Six of us rode the Delta DeAnza Trail today. The trail very roughly approximates the path of the Spanish explorer deAnza who tried to find a route in 1776 from San Francisco Bay to the Sierras. The present-day trail is a bike path following the route of some giant water conduits from the Concord area east. I didn't know what to expect for scenery when planning the ride, but I didn't expect the ride to be mostly between the back fences of houses on either side! The environment was disappointing. I'd like to post a picture, but I never bothered to get my camera out.

We eventually reached the Marsh Creek Regional Trail and the Big Break Regional Trail. Those trails were out in the marshes with wildlife around. We saw harrier hawks, white-tailed kites, red-tailed hawks, and various waterbirds.

We found a pizza place for lunch. One rider's tire found a couple of goathead thorns at the last moment and went flat. Much of lunch was devoted to meddling with her as she tried to fix the flat. She succeeded in spite of our best efforts.

We tried to return to the BART station as directly as possible. I missed a turn and got lost. An Antioch police officer got us facing the right way. We rode back on the deAnza trail just so I wouldn't get us lost again. It was a good day's ride for a start, about 38 miles, on a clear cool day.

One worry: Roy is having back pain. Maybe a change in riding position will help, he thinks.