2024 Diablo Day 27 - Saturday Morning Junction

Fall is setting in. We've been getting hot days mixed with cold days and windy days are bringing the changes.

Personal note: 45 years ago today was my first day at Boot Camp.

Wildlife Encounter:  A peloton of poultry in the residential area, and one deer at Junction

JB said he saw three tarantulas. The roof at the Junction shack is apparently done, but they're still touching up paint and stuff so everything is still fenced off; the rangers are a little less strict about where you stand around though.

Oh goodie - more houses for entitled rich people to block the views.

Half the turkey troop decided to run in front of me, and the other half decided to wait.

This guy passed me in the easy section, so I was able to stay with him for a few minutes.

2024 Diablo Day 26 - Saturday Morning Junction

Last day of summer!

The Diablo Bike-Cam was FUBAR this AM, so today you get a plain old phone-selfie.

I started to wonder if the Bike-Cam was ready to be replaced and contemplated on the way up what I would do. I planned to trouble-shoot it when I got home, and it looks like I just buggered up my battery charging or something. I expect my next post will be back to normal.

Wildlife Encounter: a whole pack of deers in the residential area.

Roadkill Report: two snakes and a squirrel.

2024 Diablo Day 25 - Saturday Morning Junction

JB cancelled again today, so just me. I did a quick one and didn't wait around at Junction.

Summer ends next weekend... I can finally dial down those explosive interval sprints for a while.

Coming down I collected a rider who was staying behind me so I figured I wasn't slowing him down and I kept most of my lane. Then I got stuck behind a slower car, and the rider passed us both around a blind turn... 

Road repairs and driveway mods at Buckeye

Getting a new roof at the Junction House

2024 Diablo Day 24 - Sunday Morning Junction

Me 'n JB both had non-Diablo stuff to do Saturday, so it was a Sunday solo ride for me.

HOT! But the air quality was good and the sky was blue and there wasn't much wind. I stopped a couple times to hydrate in the shade. At Junction I was feeling a little light-headed so I took a long break.

Wildlife Encounter: One deer at the Ranger housing area.

2024 Diablo Day 23 - Saturday Morning Junction

Getting ready this morning, I thought I might get sick and vomit... but it passed, and once I was in the saddle doing my thing I felt fine.

Labor Day weekend - not many drivers.

Diablo Challenge coming up - lots of riders.

JB said the turnout lane work is done on NGR except for painting some stripes, so it should be open full time by next week.

Roadkill Report: just a dumb squirrel.

Tarantula Tally: zero

I think about 10% of the bikes I saw today were electric. 

2024 Diablo Day 22 - Saturday Morning Junction and Turnout Celebration

Today was the celebration event for *almost* completing the bike turnout lanes... I guess they planned this thinking they'd all be done, but there's a little more work to do. There was a news crew and politicians and state park officials and lots of bike riders. Your humble blogger even has a cameo in the news story at 3m39s. There was a lot of thanking and acknowledgment and a lot of my loyal blog readers share some of the credit for donating to this safety campaign as well.

Tarantula Tally: one crawler and one corpse. First two of the year.

I rode past the celebration area at Curry Point on the way up and they were just getting finished with the setup tents. They had bike parking from Valley Spokesmen I think - the kind like they have at centuries and triathlons. Then I went up to Junction expecting to meet with JB but he was a little late so I rode back down to Curry Point where Shawn and Charlie found me right away - good to catch up with them. JB rode his newly-restored Teesdale, with custom Iowa Hawkeye paint including a Tiger Hawk emblem. It was also the first time I saw Charlie's new bike; a carbon fiber Salsa.

Courtesy KPIX TV.

Cal jersey autoblog.

Tarantula!

The Hawkeye bike.