UmneyDurak

Hi

With Junction closing, again. Where are good water stops on Mines Rd?

Thanks

bikingshearer 

None that I know of. Many moons ago, there was the El Mocho at the foot of the first climb and the Branding Iron/14 Mile House about (duh) 14 miles in, but those have both been closed for a long time, as in decades. I suppose you could get water out of the creek and use a filtration straw or pump, but I know of nothing else once you leave Livermore.

spdntrxi

closing again.. oh man. Hope someone new takes over.

blt

It always seemed a little crazy to me to be like the current owners -- live in Livermore and commute to the Junction. Add to that a pandemic and wildfires, and it is REALLY crazy. It seems like both the current owners and the landlord would really like to find someone to take over seamlessly. However, even in normal times, finding someone in 3 weeks to do that would be virtually impossible, with pandemic and an area recovering from wildfires, it may be closed for a long time, but I hope they eventually find someone new and friendly to take over.

I have a vague recollection that some years ago, it was possible to get water outside the fire station for those passing through when the Junction Cafe was closed. Am I remembering incorrectly? If I remember correctly, is it still possible?

BenRidin

Cal Fire Sweetwater Fire Station will let you use their water spigot.

shrimp123

the fire station abt a mile from junciton (towards Livermore) used to have water tap and a ice box.
post-covid, i dont know. fire season, i dont know if it is replenished if they are busy.

UmneyDurak

That's what I was wondering. If they still do it during these times.

blt

So this weekend and next are good times to check, since the existing owners are still going have the cafe open for these last two weekends. If someone goes up, please check to see if the Sweetwater Fire Station still lets cyclists use their water spigot and report back. At least if the answer is no, you can get something at the cafe these two weekends, but if we don't know after that, then it is not a good idea to assume you can get anything up there.

blt

I took my own advice and rode to the Junction this weekend.

When I was there late morning, next to the Cal Fire Station 25 Sweetwater sign by the driveway entrance to the station was a large orange Gatorade water jug, with a labeled sign on it, "WATER PROVIDED BY CAL FIRE STATION 25 ENJOY YOUR RIDE." The water was sufficiently cold for a day when the temperatures got into the 90's.

A woman working at the Junction said the water up there was not potable, among the many problems of 2020 that are making the owners decide to bail. Maybe the lack of potable water is a reason for a water jug at the fire station instead of just letting people use the spigot, I don't know. At least they still seem to care about making sure cyclists have water.

spdntrxi

thanks for the intel

BenRidin

I have used their spigot many times in the past. During all seasons. I do not think it is a problem

blt

Where is the spigot located? I'm pretty sure I heard about it in the past, but I never used it in the few times I've been there.

Has spigot water been available at any point during pandemic season? I don't know if the jug was out front because the spigot water is not currently potable (due to the fires perhaps), or because they prefer people not coming closer to the buildings during the pandemic.

How cold is the spigot water? The jug water out front last Saturday was colder than what I would expect from a spigot, in spite of it being in a jug out in the sun at 11:45 a.m. on a day that got into the 90's, so I assume they had ice in it, at least at some point.

It did seem ironic that the the land around the fire station was burned, but it seems they did a good job of saving buildings around the San Antonio Valley (I can't imagine that the Junction Bar and Grill building would still be standing if not for Cal Fire). I understand that some places in Del Puerto Canyon were not as fortunate.

BenRidin

Yup

BenRidin

blt

Thanks for the responses, BenRidin.

If there is no water jug out front and no sign by the spigot saying it isn't potable, then I would just use the spigot, and not ask questions, especially during a pandemic when they might prefer that people keep their distance.

If there is a water jug, I would just use the water jug, and not worry about whether the reason the jug is out front is the spigot water isn't potable or that they want people to stay away during the pandemic or that they just want be nice and give cyclists especially cold water.

spdntrxi

you can buy little tablets to make water "potable" preferred it has chlorine dioxide.

UmneyDurak

I guess it depends on what makes the water not "portable". Bunch of bacteria etc, or like high levels of arsenic/led etc.

cp88mb1

Rode out there today and Cal Fire had the aforementioned water jug out for riders. Very very cool of them, chapeau Cal Fire Station 25!

teacherlady

I drove out today (came up Del Puerto Canyon Road to see the fire damage, and that's too far for me to ride if I'm not staying overnight in Patterson) and spoke with someone at the fire station. He said that they were closing for the season at the end of the week, and so there would be no more jugs for cyclists till they reopen.

There was an Opening Soon - December 2020 - sign on the locked gate at the Junction Cafe.

blt

The most recent post on the Junction Bar & Grill Facebook page from December 12 says they are "shooting for the first week of January to open the doors." We'll see if that holds. I didn't realize the fire station closed for the season, but I assume by the time it is warm enough that a lot more water is needed to be riding up there, they will be open again, and hopefully, the Junction will be open weekends before long.

In early April 2015, I rode from Pleasanton to Patterson via Mines/the Junction/Del Puerto Canyon, the only time I've done that. There was some fire damage back then in Del Puerto Canyon to look at. That is a really, really nice 63 mile ride with around 4400 feet of climbing. It is more like 54 miles, almost no less climbing, if you start around Robertson Park or the Adult Softball complex/disc golf course in Livermore. There's no way I could have ridden back that day, but my sons were happy to drive my car to Patterson and pick me up if I treated them to KFC A&W - we even went for a stroll along the California Aqueduct before heading home, which my legs could handle MUCH better than they could have handled trying to ride back.

Just find boys in their late teens or early 20's that you can bribe with food to pick you up, and you don't have to stay overnight in Patterson to do that ride!

spdntrxi

looks like "the junction" is open for biz... at least on the weekends for now.