Mt. Diablo - water available?

[Bostic]

I can't trust weather.com anymore. This was no 75 degree weather on Mt. Diablo. More like 90 degrees. I followed the route and felt good climbing up to the top. I don't have a second hook up yet for speed/cadence for the Polar 200 so I was moving at heart rate speed up the mountain. The gearing on the Fuso is working out well. 36x21 and 36x23 for most of it and dropping to the low 36x25 for some of the switchbacks. The final steep section to the top I was attacked by lady bugs on both arms. Gross.

I rested for about 20 minutes before heading back down to do the North side of the climb. How desolate it is compared to the south with a lot fewer picnic areas. I looked at the printout of Glenn's map and noticed it didn't simply turn around at the gate and go back up. There must be more climbing in the residential area. Sure enough there was. Not too steep but hot on the back of my neck.

I paced my way back up the North side and noticed how hot the bar tape and handlebars were under the sun. There was plenty of water in the bottles but ugh the taste of warm nuun/water. I stopped in the shade to drop another nuun tablet in the second bottle. A rider in a Death Ride jersey was making his way up and I rode along. It was nice to not ride solo for a bit as I had the entire time before.

Arriving at the meeting junction of north and south I decided that was enough for today and skipped out on the last four miles back up to the summit. One last fill of the bottles with cold water and back down the south side and back to my car at the park & ride off of Sycamore Valley.

I like this climb a lot, too bad it's so far away from my apartment. The road conditions are great other than the beginning section of the south side. The view from the top is spectacular in every direction. I could just make out the Lick Observatory in the distance to the south.
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I'm going to drive over from Sunnyvale and ride up Mt. Diablo today for the first time. Are there fountains available on the route so I can plan accordingly? I'm following Glenn's both sides bikely that starts at Sycamore Valley Road.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Mt-Diablo-Double-Summit

[x136]

There's a restroom area at the intersection of Northgate, Southgate, and Summit Road. I would imagine there is some form of water dispension available, but I haven't stopped there.

[gpelpel]

There's water just behind the ranger station at the Junction. The next one will be at the top at the visitor center. You will be fine if you carry 2 bottles with you.

[jonathanb715]

There's also water available at some of the campgrounds/rest stops. 2 of them are very close to the junction, (one by the ranger house on Northgate, one at a small picnic area on Southgate). There's also one on Southgate, right after the guardhouse where they collect money on busy days, and another at the Juniper campground about halfway between the junction and the summit. I'm sure there's a few other places water is available as well.

Finally, there's water and bathrooms at the lower parking lot at the summit, which can be useful if you don't climb the last steep 300 yards to the upper parking lot.

One warning - as water restrictions come into effect, the water supply on the mountain can be iffy. It hasn't been a problem yet, but in the past the water has not been available at some of these spots. Most people find they can climb to the summit from Danville/San Ramon on 2 water bottles without stopping, unless it's really hot.

JB

[ericm979]

The water at the Junction is pretty nasty tasting. I'm sure it's safe, just tastes bad. The water at the top is not as bad.

The bathrooms near the top are in the parking area to the right as you go up. They're not easy to see from the road.

[Bostic]

The water at the Junction is pretty nasty tasting. I'm sure it's safe, just tastes bad. The water at the top is not as bad.

The bathrooms near the top are in the parking area to the right as you go up. They're not easy to see from the road.

I dumped a packet of Heed in the bottle. That managed to get rid of some of the funky taste. The water at the top was ice cold, a pleasant surprise.

[gw_12]

Too bad I didn't read your initial post this morning - I would have joined you. I rode from my house in Pleasanton to Mt Diablo summit today. What time did you reach the summit? It was pretty hot up there.

-Glenn

[Bostic]

I left the park & ride around 11:45am. I'm not sure what time I got to the summit. I stopped once at the top of the first south section to fill up and then at the intersection to fill up once more before the last 4 miles. At first when I saw 7 I was thinking it can't be 7 more miles to the top, I can see it from there. Fortunately that was km. Hard to say which side is the more difficult. The south seems overall steeper but the sun exposure in the afternoon on the north was taking it's toll.

[DiabloScott]

Hard to say which side is the more difficult. The south seems overall steeper but the sun exposure in the afternoon on the north was taking it's toll.

South Gate Road is affectionately known as "the easy way". It's more interesting in some ways, and it sometimes has much different weather.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/DiabloScottsBikeBlog/Ry-0L7Nj27I/AAAAAAAAByM/urvcjiMdSjw/s800/Diablo%20Profile.jpg

[gw_12]

We probably passed each other at some point on the mountain. I just took a look at my GPS download from today's ride. I left my house about 10:30 and was passing the Sycamore Valley Park and Ride at 11:20, so I was 25 minutes ahead of you. I hung around at the top for 15 or 20 minutes, so we must have passed as you were climbing and I was heading back down, somewhere between the junction and the summit.

BTW, according to the weather station at the top of Diablo, the maximum air temperature today at the summit was 80 degrees.

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/queryFx?MTD

Sure felt a lot hotter than that in the sun.