Diablo Summit ride

 One week after the Devil Mountain Double my DMD partner announced that following his kid's track meet in Livermore he was riding 50 miles home, and summiting Diablo. I said "Too bad I can't go with you."

The next thing I knew he'd worked out a plan where Tricia and I would meet Steve in Concord, ride to Blackhawk, (halfway between Livermore and Concord) meet and ride Diablo. It was a perfect plan, and we arrived within seconds of each other.

 Dan billed this as a slow post -double ride, so of course, he and Steve Cat 6 raced each other to the junction. As we started to the summit, Steve and I left a few seconds earlier, and without trying opened a gap as Dan talked with Tricia. We saw Dan decide to catch us, so we waited until he did, Dan had burned a big match doing so, and just as he got to us, we powered away in a perfectly mean, but well timed effort. I was laughing so hard I could hardly pedal. We'd quickly gotten several turns ahead. I didn't think I'd let up, but just before Juniper he came past. So, even doing all my cheatty sneaky stuff I couldn't stay away.

We all met at the summit, rolled down Diablo and ended up at a Thai dinner in Pleasant Hill. Life is good, though Tricia still wishes we could have stayed at the summit for "Super Moon Rise" when the moon appeared 10% larger and 30% brighter. But, as she points out, they don't allow descending Diablo in the dark.