Bivvy a Month - April - Gudde Ridge

The East Bay hills are still green, and with this storm, green for a bit longer

April was a challenge to my project of sleeping outside, once a month on a bike ride, AKA Bivvy A Month, or BAM; weather, travel and other commitments meant I only had a few days where I could squeeze one in. Thursday 4/9 to Friday 4/10 would be my monthly BAM. Friday is a work day, and an 8:30AM online meeting would be my finish line.

I have been thinking of combining our weekly Thursday Night Ride (TNR) with a Bivvy A Month for a while, I have this idea that my dirt-riding friends from TNR could be coaxed to try bikepacking if it was just a night ride with a campout, and back in time for Friday work and obligations. This week I proposed a TNR BAM. Unfortunately it was a bad week for participation, and only D could join, and he could only join for the TNR part. That was fine. 

D and I rolled out some time after 7:30, riding through Joaquin Miller, Redwood and Sibley parks to the bench at the beginning of Gudde Ridge, where we sat for a bit and talked, a TNR tradition. Flashes in the eastern sky appeared to be distant lightning, later confirmed.

Union City, CA Weather @uccawx@m.ai6yr.org More lightning strikes. #weather #SFBA #CAwx

I had an idea for where to spend the night, but it wasn't close to Sibley. Now that we were at Sibley, I had to reconsider, so I chose a spot that I'd been considering, but would put me far from home, and might take more time than I had to get back in time for my Friday 8:30 AM meeting.

During our conversation, I quoted this line from Robert Frost's 'The Road Not Taken,' "Two roads diverged in a wood." D didn't know it, so I read the poem to him. It was fitting.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

The wind picked up and it was chilly, and dark. Knowing I still had miles to go before I sleep, we said our goodbyes, D returning home to the Lake Merritt area, and myself continuing south on Gudde Ridge. 

I like this ride in the daytime. At night, with a 700 lumen dynamo light and my Outbound Hangover helmet light, I was a bit more cautious. I took some pictures and video of the views, but I don't think my phone could really represent the view of the lights of the towns of Orinda and Moraga, fog and clouds creeping over the hills that border them, and the distant Mount Diablo wreathed in clouds. A cold storm was coming in, bringing rain and chilly temperatures. This was one reason why I did the ride that night; the weekend would be no good for riding and camping, just cold and wet. The coming storm did set the stage for some pretty photos.

The lights of Moraga, Mount Diablo in the middle left, and clouds

I had a spot in mind, a "land bridge" which separates two canyons, It's flat, has nice views, has been a nice spot to stop and visit in the past, and is out of the way. I had brought a tent, because of weather, and set it up. It was windy enough that I had to stake it. I changed into wool base layers, and my cozy new Alpha Cruiser hoodie, (I love it.) I'd forgotten to bring anything to help me sleep, and I didn't sleep great.

I was up 6 AM, made coffee, struck camp, drank coffee and had a protein bar, took some pictures and got on my way. As promised, it began lightly raining at 6. 

boiling water for coffee

A view out my tent, coffee ready, new sit pad functioning as a base for coffee prep

Home for the night

My bike, packed for the ride home, and a cattle processing station

A raptor at dawn

The dog walkers were out at 6:30 AM; I saw three ladies and three dogs as I continued south. 

Gudde Ridge

Good morning Mr. Newt

Golden chinquapin, I only see these at one spot on Gudde Ridge, nowhere else in my local travels

I think that the geology of Gudde Ridge is unique, in my local zone

Gudde Ridge transitions to this tan, rocky soil that I'd ignorantly call "chert."

Descending on singletrack from Gudde Ridge, IYKYK

The old Oakland & Antioch Rail Road bed

The rain intensified, and I had a wet return home. After climbing Pinehurst road, I had a decision; I could return on dirt via East Ridge, or pavement via Pinehurst & Redwood roads. The latter would have been wiser, as it would be faster, and I wouldn't have to deal with the mud on East Ridge, but I didn't want to be part of the morning commute traffic on the canyon roads, and I wanted the peace of mind and satisfaction of a return on dirt.

East Ridge was messy and slow going. It's a series of climbs on a wide dirt road that is what I call adobe; fine-grained, clay + sand + rock, which sticks to tires when wet, and the dusty top layer turns into "East Bay Grease" when it gets wet, and when saturated, is like peanut butter, and when dried, is like brick. My knobby rear tire (29 x 2.4 Maxxis Rekon at about 24 psi) had variable traction, and slipped slightly on the climbs. I checked the time at Skyline Gate, and I didn't have the time to stay on dirt, so switched to a road return on Skyline Boulevard. 

Climbing East Ridge might have been a mistake

Wet Skyline Boulevard

I made it home exactly at 8:30, and had just enough time to change out of wet gear into dry, grab a cup of coffee from my wife's drip machine and get on the meeting at 8:36. I'll wash the bike, lube the chain and hang the bag and tent to dry later this morning. 

That's 5 BAMs in a row, 4 of 12 for 2026.

Gear

The new piece of gear I most appreciated was this little Sit Pad I got from Garage Grown Gear. I used it to kneel on, outside my tent entrance, and to stand on in socks, outside the tent. 

I forgot pump + multi-tool, a bandana and something to help me sleep. I switch the EDC pump + multi-tool from bike to bike, which works well. It's universally useful, expensive and portable. The downside to being able to switch it, is forgetting to switch it. Luckily I didn't need it. Bike worked great. The 32-tooth ring, to which I switched from 34-tooth after Bivvy a Month - February - Coe & Orestimba with Coach and Mullins was fine. I think I might need a 30-tooth for a route with more climbing, or a heavier bike load, but it sufficed. 

I didn't bring food other than the protein bar; I had a nice dinner with my wife before TNR, and didn't have time in the morning for any food prep. 

Shelter was the Durston X-Dome 1+ tent, which I happily endorse. Sleep was a 30º Marmot Hydrogen bag, camp clothes were some Woolistic and Patagonia wool base layers and the Farpointe Alpha Direct hoodie. I continued the no-chamois experiment with success, riding in Ornot wool boxers and my cheapo Wrangler ATG pants. Top was the ever-useful Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Hoody, and for the rain I wore my old Patagonia Houdini shell.