Rock City).
Profile: From the trailhead (elev. 750), it's a 3100-foot climb to the peak over 7½ miles. The 8% average
does add up after awhile, and is somewhat steeper along the fireroads which account for almost half the climb.
Fireroads in Mount Diablo often run 12-14%, streets a little less.
But it all goes straight up, so if you feel like you need to rest then
do it now instead of waiting for some flat area up ahead-- because it ain't coming. Dan Cook Canyon is the easiest
grade of the ride over pleasant singletrack to the start of the fireroad (elev. 900).
From there it is stiff climbing, particularly
at the beginning, to Live Oak (elev. 1500) over maybe a mile. As the Summit fireroad resumes (elev. 1900), the hard
climbing continues until you can legally go no further (elev. 2800). The last thousand vertical feet to the peak
(elev. 3850) is along the relatively moderate South Gate Road.
It is very straightfoward: grades climb stably with few technical distractions except for
plenty of loose dust late in the summer.
Comment [7]: This time of year was starting to show Autumn colors along Dan Cook Canyon, which also lit up near
the summit under the brilliant sunset.
Other than that, and the expected beautiful views all around, it was rather uninteresting riding
but not half-bad as a workout. We were happy with the exercise we got,
and thrilled by the novelty of navigating by moonlight. Yeah, real thrilled... until we found ourselves in Walnut Creek!
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This almost certainly won't happen to you, but
we made a wrong turn while moonriding from the summit back to Danville.
A ranger, stopping us to explain the park is closed after sunset,
broke the bad news that we were just outside Walnut Creek.
So here are street directions from Walnut Creek to Danville, which nobody seemed to know.
From where North Gate Road begins, follow Oak Grove Road a block to the start of Walnut Avenue,
and take that to Ygnacio Valley Road. Turn left-- for safety's sake ride on the sidewalk--
and head west until you are nearly at the 680 Freeway.
There's a Fuddruckers around here, serving food until 9:30ish on Sundays,
and although we prefer Chevy's we were pretty hungry.
The one-pound monster burgers weighed heavily in our bellies as we headed south on Main Street until it
crossed under 680 to become Danville Boulevard. Past
Alamo, in downtown Danville, turn left on Diablo Road which returns to the start.
After some trial and error, it added a good 20 miles.
Briones Regional Park: Bear Creek to the Alhambra Staging Area
"A dull haze settled on the water while crossing the Bay Bridge,
obscuring the dock machinery that would soon pass quickly by.
After parking at Bear Creek and
grinding up Crescent Ridge, a water-color panorama of shadowy ridgetops faded into the west,
hidden in moisture, one-by-one lost in the white air.
The unnerving destabilization of rear tire skids in steep mud gave ample pause to appreciate the fine views--
but on sunnier stretches grassy seedlings carpeted the trail and soil held firm under torsion from the cranks.
Reaching the ridgetop to the east, before us stretched the source of this unusual haze:
a dense, low cloudlayer on a determined westward march from the Central Valley, that streamed
quickly through higher passes along Briones Crest.
Crossing over the ridge, we descended into it's icy chill.
Darkness fell quickly, and the heater in my truck became
a comforting thought on the long cold ride back."
(b. January 19, 2003)
Directions: Almost every trail in Briones is legal, consequently there are many loops to put together.
From the Bear Creek and Alhambra Creek staging areas, multiple trails fan out
climbing up to the Briones Crest Trail that runs along the Central Ridge that bisects the park in half.
By car,
from the Bay Bridge take 580-E to 24-W toward Walnut Creek. In Lafayette
follow the offramp and signs to Upper Happy Valley Road, turn left at Happy Valley Road,
then right a few miles later onto Bear Creek Road.
Shortly thereafter is a left turn into Briones Park with a $4 entrance fee and gates that
lock at sunset-- but there is plenty of free parking along Bear Creek Road.
Also you can continue north
on Bear Creek Road to Alhambra Valley Road, turning right to the Alhambra Creek staging area.
On bike,
grab a free map at the trailhead.
My sense is that from either staging area, Old Briones Road is the easiest route to the crest.
Not that it's an easy climb, just the least among many evils.
So one way to structure a ride here is to take that route up, ride along the crest,
and pick a different trail back to the start.
For a longer ride you can do a figure 8 loop that hits both staging areas.
We took the Crescent trail up from Bear Creek, which was beautiful but hard to climb when it's muddy.
It's a hard climb anyway.
With short days it was dark by the time we descended to Alhambra Creek, and
since the moon was below the horizon and we had only one light between us, we took the roads back to the car.
Profile: The Bear Creek staging area is at 700 feet, and from there multiple trails lead up to
Briones Ridge which peaks at 1500 feet.
Each of these trails are around 3 miles, which wouldn't be so bad if it were a gradual climb.
The Crescent Ridge route we took, which reached Briones peak in 3.2 miles and was remarkably scenic,
was flat (or downhill) for long stretches-- but when we were climbing it was often on 15-20% grades still slick
from recent storms.
It's all fireroad-- there are reports of some singletrack, but as part of an East Bay Regional Preserve it would be
illegal. Riding the streets from Alhambra Valley to Bear Creek is mild, steady, and fairly continuous uphill.
It's hard to tell from the map the elevation at Alhambra Creek, but it's lower, about 400 feet.
Comment [8]: For being surrounded on all sides by city, Briones managed to not show it.
Views along the ridgetops were spectacular and made the steep muddy sections worth it.
The green hills and fog in the valleys late in the day made our ride especially scenic.
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Photo Exhibit
Briones Regional Park: Lafayette Ridge and Sunrise Loop
"Here was a lost world, with misty ridgeline after hidden valley fading to the west;
it all seemed so hidden within the encroaching metropolis coming from every direction.
Wheels glued to the soft fire road moist from the first winter rains,
rolling slowly, under a painful spin, like a slug at the speed limit of aerobic physiology.
Here was a climber's obstacle course that with each new turn and peak kept getting worse and worse.
As eagles soared the magnificent view pressed me along, chugging atop the crest of the roller coaster ridgeline,
over steep hillsides the color of dead brown,
between the first highlights of green grass newly sprouting at the edge of the trail."
(b. October 30, 2004)
Directions: This way offers an alternative route into the heart of Briones,
along the scenic roller coaster that is Lafayette Ridge. It is much more easily accessable
when driving to the trailhead, but probably more grueling by bike.
By car,
from the Bay Bridge take 580-E to 24-W toward Walnut Creek. In Lafayette, just after Mount Diablo
appears prominently across your windshield, take the Pleasant Hill offramp and get headed north on Pleasant
Hill road. In a half-mile you'll see the staging area to your left (you'll have
to make a U-turn at the next stop light to get there). Parking is free.
On bike,
you can grab a free map at the trailhead, although the online map is much better.
Start climbing the service road, following the signs, when they appear,
which is not always, to Lafayette Ridge Road. Past the farmstead, there is a wooden post which marks the end of the
easy, gradual climb. Turn right and head up the steep hill, which, rest assured, only gets worse.
Continue past the multi-use singletrack segment, to the three-way fork, with one left turn and two right
turns. Take the middle route, and enjoy this one and only flat section.
Don't get your hopes up because it only lasts a quarter mile.
Then the roller-coaster section begins, which climbs to the intersection with the Springhill Trail.
Continue on Lafayette Ridge to Briones Crest, then in a mile head down the
Sunrise Trail. After that, Springhill returns back up the ridge, but I couldn't find it, so had to hike up the
Buckeye Trail instead. Although I'm sure you can take the roads quickly back from the bottom of Sunrise,
you'd be missing a well-earned, and very fun, ride down Lafayette Ridge.
It ends up being three miles to the Springhill junction, six going there and back,
and the Sunrise loop adds another four.
Profile: The beginning of the ride is gradual climbing for the first mile from the staging area (elev. 350)
to the wooden post (elev. 700). Then it's steep climbing and descending
past the Springhill junction (elev. 1200) to Briones Crest (elev. 1300),
along an ever worsening sinusoid ridgeline that only ever briefly relents.
The Sunrise Trail is a screaming
silly-steep fire road descent (at least my disk brakes were screaming) down to a forested valley
(elev. 600), from which the awful Buckeye Trail climbs suddenly out of the canyon back up to Lafayette Ridge.
It was so steep that even pushing I had to stop and rest.
From the junction of Springhill and Layfayette Ridge though, the rest of the ride back was sheer joy.
Comment [7½]: This is where you go to prove you do not have an aortic
aneurysm about ready to burst. If you do, at least you were doing what you loved.
Lafayette Ridge is a hard but mostly ridable climb-- eventually you might have to hike a hill or two--
that has all the gorgeous scenery found throughout the park, with excellent vistas to the south and east.
Do the Sunrise Loop, or just keep going straight along Briones Crest.
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Pleasanton Ridge
"The little town of Sunol had escaped the suburbanization of the East Bay, keeping it's old
country feel, and passing beyond the outskirts we found ourselves on a thin and twisting rural highway.
After parking the truck, and riding the steady climb up to the ridge, noises from 680 faded with each steep hill we
crossed along the top.
The expansive views of cities along the flatlands to the east disappeared altogether
once we turned into the high meadows and pastures, and the feel of the back country grew with the thinning tracks.
Along the Sinbad Creek singletrack we climbed the top of the hill.
Here an oak clearing framed the fireroads continuing north over rolling grasslands and riparian groves,
deep within a hidden valley between Pleasanton and Sunol Ridge.
With the sun about to fall behind the hills, we turned around and saved this lost escape for a later ride.
(b. October 21, 2002)
Directions: Pleasanton Ridge is a long, narrow park. Most of the riding is done along a series of
circuits atop the hills and valleys of the ridgeline that overlooks the flood plain through which the 680 passes.
By car, cross the Bay Bridge, head south on 880, take 84 east through Fremont
then follow it out (aka Niles Canyon Road) to Sunol. Take the first left turn across the railroad tracks, then
turn right on Foothill immediately therafter. Follow Foothill Road a couple miles to the parking lot and grab a
free map at the trailhead.
On bike, follow the Oak Tree Trail up to the Ridgeline/Thermalito junction. A very typical Pleasanton Ridge
ride would be to head out on Ridgeline, and return along Thermalito. That alone wouldn't be a half-bad effort.
Or you can continue along Ridgeline for another loop, descending down the Sinbad Creek trail to Kilkare Canyon, then returning
back up to the ridge along the Bay Leaf Trail. Then you can continue further out along the Sinbad Creek singletrack, where
there are any number of potential loops in the remote northern section.
On our second ride here we headed straight out on Thermalito Trail, reconnected with the
Ridgeline Trail, then headed all the way to the end of the Sinbad Creek Trail.
Taking the Ridgeline trail all the way back, the ride ended up being close to 20 miles.
Profile: From the parking lot (elev. 280), the Oak Tree Trail to Ridgeline
is a 660-foot climb over 1.46 miles on a pretty consistent 8-9% grade. That's your warm-up.
The Ridgeline Trail continues north with many steep ups and downs (mostly ups) eventually reaching an elevation
close to 1600. It continues like this for for 3 miles to the start of the Sinbad Creek Trail (elev. 1500),
which descends to Kilkare Canyon (elev. 1000) in .85 miles.
Once in the valley the fireroad is pretty flat to the Bay Leaf Trail,
then a smooth .95 mile climb back up to Ridgeline (elev. 1500).
If you still want to keep going, you're probably in good shape and don't need to worry too much about the profile.
I'll just say the singletrack route to the north climbs about 320 feet each way, rather steeply on the side heading out,
and very steeply on the side heading back.
Enjoy the loops to the north if you have the time and stamina.
Due to time constraints we stayed on the the Sinbad Creek Trail
which was a very mild ascent (elev. 1100-1200) to the end of the park.
Comment [6]: It seems to be a popular spot (parking is free)
and is classic East Bay riding: smooth fireroad steeply climbing
over grassy hills and ridges with scattered oaks here and there. But then it keeps going just like that on and on.
Most other East Bay rides seem to offer a little more... something. But it's great for after work exercise, and
does offers panoramic views of Mount Diablo, Sunol Ridge and Mission Peak.
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Sunol Regional Wilderness: Cerro Este and Vista Grande Loop
"Living near the Golden Gate, one must travel to remember what summer is like.
Deep within the barn, hidden from the draining rays of the sun,
that was my only explanation for why we started this ride around noon.
In this dark oasis of spider webs and shade, through which a merciful crosswind blew from the west,
I gazed outside as a lizard scampered along the wooden fence.
As sips of hot fluid moistened dry lips,
it was the kind of day where I wondered if water could be absorbed at the rate it was being exhaled.
We had just finished the stepwise grind to the Cerro Este lookout, hundreds of feet above,
whose punctuated steep grades pushed beyond aerobic capacity but the stretches between were never flat enough to recover.
Climbing dead hillsides above the dirty haze,
only hardy oak leaves remained green to cast fleeting shadows across the open trail.
From atop the lookout a broad field stretched out below,
where the desolate High Valley ranch offered the only hope of respite from the bright sun that burned high above.
(b. August 26, 2002)
Directions: There are three bikable loops in the park: Cerro Este, Vista Grande and Maguire Peak.
We checked out the first two. By car, probably the most expedient way from San Francisco is to cross
the Bay Bridge then follow 580-E to Pleasanton and 680-S to Calaveras
Road at the 84 junction. Take Calaveras south to Geary which goes to the reserve. It costs $4 to park
and there is no convenient street parking option. Gates lock at sunset.
On bike, at the end of the paved road continue on Camp Ohlone Road through Little Yosemite.
Turn left on Cerro Este fireroad and climb to the lookout.
If you're feeling pumped then take the side trail up to the peak and back, otherwise coast down to the barn in High Valley.
Heading down Hayfield back to the car would have offered a perfectly satisfying loop, but
we took High Valley Road north and turned right on Vista Grande fireroad to the second lookout,
then down to Welch Creek Road turning left toward Calaveras.
We had planned to check out the Maguire Peak loop,
but overheated we called it a day and headed back to the car.
Profile: After a short warmup from the parking lot (elev. 400) along Camp Ohlone Road,
the bulk of the climbing is an 1100-foot grind over 1.8 miles up Cerro Este Road
to the lookout (elev. 1720) along a steep, uneven grade. Just when you think it
can't possibly climb like that anymore and maintain a 12% average, it does, and keeps going.
The side trail from the lookout to the peak (elev. 2200) over .85 miles didn't look any better.
Otherwise the fireroad continues down to High Valley ranch (elev. 1040) in 1.4 miles,
and Hayfield Road returns to the parking lot in .8 miles.
If continuing north instead, a right turn on Vista Grande offers more of the same painful climbing
in bursts that rose and fell steeply for 1 mile to the lookout (elev. 1700)
before coasting .4 miles to Welch Creek Road. High Valley fireroad also continues directly to Welch Creek, where you can
hook up with the Maguire Loop (a short distance down the road) which the map calls "medium slope."
Yeah? Medium for where?
Comment [6]: Summer, particularly midday, is a lousy time to go, which isn't too suprising
but I just had to say it.
It would probably score a point or two higher any other season with cooler weather, brighter colors,
and less haze obscuring the views.
You can skip Vista Grande if you did Cerro Este because it's more of the same kind of climbing
and you don't really see anything new.
Doing it over I'd take the extra 500 foot climb to the peak and call it a ride, coasting down
to High Valley then taking Hayfied back to the car--
or if it were cooler then maybe checking out the Maguire loop as well.
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To pay or not to pay... Given the ease bikes can travel along roads, it's a natural temptation
to avoid entrance fees to public parks by parking along the street and biking in.
I wonder, however, if that creates an impression that bikers aren't doing their part for our parks.
But if the gates are locked at sundown, and we leave close to that time to avoid the midday heat,
and if there is an equipment failure to slow us down, or we get lost, or the trip just takes longer than planned,
then it's an expensive ticket for getting back late. We paid the $4 at Sunol because it was no where near dusk
and the closest you can legally park is by the tree nursery along Calaveras several miles away. My impression
is that the money maintains parking lots, picnic tables, and cleanup, which doesn't apply to us, but no point in
bickering.
Del Valle Regional Park: East Shore Trail
"The random eddies of balmy breeze carried though the canyon the scent of an idyllic
summer day. Floating in the distant music of lively
picnics, drifting across broad lawns leading to the shore, was the barbecue smell of burning fat.
As we rode west along the sandy beach, boats drifted by with limp fishing lines dangling from thier poles.
The hypnotic sparkle of sun in clear water conjured a lazy stupor
and wishes the road would just stay flat as it passed along the lake.
But fast as chain suck on a down shift, the edge of Badger Bay opened to the harsh realities of a mountain biker's life.
Here we saw the trail ahead rising steeply over several ridges to the final summit above the dam.
With a crushed sense of hope we cranked onward into the hills."
(b. October 5, 2002)
Directions: By car, from the Bay Bridge take 580-E to Livermore, then take the North Livermore Avenue
exit and head south through Livermore. It becomes South Livermore Avenue, then Tesla Road after a bend on the outskirts
of town. The next right turn should be Mines Avenue, and follow that to Del Valle road and the Park Entrance ($5).
Alternatively you can start the ride at the cheaper Arroyo Road entrance (only $2, self-pay) on the other end of the lake.
Heading south on South Livermore Avenue, turn right on Stanley
then a quick left on Arroyo Road and follow it to where it ends at the parking lot.
On bike, either way, follow the East Shore Trail from one parking lot to the other and back,
or if you wish you can loop into
the hills around the main parking lot. If leaving from the
main entrance you may want to end the ride at the two-way lookout under the oak tree, saving yourself the
climb back out of the Arroyo Road parking lot.
Profile: In either direction, as you pass along the shore of the lake you'll be crossing over at least
four ridges, each climbing 200-300 feet above the elevation of the lake. It adds up.
Most aren't terribly steep, with two
exceptions: hill #2 and #3 leaving the main park area have sustained slopes reaching well into the teens. If you
don't bonk on those you're in good shape for the rest of the ride. Heading back to the main park area the
rest of the climbs are better. Fireroads are wide, smooth, and if it weren't for slippery gravel it was almost
like riding on streets. It's just over 7 miles from one parking lot to the other.
Comment [4½]: The ride along the lake was pretty, but didn't really seem worth the effort, and $5 felt
a little pricey (admittedly the facilities are extensive).
The fireroads, just short of streets, were unchallenging except for the anaerobic spurts.
Probably better to go boating or fishing here. Maybe take a little swim...
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Morgan Territory: Valley View Loop
"A quiver ran through my legs as I
gazed toward the twin peaks of Mount Diablo that rose prominently between rolling valleys.
We rode atop the Black Hills, a rolling ridgeline towering above the San Joaquin valley spreading out to the east.
Now golden this late October evening, the hills awaited their green tranformation after the rains.
A perfectly spaced oak forest proceded in an oddly mysterious fashion across remote hilltops,
like there was something more, something not quite seen."
(b. October 19, 2003)
Directions:
Morgan Territories lies atop the Black Hills, a range east of Mount Diablo.
This quick loop travels through the east side of the park to a vista point that looks right over the San Joaquin valley.
By car, from the Bay Bridge take 580 east to Livermore, then exit on North Livermore Avenue turning left (north)
to Morgan Territories road. Turn right, heading up into the hills. It is one-lane road for most of it.
After 6 miles, the parking lot is on your right. There were plenty of free maps.
On bike, take the Volvon trail to Blue Oak, then when you get to the Valley View loop turn right
looping counterclockwise. Return along the Volvon Trail.
Profile:
Kenny was sick, and I was feeling like a slug, so we wanted something easy, but this wasn't quite it.
It's pretty easy on the way out, but then descends very steeply on Valley View to the vista point.
It quickly climbs back up to the ridge, in sharp, step-wise climbs.
Then it's hills and valleys all the way back.
The loop is 7 miles of wide, smooth fireroad.
I'm not giving elevations because I wonder if the map is right.
It felt like a lot more vertical than hard numbers reveal.
The map shows a 200 foot climb from Valley View to the ridge, but it felt to us at least twice that,
and we've been around. Maybe it was just the day, or misplaced expectations, or whatever.
Comment [7½]:
What amazed us was just how scenic this area is, even in mid-October.
The scattered oaks on soft hills had a mystical, unblemished feel.
We saw rare views of Diablo, the American River delta, and the Central Valley beyond.
Unfortunately it is all on very wide fireroads.
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Black Diamond Mines
"As the Stewartville Trail turned right at the park boundary, I paused briefly to see if
the wall of switchbacks winding precariously skyward was the route we were really supposed to take.
Until now this had been a pleasant ride along dry creeks and grazing lands,
whose hills were decorated with strange and mystical patterns composed of rippling lines of shale.
The sunny ridgetops, with sparse oaks along the slopes,
were now golden in the summer while the silhouette of Mount Diablo ruled the skyline to the south.
My gaze followed the top of the canyon wall and couldn't help notice the yellow grasses
contrasting against the deep blue high above.
My dry lips tasted of dust from the summer air during the
slow struggle upward, taking peeks down the side of the fireroad that dropped vertically to the broad canyon far below.
Ultimately we would press on westward, past the main station through windy passes, to the high forests of
coulter pines and manzanitas on jagged volcanic peaks." (b. August 4, 2002)
Directions:
This figure 8 loop across the park starts at the low point near the Contra Loma reservoir
and connects the various mining exhibits you can visit.
Bicycles are not allowed on any fireroad less than 8 feet wide, so if you're looking for technical look elsewhere.
By car, after crossing the Bay Bridge from San Francisco follow 580 east toward Stockton,
and shortly thereafter take 24 west then north on 680 at Walnut Creek. Continue on 242N to 4E. In Antioch, take
the Lone Tree exit right. Follow the signs to Contra Loma Park, turning right on Golf Course Road and another right on
Frederickson to the dirt parking area just before the reservoir entrance.
On bike, trails aren't marked particularly well so bring a map.
The map link below worked okay for us, but the free ones at the central parking lot have better contour
information. Take the Stewartville trail to the visitors center, checking out the Prospect Tunnel,
Star Mine, and sites around the Somersville townsite.
Continue west on the Nortonville trail past Rose Hill cemetary, over the pass, and down to Nortonville Road.
Climb the Black Diamond Trail checking out Jim's Place and the Airshaft,
then loop around to the Nortonville pass and return to Somersville.
By now it was dark so we took the roads back, but a preferable route would be to climb Stewartsville Trail,
then follow the Ridge Trail and Contra Loma Trail back to the start.
Profile:
Here "Black Diamonds" is a historic reference to coal, but the soft gravel fireroads and ongoing climbs made this ride exhausting.
Stewartville starts out from the trailhead (elev. 250) casual enough as it passes through a broad scenic valley.
You'll climb 450 feet over a relaxed 3.2 miles, until the Stewartville loses it's friendly character and
switchbacks up "The Wall," climing another 450 feet in about half a mile as it crosses over the ridge (elev. 1150)
and down to the visitors center (elev. 718).
Continuing west, the Nortonville trail climbs a steady 400 feet over one mile
through a pass (elev. 1100) and descends to Nortonville road. From there, the Black Diamond Trail climbs 800 feet
to the high point of the ride (elev. 1600) over 1.4 miles, half of it on pavement.
Then it's mostly downhill back to the visitors center.
It's another 400 foot climb over 0.5 miles back up Stewartville to the Ridge Trail,
which (from the contour map) maintains 1100 feet up and down before descending the Contra Loma
Trail and back to the parking lot.
The overall distance is: 4.5 miles from the parking lot to the visitors center along Stewartville,
7 miles for the Nortonville/Black Diamond loop, and 3.5 miles back to the parking lot along the Ridge Trail.
Add at least a couple miles if you go looking for the various mining sites.
Comment [8½]: The smooth gravelly fireroads rolling along scenic ridges and valleys
with historical sites makes this the Marin Headlands of the east bay. Even well into summer, the steep golden
hillsides with strange geological formations were enchanting. There isn't much here for the technical rider,
but it turned out to be a fine workout with plenty to explore. You won't appreciate the extra weight, but consider bringing
a flashlight for the Prospect Tunnel.
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Web Page -
Map Link -
mtbREVIEW.com
Rockville Park
"In the evening's mid-summer warmth, bluebellies clung to the dust covered-rocks: darting, halting, watching,
then scampering off, into the dry grasses and brush.
In a mood of levity, and pleasure and fun,
suspension coils collapsed and streched holding black rubber against dense stone.
Pressing under strain, bounding in the flats, tires held fast through
thick rock gardens climbing up the lakeside path.
Singletrack rolled over and down the hills,
rising above green fertile valleys flowing down to the San Joaquin."
(b. July 25, 2004)
Directions:
This well-known mountain bike playground, at the far edge of the east bay,
must have once been a motorcycle park or something because little trails criss-cross everywhere.
By car, from the Bay Bridge, take 80 east past Vallejo to downtown Fairfield,
then exit at Suisun Valley Road and turn left.
In a couple miles turn left on Rockville Road, and then you should see the sign to the park in another mile.
Parking is free, but the gates lock at dusk. There is nearby parking along the road.
On bike, take the fire road up the first hill, then at the top continue straight past the
bulletin board to the lake. This is the central landmark-- all the surrounding ridges are fair game.
If you see a hill, climb it; if you find a gnarly rock garden, it's yours.
The whole park is hardly larger than a square mile, so it would be hard to get very lost.
Locals seemed more than willing to share with us their favorite trails.
Profile:
From the parking lot (elev. 100), the first ride up to the lake (elev. 300) is a short and fairly steep climb,
but you'll see the interesting geological formations where Rockville gets it name.
The surrounding hills reach elevations of just above 500 feet.
While any climbing you do comes in fairly small bits and pieces, it can get about as technical
as you want on the far, northern side of the lake.
Here, there are some rock gardens that wouldn't be half bad training for Oat Hill Mine Road.
Also, plenty of fast downhill sections are scattered along the hills.
Comment [8]: Being so small, I was worried it wouldn't be worth the $6 in toll fees
that it now takes to get there from San Francisco. But it was well worth every penny, and more!
It's very fun, and can be as easy as you want it to be, or maybe as hard.
There could be more of it, but as it is we won't complain.
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Web Page -
Map Links -
mtbREVIEW.com #1 and
#2
Other Rides... perhaps worthwhile as a climbing workout if you live in Danville,
we rode the Madrone Trail in Las Trampas
(8/17/03) starting from the end of Camille.
Typical East Bay misery-- it started with a gutbusting 600-foot ascent up a 17% grade, and with what was
left we continued northward over hill and dale before descending Las Trampas Road
to Danville Blvd. Starting in downtown Danville provided
a minimally adequate warm-up to the trailhead.
Come to think of it, if that's where you live better climbing workouts shouldn't be hard to find...
Photos
Click to expand
In Joaquin Miller Park in the hills above Oakland, here's a shot from the Bayview-Sequoia Trail.
Along this route, brief but technical singletrack branches right and left.
The park was once the home of the infamous poet.
Cows are a regular encounter in East Bay regional preserves and Point Reyes,
and they love to sit in the middle of fireroads. Big ones can take up the whole road, and sometimes they won't move!
Here's a shot climbing the Peak Meadow trail toward the summit of Mission Peak.
The next shot is of Tilden later in the season.
Wildflowers are abundant outside the fence, but strangely rare inside where the cows graze. Hmmmm.
In Morgan Territory, gazing across the top of the Black Hill range, toward Mount Diablo in the distance.
From inside the barn at High Valley Ranch in Sunol, gazing outward toward Cerro Este peak. Man it's hot out there.
It was hot in the shade too, and the water in my Camelbak was hot.
Entrace to the Prospect shaft in Black Diamond mines. It requires about 200 feet of poached singletrack to get here,
but this is at the far outskirts of the park and no ranger was to be seen for miles.
I understand the shaft goes 400 feet into the mountain, but without a light we didn't go far past 100.
A helmet light would have been just the thing. Wonder if any cougars live inside??
Passing along the Wall Point Fireroad near sunset, just beyond Rock City.
Ahead is one of the funner fireroad descents in the area... just steep enough to build speed
but never conjuring true terror.
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Links
The East Bay Regional Park District
oversees much of the parklands in the area.
They are very protective, way more so than the Midpeninsula Open Space District and even more than
the U.S. and California Park services, who usually throw bikers an occasional remote piece of singletrack.
Except for a brief bit of legal singletrack in Pleasanton Ridge on the Sinbad Creek Trail, it's all been fireroads here.
The website for the Mount Diablo Interpretative Association
offers some interesting facts, including the natural and cultural history of the region.
They also try to sell you a map for ten bucks, although lately you can get them online from the
California State Parks website (see Map Links under Mount Diablo above).
Oh, no... not this guy again. (See his other letter in China Camp links.) This time he "borrowed"
his "friend's" mountain bike to take it for a little spin around Briones.
What I wouldn't give for a picture of him speeding down the Abrigo Valley trail.
Now I'm kinda curious what he has a Ph.D. in.
And he just keeps them coming!
Here's one more enjoyable bit of silliness about Pleasanton Ridge.
Feel free to look at my
photo exhibit to see how badly the
singletrack and fire roads there are truly damaged by heavy biking.
Not only does this stylish site offer pictures of Joaquin Miller Park,
it also fills you in on a little bit of the
controversy and general principals of trail use conflicts...
Okay, now I'm wondering WHERE our friend got his degree.
This time he had me laughing out loud... and I even agree with the addiction part (although, as usual, doubt the facts he reported).
Back to top.
Back home.
In Joaquin Miller Park in the hills above Oakland, here's a shot from the Bayview-Sequoia Trail.
Along this route, brief but technical singletrack branches right and left.
The park was once the home of the infamous poet.
Cows are a regular encounter in East Bay regional preserves and Point Reyes,
and they love to sit in the middle of fireroads. Big ones can take up the whole road, and sometimes they won't move!
Here's a shot climbing the Peak Meadow trail toward the summit of Mission Peak.
The next shot is of Tilden later in the season.
Wildflowers are abundant outside the fence, but strangely rare inside where the cows graze. Hmmmm.
In Morgan Territory, gazing across the top of the Black Hill range, toward Mount Diablo in the distance.
From inside the barn at High Valley Ranch in Sunol, gazing outward toward Cerro Este peak. Man it's hot out there.
It was hot in the shade too, and the water in my Camelbak was hot.
Entrace to the Prospect shaft in Black Diamond mines. It requires about 200 feet of poached singletrack to get here,
but this is at the far outskirts of the park and no ranger was to be seen for miles.
I understand the shaft goes 400 feet into the mountain, but without a light we didn't go far past 100.
A helmet light would have been just the thing. Wonder if any cougars live inside??
Passing along the Wall Point Fireroad near sunset, just beyond Rock City.
Ahead is one of the funner fireroad descents in the area... just steep enough to build speed
but never conjuring true terror.