Mid-Week Rides: Mt Hamilton and points east

6 May 2009

Chris writes:

Dick Zunkel called it. Dick Zunkel lead it! Great ride, seven met for breakfast in Cupertino under blue skies and after much coffee and tire kicking, six went for the ride. Dick took us over hill’n dale through some rush hour traffic for Capital and its intersection with Quimby Road. It was all new for Randy Hendricks and we climbed for 20 miles in a little under an hour to the Mt. Hamilton Observatory which, save for the drinking fountain and rest rooms was closed until 12:30 pm. We were at cloud-top here, at about 4200’. The hills were still green and alive with wild flowers. It was on to the Junction House but not until a heated discussion with Rich relative Hwy. Rt#130’s existence/termination was had.

Enroute to the Junction House several signs were seen, one saying #130 ‘End’, but others further down the road, directs on Hwy#130 which Rich pointed out were ‘county signs’, not ‘state signs’. At the Junction House (there’s a junction there but perhaps you guessed?), we flagged down a County Highway Truck. Oh yes, said they, this is all Route #130. The Junction House hadn’t yet opened so the early arrivals didn’t bother to use their parking facility.

Patterson sits aside Hwy #33, just a couple miles east of Interstate Five and now boasts a population of over 21,000 residents. We found old downtown and a meal recommendation, getting deli sandwiches in a local Hispanic market. The Major took over leadership responsibilities and took us north on #33 for Hwy#132 West, passing Interstate #5 for Interstate #505 and Coral Hollow Road with a stop at the Off-Road Vehicle Park there (Carnegie) for ‘facilities use’. Into Livermore, but just, for Hwy#84 and Niles Canyon with a stop’n stretch in Sunol. Prior to arriving in Sunol the Major gave-up any chance of becoming a future member of the Audubon Society. He cold-cocked a bird, a very rare bird or so stated Randy and kept two feather pinned beneath his mirror strut as proof.

We rode down Niles Canyon, stayed with Route #84 for the Dumbarton Bridge and went our separate ways for home. Just over 260 miles for me, arriving home in a heavy drizzle the last three miles.

Good call Dick!