# Fremont riders...



## rfrancisco (Feb 2, 2004)

Has anyone gone up Mill Creek Rd. in the Mission San Jose area of Fremont? If so how long is the road and how steep is the grade? Saw it on a Google Earth map, looks like a single lane road going near the Mission Peak summit. Thanks

Rick


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

I have no first-hand knowledge of Mill Creek Road, but someone has posted a bikely route that goes up over Mill Creek and surprisingly goes through down to Calaveras Road! I think it goes through canyons behind Mission Peak and doesn't go up towards its summit. 

It has been tagged as a "difficult, recreational, on-road" ride and bikely climbs 2000 feet of ascent (probably exaggerated). Google map's satellite confirms that there is some kind of road that goes all the way through. It looks paved all the way up until the end of the marked road on google maps, but beyond that it looks unpaved and I would guess rutted and relatively unmaintained. I think you'd want a mountain bike or cross bike to go all the way through, but the first part is _probably_ fine on a road bike. It appears to be an access road to remote ranches and houses. You'd have to check to see whether it is a private road or public access too. If you ride this please report back. It looks interesting!

Ahah, ACTC's Billy Goat page rates this as a 4 (out of 6), 1500 feet in 4.4 miles. It is very likely ridable up to its summit on a road bike and public access.


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## rfrancisco (Feb 2, 2004)

*Thanks ukbloke....*

I will be checking this out this coming Sunday with my small group of riders, will make a interesting addition to our Sunday loop. Should make it about a 40 miler from north SJ to Mission SJ + Mill Creek Rd. back to north SJ. Anybody want to join us ? Meet at Starbucks @ Old Oakland Rd and Brokaw 8am - 815am


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## rfrancisco (Feb 2, 2004)

*Made it to the TOP*

Reporting back on this ride, couldn't have pick a better day to do this ride. Started off on the cool side, rode up Hostetter Rd. to Piedmont Rd. north via Evans Rd.- No. Park Victoria, down Scott Creek, rt on Warm Springs to Grimmer to Mission Blvd. Stop for short coffee and blueberry scone (Yummy) at the Mission Roasting Co. Back on to Mission Blvd about 500m north of the Mission made a right on to Mill Creek Rd. The road goes up as soon as you hit it, 3% - 5% for the first mile and 3/4, from mile 2 to 3 and 1/2 the grade goes from 6% to 9%, then the last mile 6% to 4%. Traffic way very light counted only 5 vehicles going up and down, the roads surface was good for climbing, but rough on the way down. Some section where like riding up cobblestone, some smooth resurfaced areas. This was a one lane road with some turnouts for passing, Made it to the top and touch the summits gate. Will post pic's when I down load them to the pc. Cheers.


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## rfrancisco (Feb 2, 2004)

*Pic's of Mill Creek*

Hi All, Here are some pic's from the ride not the best, used a cell phone camera need to get a good compact digital point and shoot camera. The 1st pic is of a new vineyard, 2nd is of the gate at the end of the road, 3rd looking towards Oakland, 4th looking to Sunol, and the 5th heading down hill. Cheers


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Thanks for the ride report and pictures. It looks like an interesting ride. Is that a "no cycling" sign on the gate for the road beyond? What did the other signs say?


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## rfrancisco (Feb 2, 2004)

Yes, the "no cycling" is for the road past the gate, private road. The other sign is for no trespassing private property. About 0.5 mile down from the gate you can enter the Mission Peak regional park and if you had a mt bike or cx bike you can ride to the Calaveras reservoir. Also the ride up Mill Creek is cover with trees 70% of the time. Cheers


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## robwh9 (Sep 2, 2004)

*Too bad about the road being closed.*



rfrancisco said:


> Yes, the "no cycling" is for the road past the gate, private road. The other sign is for no trespassing private property. About 0.5 mile down from the gate you can enter the Mission Peak regional park and if you had a mt bike or cx bike you can ride to the Calaveras reservoir. Also the ride up Mill Creek is cover with trees 70% of the time. Cheers


That would have made a nice loop.

I'm somewhat skeptical about being able to ride to Calaveras reservoir. The only thing I see that meets Calaveras Road is a trail that says no bicycles. I haven't checked a map, though.

Edit: Google maps shows Downing + Weller Roads. Anybody know about them?

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourcei...code_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CA8Q8gEwAA


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

They are in the Mission Peak Regional Reserve. There is an elaborate set of trails, and bikes are allowed on some. See the Peak Trail and Bay Area Ridge Trail on the map on this page. These are not going to be paved, so you will probably want a mountain bike, or maybe a road/cross bike set up for rough trails.


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## rfrancisco (Feb 2, 2004)

*Saw the map for Mission Peak....*

Too bad about the trail to Calaveras reservoir, it seems that the SF Water District does not like bikes on it land, ok for hiking and horses plus you need to buy a permit to use the trail. Can always get to Calaveras rd. thu Ed Levin park, will try it on my cx bike in a few weeks :thumbsup: Cheers


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