I Rode My Bike Today...

About 15 miles and 2400ft of climbing today in Limestone Canyon. It was open access day today, this is every 2 months or so. I often forget to sign up and then it fills up. It is a nice event, lots of friendly staff and volunteers plus good well maintained trails.
First an easy asphalt climb up Hicks Haul road, then East Loma ridge climb. Pretty climb, still plenty of wildflowers too. On the top reaching Sand Trap trail there was a big Caterpillar so that suggested that the other fire roads would have been cleared as well, and that was the case. Then down the relatively new Dripping Springs trail. Very fun, quite beginner friendly since it is quite smooth. Pretty trail, under the oak trees. Left towards Sand trap trail and then a big climb towards East Loma again. Then over and across to the little fun single track Box Springs. East Loma ridge is a nice undulating climb, just try to ignore the smell at one point of the ever expanding dump on the other side of the hill o_O. Then to Limestone, up Cactus to the Limestone ridge single track. 3 miles long, lots of little stones/rocks; as long as you keep the momentum, all good. Beautiful trail, one of my favorites.
Good day on the bike, i have not done too much biking lately, which became clear with my second to last finish last tuesday at OTH :whistling::laugh:. All good, always good to be out on the trails, especially in such a nice area as limestone today :thumbsup:

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What a group! @mtnbikej , @horsebikerider , @The Professor, @TheMiniProfessor, and @Hugh...

Up San Juan just in time for sunset at Cocktail Rock. The bottom sections had been brushed, but the top is still a little overgrown. Not bad... Unless it's wet. Which it was. :p We were a little cold and soggy by the top. The GPS showed a temp of 50... A quick switch to the waterproof gloves and a dry windbreaker for the ride down. I had the rain coat just in case, but that would have been overkill.

A little socializing until the sun set, and then a fun run through the foggy damp conditions... Visibility was not so great for the top half, but it was a riot.

Mini Professor- doing just fine, even with no visibility...
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And then this happened... No harm, no foul... Thankfully.
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13 miles and 2700ish feet...

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Faust29 said:
What a group! @mtnbikej , @horsebikerider , @The Professor, @TheMiniProfessor, and @Hugh...

Up San Juan just in time for sunset at Cocktail Rock. The bottom sections had been brushed, but the top is still a little overgrown. Not bad... Unless it's wet. Which it was. :p We were a little cold and soggy by the top. The GPS showed a temp of 50... A quick switch to the waterproof gloves and a dry windbreaker for the ride down. I had the rain coat just in case, but that would have been overkill.

A little socializing until the sun set, and then a fun run through the foggy damp conditions... Visibility was not so great for the top half, but it was a riot.

Mini Professor- doing just fine, even with no visibility...
View attachment 54069

View attachment 54068

And then this happened... No harm, no foul... Thankfully.
View attachment 54066


13 miles and 2700ish feet...

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Ah SJT! Brings back fond memories of my Superman into a tree and subsequent subcondylar mandible fracture and subsequent ride down from Cocktail Rock with said injury...fun times!
 
Quick fun laps at Greer with Godzilla: overdrive to Mouse to Distortion to Insidious to TMB. 1:50 and back to my famsquatch by 9:20 for a glorious day of Squatchy bliss!

An hour of House trail Laps yesterday...better n nuthin!

2/3 Explo/Skypark (Arrow, Jumpline, Sleighride/Playground, Jumpline) on Friday!

Good weekend for this Cryptid...I’m starting to believe in myself :rolleyes:
 
Faust29 said:
:eek::eek:

I'll take the uneventful ride down through the Santa Ana soup over that. Glad you made it back... :thumbsup:
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Thanks! Had one little washout/semi OTB on the way down after the fracture...I was pretty pissed all that fun downhill got spoiled after doing the work part of the lollipop! (This was like 2007 or 2008, and after titanium plate and screws and jaw wired for a month, back in business!)
 
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Who said I had to work all day. Snuck out early with the weez for a spin over to Lloyd's Loop, our local black circuit.

We found where a giant carcass of an ancient tree fell into some others and created a virtual privacy wall of wood.

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After that nice diversion we headed for Lloyds. No gravel grinders, MTBers, motos or cars anywhere, so weird on a perfect-weather Sunday with hero dirt, but who's complaining... Once on the trail and way back we saw a few.

She got the tricky descent with two dabs; I got it clean. I'd put the difficulty right around Hole in the Ground and Toad's Wild Ride (those have supposed double black). Some crazy optional features look fun when I have sessioning time.

The lass doesn't ride often, but has gotten continuously better at tech ups and downs. And she loves that chunky stuff as much as I do. Play together/stay together :):inlove::thumbsup:
 
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Took the Sutra to the FLoop. Halfway through Panorama I got a wild hair and turned right on Bastanchury, up State College, out Birch & Carbon Canyon to CHSP. Up Telegraph Canyon Road - which is much like a singletrack in many places - getting whapped in the face left and right by the overgrown mustard. Most of it dying off quickly, much brownness out there. Hit the end of Telegraph and went up Raptor Ridge a little way, but the Sutra really isn't the bike for that. Turned around and went back to finish the FLoop. Fun day.
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Well, this happened:
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Six of us rode some fun trails in glorious biking weather. In the photo above we have (L-R) Nathan, , @DangerDirtyD , my bike, @Bill and my buddy Kevin. Off camera, getting his action cam ready is @tbarnesarc. Sorry Taylor, I didn't get a good picture of you today.

All but Taylor met up at Canyon Vistas in Aliso Viejo. Up to and down 5-Oaks as a wake up call. Then up Cholla, pick up Taylor and head down Stair Steps. It was @DangerDirtyD 's first run on the trail and he stopped for nothing, bouncing his way down in style without flinching. There was a bit of a log jam at the biggest drop on the waterfall, so I had to take a second run at it. At the encouragement of a hiker who clearly rides, I finally ran the center of the drop. There were people around to scrape me up if I failed. I didn't. Next is to huck it.

Across the 133 (Laguna Canyon) and up Willow. We crossed signals with Bill at that point. He went to the restroom and said he would catch up. We waited a while, didn't see him, so, since he is a strong climber and many of us aren't, we decided to head up. He never passed me, which was worrisome. Perhaps he went out the Stagecoach single-track instead of up Willow. Turns out he went up ahead of all of us somehow.

Called an audible at the top of Willow to NOT do Fenceline and Lizard. Probably a good call. Off we went to TnA (Laguna Ridge), aka Taylor's backyard run. Great fun down TnA, then the slog up Phillips Rd and Stair Steps. Always fun to see just how nasty Stair Steps is when you walk up it. We were all pretty spent and running short on time, so we took the shortest of the three options - Lynx - as our finishing run. Always fun.

Great times, great group. Bikes are fun!

12.5 mi, 2500' of climbing (do the math).
 
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herzalot said:
Well, this happened:
View attachment 54090

Six of us rode some fun trails in some glorious weather. In the photo above we have (L-R) Nathan, @DangerDirtyD @Bill and my buddy Kevin. Off camera, getting a camera ready is @tbarnesarc. Sorry Taylor, I didn't get a good picture of you today.

All but Taylor met up at Canyon Vistas in Aliso Viejo. Up to and down 5-Oaks as a wake up call. Then up Cholla, pick up Taylor and head down Stair Steps. It was @DangerDirtyD 's first run on the trail and he stopped for nothing, bouncing his way down in style without flinching. There was a bit of a log jam at the biggest drop on the waterfall, so I had to take a second run at it. Finally ran the center line, since there were people around to scrape me up if I failed. Next is to huck it.

Across the 133 (Laguna Canyon) and up Willow. We crossed signals with Bill at that point. He went to the restroom and said he would catch up. We waited a while, didn't see him, so, since he is a strong climber and many of us aren't, we decided to head up. He never passed me, which was worrisome. Perhaps he went out the Stagecoach single-track instead of up Willow. Turns out he went up ahead of all of us somehow.

Called an audible at the top of Willow to NOT do Fenceline and Lizard. Probably a good call. Off we went to TnA (Laguna Ridge), aka Taylor's backyard run. Great fun down TnA, then the slog up Phillips Rd and Stair Steps. Always fun to see just how nasty Stair Steps is when you walk up it. We were all pretty spent and running short on time, so we took the shortest of the three options - Lynx - as our finishing run. Always fun.

Great times, great group. Bikes are fun!

12.5 mi, 2500' of climbing (do the math).
Click to expand...
Heeeee! It was a good day. I’m so tired. I don’t know how I used to do this stuff three days in a row. Pleasure to meet you @Bill and @tbarnesarc and Kevin and Taylor. I have no photos. But I have a few memories (not too many-I was safe) that I will play over and over again for a while. :laugh:
 
Fun ride! Nice to meet who I met today. Good times. Btw @DangerDirtyD tbarnesarc = Taylor not two separate people:). No one wants two of me in this world:gag:. Great meeting you too! Super stoked the Kevinator was on the ride. It was a long overdue reunion. And, yes another TnA video is coming up soon. Don't act like you're sick of seeing me shred the gnar bruh :whistling::rolleyes::laugh:.
 
Familiar stomping ground today, other than the start. Have been looking for a better (clearer) route from Las Virgenes over to Chesebro so that I can do all of Sheep Corral to finish out. I did Morrison Ranch Road up to Chesebro Ridge, and it was a hot mess, though pretty short. Won't be doing that one again. Lower part of Palo Comado was also ridic. Mustard has grown together into a low hanging tunnel that I repeatedly plowed through with my face. Sheep Corral was a blast as usual, and a couple small jumps have been built that I don't remember. Back on Las Virgenes Canyon I started to pass Ridge Connector, which had been incredibly overgrown, but appeared to have been brushed. Rode up a half mile or so just to verify condition, and it was wide open. Wish I'd started that way. Stats were 13.8 and 1756.

At the risk of sounding corny and all woo woo, I found myself super grateful for mountain biking today. It has been a great enhancement to my life this year, but this week in particular I just really felt like I was swimming upstream all the time, and it carried over into my weekend, and even the first part of my ride. By then end I was in a much better spot, with much needed clarity. Yay mountain biking!
 
buggravy said:
Familiar stomping ground today, other than the start. Have been looking for a better (clearer) route from Las Virgenes over to Chesebro so that I can do all of Sheep Corral to finish out. I did Morrison Ranch Road up to Chesebro Ridge, and it was a hot mess, though pretty short. Won't be doing that one again. Lower part of Palo Comado was also ridic. Mustard has grown together into a low hanging tunnel that I repeatedly plowed through with my face. Sheep Corral was a blast as usual, and a couple small jumps have been built that I don't remember. Back on Las Virgenes Canyon I started to pass Ridge Connector, which had been incredibly overgrown, but appeared to have been brushed. Rode up a half mile or so just to verify condition, and it was wide open. Wish I'd started that way. Stats were 13.8 and 1756.

At the risk of sounding corny and all woo woo, I found myself super grateful for mountain biking today. It has been a great enhancement to my life this year, but this week in particular I just really felt like I was swimming upstream all the time, and it carried over into my weekend, and even the first part of my ride. By then end I was in a much better spot, with much needed clarity. Yay mountain biking!
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Not corny at all, I think most of us get it 110%!!!! Keep up the positive:thumbsup:
 
herzalot said:
Well, this happened:
View attachment 54090

Six of us rode some fun trails in glorious biking weather. In the photo above we have (L-R) Nathan, , @DangerDirtyD , my bike, @Bill and my buddy Kevin. Off camera, getting his action cam ready is @tbarnesarc. Sorry Taylor, I didn't get a good picture of you today.

All but Taylor met up at Canyon Vistas in Aliso Viejo. Up to and down 5-Oaks as a wake up call. Then up Cholla, pick up Taylor and head down Stair Steps. It was @DangerDirtyD 's first run on the trail and he stopped for nothing, bouncing his way down in style without flinching. There was a bit of a log jam at the biggest drop on the waterfall, so I had to take a second run at it. At the encouragement of a hiker who clearly rides, I finally ran the center of the drop. There were people around to scrape me up if I failed. I didn't. Next is to huck it.

Across the 133 (Laguna Canyon) and up Willow. We crossed signals with Bill at that point. He went to the restroom and said he would catch up. We waited a while, didn't see him, so, since he is a strong climber and many of us aren't, we decided to head up. He never passed me, which was worrisome. Perhaps he went out the Stagecoach single-track instead of up Willow. Turns out he went up ahead of all of us somehow.

Called an audible at the top of Willow to NOT do Fenceline and Lizard. Probably a good call. Off we went to TnA (Laguna Ridge), aka Taylor's backyard run. Great fun down TnA, then the slog up Phillips Rd and Stair Steps. Always fun to see just how nasty Stair Steps is when you walk up it. We were all pretty spent and running short on time, so we took the shortest of the three options - Lynx - as our finishing run. Always fun.

Great times, great group. Bikes are fun!

12.5 mi, 2500' of climbing (do the math).
Click to expand...
I’m surprised you still know how to ride Herz ;)
JK:D Happy for you hooligans!
 
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buggravy said:
Familiar stomping ground today, other than the start. Have been looking for a better (clearer) route from Las Virgenes over to Chesebro so that I can do all of Sheep Corral to finish out. I did Morrison Ranch Road up to Chesebro Ridge, and it was a hot mess, though pretty short. Won't be doing that one again. Lower part of Palo Comado was also ridic. Mustard has grown together into a low hanging tunnel that I repeatedly plowed through with my face. Sheep Corral was a blast as usual, and a couple small jumps have been built that I don't remember. Back on Las Virgenes Canyon I started to pass Ridge Connector, which had been incredibly overgrown, but appeared to have been brushed. Rode up a half mile or so just to verify condition, and it was wide open. Wish I'd started that way. Stats were 13.8 and 1756.

At the risk of sounding corny and all woo woo, I found myself super grateful for mountain biking today. It has been a great enhancement to my life this year, but this week in particular I just really felt like I was swimming upstream all the time, and it carried over into my weekend, and even the first part of my ride. By then end I was in a much better spot, with much needed clarity. Yay mountain biking!
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:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
So, here's the POV from today. I tried not to cut much out since I wanted try and capture the vibe of today's ride. Cameos all around in between my typical unplanned commentary:whistling:. Also, I tried something different with ye old gopro this time; 4k/30 and non supeview vs the usual 2.7k/30 superview:geek:. Seems to be a bit better but let me know your thoughts good bad or indifferent. :D

 
tbarnesarc said:
So, here's the POV from today. I tried not to cut much out since I wanted try and capture the vibe of today's ride. Cameos all around in between my typical unplanned commentary:whistling:. Also, I tried something different with ye old gopro this time; 4k/30 and non supeview vs the usual 2.7k/30 superview:geek:. Seems to be a bit better but let me know your thoughts good bad or indifferent. :D

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Entertaining, as always.

The color seemed a bit off compared to normal. And some of the drops appeared to jolt the camera more abruptly than I've seen before. Maybe a result of radness on your part! :thumbsup: :cool:
 
tbarnesarc said:
So, here's the POV from today. I tried not to cut much out since I wanted try and capture the vibe of today's ride. Cameos all around in between my typical unplanned commentary:whistling:. Also, I tried something different with ye old gopro this time; 4k/30 and non supeview vs the usual 2.7k/30 superview:geek:. Seems to be a bit better but let me know your thoughts good bad or indifferent. :D

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Thanks Taylor. There were lots o’ bumps out there today.
 
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