Quote Originally Posted by SadieKate
What exactly is the Three Bears Loop? Kim talks about it. Everybody talks about it and I know the general geographic area but nothing else. Is there a description on the WWW somewhere?
The Three Bears are on Bear Creek Road - here's a route sheet I found linked to the Valley Spokemen site.
http://home.comcast.net/~prathman/VS38A.htm

Oh, this is interesting - it's the orientation packet for the 2004 Bike Against the Odds:
http://www.breastcancerfund.org/atf/...%20content.pdf (hope the link works)

It contains a route map and the following description of the "Pro/Am" route:
Pro/Am: 65.6 miles with 6000’ of climbing. The Pro/Am route is the same as the advanced route with the addition of the Three Bears loop around San Pablo and Briones reservoirs. This route is not for the faint of heart! The Three Bears loop begins at the intersection of Wildcat Canyon and Camino Pablo. The Pro’s continue straight on Camino Pablo/San Pablo Dam Rd. and ride on gently descending hills into El Sobrante. The route then turns right on Castro Ranch Road and climbs through a residential area and descends to a right turn on Alhambra Valley Road. The next turn is a right on to Bear Creek Road which climbs three hills “the three bears”, and returns to the intersection of Wildcat and San Pablo Dam Road. The Pro/Ams cross San Pablo Dam Road and climb Wildcat to the rest stop at Inspiration Point in Tilden Park. From the rest stop continue on Wildcat to a left turn onto South Park for a very steep climb to Grizzly Peak Blvd. where there will be a water stop. Turn left and take Grizzly Peak back to Oakland following the same route as the advanced riders.