# Mt. Hamilton



## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

I recently stumbled across some pictures of a ride I did up Mt. Hamilton, back in August 2003. For a while, some friends and I would do an after work ride up Mt. Hamilton Road every Wednesday. It's a 20 mile climb out of San Jose, and I'm guessing it's about a 4500 foot climb, total. The summit is 4200 feet, but there are a couple of descents along the way that add to the climbing total. The grade never gets very steep. The road was built in 1876 to to transport the materials and the mirrors for the Lick Observatory telescopes at the top, and it averages about 5%. 

The climb is broken into three parts. The first part starts off in a residential neighborhood known as Alum Rock. This is an old neighborhood of San Jose, and there are still ranches lining the road. There are more and more McMansions appearing in their place.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Looking back towards San Francisco bay, about a mile or two from the start. You can see the bay if you look hard. Kind of a foggy day!


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

After climbing for a few miles, you go over the top of the first ridge, which is the end of part one. A fast, twisting descent into a Halls Valley takes you to Grant Ranch, the largest park in Santa Clara County. There are lots of hiking trails, and some mountain biking, too. In summer it's very hot, and the climbs are absolutely brutal!


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Out of Halls Valley, the second part of the climb begins. This picture is from the top of the second climb, offering a nice view of the Lick Observatory at the summit. That's where we are going.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

After another descent, the final climb begins. We won't stop climbing until the top. We're now high enough that we risk running into snow after a good winter storm. 

Looking back down the road, you can see the two ridges we climbed. Did I mention that this road was narrow and very twisty? In the 2008 Tour of California, the race descended the side we are climbing. George Hincapie had been dropped by the leaders on the way up the other side, but he tore down this descent like a crazy man, caught the leaders and didn't slow down. At the bottom, he was in the lead, alone, by 45 seconds. You've either got to be really good or insane to do something like that!


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Here we are, at the top. The Lick Observatory was built here back in the 1880s, and was a premier observatory for many years. It still does important research. There are a lot of telescopes and other instruments up here, on various peaks. 

This is only the main building. The big dome contains the 36-inch refractor. The small dome contains the 40-inch (1 meter) Nickel Reflector.

There's actually a slightly higher peak a little further up the road, called Mt. Copernicus that has the 120-inch Shane Reflector and a Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Looking southwest from the top, in the direction of Monterey. You can see the dome that houses the 36-inch Crossley Reflector, and if you look closely, you can see the road we came up on, wrapping around it.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

My artsy fartsy shot of the day...


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Climbing Hamilton is a rite of passage for cyclists around here. It's the biggest and longest climb in the area, and it has a relatively gentle grade. It's not unusual to find lots of cyclists on the mountain, and this one gave something back, putting a bench at the summit to rest on. Maybe someone from ACTC knows the story about Jeanne Meadows?


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

This is an after work ride, so we can't stay at the summit for very long. It gets pretty cold up here and we are going to run out of light if we wait too long. The descent is long, technical, and dangerous (unless you are George Hincapie). There's lots of sand and small rocks in random places, so I never really bomb this one. And remember, those descents on the way up become climbs on the way down!

Last year, the CEO of my company was descending this road when he went around a corner too wide and went off the road avoiding a car. He destroyed his custom Parlee and broke his neck. As the story goes, the driver of the car stopped and asked he she could help. The CEO couldn't talk, so he dialed 911 on his phone and just handed it to her. A ranger happened to come by and held his head stationary for 90 minutes until help arrived. He's fine now, although he has some titanium pieces in his neck. He had a new Parlee ordered within a couple of days.

This is another shot looking back towards the top. You can see the main building, and the separate building for the Crossley to the right.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

A final shot, on our descent. The sun is finally going down, and the bay is blanketed by fog. It's almost 9PM!


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## thinkcooper (Jan 5, 2005)

When are we gonna do Hamilton?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

That last photo is to die for!

Nice, nice ride report.


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## snapdragen (Jan 28, 2004)

Nice MC! I've never ridden Hamilton, I'm not very confident on long twisty downhills. The closest I came was driving SAG support for the Mt Hamilton Challenge -- not that any of the riders need support. They were some of the best as far as skills, being prepared, and self sufficiency.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

thinkcooper said:


> When are we gonna do Hamilton?


I'm going to cop out and say that now is not the best time to do Hamilton, and we should wait until Spring. By then, either I'll be in some kind of shape to do it, or you will have forgotten all about it!

Sounds like me, you, and snap need to take a run up it sometime!


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## thinkcooper (Jan 5, 2005)

mohair_chair said:


> I'm going to cop out and say that now is not the best time to do Hamilton, and we should wait until Spring. By then, either I'll be in some kind of shape to do it, or you will have forgotten all about it!
> 
> Sounds like me, you, and snap need to take a run up it sometime!


Tony - sometimerider wants to do it as well... My preference - your first option.


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## ProRoad (Oct 13, 2008)

Sweet pics!

I won a race there once. Remember the Quicksilver mtb race? I there a park at the top somewhere?

Oh sorry, "Grant Ranch, the largest park in Santa Clara County"
Brian


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Many years ago I did Grant Ranch on my brother's borrowed mtb on a brutal hot summer day. Thought I was gonna die. Texas has got nothing on that area for "sun beating down" actor. Would love to do Hamilton sometime.

Are there ever any moonlight rides up there? I bet the view is awesome on a clear night.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

MB1 said:


> That last photo is to die for!


That's high praise, coming from you. I took that shot while I was rolling, totally looking into the sun. I had no idea what I got until I got down the mountain. If you look closely, you can see the three friends I was riding with. The first one is just about to round the corner.


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

I've only done Hamilton once, but I love it. If it weren't so far from San Mateo I'd definitely do it more often. I was putting in a pretty serious effort when I did it, and as I made my way past another cyclist near the top, the guy gave me a "go dude, go!", which really cracked me up.

Mt. Hamilton is on the Low-Key Hillclimbs schedule this coming Thursday. I've been sick all week so I'll probably pass on it, but I'll see how I feel then.

http://lowkeyhillclimbs.com/2008/


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## YuriB (Mar 24, 2005)

That looks and sounds like a sweet ride.


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## snapdragen (Jan 28, 2004)

If I were to make it up, someone would have to drive me back down.......:blush2:


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## BSAMach1 (Jul 31, 2005)

Nice pictures! I did Mt Hamilton for the first time on Thanksgiving Day this year, though I wasn't involved in the Low Key series; I just happened to ride at roughly the same time. I was a bit worried about the descents, particularly after rain the previous night, but it turned out to be uneventful. I rode from home in Sunnyvale/Mtn View, so it was an 80 mile roundtrip. With the morning fog and low clouds the climb was scenic enough that I almost rode off the edge on an occasion while climbing, because I was fixated at the view.


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## Leopold Porkstacker (Jul 15, 2005)

I’ve lived in the bay area for almost four decades and STILL haven’t biked Mount Hamilton. Have been up it in cars many times though.


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## Miiles (Oct 25, 2008)

I'm pretty sure that Henry W. Coe State Park is the largest park in Santa Clara County, at 86,000 acres, and not Grant Ranch. But I'm not sure.

I'm excited for the day when I'm fit enough to do this climb again.


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## JoeDaddio (Sep 3, 2005)

Great pix, great report. And I really like that last picture.


joe


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Miiles said:


> I'm pretty sure that Henry W. Coe State Park is the largest park in Santa Clara County, at 86,000 acres, and not Grant Ranch. But I'm not sure.


Henry Coe might be located in Santa Clara County, but it is not a county park. It's a state park. Joseph D. Grant County Park is the largest of Santa Clara County's regional park and recreation areas.


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## the_dude (Jun 25, 2004)

MB1 said:


> That last photo is to die for!
> 
> Nice, nice ride report.




i concur wholeheartedly with both observations. splendid.


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## imjps (Feb 15, 2005)

Anybody can ride Mt. Hamilton....from the west side. The ascent from the east side is the true way to tackle this mountain.

Either way, it's a fun climb. Let me know when you're doing this. I'd love to join in.

jps


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## cpcritter (Sep 24, 2008)

Final photo is my desktop wallpaper, until I go to Podium Girls section.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

imjps said:


> Anybody can ride Mt. Hamilton....from the west side. The ascent from the east side is the true way to tackle this mountain.


I've done it a few times from the east. San Antonio Road. We would climb from San Jose, go over the top, then down the backside and out to "The Junction," which is the roadhouse type place at Del Puerto. Then we turn around and go back the way we came.

There's basically nothing between the top and the junction, and it's a desert out there. No water, no shade. In the summer it's hot as hell. The asphalt on the backside climb actually melts. Then you get to the top of Hamilton and there's not much there either. If the observatory is open you can get water and there's a vending machine that sells cokes, but otherwise, you know where to find the hose if you want water. It's a tough ride.

Once I was so completely wasted when I got to the bottom of the east climb, I knew I wouldn't make it up. There was a guy in a pickup truck parked there, so I threw my bike in the back of the truck, then asked if he was going up. He was. I would have been happy sitting in the bed, but his wife and kid moved to the back seat of the cab so I could have the front. I felt awful when I got out, because I left a sweat spot on the seat. Next time I insist on riding in the bed!


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## imjps (Feb 15, 2005)

mohair_chair said:


> ...
> There's basically nothing between the top and the junction, and it's a desert out there. No water, no shade. In the summer it's hot as hell....


Great story. 

I don't think I would ever try to ride from the east in the heat of the summer unless it's going to be a mild day. I've ridden from Livermore to Hamilton summit in Fall, Winter & Spring seasons. Spring being very intense with all the flowers in bloom. 

I think that ride is one of my all time fav's.

jps


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## ratpick (Jul 31, 2008)

There's an annual New Year's Day ride up Mt Hamilton, right? I don't see anything posted here - anybody know where to get some info?


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## RedRex (Oct 24, 2004)

mohair_chair said:


> I'm going to cop out and say that now is not the best time to do Hamilton, and we should wait until Spring.!



Devil Mountain Double is in May or April, can't remember. It will be my fourth and Hamilton comes after Diablo, Morgan Territory, and Altamont. I shudder just thinking about it...

nice photos. Brings back memories for sure.


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