I Rode My Bike Today...

Most of my usual riding buddies were otherwise engaged today, but I can usually count on @Cougar. We decided to do a double drop in LCWP, starting in Laguna Canyon. Craig even swung by my house to pick me up. Well - that would turn out to be a bit of an error.

Climbed Willow to the top of El Morro/LCWP and prepared to hit the singletrack Missing Link/Fenceline, then drop Rattlesnake. Off I went. Woo whooo - always fun to do quick little singletrack leftsy-rightsy stuff. I did notice it was a little sandy after the first rocky section.

I stopped where ML becomes FL. And waited. And waited. Uh oh... back up the trail I went, when I stranger told me "I saw your buddy on the side of the trail. Not sure why. He said to tell you he will be right there." And he was. Seems that sand I mentioned grabbed Craig's front tire and dumped him unceremoniously into the turf. Scratched up and potentially bruised ribs. Given that he has to fly to Berlin tomorrow, that was it for him. Craig insisted I go ride something rather than just go back with him. After making sure he was OK, and checking for concussion, and arguing that I should walk/ride back with him, he remained insistent that I get something out of the ride. I obliged.

Fenceline-Lizard-Upper Laurel-Camarillo-Stagecoach-Truck. Took about 40 mins. Cleaned it all and didn't stop, save for the HAB section on Lizard. Yay me! :cool:

We all know when it comes to crashing it's not "if", it's "when, and how bad." Craig considers himself lucky that it wasn't much, but I am guessing traveling may be a bit uncomfortable tomorrow. This is also more evidence that it seems most crashes occur on less-difficult sections of trail.

9.4 mi, 1300'

Bikes are fun - but mostly when kept upright! :thumbsup: :cool: :confused:
 
Voodoo Tom said:
...So since Craig picked you up and you eventually continued your ride how'd you get home @herzalot? Please tell me you turned roadie and he did't wait for you...
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He said he didn't mind waiting. I don't think he had to wait long though. When we parted company (about 9:35), he was about 15-20 mins. from the truck riding at a normal pace. I am certain he went very slowly. I didn't think to ask how long he had been waiting. I arrived at the truck at 10:13.
 
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Nice little loop today starting from Nix centre off the 133. Stagecoach under the 73, up Willow, Upper Laurel to Camarillo and then Stagecoach back. 9 miles of most single track fun plus 1 nice climb
Stagecoach near Nix had no bikers but a few hikers. The trail was in good shape, perhaps a bit more rocky. I think LCF did some stuff / clearing on Stagecoach South. That was good, it is also in good shape. I could not clear that steep climb near 73...

Camarillo was great. I think they pushed aside a few rocks at the start of the chunky session which makes it bit more doable but techy enough. The climb back up Stagecoach is one of my favorites. All fun and taco’s thereafter :)
 
Today I did ride. With 3 buddies. 2 of which were San Juan Trail virgins.

Given the wind report I went for 1/2 enduro mode. Which means goggles but no pads.

We started pedaling at 8:00am. Wind was not a factor in the valley. After 500’ vert one member was pulling away and I resolved to down shift and enjoy my own pace. Did not see him again until cocktail rock :). One of the virgins was breaking in a new dream bike build, a canefield Riot on DVO. So rad!

Once up to the saddle above the switch backs we were more exposed and wind was a factor. Not enough to deter our efforts but blowing hard for sure.

One rider took a Branch to the leg and was thrown off the bike. Then later I pulled over and stopped to make room for a descender and I fell over into the brush on the slope. I required assistance to extract myself and my bike from the brush. Fun. Uninjured though.

Took more effort that I thought to reach cocktail rock, but made it none the less. I had a little more in the tank but we all agreed to call it a day and descend.

Decent was a fun. And we had fun pushing the limits of traction with not much traffic on the trail.

With stops and catch up breaks we were nearly 4hours on trail. Strava shows 2:25 moving time.

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dustyyoungblood said:
Today I did ride. With 3 buddies. 2 of which were San Juan Trail virgins.

Given the wind report I went for 1/2 enduro mode. Which means goggles but no pads.

We started pedaling at 8:00am. Wind was not a factor in the valley. After 500’ vert one member was pulling away and I resolved to down shift and enjoy my own pace. Did not see him again until cocktail rock :). One of the virgins was breaking in a new dream bike build, a canefield Riot on DVO. So rad!

Once up to the saddle above the switch backs we were more exposed and wind was a factor. Not enough to deter our efforts but blowing hard for sure.

One rider took a Branch to the leg and was thrown off the bike. Then later I pulled over and stopped to make room for a descender and I fell over into the brush on the slope. I required assistance to extract myself and my bike from the brush. Fun. Uninjured though.

Took more effort that I thought to reach cocktail rock, but made it none the less. I had a little more in the tank but we all agreed to call it a day and descend.

Decent was a fun. And we had fun pushing the limits of traction with not much traffic on the trail.

With stops and catch up breaks we were nearly 4hours on trail. Strava shows 2:25 moving time.

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Please tell me nobody passed you. Especially strangers in team kits!?! :eek:
 
Fanatic said:
View attachment 35880 I rode skypark for my first time. What an epic trail system.
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I've gotta get up there to check it out soon. They have a demo day on Thursdays now where it's only $15 to borrow one of the rentals!

Did a couple laps at Powder Canyon this morning. Trails are in great condition, easy ups and flowy hardpack downs. Perfect spot for a hardtail or short travel rig. What started as an easy Sunday ride due to getting over a cold, evolved into a longer one with multiple climbs Started on Fullerton Road, then up Black Walnut, down Schabarum section and up Purple Sage to the towers, dropped down trying not to run over hikers. Quick lap around the Schabarum Park perimiter trails and up Purple Sage to drop back down again. Then Schabarum trail back to the top of the Eastern Hill, and back down to the parking spot. Super Windy in Rowland Heights driving there, but the trails were sheltered. Really dry and warm though. Ate a lot of dust.
17.5 miles and 3600 ft.
 
HS practice at Crafton on Sundays, so off I went. Was over-prepared for morning chill, but didn't get too hot as the sun came out. Basically just perfect today. Up and over Crafton, then up the dreaded Carter St. climb to the back door of El Dorado Park. Talked most of the way up with one of the coaches, and pulled off a PR on it! Cool beans! A few laps up there, then so new dirt back down the hill. 23 miles, and 3K of el ain't too bad of a ride (I'm exhausted).

https://www.strava.com/activities/1380583797

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(Pretty sure that's Santiago center distance).
 
SnakeCharmer said:
I did a local tour of Verdugo Mountain. Climbed La Tuna, rested at the lookout, then headed East along the motorway. There is a way down that I have always wanted to try but until the recent fire here, the fire road was completely grown over. Well, not anymore. It was just plowed this week. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but it didn't take long to see. It basically drops, and I mean drops, down the face of a steep mountainside. Multiple sections of easily 30 degrees or steeper for 100s of feet. Loose and chopped up but not as squirrely as it looked. It was both scary as hell and fun as hell at the same time. I walked a few of the sections but it's completely doable for the guys with Brahma balls. Someone had already plowed the way down on two wheels so I followed those tracks as much as I could. It is hero dirt and it seemed to cradle my tires as I descended.

11.81 miles
1985'
944 calories

The OTB guys (hello @Luis) should add this descent to their Verdugo Mountain rides. The junction is just East of the Skyline intersection on the motorway. It dumps you out in Whiting Woods.

There is already some wildflowers starting up along the motorway and I saw waves of migrating Painted lady butterflies. Too early for that and it is concerning because there is no Thistle growing for the bflies to lay their eggs on. Nature is so confused! :eek:

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Shhhhh yea we know... :whistling:
 
Sasquatch9billion said:
First ride on dirt this year. I met a cool group of friends of friends but had to cut it short towards the top of mtt so I could get to a child’s birthday party. Down at the rock garden towards the end I saw a big group of cairns that looked cool and was thinking of stopping for a picture just as I otb’d. As I was falling my handle bars twisted and I realized I was about to impale myself through the neck...
I thought “ if I’m found dead by some foraging hippies this will be the saddest death ever.”
The bar ended up thumping me just below the the neck.

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Doooood WTH
 
El Prieto with Vince, Ray, Ryan, Bobby and Mark aka @BeckTrex. Would be new dirt for Mark. Hardly a place to park. @Luis said a quick hello as he drove by getting ready for some trail work.:thumbsup: I lead the crew for the climb up to the saddle. Vince lead down EP. It's been such a long time, I didn't quite remember the trail. Nice switchbacks, small 1 foot drops, chunky goodness, stream crossings all under a canopy of trees. Unfortunately it's over too quick. We decided to do it again. Back up to the saddle but this time I climbed in the the back of the pack.:notworthy: Down EP again! Now familiar it was a lot faster. Really got the flow going. Like the little jump at the end. :laugh: We all had a blast, What a gem. :cool: No real issues except for a hiker wearing ear buds in both ears. We literally had to scream at him to get his attention. :thumbsdown:
 
Went out to the Oaks this morning. Holy smokes the wind was whipping. Up chutes, down goat. Up and down cactus twice and back up goat and out chutes. The wind was challenging, simple switchbacks on chutes took a ton of effort. Stopped on cactus to place some branches in the way of a cheater line. 10 miles was all, doesn’t matter, still had fun.

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Redman said:
Went out to the Oaks this morning. Holy smokes the wind was whipping. Up chutes, down goat. Up and down cactus twice and back up goat and out chutes. The wind was challenging, simple switchbacks on chutes took a ton of effort. Stopped on cactus to place some branches in the way of a cheater line. 10 miles was all, doesn’t matter, still had fun.

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They have tried to close off that spot....no matter what they do, people still cut through it.
 
Redman said:
I figured as much. No biggie, it didn’t take long. No one on the trails cause the wind. I’l be surprised if it’s still there when I go back.
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Thanks for taking the time to close it off.

In my experience, some shortcuts are irresistible, especially without natural boundaries like thick brush, boulders, etc. This particular one might benefit from a taller, steeper berm that acts like a wall, but who knows?

One explanation is the concept of "efficiency," which perhaps all living things do naturally.. taking the shortest path of least resistance (cutting switchbacks, taking the fall line..). It's not always what a trail designer planned for, but it becomes part of a trail's evolution. It's users saying, "Hey, this works better, it's faster/cleaner/less of a hassle.." The only way to deflect it is to come up with a better (but hopefully safe) border, or continuously (as in daily) re-establish the branches, logs, rocks, cacti, etc. I'm not in favor of fences because they're unnatural and can become man-made hazards, eventually hurting someone or getting systematically dismantled and left as rubbish, and even more liable to hurt someone.

And sometimes it makes sense to leave the line and/or even dismantle the intended line. I hope that isn't the end result here, because the trail's so aesthetic. But not everyone appreciates a good berm line, or even wants such a thing, and those who do like making tweaks that increase flow/speed/thrill/elapsed time/etc., mostly to increase another trail concept-- "playfulness."

It's hard to build for everyone, especially in a multi-use setting, but definitely worth trying. Thanks again @Redman for your spontaneous act of trail work. :thumbsup:
 
kioti said:
Thanks for taking the time to close it off.

In my experience, some shortcuts are irresistible, especially without natural boundaries like thick brush, boulders, etc. This particular one might benefit from a taller, steeper berm that acts like a wall, but who knows?

One explanation is the concept of "efficiency," which perhaps all living things do naturally.. taking the shortest path of least resistance (cutting switchbacks, taking the fall line..). It's not always what a trail designer planned for, but it becomes part of a trail's evolution. It's users saying, "Hey, this works better, it's faster/cleaner/less of a hassle.." The only way to deflect it is to come up with a better (but hopefully safe) border, or continuously (as in daily) re-establish the branches, logs, rocks, cacti, etc. I'm not in favor of fences because they're unnatural and can become man-made hazards, eventually hurting someone or getting systematically dismantled and left as rubbish, and even more liable to hurt someone.

And sometimes it makes sense to leave the line and/or even dismantle the intended line. I hope that isn't the end result here, because the trail's so aesthetic. But not everyone appreciates a good berm line, or even wants such a thing, and those who do like making tweaks that increase flow/speed/thrill/elapsed time/etc., mostly to increase another trail concept-- "playfulness."

It's hard to build for everyone, especially in a multi-use setting, but definitely worth trying. Thanks again @Redman for your spontaneous act of trail work. :thumbsup:
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Part of the reason that shortcut can't be closed permanently is because it is too tight.....you come into it too fast and it is just a very difficult turn to make. Kearley has tried and tried again, but eventually everyone starts straight lining it.
 
Whiting luge whiting on sat..
Today..el more o n laguna... all to myself!
Just some hikers n rattler...

Views for miles.. from baldy to the cliffs of catalina...
Started at 730...rush hour traffic didnt bother me at all bc i knew i was going to get me some lizrds.. camarillo... willow SOT two way... emerald ..
What an awesome day!
I even found my oakleys at lizards entrance... at the end of my ride..
Had to sacrifice fenceline...

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