I Rode My Bike Today...

Fun seeing everyone at the Black* ride on Friday! I've been doing these for a couple of years now, and it is cool to see that each ride a different crowd shows up. Flowers everywhere - particularly lavender. Call me a poppy person, but I found myself wanting to stop to take flower photos. I actually DID stop to take a photo of all the bee hives they have placed up there for the season. If you wonder where that delicious "organic lavender honey" comes from... it's probably here:

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I rode most of the way up with @Andy , but when we stopped at Hidden Valley, I was getting cold standing around, so I took off before the rest of the crowd. This allowed me to put on my jacket and get the best seat in the Beeks ruins before everyone else arrived :)

Otherwise cloudy and cold. On the way down I decided to ride without a light... and managed to catch up to @mtnbikej and @Faust29 so I could steal some of their illumination. @Grego caught up to us just past the falls and it was a nice ride back to the cars, just chatting about stuff...

Today I did my Sunday ride up Harding, and the conditions were great - as was the weather. At Four Corners I stopped to chat with a Moto rider and an e-biker. The e-biker, credit be given, was well aware of the trail access rules and was staying on the proper trails... even with a Class1 bike. What a nice change of pace!! It helps that he rides a regular mtnbike as well, and just uses his e-bike when he goes on rides with more climbing than he is used to. Great ride - saw two other bikers on the way back down, a few hikers, and that was it. Trail was empty today.
 
Piddling around Prosser Reservoir...

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The place is drying out finally. Not many people out.

I didn't try anything necky...

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On Lloyd's, I got chicked on the rockiest switchback I'm proud to report. The wheez was lit up. I had no groove today but meh. I enjoyed a nice day in a beautiful area with me lass – full win situation.

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Prosser Creek drainage, Tahoe north rim in background.

Happy weekend! :thumbsup:
 
Afternoon spin for me today.

After trailwork yesterday, I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel. Rolled out from Ridge Park and the legs felt pretty good. Hit Lizard....and felt all outta whack. Apparently I PR'd it, go figure. Up Laurel and under the toll road and over to Camarillo. Again, just not gelling with the bike today. Took my time on Stagecoach South.

Started to feel my legs, my back, my bicep and my ankle on the way up Willow. Was planning on dropping down Old Emerald. On Bommer Ridge, my legs died. Decided to call it a day and skip it. Finished up on Fenceline/Missing Link.

Still managed 12/1700'.....barely.
 
It feels like forever ago, but I went and rode over to Hulda this morning. It was nice enough and I was up early enough that I decided to ride it instead of drive over. A fun run down Zipline which I PR'ed, stopped and pulled some crazy 15ft diameter goatheads, then up to ride Return of the Jedi, which has a tough drop in right after a switchback. I usually walk the switch, but rode it today. One dab just before the steep part, and flowed the rest! Back up Valley View and to the top in order to ride Sith down. Wasn't terribly clean, and I was paranoid about hitting low branches so was uncomfortably low on the bike, but no muss, no fuss! Spun back up the river trail with some really dead legs, just wanting the last climb to be over with. I was heating up a bit by then, and I was out of water for a bit. No Tailwinds, either :-( But back home for a fun three and a half hours on a bike, to find our power was off for the day. That made for a fun day. Finally came back on at 9:00 this evening for us, then about 10:00 for the rest of the street (they liked us I guess).

25 miles, 2600 ft and a couple PRs!

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Got out and rode around Santiago Oaks yesterday morning . Good fun. Cool and overcast at the start. Hot and sunny halfway through. Lots of riders and hikers out today. No PR’s were threatened today. Saw a few snakes today, all of which were gopher. At the second bench on oak I was resting. A few hikers walked up. Three of them sat down. The other chose to stand in the middle of the trail. While he was looking at his phone a foot long gopher snake started crossing the trail from behind him. His friends said something, he didn’t react. The snake went right between his feet. Scared the piss out of the guy when he saw the snake as he was looking down at his phone. We all had a good laugh. The dude was not happy about it at all. Good times!!!!

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Redman said:
Got out and rode around Santiago Oaks yesterday morning . Good fun. Cool and overcast at the start. Hot and sunny halfway through. Lots of riders and hikers out today. No PR’s were threatened today. Saw a few snakes today, all of which were gopher. At the second bench on oak I was resting. A few hikers walked up. Three of them sat down. The other chose to stand in the middle of the trail. While he was looking at his phone a foot long gopher snake started crossing the trail from behind him. His friends said something, he didn’t react. The snake went right between his feet. Scared the piss out of the guy when he saw the snake as he was looking down at his phone. We all had a good laugh. The dude was not happy about it at all. Good times!!!!

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Click to expand...
Haha, trail-blocking karma is real!!! :geek::D
 
Redman said:
Got out and rode around Santiago Oaks yesterday morning . Good fun. Cool and overcast at the start. Hot and sunny halfway through. Lots of riders and hikers out today. No PR’s were threatened today. Saw a few snakes today, all of which were gopher. At the second bench on oak I was resting. A few hikers walked up. Three of them sat down. The other chose to stand in the middle of the trail. While he was looking at his phone a foot long gopher snake started crossing the trail from behind him. His friends said something, he didn’t react. The snake went right between his feet. Scared the piss out of the guy when he saw the snake as he was looking down at his phone. We all had a good laugh. The dude was not happy about it at all. Good times!!!!

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Ahh, yes....getting out and enjoying nature, by sticking your nose inside your phone.
 
Quick spin through Big Bear with @SnakeCharmer today.

22 miles and just over 2700 feet.

Met at Aspen, left a car there and drove over to summit. Up fern to 2n10, then up up up more. Across skyline to pine knot and down. Took a break, refueled. Then up the road to plantation, up plantation to tackle the Western section of skyline back to pine knot and down again.
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Beautiful day up there, great temps, sunshine, nice breeze.

Thought he found a snake, but later discovered it was a bird, as it dive bombed at my head.

Saw a swarm of hornets passing by... Luckily they kept going...

Great day on the bikes!

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mtnbikej said:
Afternoon spin for me today.

After trailwork yesterday, I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel. Rolled out from Ridge Park and the legs felt pretty good. Hit Lizard....and felt all outta whack. Apparently I PR'd it, go figure. Up Laurel and under the toll road and over to Camarillo. Again, just not gelling with the bike today. Took my time on Stagecoach South.

Started to feel my legs, my back, my bicep and my ankle on the way up Willow. Was planning on dropping down Old Emerald. On Bommer Ridge, my legs died. Decided to call it a day and skip it. Finished up on Fenceline/Missing Link.

Still managed 12/1700'.....barely.
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Sorry, but I had to check the author of this post to see if it was me.
 
Hit San Juan trail from the bottom, with a little extra credit after Cocktail Rock, about a mile each way to the creek and back (one of the best sections of San Juan imo, fast and chunky). Weather was exceptional, if a little humid, heavy mist at times, low 60s, bushes were wet so shirt and gloves got soaked.

Obligatory Cocktail Rock pic
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This log rollover/wood ramp thing down by the creek was all torn apart. Could surprise someone coming down, so I put it back together
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Back at Cocktail Rock after the EC to the creek and back, the sun was trying to come out. Wouldn't last though.
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Was feeling in the groove on the downhill, so fun and flowy. Half way down the drizzle started, kinda compromising the ability to see anything (I wear rx glasses). Came around a blind corner with some exposure, and between the near blindness and wet brakes, blew it and washed the front wheel. Probably funny to see, the bike just slid down the hill, and I thought I caught myself on the trail, but then did a slow-mo slide down after the bike. It was hard getting back up the 10 feet in loose dirt and probably a 45 degree slope. Anyway, all I have to show for it is a couple scratches and a really dirty jersey. No harm was done to the bike.
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Back in the lot, a couple guys were doing something to this car. It was up on jack stands and the wheels were turning. It was an electric vehicle (Tesla I think) that said on the side "Pre Production Test Vehicle" . Now why they need to do that at the San Juan trail head I don't know. Maybe some engineering testing in high humidity conditions(?)
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I wasn't going to post this pic but I can't seem to get rid of it. A section of chunky stuff down by the creek past CR
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knucklebuster said:
Cool! (your ride and the car). Looks like an early 50s Chevy. Saw this one at the Pomona roadster show a couple weeks ago
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Must be something about those cars... I believe the wreck at the bottom of Trabuco is either a 49 or 50 Chevy, too!
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I rode... A quick single speed spin around O'Neill. There are two short sections of Live Oak that I like to ride. They are the only sections of trail that are single track- rocky, with some mini drops. One of them has been given the OC treatment. I expect the handrails to go in soon...

I also expect the other section to get the treatment at some point. :(

That looks a little wider... And what happened to all of the rocks?
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This used to be a succession of little drops... The only good news is that they replaced the wood planks with rock. But, a trail that was a fun little downhill is now easily climbable on the single speed. In its previous state, I never cleaned it going up. :thumbsdown:
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9.5 miles and 1400 feet...
 
knucklebuster said:
Hit San Juan trail from the bottom, with a little extra credit after Cocktail Rock, about a mile each way to the creek and back (one of the best sections of San Juan imo, fast and chunky). Weather was exceptional, if a little humid, heavy mist at times, low 60s, bushes were wet so shirt and gloves got soaked.

Obligatory Cocktail Rock pic
View attachment 54848

This log rollover/wood ramp thing down by the creek was all torn apart. Could surprise someone coming down, so I put it back together
View attachment 54849
View attachment 54850

Back at Cocktail Rock after the EC to the creek and back, the sun was trying to come out. Wouldn't last though.
View attachment 54852

Was feeling in the groove on the downhill, so fun and flowy. Half way down the drizzle started, kinda compromising the ability to see anything (I wear rx glasses). Came around a blind corner with some exposure, and between the near blindness and wet brakes, blew it and washed the front wheel. Probably funny to see, the bike just slid down the hill, and I thought I caught myself on the trail, but then did a slow-mo slide down after the bike. It was hard getting back up the 10 feet in loose dirt and probably a 45 degree slope. Anyway, all I have to show for it is a couple scratches and a really dirty jersey. No harm was done to the bike.
View attachment 54853

Back in the lot, a couple guys were doing something to this car. It was up on jack stands and the wheels were turning. It was an electric vehicle (Tesla I think) that said on the side "Pre Production Test Vehicle" . Now why they need to do that at the San Juan trail head I don't know. Maybe some engineering testing in high humidity conditions(?)
View attachment 54854

I wasn't going to post this pic but I can't get rid of it. A section of chunky stuff down by the creek past CR
View attachment 54851
Click to expand...

Nice ride! I thought about joining you, but I couldn't make it that early... Looks like a fun one in the soup. Glad the crash wasn't bad... :thumbsup:
 
knucklebuster said:
Hit San Juan trail from the bottom, with a little extra credit after Cocktail Rock, about a mile each way to the creek and back (one of the best sections of San Juan imo, fast and chunky). Weather was exceptional, if a little humid, heavy mist at times, low 60s, bushes were wet so shirt and gloves got soaked.

Obligatory Cocktail Rock pic
View attachment 54848

This log rollover/wood ramp thing down by the creek was all torn apart. Could surprise someone coming down, so I put it back together
View attachment 54849
View attachment 54850

Back at Cocktail Rock after the EC to the creek and back, the sun was trying to come out. Wouldn't last though.
View attachment 54852

Was feeling in the groove on the downhill, so fun and flowy. Half way down the drizzle started, kinda compromising the ability to see anything (I wear rx glasses). Came around a blind corner with some exposure, and between the near blindness and wet brakes, blew it and washed the front wheel. Probably funny to see, the bike just slid down the hill, and I thought I caught myself on the trail, but then did a slow-mo slide down after the bike. It was hard getting back up the 10 feet in loose dirt and probably a 45 degree slope. Anyway, all I have to show for it is a couple scratches and a really dirty jersey. No harm was done to the bike.
View attachment 54853

Back in the lot, a couple guys were doing something to this car. It was up on jack stands and the wheels were turning. It was an electric vehicle (Tesla I think) that said on the side "Pre Production Test Vehicle" . Now why they need to do that at the San Juan trail head I don't know. Maybe some engineering testing in high humidity conditions(?)
View attachment 54854

I wasn't going to post this pic but I can't get rid of it. A section of chunky stuff down by the creek past CR
View attachment 54851
Click to expand...

Nice report! San Juan never disappoints. I wish it was closer to me.
 
knucklebuster said:
I could never tell what that one in Trabuco was, it was pretty far gone. The one at the bottom of Car Wreck trail in Aliso is a mid-late 40s Dodge business coupe, I think.
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Before I started biking, the boys and I took pictures of the rear end and the engine compartment when we were hiking back there... A little internet sleuthing and we figured out it was a 49 or 50.

My oldest on the left in 2012... And Ellie. Damn, I miss that dog. She loved it back there...
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Faust29 said:
Before I started biking, the boys and I took pictures of the rear end and the engine compartment when we were hiking back there... A little internet sleuthing and we figured out it was a 49 or 50.

My oldest on the left in 2012... And Ellie. Damn, I miss that dog. She loved it back there...
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Ellie looks like she was born to romp in the woods with her people. The last big hike I did with our last dog Morgan was Trabuco and lower Yeager. He was in his element back there as well. In some ways a little glad I can't take the youngster back there right now, but will some day.
 
Faust29 said:
This used to be a succession of little drops... The only good news is that they replaced the wood planks with rock. But, a trail that was a fun little downhill is now easily climbable on the single speed. In its previous state, I never cleaned it going up. :thumbsdown:
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Click to expand...
Is that section by the Edna Spaulding trailhead, that goes by the old watertank? When I used to ride the Arroyo trail alot I would take that to connect with the doubletrack Live Oak and Vista. That was a steep mofo, I was never able to make it clean either.
 
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