Three Bears Ride

A classic East Bay ride. Almost every roadie who has matched pace with me for a chat while climbing has mentioned this one "Have you done the Tree Bears yet?", I always answered no. Little did I know I should have answered yes. When I got to the Bay Area I went into a great rest period of two weeks, no padded shorts, no jerseys, no non-commuting rides. After this hibernation my first ride was actually a semi-sort-of commute ride. At the time I was volunteering for the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA, I would then ride the thirty miles back to Oakland.

The ride was along Alahambra Valley Road, then over Bear Creek Road. I remember the rough rolling hills that eventually would lead to the final climb of Wildcat Canyon Road. After the steep grades of Papa Bear, I took a liking to Wildcat's gentler climb. Then I'd drop back home to Oakland.

I didn't realize this until I actually looked up what the Three Bears actually was. I assumed it would have something to do with Grizzly Peak, but they didn't. Three Bears is a combination of three hills along Bear Creek Road. Mama Bear, Papa Bear, and Baby Bear. I decided today I'd do this road strictly as a day ride.

After descending Wildcat Canyon Road I bore left along San Pablo Dam Road. I circled the Reservoir, giving some nice views of the crystal clear water that I'd probably end up drinking at some point (this was one of the East Bay's drinking sources, which is also why it's fenced off almost completely). Once the reservoir ended the loop continued around the reservoir turning right on Castro Ranch Road and then followed down Alahamabra Valley Road, a section after the intersection of Bear Creek from Martinez, this was all new territory for me.

Looking over Berkeley from Old Tunnel Road.

The San Pablo Reservoir.

This section of the ride had me stopping all too much for photographs. It was what I thought California should look like. The California that Steinbeck wrote about, the one before LA and San Francisco were all us East Coaster thought about, a different kind of California one full of open ranches, rolling brown hills, water starved trees, and wire fences, the California Okies found in 1932. One part of this road especially struck me where the road slopes down right before the intersection of these two roads. The gentle down grade gives the eye the advantage of looking over the freshly paved road with telephone poles neatly arranged next to a hill that has been evenly shaped by the winds of time.

I could stop and take pictures all day of these ranching roads.

More shots of the hills on Alahambra Valley Road.

Some day I'll learn how to capture this on a pad with pencil, but for now, digital photography works.

Quickly on Alahambra Valley Road, the macro turned to micro. Now a small creek jogged beside me with trees hugging the banks, giving the creek a relaxing look, a place I'd expect to find some cliche of Tom Sawyer catching frogs. I stopped again to snap some photos, that still were unable to grasp the picturesque quality of this spot. Part of me wanted to stop drop a line in the creek and take a nap, but no time for that.

Crowded trees hid open fields.

Brambles created from an actual water source.

I couldn't get over the way the sun was sneaking through the trees here.

Then from Alahambra Valley Road I returned to the route I knew, Bear Creek Road. Time to settle in for the ride, no more photos. Mama Bear is a straight climb, not a back breaker of a grade, but not a walk in the park. I like the fact that I can look straight up to the summit and just keep my eye on the vanishing point, as I settle into a cadence. It was an enjoyable climb, just to keep pushing and watching the crest get closer, and before I knew it, I was over it.

The descent to Papa Bear is a fun one, full of rolling hills that eventually roll right into the climb of Papa Bear. Nearing a mile long, this one is not so friendly. The road is painted with encouragement for cyclists, I wonder if this was for a race, or if some obsessed roadie spends his weekends spray painting words of encouragement on the road ways (either way, I'd like to shake his hand). Papa Bear is also not as steep as some other East Bay roads, but it's length is what gives it grit. Like Mama Bear, the final section is straight up, which allowed me to time my energy consumption. Unfortunately, there is less shade on Papa Bear, the sun baked through my jersey and I was sweating profusely, but I made it, crested and descended. One thing I don't like about these climbs, and maybe it has to do with the fact that I've ridden them before, is that they don't afford stunning views as the Oakland Hills, Diablo, and Tam do.

San Pablo Reservoir through the hills from the top of Mama Bear.

The descent to Papa Bear.

The descent from Papa Bear is an intense one. I probably clicked around 40 MPH around bends with some cracked roadways and gravelly shoulders. It sounds more terrifying than it is, it's actually a lot of fun to spin around these steep bends and then stand on my pedals over Baby Bear, the little climb before the intersection of San Pablo Dam road and Wildcat Canyon Road. Taking the Three Bears not as a commute, but a day ride is tougher and more fun, it's weird how the mentality of "getting there" and "being there" really changes a ride.