Morgan Territory and a Birthday Stop at Draeger’s

Given the beautiful fall weather we are having, it seemed the perfect time to ride Morgan Territory.  This hunch was correct as the ride today was fabulous, perfect weather, 8 guys and Robin (she said she came along to chaperone and keep us from being guy stupid!  her words, not mine).

Morgan Territory Road is a little used route between Clayton and the Livermore Valley. For several miles it is a single lane road that runs north-south through Morgan Territory Regional Park. It is wooded, and this time of year there is a lot of gold and red in the trees.  

One goal of the ride was to survey the burn area from the Morgan Fire earlier this year.

  

While we didn’t see much fire damage, the ride was incredibly scenic through colorful trees overhanging the road, etc.

Part way up the climb, I came across a fellow parked in his older Volvo station wagon.  As I passed, I noticed he had a camera, so I stopped and asked what he was photographing.

He replied: “The trees.   Oh and I tried to get you but you were moving too fast".  Turns out, he was just spending his afternoon observing and photographing the the trees, and pointed out the particular beauty in a big tree that was growing at out 45 degrees.

I’m not sure that I was moving all that fast, but my response was that he and I are a lot the same.  That is, on a beautiful autumn day, someone has to sit and photograph the trees, just as someone has to cycle the steep back roads. 

With that, I pedaled on, thinking that rides like this are fleeting treasures, the fine wines of life, and if we search them out and are lucky, the fates will allow us to take a sip of perfection from time to time.

Besides the beauty and solitude of a long climb, this ride also offers the exhilaration of a fast and scenic descent into the Livermore Valley.  All that climbing, then ZOOM and you are down in the flatlands again.

Our lunch stop was at Draeger’s supermarket in the Blackhawk shopping center. For anyone who hasn’t experienced Draeger’s, imagine Whole Foods magnified, glorified and supersized.  The place is over the top, even the bathrooms are fabulous, like a five star hotel.  We ate lunch outside on their terrace, and as it was Bill B's 73rd birthday, we bought him a fancy cupcake and sang Happy Birthday. While Bill was enjoying his cake, the rest of us OD'd on some amazing chocolate covered pecan bars. Here is the birthday boy, resplendent in his Death Ride jersey.

One thought regarding Draeger’s.  They make very good sandwiches, very slowly. Do not stop there for a sandwich if you need to be on your way any time soon. It is as though they bake the bread for each one.  Well, not quite, but they do slice the meats individually.  It reminds me of the movie In Time with Justin Timberlake, where the richest people all eat very slowly because they have time to burn, while the poor people have to eat really fast as to not waste what little time they have.

The ride back to Walnut Creek was via an obscure route through several colorful neighborhoods on the east side of the interstate.  

All in all a great trip, whether you do it on a bike, motorcycle, or in a sports car. 

Route details:

The start/finish for the ride was at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. The route goes around the east side of Mt. Diablo through Clayton, then south on Morgan Territory Rd over the top and then down a steep, exciting descent to Manning Rd, north of Livermore. The return is via Tassajara and Blackhawk Roads. Draeger’s is in the Blackhawk Shopping Center. 

Route link:  http://ridewithgps.com/users/105526/routes

Distance: 53 mi

Ascent: 3800 ft