Friday, May 21, 2010

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I lead this ride up Diablo starting from Heather Farm in Walnut Creek. We take the Canal & Iron Horse Trails to Danville Blvd and continue on Stone Valley, Green Valley and Diablo Rd. Taking the “hole in the fence” allows us to bypass the bad pavement on Mt Diablo Scenic Blvd.

Mt Diablo stands 3849′ tall. The climbing is great with good pavement and little traffic on a weekday. South Gate Rd is 7 miles with an average gradient of 4.5%. Water and restrooms are available at the junction/Ranger Station.

The climb up Summit Rd is an additional 4.6 miles with the average gradient increasing to 7%. The views are fantastic and make you realize how much work you’ve done already. The road eases up for about a mile before you reach the last 200 yards aka, “the wall” to the summit. This stretch hits a max gradient of 18%. The descent down North Gate Rd is 7.8 miles long.

Thanks to everyone for joining me for this ride up Diablo!

12 people in attendance

38 miles with 3969′ of elevation gain

Weather: Cloudy skies, temps at the summit 43, winds 20+mph

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>KEEP RIDING!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>