Good Friends, Good Ride

[cindysue]

.Road Closed Ahead.V.

FYI from: Saturday's San Francisco Chronicle:

The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...AEBDIGEST2.DTL
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, March 26, 2005 (SF Chronicle)
CLAYTON/Portion of road closed after washout
Erin Hallissy

Contra Costa County officials have closed a stretch of Morgan Territory
Road on the eastern side of Mount Diablo after high water from Marsh Creek
washed away half the roadway Wednesday morning.

About 70 feet of the narrow, two-lane asphalt road 6.5 miles south of
Marsh Creek Road was swept away, and the damage could grow because the
ground is so saturated from heavy winter rains, said Joe Yee, the county's
assistant public works director.

That portion of the road will be closed to all motorists and bicyclists
for several months, Yee said, because repairs cannot begin until the area
dries out.

There are about 12 residences in the rural area affected by the road
closure, Yee said. Those south of the slide area should use Livermore
Avenue to Manning Road to get to Morgan Territory Road, and those north
should use Marsh Creek Road.

[SadieKate]

Thanks for the update.

Bubba and I were going to ask you gals in that area to lead a ride. Kim keeps touting it's beauty and Veronica's pictures backed her up. We're getting curious about some of those hills down there. Bubba isn't ready to do Diablo again tomorrow but he wants to do it again before it gets hot. I can't believe how enthused he is about the hill climbing!

[Veronica]

It's a real bummer about the road being closed. The Devil Mountain Double goes that way and I'm wondering how they will reroute it. Maybe go up the south side like they usually do, down the north and then back up to the Junction and down to the south? It would be a shame if the ride didn't go. I really enjoy doing the staff ride and then working the ride itself is a lot of fun.

V.

[aka_kim]

I've just told Jesse about the road closure, so I don't think the Quacks were aware of the problem. Jesse is not happy at the moment. You're right V, they'll probably have to reroute the DMD back up the north side to the junction. Well, the Quacks are a resourceful group, they'll think of something.

[Veronica]

Another route might be to continue out Marsh Creek to Brentwood and then take Vasco to Livermore. It would probably add miles, but you'd lose some climb.

V.

[aka_kim]

Looks like the new route for DMD will probably be: up Diablo to the summit, back down the south side, out to Morgan Territory from the Livermore side, then continuing the usual route. So both Diablo and MT may have people both ascending and descending the same road, like the Death Ride!

This route planning is more complicated than I would have guessed. They didn't want to have to change the rest stops, some of which they have to pay for and arrange months in advance, and they have to be out of Diablo park before the gates normally open. They've already got one changed rest stop this year which has been causing them enough grief. The Quacks really put a lot of effort and planning into this ride. So I think the Quacks can thank Veronica and CindySue for saving this year's DMD.

[Veronica]

No problem with the hijack since it's my thread and I have a vested interest in DMD. Ugh riding up the Livermore side of Morgan Territory has no appeal. Hot and hard!

At least this ride has very limited numbers and the riders are very experienced for the most part.

V.