Alone in the SAG van, totally gassed having biked down the Alpine Lake turnaround, almost 34 miles from returning to Markleeville, my decision was whether or not to take the SAG or try to ride my way back. SAG stands for “support and gear,” but it also is shorthand for the “SAG wagon.”

The paved Stevens Creek Trail in Mountain View was originally named on March 25, 1776, by Spanish explorer Anza for an Italian Franciscan friar, Guiseppe Desa, whose native town of Copertino is located near the end of Italy’s boot heel. Guiseppe in English is Joseph, which as San Jose remains the name of the nearby pueblo. Elisha Stephens created a ranch upstream on Cupertino Creek, which then took his name, misspelled as “Stevens,” but not before a settlement used Cupertino as its name.

Joe Shami began biking at age 57 in 1992. In July 2008, he started weekly Sunday rides up Mt. Diablo, regardless of weather. Accounts vary but at least 600 weeks is agreed upon and up to 615 consecutive weeks. Allowing for 52.14 weeks per year, the streak covered 11 years and 9 months.