Orinda, Moraga, Oakland, Berkeley Hills

It was a chilly morning in Orinda as Mike, Phil, Kent, Paul, Tom, Gayle, Sarah, and I met for a climbing tour of the East Bay hills. The beginning 10 miles were flat with moderate rolling roads as we took Moraga Way to Canyon Road. The fresh bay air was exhilarating and energized our bodies for the first major climb across Skyline Blvd and up Grizzly Peak (see photo). This monster summit reached 1,750 feet while rewarding us with absolutely killer views of San Francisco and Oakland. The screaming descent down Wildcat Canyon was well paved and we passed hoards of fellow cyclists making our way back into Orinda. At Pablo Dam, we stopped to refill our water bottles and share an abundance of trail mix, pretzels, energy bars, and Gu. After a round of mutual congratulations (see photo), we began our journey to conquer the “three bears” (three consecutive climbs of 700 feet, 500 feet, and 600 feet) via Bear Creek Road. While the ascent was challenging, the panoramic scenery was stunning. By this point, most of us shed our leg/arm warmers. After another rewarding descent, we climbed up Pleasant Hill and Deer Hill Roads. We spiraled downhill and passed the infamous Lafayette Hillside Memorial, consisting of thousands of white crosses honoring the soldiers killed in the Iraq War. Today the sign read 3,248 (see photo) representing as many fallen heroes; it was a moving display and made me appreciate today’s ride even more. As we made our way back, we took Happy Valley Road (which was anything but happy) to the reverse side of “papa bear” for another steep 500 foot climb before descending to our final destination. The scenery was magnificent, the weather was just right, and the camaraderie was outstanding. We ended the adventure with gourmet pizza and drinks at Phil and Angelas. Together we navigated 55 miles climbing over 5,150 feet. Wahoo!