2015 SMR 07

Short ride today so I can get home to celebrate Diablo Daughter's birthday.

JB was drilling it and dropped me before The Bump

Wildlife Encounter:  turkeys near the vineyards before The Gate.

Poppies are popping up all over The Mountain.

Thank you Leonard Nimoy for creating 
such a fascinating character.

2015 SMR 06

Foggy and windy at the Gate.  No shorts today.  JB was late so I started... opposite of last week.

Plenty of riders despite the weather.

Fog went away well below 1,000 ft, but the wind got worse.

I decided if JB didn't show up I could quit at Junction.

Sweet smells and bright colors on The Mountain.

Well some folks went with shorts I guess.

JB showed up at Junction and we went up.  He might have quit also if I weren't there.

JB likes to ride scary-close to the edge.

I'm never sorry though when I don't quit.

This guy started up The Wall with me and I challenged him to a sprint. 

Talked to him later and he said it was his first ride up Diablo.

There was a car revving the engine behind us the last 200m.

Descent was a little spooky... that's always true for windy days.

2015 SMR 05

Hello - SHORTS!

Haven't quite settled in to my new routine yet and I was almost 15 minutes late to the Gate.  What new routine you ask?  New cat and new dog that require attention before allowing me to leave.

Ace

Isaac

All the trails that are near Castle Rock are closed down.  There's a sign at the Little Pine Creek trail entrance off of North Gate Road that says don't go there.

Castle Rock Area In Mount Diablo State Park to Close for Falcon Nesting Season Walnut Creek, Calif.--The area known as “Castle Rock” in Mount Diablo State Park will be closed off to visitors from February 1st to July 31st to help protect the Peregrine Falcon during their nesting season.  http://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/493

OK, I'm not really sure this meets the definition of road kill, but it must be posted:
Roadkill Report:  a fish - big goomer, about a foot long.

Met JB at Junction just as he was heading up Summit Road - I guess he didn't get my IM L8 text and thought I wasn't coming.  He gave me a minute to eat my mini Clif Bar and then we rode to The Summit together.

Somebody shouted out to ME from a trail below Summit Road but I don't know who it was, so leave a comment if it was you.

Felt good all the way up and down - no rib pain at all, not nearly as fit as I'd like to be, and my confidence at speed is coming back very slowly.

Diablo Shoutout to blog reader DOUG, who has been enjoying fame ever since I posted this photo of him in 2007.  He says people recognize him around town and he always gets good tables at restaurants.

Doug

Holy cow you guys, get your bike to Diablo and enjoy this weather.

Morning from Diablo Scott on Vimeo.