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| We’ve been having some really great winter weather
here in California. I keep hearing on the news from those people
who get paid to worry about lack of water to drink and snow for the
ski resorts, but right now I’m having a hard time feeling bad about
all of this sunshine. I understand their concerns; really I do, since
I’ve been through California droughts, and it’s not fun. At the same
time, I think you’ve got to take advantage of the good weather while
it lasts, so Linda and I are going for a ride. Since the weather is clear and cold and there are some clouds over on the coast, we decide to go inland. It looks like we can get the most bang for our buck if we head up the foothills to Mt. Hamilton and the Lick Observatory, then over the top to Livermore and back down the other side on Hwy 84. With that we’re off.
As with most places in the Bay Area, you almost always have to start a trip on a superslab and then take a secondary road off into the boondocks. We jump on Hwy 101 south and grab the Alum Rock exit heading east. Alum Rock Ave. takes you right through the highly developed commercial and residential areas of East San Jose. It’s hard to believe, while you’re dodging cars and people that in a few short minutes you are going to leave all of this behind. Within 15 minutes we start to head up into the foothills and soon see the sign for the road (Hwy 130 on your maps) that will take us to Mt. Hamilton and the Lick Observatory (photo 1). We can still see individual houses that have built on the slopes of the mountain, but the higher we get the fewer they become. These homes are eventually replaced by small horse ranches and even smaller parking lots, which allow access to hiking trails. This is prime real estate, if you can get it, because of the views these folks have of the Santa Clara Valley, especially at night. This road was built to take equipment and materials up the mountain to build the Lick Observatory back in the 1870’s and 80’s when the only horsepower you had available actually came from horses. Because of that, the grade never exceeds 3 % since that’s about all horses pulling wagons could manage. This means that Mt. Hamilton is also a fine destination for bicyclist wanting a workout. I know motorcyclist who don’t like the ride up to Mt. Hamilton because of the many switchbacks that were necessary to keep the grade low. I’m not sure why they feel that way since there aren’t that many bikes bigger than a Goldwing and we’ve never had a problem. When you think of the views and the ride down the other side to Livermore, it’s a very nice day trip from the South Bay.
Soon we round one of the many curves in the road and at we can see Lick Observatory way up on the mountain (photo 2). Oak trees are now becoming more prevalent as we get further up the hill and I think to myself that I have to come back here before next Xmas to gather some mistletoe from some of these trees (photo 3). The Observatory is quite close now (photo 4) and I know that it won’t be long before we’ll be able to take a break. These constant switchbacks may make the ride easy for bicyclist but it makes the last few miles go awfully slow. As we pull into the parking lot, we see that there are only a few bikers here, so far. The day is almost perfect for a winter ride with temperatures in the high 50’s and low 60’s. I extend my condolences to those riders living in the northeast during this time of the year. Linda and I dismount, take in some of the views, and wander into the Observatory (photos 5, 6,7, & 8) for a tour of one of largest non-reflective telescopes in the country. And it’s now over a hundred years old. When James Lick (photo 9) came to California in the 1850’s, he had about $3000 dollars in his pocket and a goodly amount of chocolate from a fellow in South America named Giradelli, you may have heard of him. Like so many other successful men who came to California, Lick realized that the money wasn’t in the gold fields but in those who thought is was. Lick opened a gristmill to supply flour to those few people who might want to bake bread for their meals. To make a long story short, he made a bundle and then started to think about his legacy. Earlier in his life, he had become interested in astronomy and decided to donate money for a telescope and observatory. So here we are.
The telescope and its observatory room are unheated to avoid condensation on the lenses, so the room remains at the ambient temperature of the mountain, which today is quite cool. The room has very little light and they don’t allow flash, so the few photos I was able to take are with natural light and somewhat dark (photo 10). The old wooden floor actually rises up to meet those who are looking through the telescope and you can see the handrails around the floor (photo 11). In the center of the observatory is a spiral staircase to allow access to the machinery of the telescope and on this wooden base is a plaque that serves as the headstone for James Lick, who is buried at the observatory. I never found out if he was under the floor where we were standing or somewhere else in the building but, at any rate, he’s died before the observatory was completed, was disinterred, and brought up the mountain to his final resting place (photo 12), which may be out back. I really have to pay more attention on these tours. We left the telescope room and wandered around the rest of the observatory where there are pictures on the wall of various stars and planets (photo 13) that have been seen through the Lick Telescope, which at 36 inches is about as large as one can safely cast a polished lens. There is also a seismograph located in the building (photo 14) that is one of several the local news agencies refer to after we have a shaker. As we wander out back, there is a bust and monument (burial place?) honoring James Lick (photo 15) (I really do have to pay more attention) and some outstanding views (photo 16). In a tree, slightly down the hill, a hawk lands in the top branches (photo 17) but you may have to look carefully to see him. If we had more rain, the hills would be green by now but this winter we’ll have to wait.
As we watch a Harley rider head back down the hill the way we came (photo 18), he reminds us that it’s time to continue on down the hill to Livermore. As we start to mount up, we get involved in conversation with some other bikers who have arrived while we were inside (photo 19). There are times that this really does seem like a small world. We meet a couple on an older BMW who are from Martinez, where Linda and I went to school, and they know some of the people we went to school with. Eight million people in the Bay Area and we meet common friends on the top of a mountain. As we look off into the east towards Livermore (photo 20), the twisties beckon us so off we go. This is a pretty ride but about four miles down the hill we discover the road has just been resurfaced with lots of gravel. That gets my attention! This goes on for about nine miles before we’re back on paved road again. Nothing concentrates your attention better than the fear of falling on your ass, especially with your wife on the back.
About halfway to Livermore, we come to The Junction, a biker friendly restaurant and bar. I say biker friendly because there are not that many other people out here besides bikers, especially mid-week. Anyway, we briefly stop and then decide to eat in Livermore and keep going. Now it’s time to just enjoy the scenery and the ride. There are valleys, small streams, and some massive old oak trees that have seen much more of California history than I have (photo 21). I notice an American flag at a small wooden bridge on a gravel road that leads to someone’s home back in the hills (photo 22). I understand the message of support for our country after 9/11, but I do wish people who put them out would pay attention to them so that when they start to get threadbare and tattered, they should take them down or replace them. If you’re going to use the flag as a symbol of respect for the country, then it should be in decent condition. When I was in the Navy, the flag was treated with ritual and ceremony and a tattered flag was just not acceptable, unless it had come through battle. Still, I respect their intent. We continue to meander through the foothills and along the small streams that dot these east bay foothills (photo 23) and, as is often the case, Linda is left waiting on the side of the road while I’m off taking pictures (photo 24). We fall into a line of five Harley bikers who are practicing being some real life easy, relaxed riders. Their pace is comfortable so the six of us stay together for the next 10 or 12 miles where they continue east and we head over to Livermore for a late lunch.
We eat at a local Togo’s in Livermore and then take Hwy 84 over to Hwy 680 home. It’s been a nice day but it now starting to really cool down. A half hour later, we’re pulling into the driveway thinking how glad we are that we don’t live in Maine. |
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