Mine and Papaya’s first trip! The start point was the BART station at Walnut Creek. The first 10 km or so were big roads (with cars and stuff). Soon, the tarmac disappeared and I entered Diablo State Park.
First half of the climb was on dirt roads. I was surprised how hot it was. After a few sunny days in San Francisco, I expected the whole area to be so cool. I even had a jacket in my backpack. The smartest thing I did all day: I had sunscreen!
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- Prelude
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- Entering the park
The second half of the climb was on tarmac. This road is very popular among road cyclists. And cyclists in the area seem very fit. I was (easily) overtaken by pretty much everybody. Quite depressing.
Anyway, I finally made it to the top. Bought a Coke from the souvenir shop and walked around, to enjoy the views.
When you get to the peak of a mountain in Romania, you’ll usually find a little plate. And, maybe, some instructions on the options of getting down. Here, on the peak of the mountain was a visitor center. And guess what was inside the visitor center. Well.. the peak of the mountain:
Finally, time to get down. The return trip was completely on dirt roads. The roads were so flat and smooth – perfect for a beginner on a hardtail bike like me.
