Aliso-Wood and Laguna Coast Wilderness Parks

DBMX119 said:
I just rode it tonight and there was a few changes that people need to be aware of....

Someone did some work on the first steep rocky section where there was the original trail with washboard rocks on the right and a new P line on the left. I came around tonight and went to the right as I always do, and at the last minute noticed someone changed the trail, but shifting it to the left. To stop people from continuing right, they put in two big rows of basketball sized rocks. You are now forced to go left. I got stopped, but barely.

I hiked back up so I could re-start and assumed I missed a sign, but I didn't see anything. I am surprised if this is OC Parks as it doesn't seem like their kind of work and there are not their usual warning signs. I just rode it on the last open space day 3 or 4 weeks ago, and the changes were not done then.

Does anyone know anything about it? Sorry if it has been discussed but I looked on here, but didn't see anything. (I was surprised no one has mentioned anything).
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I'm glad that I was following my friend JO last Thursday @ 6 am when we found out (in full speed) that the trail was "changed". No "warning/tail work" signs anywhere on the trail.
For riders who ride in regularly (30+ times per year) the modification and the lack of signage is extremely dangerous.

Aperently, a few days before an older rider was airlifted out of lizard. I wonder this trail modification had something to do with it.
 
HBkites said:
I'm glad that I was following my friend JO last Thursday @ 6 am when we found out (in full speed) that the trail was "changed". No "warning/tail work" signs anywhere on the trail.
For riders who ride in regularly (30+ times per year) the modification and the lack of signage is extremely dangerous.

Aperently, a few days before an older rider was airlifted out of lizard. I wonder this trail modification had something to do with it.
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Glad I have been warned I dive in pretty hard on my afternoon rides... That would suck to come up on that at warp speed
 
Rode lizards again last night. Still not mad at the changes they made and I have no issues with how it rides. I'm not a strava chaser... but I do happen to be faster on lizards in comparison to the masses then I typically am. I don't really see how this could cause anyone any serious trouble if they don't know it's there. If you're riding so at the limit of your control in a mixed use park that you can't adjust your line with changing trail conditions, I'd suggest reeling it in a bit.

This is pretty low on the LCF neuter-o-meter for me. The initial paver effort was already non-natural enough that this doesn't seem like trail destruction or neutering to me. Top of T/A? Another story. Lead in to camarillo? Again, wasted effort, poor building and another story. This one isn't even on the radar compared to the other two.
 
Ebruner said:
I don't really see how this could cause anyone any serious trouble if they don't know it's there. If you're riding so at the limit of your control in a mixed use park that you can't adjust your line with changing trail conditions, I'd suggest reeling it in a bit.
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Maybe they changed it more since then but two rows of rocks standing vertically could easily cause trouble for anyone, especially when they are in the path of the original layout of the trail.
 
DBMX119 said:
Maybe they changed it more since then but two rows of rocks standing vertically could easily cause trouble for anyone, especially when they are in the path of the original layout of the trail.
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So you mean to tell me that trail speed doesn't allow you to alter your line 2' to the left with 7-10' of notification on a trail? What do you do when you come around that same corner and there is a hiker standing on the rocks?

For me... If I'm riding at such a pace that I don't have the ability to alter my line to deal with changes in trail conditions and un-expected obstacles, then joke's on me. I got what I signed up for.
 
Ebruner said:
So you mean to tell me that trail speed doesn't allow you to alter your line 2' to the left with 7-10' of notification on a trail? What do you do when you come around that same corner and there is a hiker standing on the rocks?

For me... If I'm riding at such a pace that I don't have the ability to alter my line to deal with changes in trail conditions and un-expected obstacles, then joke's on me. I got what I signed up for.
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The speed I carry does not prevent me from altering my line, and notice I didn't say I crashed or had major trouble stopping.

To suddenly have to go to the far left (more than 2' BTW), and make an additional turn to do so, after 5 years or so of always going straight to the right side of the trail that was built by a parks service team (including Hans Ray I believe) was unexpected. Having the the previous trail blocked by 2 rows of rocks standing on their ends without any signage indicating a trail change is dangerous IMO.

This didn't seem like the normal park service trail work. That is all I was saying in my original post. I certainly wasn't looking to have my riding skills and trail etiquette challenged.
 
I usually ride Lizards at least twice per month, but I am having trouble picturing what they did to the trail based on the descriptions here. It sounds like they got rid of some of the P-Lines, and if so, good. The top had so many alternate lines that it was getting ridiculous. I will ride it next week sometime for sure. I am interested to see the changes.

Regardless, it does not sound like anything too drastic. A drastic change was when they suddenly changed Sage Scrub in Whiting Ranch a couple of years ago. A trail that previously went straight and started to pick up speed after a blind corner suddenly had a switchback installed right at an extremely fast section. It would have been nice to have signs there fore sure.
 
Obsidian said:
A drastic change was when they suddenly changed Sage Scrub in Whiting Ranch a couple of years ago. A trail that previously went straight and started to pick up speed after a blind corner suddenly had a switchback installed right at an extremely fast section. It would have been nice to have signs there fore sure.
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It's a little sketchy even if you know it is there :) The first time was an eye-opener for me, that's for sure :)
 
I rode it again yesterday and i did not notice anything. Where exactly were changes made? Is it right at the bottom before you go into the bushes?
Would say this is still one of my favorite trails. It would probably still best to make it one way. I am just worried that someone will get hurt one day (e.g a runner with headphones on running up, especially on the second part visibility is patchy and bikers go fast)

(Speaking on favorite trails, Stagecoach climb from bottom of Camarillo towards Nix, that i did yesterday, is definitely one of the better climbs! Trail is in good shape too)
 
So here is the pic.

These are my observations I have no insight only what I've seen or the last couple years.

Clearly they pulled out all the stones they laid that was supposed to be the sustainable primary track when they redid lizard.

I've been referring to the stones as molars with receding gum lines for the last year or two. it seemed kind of like a good idea when they first did it but they were neither tight enough to act like pavers or no one refill the dirt that was slowly edging away by erosion.

Not dangerous for most of us but it certainly was a little more treacherous / intimidating for whomever and that's why the alternate line appeared.

I'm kind of hoping this is something temporary because the line data left doesn't really look very sustainable to me the uneducated. When they were doing that polling several months ago a number of folks said that there was work coming so maybe that's it maybe it's just the beginning we all shall see

MVIMG_20190921_155413.jpg
 
based upon the evidence of one photo i see a nice jump if you are not afraid to crush a few dead stems. i do t an issue with p trails. Humming bird has zillions, I try to stay on the original path but some of those P trails are smarter, then again some are made by the Gravity Pirates. You can tell when there is something tricky up ahead as P trails start to pop up. Just try and stay off the G dudes P trails, they are easy to spot as they go down the fall line. I remember a few years back, we were in full drought and somebody was trying to block the P trails on Rattlesnake with things that made some pretty nice high speed downhill jumps. In the photo just take the inside of the left line, hit that little protrusion and straighten out the path. Get about 6 feet of travel at the same time Win-Win.
happy straightening out the trails
there is a second jump right after but you need to land and crank that corner, best left for those off camber dudes.
PS the photo looks like Mr Toads at the bottom of Space except no high chaparral. Fast-Twisty and jumpy with a good drop. Fly at your own risk.
 
sir crashalot said:
OcParks: Laguna Ridge trail may be closed for trail maintenamce jan 6-16th. Last time I was there i saw theyre putting in a new trail off the the side of the steep chute. I wonder if thats going to be a separate uphjll line for hikers (good) or a complete reroute( Sigh...)
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Thanks for posting. I was out yesterday and there were workers on the mid section of Laguna Ridge doing work. I was able to greet them and pass on through. Thanks for the heads up.
 
sir crashalot said:
Were they doing maintenance work on the trail itself, or off on the new side trail? If the former that bodes well
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I was descending while being respectful, so my attention to their work was not great. Now that you mention a new side trail, a lightbulb has gone off. The crew was separated into two groups. The upper group was working on a new side trail and the lower crew was working on the existing trail.
 
LCF told me they are re-routing the mid section and making better use of the loss of altitude - similar to the upper section of the trail. To me, that seems OK, because that mid section lacks an identity. If it were chunky goodness, I would be up in arms, but it's just sort of there. A lower gradient flow trail would actually improve that section in my opinion.
 
herzalot said:
LCF told me they are re-routing the mid section and making better use of the loss of altitude - similar to the upper section of the trail. To me, that seems OK, because that mid section lacks an identity. If it were chunky goodness, I would be up in arms, but it's just sort of there. A lower gradient flow trail would actually improve that section in my opinion.
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I agree, unless the next phase is redoing the lower chunky section.
 
Yeah that middle section is lack luster... And just waiting wash away, becomes uck and needs some love, a couple flow turns are in order with a rollout to lead into the next section... there down it's just fine I too will not be happy if anything changes below that.
 
I like that steep part. iv actually been on the new trail, they starting burnin it in a couple years ago (then delayed and it grew over in the interim) and i noticed it and checked it out back then,. And we walked over and looked at the top section last week. Seemed kinda meh but guess well find out soon.
 
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