Yesterday’s rainbow marked the end of the storm. The night was clear and calm, and we woke to a beautiful sunrise, with mist rising off the lake.
It had been years since I’d camped at Chabot, and the last time I was there the place was overrun by raccoons. It seems like they’ve gotten those under control, as the sites don’t have raccoon boxes. Maybe the turkeys ran them off.
I was riding directly home from camp, so all I had to do was find clothes I was willing to wear for a couple hours. The ride is a breeze; once you climb up to Redwood from the campground it’s just rolling along the ridge until you decide to drop down. I spiced it up a little by taking Pinehurst through Canyon.
Just to do something different, I dropped down via the Montclair Railroad Trail, which has too many dogs and peds to be useful as a downhill, but I wasn’t in a hurry. Then I descended Moraga, which has one of the best views of the Bay Bridge on the way down, and cruised down Piedmont Ave to home.
If I knew I was that close to 200km I would have gone around the block.
It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.
I enjoyed that this adventure involved just going out my door. We’re blessed here in the Bay Area that there are so many nearby options; I could do a similar trip without overlapping by using sites like China Camp, Pantoll, Angel Island, and Half Moon Bay. Or head east to Mount Diablo or Ohlone Wilderness.
The weather increased the feeling of adventure, but also upped the logistical difficulties. During good weather it would be possible to do this trip without a rain fly, or even without a tent, which would make setup and takedown quicker, and the riding a bit easier. I also missed being able to do it as gravel; this route is good riding, but mostly stuff that I do all the time. I might give it another shot in better weather.
My gear was pretty good. One thing I’d add is a way to carry a sandwich, beer and a bag of chips for a few miles; my bags were all so full that it was hard to stuff anything else in. And I’d like to find a good pair of slip-on bike shoes. When you go so light you don’t bring flip-flops, having to tie your shoes to get out of the tent sucks.
In any case, fun trip, highly recommended!