[published in
Cycle California, June 2008]
Here's a canine who typifies the positive attitude we generally associate with dogs.
Everything is her favorite thing if she is (or at least believes she is) the focus of attention. Therefore it stands to reason that if we pile the bikes, helmuts, ourselves, and HER in the car, something fun--something that is for and all about her and thereby her
favorite thing, is about to happen.
Many of the great mountain bike trails in the San Francisco Bay Area are not dog-friendly. For the most part, this is for good reason. Singletrack is challenging enough sometimes, not to mention the uphill/downhill etiquette rule. So imagine someone's Fido running about, zigzagging up, down, and across your path while you're trying to keep yourself from plunging into a nasty patch of poison oak, or worse yet, headlong over the edge into a rocky drop. It's a safety issue not only for you, but for the friendly four-legged creatures themselves.
About a year and a half ago the guy I was dating and I thought it would be fun to take my dog Sadie along with us on a ride. Sadie is a little fireball--a mostly black and white terrier mix, with possibly some Border Collie thrown in for good measure. (The reason for the later is her rather obsessive interest and focus on "the ball.") She's a veritable tomboy at heart. To the point where anyone who meets her refers to her as "the little guy." It's not a guess; it's an assumption. Although a more feminine side can be perceived when she daintily prances through the grass, as if to avoid mussing her paws or her tail, all the while her vibrant orange vinyl collar gleaming against the wiry black fur. The sojourn was a magnificent success. It was an amazing ride through the rolling hills above Pleasanton (Oracle and wind power country). And the best part was watching Sadie having the time of her life--running like the wind, nearly always ahead of us, even racing downhill.
So on this sunny Sunday, I wanted to do it again. But somewhere different.(The guy from a year and a half ago is history, incidentally, but that's another story. . . ) So my partner and I, a guy who used to road bike 75 miles in one day, headed out for the Morgan Territory Regional Preserve, near Livermore, but high, high above.
It's a place of mostly wide track open dirt trail on rolling green hills, with occasional forays into more forested areas. A wondrous place to be on a sunny spring day. Expect spectacular views as far as 100 miles away to the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Closer in are views of Antioch/Stockton, Los Vaqueros Reservoir, and the San Joaquin Valley to the East; Dublin/Pleasanton and the San Ramon Valley to the West. Getting to the parking lot at the begining of the trail takes you through ten miles on a one lane road that winds through an area of estates and stables. This is beautiful country and the perfect time to be here for a bike ride is a spring or fall day. Because in the full summer it can get dreadfully hot. And if it's a windy day in the winter--look out. The wind is fierce. So high up and so open. Nothing to brace it.
But Sadie didn't care. As we put on another layer or two before heading for the beginning of the trail, Sadie already knew that we had planned a wonderful afternoon for her. She picked up the nearest stick, tail wagging ferociously, and placed it at my feet. But we had better things to do. "Come on, Sadie. Let's go."
The entire three hours we rode, we ran into one other mountain biker and maybe as many as five or six hikers. That's all. Oh yes, there was one other dog. That's one of the many reasons this trail is so well suited to riding with your dog. As I've menioned, it's a wide trail. (Note: in dry weather the road is very, very rutted, partly because of the rains that came before and left their mark and partly because many of the grazing cattle that roam all along these trails have left their mark as well. So expect a lot of bouncing on your seat. Wear the best-padded bicycle shorts you have and remember to lift off your seat whenever it makes sense, which will be a lot.)
So even though we sailed through a few areas laced with poison oak, the trail itself is free of it. As long as your dog is under voice command (which is one of the rules posted), you're absolutely fine. The other rule is to have with you a leash that is no shorter than 6ft. You don't have to use it; but you need to have it with you just in case.
Be sure to bring water (of course for you, but I'm talking about your dog). A dog treat or two wouldn't hurt either. Our Fido ran like the wind and when we stopped in the middle of the ride and then at the end, she drank ravenously from one of those portable canvas bowls.
One thing about Sadie--not only does she like to run with the bikes, she insists on being in the lead. And if she isn't, she barks in protest. She also likes "the pack" to stay together. Once or twice, when i was off-bike and
way behind my bike buddy, Sadie whimpered sadly, as if to say, "Wait, she's back there. Something is horribly wrong."
Bike riding with your canine pal is a wonderful workout for your pal (and you as well). But be careful. Just like people, every dog is different. So be sure to monitor if your Fido is happily running along or if he is panting, dehydrated, and keeping up with you only out of love, not enjoyment. It so happens that my Fido seems to have a self-rewind. She'll run to what seems like exhaustion, but then a rest of a few minutes seems quite enough for her to recharge, and then she's ready for more. But you be the judge. And you don't have to ride the whole trail. There are plenty of options, with an assortment of paths that wind around and rejoin. When you get to the parking lot, you'll see plenty of brochures available that map it all out for you.
Happy trails to you (and Fido).
From San Francisco, take the Bay Bridge to Interstate 580, continue to Livermore and exit North Livermore Avenue. Head north to the junction of Morgan Territory Road. Turn right, drive 10.7 miles (this is where it gets very narrow and winding)to the staging area, where parking is free.
