jedi_rider

Hello to all those doing the Mt. Hamilton ride on New Year's day...

I'll be visiting a friend in Fremont and intend to join the annual ride up the "hill"---since the weather report looks promising. Questions are...

1) Is it easy to ride to Mt. Hamilton from Fremont?
2) If so, how much time do I need?
3) Is there an address I could put on mapquest so that I can get clear directions?

Any info would be most grateful.

terrymorse 

Not sure where in Fremont you're starting from, but you can shoot down Warm Springs Rd., which turns into Milpitas Blvd. From there, take a left on Yosemite Dr., then a right on Piedmont Rd. If you stay on Piedmont, it becomes N. White Rd. A left onto Alum Rock will take you to the start of Mt. Hamilton Rd., which will be on your right.

If you want to Mapquest the location, enter Alum Rock Ave. & Mt. Hamilton Rd. in San Jose. Actually, here's the Mapquest map for the start of Mt. Hamilton Rd.

jedi_rider

Thanks! More questions...
1) Generally, how long would it take to get to the start?
2) Is there a place to re-fill up the water bottles before the climb? Or should I just stop at the first 7-11 I see?

terrymorse 

It takes me about 1.5 hours to get there from Palo Alto, so I usually drive instead. No sense wasting time riding through the flats. Fremont's closer, but not that much closer. I would leave an hour at least.

I usually park in the mall parking lot at the corner of Toyon Ave. and McKee Rd. There's a Jack in the Box there, where I fill up my bottles and use their bathroom.

I'd join you for the Hamilton climb, but I'll be in Markleeville.

jedi_rider

Thanks for all the tips, TM. Have fun in Markleeville.

Maybe next time. I just hope it doesn't rain and I don't get lost riding to the start point. I like to warm up. How many do you figure will be riding up that morning?

I hear it's a popular climb...

terrymorse 

Acoording to Mike at Chain Reaction, the ride draws up to 100 people on a good year. I've never done it, opting to go skiing in the mountains instead. If you haven't seen Mike's write-up, here it is.

I prefer to ride Hamilton by continuing over the back side to "The Junction", a bar to stop at and rest. Then you get a treat on the return ride: the back side of Hamilton. It's 5 miles long and 2000 feet of climbing, probably my favorite single climb in the area. Open to the elements and the vistas, consistently steep, with twisting hairpins like l'Alpe d'Huez...what's not to like? Round trip to The Junction is about 75 miles and 8600 feet of climbing.

coolcamden

Don't know if you are still planning on it, but it's been raining hard around here the last few days, and the forecast is for more rain in the next few days.

terrymorse 

Yeah, thanks, I'll need it. I'm predicting about a 10-hour drive to Markleeville, but I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. 80's opened up again, but I never drive up 80 in a snowstorm. I've sat too many hours at Kyburz, waiting for Caltrans to clear the carnage.

88 if the snowfall subsides, otherwise 50.

Ron at Tioga Pass Resort reports Tioga Pass Road is closed to all travel due to high avalanche danger. I hope that risk decreases by Tuesday, when we plan to ski in. If not, well, Mammoth is not that far away.

terrymorse 

88 and 50 are still closed. I'm thinking of going 49 to 89. That's my sure fire route when there's a huge storm.