Mission Peak Ride - April 2021

It's been 3 years since I last did this ride, let's give it a try.

Ride total was 38.7 mi. / 62 km and 2139 ft. / 652 m elevation gain. It's about 17 mi. / 27 km of mostly flat bike paths and road to the start of the trail at Ohlone College. This time I stayed on the Coyote Creek Bike path and Fremont Blvd. on the west side of 880, then turning left on Warren Ave. crossing 880 and 680. I think this is better than my old route going up Dixon Landing Rd. and Warm Springs Blvd.

I think I underestimated the time needed for shooting video and navigating the paved part of the ride, so it was about 5PM when I hit the top of the ridge just below Mission Peak. The road was very rough coming up as the wet clay surface had been trampled by grazing cattle before it had a chance to dry. Then, there were many sections of road where copious amounts of new gravel had been spread. I think EBParks must take any left over gravel or ABC type fill they can get and dump it on the roads. This "gravel" is more like a mix of beach sand and crushed rocks. Until it's wet down by next winter's rains and packed by a years worth of use, it's going to be hard to ride. I had to push the bike uphill by walking on the grass beside the road as it was too slippery to even walk up. There was also a lot of fresh gravel on the descent down the Stanford entrance road and it was sketchy riding down 25% grades on the edge of traction!

Hopefully, I can get back up here this year, weather permitting.

Mission Peak:
https://www.ebparks.org/parks/mission/

East Bay Stone Walls:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Bay_Walls

Ride Elevation Profile:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ma2UDEoLghcmNgHT6

More to come...
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