Old Tunnel Road

2 July 2009

About five years ago, I started a new exercise practice. Every day, I aim either to walk 5 miles or bike 15 miles. The discipline of trying to do something every day works well for me. It helps that walking and biking can easily be combined with other needs, like commuting to work. The one other "trick" that I find motivating is keeping a detailed record. On my computer, I have a spreadsheet with a day-by-day account of my exercise for the past five years. Here are the totals as of June 30, 2009: walking -- 8,374 miles; biking -- 10,695 miles. Just goes to show what you can do by putting one foot in front of the other! (Or by pushing on those pedals.)



We live in the middle elevation of the Oakland hills, about 500 feet above sea level. There are no flat rides from our house. Really, there are two main options: head down to the flats and ride around in the city or head up into the hills. I prefer the hills because there is much less traffic, no traffic signals, and very few stop signs. My favorite route (when I don't have time for a longer ride) is out and back to the Fish Ranch saddle, via Old Tunnel Road.



After leaving our neighborhood on Broadway Terrace (0.5 mi), the route leads past Lake Temescal (1.0 mi) and then up a frontage road along Hwy 24. Crossing an overpass (1.8 mi) just before the Caldecott Tunnel, the route then begins up Old Tunnel Road (2.0 mi), so named because, before the Caldecott Tunnel was built, there was a tunnel higher in the hills that carried the main traffic from Oakland to Orinda and beyond. Where Old Tunnel Road becomes Skyline (3.7 mi), about halfway up the hill, is the abandoned tunnel site. However, there remains no clear evidence of the tunnel. At the top of Skyline (5.2 mi), take a left turn onto Grizzly Peak Boulevard and enjoy a fast, relatively flat ride out to the saddle (7.5 mi). Then, double back for the return trip. The scenery all along the route is fantastic, especially on Grizzly Peak Boulevard. On a clear day, there are terrific views of San Francisco Bay to the west and of Contra Costa county and Mount Diablo to the east. (The second photo, taken on a clear day from a similar vantage point in Berkeley, gives the idea. Today it was too hazy to enjoy the view.)



The four photos:
(1) View looking backward from mile 7 along the ridge.
(2) View of the SF Bay from the Berkeley hills.
(3) The nearby hills looking east just after reaching Grizzly Peak Boulevard.
(4) The Fish Ranch saddle.

Enjoy the ride!