We will ride from Livermore to Sunol via Foothill Blvd in Pleasanton. After regrouping at the Niles Canyon Railroad Depot we will pedal through Niles Canyon to Palomeras Canyon. Then it is up and over to the south-side of Hwy 580 and on to Old Town Pleasanton for coffee and refreshments before heading back to Livermore.

The weather should be wonderful. Bring two full water bottles and some gels or bars as the ride section from Sunol to Pleasanton is long with limited water and food available. Riding up Palomeras Canyon can be a joyous grind, be prepared.

Historical nuggets along the route:

Notorious: At ride mile 4 is where, in 1976, 27 kidnap victims were buried alive in a truck in the gravel quarry. The Chowchilla Kidnapping, as it is known, was carried out by three young men. They abducted a school bus driver and his 26 young passengers. Under gunpoint the 27 victims were ordered into a buried truck in the quarry. Ransom was sought from the parents. The bus driver and one of the oldest children were able to open a hatch in the roof of the truck and dug out an escape route. After 16 hrs underground all 27 escaped to safety. The three kidnappers were sentenced to life in prison. A movie was made about the abduction in 1993.

Continental (miles 13-18): In 1869 the transcontinental railroad was completed when the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific tracks were connected at Promontory Summit in Utah. The route ran from Omaha to Sacramento, yet it did not reach the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean shipping. Within six months a rail line was opened running from the Bay through Niles canyon, Sunol, the Livermore Valley, and up north to Sacramento. Adding this track section linked the continent by rail from to sea to shining sea. In that year Livermore was registered as a Railroad Town. When you see the years ~1869 in our region it is like due to the influence of the transcontinental railroad.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39717556

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