Oh yeah, the other anecdote is that, one year ago, I was headed up the (snowy!!!) mountain on what I was referring to as my freshly-overhauled "Ghetto-Legolas": http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_bunik/5464362430/
I'll go up there with you any time, Manny. Many more trails to check out. "Moist but snow-free this year" =- Joe On 2/21/12, Manuel Acosta <[email protected]> wrote: > Happy Birthday Joe! Sounds like a great ride/ birthday. I'm glad I'm > not the only one that hears Dueling Banjos whenever I'm in back > country. I want to go here and bring up some chairs and a table to > play chess! > > On Feb 21, 9:06 pm, Joe Bunik <[email protected]> wrote: >> Ha, good bean spillin', Jim! :-) >> >> Yep- I spent a most wonderful b'day out here in Rivendell Country! >> with my friend and good neighbor Jim M. I've been wanting to get back >> out to Green Ranch for a while, since I'd first heard about and >> visited last Autumn. >> >> For some context, I've had good fortune that 3 of my local riding >> buddies here are(/were!) Legolas owners, and I was duly impressed on >> test rides. I believe I'd put the phrase "if ever you want to get rid >> of this..." out to each of them. In fact, way back when Riv had first >> their crop of Legolai(?), it called out to me as somewhat ideal: light >> OS, canti, fancy-but-not-too... One day a few months ago, my phone >> rang... >> >> So: I first heard about "Green Ranch" here (see >> p.3):http://www.mdia.org/PDF%20Files/MDReviews/Review%20Spring%2005/MDRevi... >> ... and was intrigued. A little digging pinned down the location and I >> was off. It really is a fabulous trail / fire road, and I will happily >> ride/guide anybody interested as circumstances permit! >> >> The previous visit, I'd gone up there solo late one afternoon on an >> ill-equipped 650B conversion with semi-slick too-narrow tires - just >> too sketchy for the conditions and quickly disappearing light on the >> back side of Diablo - so I turned tail and bike-hiked back out to the >> road. This time was exactly the terrain and reason why I brought the >> Legolas into my life. Absolutely perfect fit by my book. >> >> That said, I won't be taking the bum steer we received from the Park >> Rangers again. The trails heading out to the park boundary in fact DO >> NOT continue on through to Morgan Territory Rd. Given the precipitous >> drop in elevation past the Green Ranch site and the 99% humidity >> conditions, we somewhat found ourselves screwed and in that rock/hard >> place situation when we came to that first gate... then even worse, >> that 2nd gate another 1000' lower on the mountain... I was not >> relishing an encounter to find out who would win The Big Jerk Award: >> property owner or bandit biker (yes, I realize this is sounding pretty >> CYA) !!! Plus, I swear kept hearing Dueling Banjos in my head the >> whole time. >> >> Sadly, Legolas Buddy #3 was unable to join in the Legofest. But a >> highlight was encountering a crabon fibre roadie at The Junction who >> dropped-jaw upon seeing us. Actually, it turns out he races CX on his >> L.! You never walk alone in Rivendell Country! >> >> =- Joe Bunik >> Walnut Creek, CA >> >> On 2/21/12, Jim Mather <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > Neighbor Joe invited me for a ride on his birthday yesterday. We had >> > both >> > spotted a trail on a map that looked like it might be a good loop over >> > and >> > around Mt Diablo, so we loaded up our Legolas' (Legoli?) and headed up >> > via >> > North Gate Rd. At the Junction, we headed towards the summit, but then >> > got >> > off the road and took the trail less traveled to Green Ranch. Green >> > Ranch >> > is a former summer home built in 1939 and designed by William Wurster >> > (notable Bay Area architect and a former dean of Berkeley's architecture >> > school). >> >> > The home was designed in a modernist style and built on the southeast >> > side >> > of the mountain. Joe has a picture of the current view and an old >> > picture >> > of the house at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_bunik/6914384039/ >> > The empty pool, tennis courts, foundation and fireplaces remain but >> > everything else was dismantled in 1993 to bring the area back to its >> > natural state. >> >> > We continued past the ruins on the trail to the park boundary. There was >> > a >> > small gate and a very faded sign that might have once said Private >> > Property. The trail was obviously seldom used -- grass was growing in it >> > and the only tracks were deer. We hopped the gate and continued down the >> > trail heading towards Morgan Territory Road. Eventually the track looked >> > more used and we came to a much more secure gate with lots of barbed >> > wire. >> > The public road was on the other side of the gate so we knew we were >> > headed >> > in the right direction. The gate was high, so Joe squeezed through the >> > barbed wire fence and I lifted the bikes over to him. I then squeezed >> > through; no one needed a tetanus shot. We turned around to see the gate >> > sign: "Diablo Archery Club -- No Trespassing. Danger!" Good thing we >> > didn't have our helmets with antlers. The remainder of the ride was less >> > fraught with danger. >> >> > I have a few pictures at: >> >http://www.flickr.com/photos/20986098@N04/6773347072/in/photostream >> >> > cheers, >> > jim >> >> > -- >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> > Groups >> > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > [email protected]. >> > For more options, visit this group at >> >http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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