# Who wants free beer



## Paralizer (Jan 26, 2009)

Okay I'll admit this was a dasterdly way of getting your attention but...
Would anyone be interested in meeting me at Pleasant Hill BART tomorrow morning for a run up Mt Diablo? It would be my first time and I wouldn't mind having someone who is familiar with the route as I'm a Penninsula/City guy. I would repay you with an all expenses paid trip to my favorite microbrewery for beer and food, Buffalo Bills in Hayward. Realizing it's last minute, anyone interested?


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Paralizer said:


> Okay I'll admit this was a dasterdly way of getting your attention but...
> Would anyone be interested in meeting me at Pleasant Hill BART tomorrow morning for a run up Mt Diablo? It would be my first time and I wouldn't mind having someone who is familiar with the route as I'm a Penninsula/City guy. I would repay you with an all expenses paid trip to my favorite microbrewery for beer and food, Buffalo Bills in Hayward. Realizing it's last minute, anyone interested?


Can't make it, and when I say can't make it I mean both I can't make it at that time, and I can't make it up Diablo in the shape I'm in, but I can give you directions for a good safe route from Pleasant Hill BART to the mountain. 

Get on the Iron Horse trail south for about a tenth of a mile (by BART it looks like a super wide sidewalk on the east side of the station, a little tricky to find, check it out on Google Earth, especially since they're doing work on it- you will have to bypass a bit and get on Jones Road, but you can keep it in sight. Once you find it the rest is easy.)
Left on Walnut Creek Canal Trail, follow it for about 1 mile
Right on Bancroft at the shopping center (bike lane)
Bancroft crosses Ygnacio Valley, becomes Walnut (bike lane)
Right on Oak Grove Road, less than a tenth of a mile (bike lane ends, not bad)
Left on Northgate Road, park entrance in a few tenths (mountain road, beware of nuts coming up behind you, but not bad)

I strongly discourage you from trying to ride Ygnacio Valley Road or Treat Blvd.- fast traffic, congested, no bike lanes, no shoulders. You'll end up on narrow uneven sidewalks for survival if you try.


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## Paralizer (Jan 26, 2009)

California L33 said:


> Can't make it, and when I say can't make it I mean both I can't make it at that time, and I can't make it up Diablo in the shape I'm in, but I can give you directions for a good safe route from Pleasant Hill BART to the mountain.
> 
> Get on the Iron Horse trail south for about a tenth of a mile (by BART it looks like a super wide sidewalk on the east side of the station, a little tricky to find, check it out on Google Earth, especially since they're doing work on it- you will have to bypass a bit and get on Jones Road, but you can keep it in sight. Once you find it the rest is easy.)
> Left on Walnut Creek Canal Trail, follow it for about 1 mile
> ...


Thank you


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

*Corrected Directions*



Paralizer said:


> Thank you


No problem. The distances were just about right, but I did make a mistake that I hope didn't mess you up. The trail to turn on is technically the Contra Costa Canal Trail. The Walnut Creek Canal trail also crosses the Iron Horse, but a couple of miles down. I'm going to post corrected directions for anyone who comes across this looking for a way from BART to Mount Diablo-

*Get on the Iron Horse trail south for about a tenth of a mile *(by BART it looks like a super wide sidewalk on the east side of the station, a little tricky to find, check it out on Google Earth, especially since they're doing work on it- you will have to bypass a bit and get on Jones Road, but you can keep it in sight. Once you find it the rest is easy.)
*Left on Contra Costa Canal Trail, follow it for about 1 mile
Right on Bancroft at the shopping center (bike lane)
Bancroft crosses Ygnacio Valley, becomes Walnut (bike lane) *
[2.1 miles, total Bancroft and Walnut leg]
*Right on Oak Grove Road, less than a tenth of a mile (bike lane ends, not bad)
Left on Northgate Road, park entrance in a mile, maybe a bit more* (mountain road, beware of nuts coming up behind you, but not bad)


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## rj2 (Jun 22, 2005)

The free beer offer would have generated plenty of messages on the MTBR Norcal board. 

Now, if you would have mentioned protein shake…


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## 180 (Jan 10, 2009)

Please post again when you're heading back up there. I suck but I'd like to trail along and see how far I get. I'm in SR but will meet you somewhere along the way if you don't mind me taggin along.


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## markj2k4 (Jun 25, 2009)

free beer!


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## Tort (Nov 4, 2008)

I would have enjoyed showing you what I know, as I have been up the Mt. Diablo many a time. No false claims of a speedy ascent (descent is more my strength) but at least some local knowledge and I live about a 5-10 minute ride from PH BART and know the route to Diablo well.

Hope you had a good experience.

Next time the urge hits PM me with a little more notice.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

rj2 said:


> The free beer offer would have generated plenty of messages on the MTBR Norcal board.
> 
> Now, if you would have mentioned protein shake…


What do you expect, MTBR has a beer forum. The OP could have gotten a hundred mountain bikers to go with him.


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## Paralizer (Jan 26, 2009)

Tort said:


> I would have enjoyed showing you what I know, as I have been up the Mt. Diablo many a time. No false claims of a speedy ascent (descent is more my strength) but at least some local knowledge and I live about a 5-10 minute ride from PH BART and know the route to Diablo well.
> 
> Hope you had a good experience.
> 
> Next time the urge hits PM me with a little more notice.


Will do. Actually when I got up Saturday the winds were blowing pretty good over here and my legs were a bit tired from quite a bit of riding lately, so I decided to just go with my regular City/Marin County ride. If the weather reports look good I may try to make another run at it this coming weekend.



180 said:


> Please post again when you're heading back up there. I suck but I'd like to trail along and see how far I get. I'm in SR but will meet you somewhere along the way if you don't mind me taggin along.


You got it.


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## Mtn2RoadConvert (Aug 28, 2006)

The title caught my attention. I was planning on doing Mt. Diablo at the end of last year but the weather was unstable and decided to wait until Spring. The weather forecast for this week is unsettled. I enjoy the challenge of hillclimbs but hate the descents in inclement weather, so will wait until we have some consistent sunshine, hopefully in the next couple of weeks.


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## Paralizer (Jan 26, 2009)

Mtn2RoadConvert said:


> The title caught my attention...I enjoy the challenge of hillclimb.


Then the title did what it was supposed to. As for the second statement, so do I.


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## Paralizer (Jan 26, 2009)

*I Did It!!!!*

Made a last second decision this morning and decided to have a go at Mt Diablo. That's, to say the least, a healthy ride. Lulled me into thinking oh this won't be much work, a few times, only to then slap da crap outta me. Feel pretty good other then my bad knee is definitely in need of some Ibuprofen. Thanks again for the directions. If not for the fact this a very last second decision I would have PM'd a few folks to join me. Now 4 more stops on BART to my rehydrating beer at 21A.


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## Tort (Nov 4, 2008)

I have to ask what you thought of the last 200 feet or so at the top? If that didn't get your attention I don' t know what will. Glad you made it out and can now check that off your list, sure turned into a great day for riding. I personally did a bunch of flat miles around the west and south side of the Mountain, climbing day is Sunday.


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## Paralizer (Jan 26, 2009)

Tort said:


> I have to ask what you thought of the last 200 feet or so at the top.


In a nutshell, IT SUCKED!!!!!!! But there was no way I wasn't going to finish at that point, but I mean just DAMN!!!!!! On the plus side my breathing and pulse recovered very quickly.


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## Tort (Nov 4, 2008)

Paralizer said:


> In a nutshell, IT SUCKED!!!!!!! But there was no way I wasn't going to finish at that point, but I mean just DAMN!!!!!! On the plus side my breathing and pulse recovered very quickly.


I have to admit I was owned by that last section the first couple of times and finished with the walk of shame to the top. I finally figured out the best way is to not spend the last 2 miles dreading it but instead welcome the slap down. 

Next time you come out you might consider heading towards Danville and ascending the south gate side, slightly easier going and joins up with the north gate side at the junction. Then of course the trek to the top and then back down like your last trip.


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## California L33 (Jan 20, 2006)

Tort said:


> I have to admit I was owned by that last section the first couple of times and finished with the walk of shame to the top...


There ain't no walk of shame. The summit is the summit. Stand there and you won, in the same company as Jack Brabham pushing his car over the finish line at Sebring in the U.S. Grand Prix of '59 that clinched him the world championship- it was the uphill straight he had to push it over, and his car sure wasn't CF.


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## Tort (Nov 4, 2008)

Thanks for the positive thoughts California L33, your absolutely right.


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