turkey9186

Speaking of tarantulas...did you see the one on the roadway at the start of the steep section on Northgate. Strutting along like it owned the road. First time I have ever seen any on the roadway.

Moof753

No I did not. Must admit I'm not a big fan of spiders. Wiil keep an eye out for the critters in the future. I'm guessing this is a seasonal thing? Or is it year-round?

Funny thing is I used to work on radio equipment at the comm sites just below the summit and always enjoyed working up there, might have felt different had I known about the local 'residents'.

DiabloScott, thanks for the reply, I'll give a Sunday morning a shot here soon.

Duane

DiabloScott

Late summer/early autumn. They really are pretty cool; they don't jump and they don't move fast enough to be scary.

They'll let you get real close for a photo too.

turkey9186

Annual migration and mating season. I had heard stories about them being all over the road. First time I have seen one though. Most of my trips have been training for the Death Ride in July though.

You need to try the Death Ride if you like climbing hills. There are only five smaller rollers and two long shallow climbs along a river. LOL

Moof753

Spiders all over the road is what I kind of pictured as well, glad to hear that's not the case. I'm curious now to see them so will pay more attention next time I'm up there.

I have heard of the Death Ride, have had friends ride it in the past. Not really sure I'd use 'smaller rollers' and 'shallow climbs' to describe it though! 😊

turkey9186

If people found out what it is really like, they would never attempt it!

Moof753

Went up Diablo via Northgate Rd. yesterday morning (Sunday) and didn't see a single tarantula. I am actually kind of disappointed, was hoping to maybe get a picture.

As far as Sunday morning traffic, going up at around 9:00am I didn't think there was much more traffic than a weekday morning, a handfull of cars but pretty light overall. Coming down was another story. There were many more cyclists on their way up by 10:30 and the car traffic was quite a bit heavier. Uphill cars passing uphill cyclists, several times on blind corners, a little scary coming around a corner and finding half the downhill lane occupied by a car. I'm glad I had read some of the warnings here in other posts about being cautious coming down. Still a worthwhile ride, just need to be aware the potential hazards.

79pmooney

DiabloScott, tarantulas don't jump? Many years ago, driving through Big Bend Park in Texas, I was sure I hit one on the road. Stopped and went back. It was struggling to get over the sparse grass of lawn height at the road edge, maybe 10" of it. Obviously quite aware of these two humans standing over it but apparently tarantulas do not have the coordination they need to deal with short grass. It finally reached the hard desert ground and in three jumps was 25 feet away.

The one we saw was black. I don't remember much hair on it. A month earlier we saw a pet one that looked the same but much larger. (There was also the small matter of 40 years in there somewhere.)

Ben

DiabloScott

They can sort of pounce to catch their prey (mostly bugs)... but it's not the way they generally move and they're actually kind of fragile... if you pick one up and drop it from more than a few inches high, they'll literally break.

You might've seen a jumping Wolf Spider.

gsa103

They're really cool near sunset. They start casting GIANT shadows on the road, you see a 2' long shadow with legs walking across the road, then you notice the spider.

gpinto

Like this?

Rogus

Diablo is great training for the DR. My brother and I did a training ride on it the one time I was in the area. We did Southgate, Northgate, Southgate, Northgate. Having done that we knew we would be ready for the DR.

turkey9186

Is there such a thing as being ready for The Death Ride?
The last year I did the ride, we would ride from Benicia to the top once a week for a month. Then twice we did Pig farm, The Bears, Southgate to the top and back to Benicia. almost 10,000 and 112 miles.

Rogus

There was for me. DR was easier than I expected it to be.

DiabloScott

More scary tarantula action:

Moof753

Very nice photograph!

Cool video!

Now I want to see one, will definitely keep an eye out for them next weekend during the Diablo Challenge.
Hopefully a bunch of them don't get run over! 🕷🕷🕷🚴🚴