Pierce Be With You

Tempted as we were by a route in the coastal hills, my chief biking buddy and I opted to stay local. With high winds in the forecast, we wondered how the riders who headed for Mt. Diablo today would fare. Hopefully, they would make a safe choice.

We chatted with some riders at the end of Stevens Canyon; like us, they had opted out of joining their club's ride (also to Mt. Diablo). Discretion is the better part of valor.

There was still some water flowing in Stevens Creek (barely); the level in that reservoir, of course, is consequently low.

Although the climb up Mt. Eden (and even Pierce) seemed less arduous than usual, soon enough we were grateful to be heading back to our starting point to finish out with 32 miles and 2,020 feet of climbing.

This being a warm weekend, Saturday's migration to the coast was in full swing; traffic on a road that feeds the highway was basically at a standstill as we sailed alongside in the bike lane.

Crossing over the highway, both southbound lanes were bumper-to-bumper as far as the eye could see. Where do they all go, and what do they do when they get there? And I always wonder, is it worth it?