RR: SoCal Riding - LONG!

Quoted message said:

This ride report is for two different areas. I was in town for some
business and took my ride with me. {Major Snippage, at your service}

Nice pics and write-up -- sounds like you got a good taste of So Cal riding
(rocks, ruts and cliffs, oh my! 🙂

Only been to Aliso once, I think, but ridden SJT many times. If you're at
all afraid of heights, San Juan Trail is an adventure, to say the least!
(The upper half doesn't have the vertical "exposure" of the lower portion,
but is much more technical in places.) Need to be careful on way down, as
fatigue can make one sloppy (IOW, dead!)...

Bill "thanks for the RR" S.

San Juan can be spooky, it's true. If you are at all afraid of heights
it may not be the best choice.
As far as fatality possibilities go, last year a guy fell off the trail
and died, and nobody found him for a few days... sometimes it sucks to
ride alone. That said, SJT is one of my favorite solo rides.

Here's photo:

Quoted message said:

gallery.consumerreview.comdscn0061(1).jpgOpen ↗

Here's another:

Quoted message said:

http://gallery.consumerreview.com/webcrossing/images/18108784.SwitchBacks.jpg

miles

"S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This ride report is for two different areas. I was in town for some
business and took my ride with me. {Major Snippage, at your service}

Nice pics and write-up -- sounds like you got a good taste of So Cal

riding

Quoted message said:

(rocks, ruts and cliffs, oh my! 🙂

Only been to Aliso once, I think, but ridden SJT many times. If you're at
all afraid of heights, San Juan Trail is an adventure, to say the least!
(The upper half doesn't have the vertical "exposure" of the lower portion,
but is much more technical in places.) Need to be careful on way down, as
fatigue can make one sloppy (IOW, dead!)...

Bill "thanks for the RR" S.

I don't think it was so much the height as being alone. I'm still at the
point in my riding where I need occassional words of encouragement from
others. It takes my mind off of the danger. I didn't have that on SJT.
My two biggest fears are falling off a cliff with no one there to recover my
body and getting lost.

Ride-A-Lot <Mitchell@ wrote:

[snip cool RR]

Cool pics, I've been wanting to ride SJT for a long time. That might
just be the incentive I needed. Looks nice.

-Bruce

"Bruce Edge" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ride-A-Lot <Mitchell@ wrote:

[snip cool RR]

Cool pics, I've been wanting to ride SJT for a long time. That might
just be the incentive I needed. Looks nice.

-Bruce

Good luck and stay safe!

Ride-A-Lot Mitchell@ said:

This ride report is for two different areas. I was in town for some
business and took my ride with me. After going over some trail maps and
discussing with some native MTBers, I decided I would ride Aliso-Woods
(http://www.socalmtb.com/socal/trails/maps/aliso.htm) on Saturday for a warm
up and then try the San Juan Trail
(http://www.socalmtb.com/socal/trails/maps/hotsprin.htm) on Sunday, which
was classified as "advanced". By the time I reached Aliso-Woods on Saturday
morning, the skies opened up and the park was being closed. So back to the
hotel to wait for Sunday. I'm always one who tries to get their money's
worth. So having lugged my bike from NJ, I wasn't about to do just one
trail.

<snip great RR>

Quoted message said:

Thanks for reading!

Ride-A-Lot
www.schnauzers.ws

Man, you're stoked, you got to hit both of them! SJT isn't too advanced
for you. If you made that 6 mile climb, you're doing very good... you
just need a ride buddy next time to keep you company. It does get spooky
there by yourself.

Sheesh, and you rode down Mathias... dang, I've only had the unfortunate
displeasure of climbing it, and never cleanly.

Great pix too... thanks! Look forward to the video.
--
Slacker

"Slacker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ride-A-Lot Mitchell@ said:

This ride report is for two different areas. I was in town for some
business and took my ride with me. After going over some trail maps and
discussing with some native MTBers, I decided I would ride Aliso-Woods
(http://www.socalmtb.com/socal/trails/maps/aliso.htm) on Saturday for a

warm

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

up and then try the San Juan Trail
(http://www.socalmtb.com/socal/trails/maps/hotsprin.htm) on Sunday,

which

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

was classified as "advanced". By the time I reached Aliso-Woods on

Saturday

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

morning, the skies opened up and the park was being closed. So back to

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

hotel to wait for Sunday. I'm always one who tries to get their money's
worth. So having lugged my bike from NJ, I wasn't about to do just one
trail.

<snip great RR>

Quoted message said:

Thanks for reading!

Ride-A-Lot
www.schnauzers.ws

Man, you're stoked, you got to hit both of them! SJT isn't too advanced
for you. If you made that 6 mile climb, you're doing very good... you
just need a ride buddy next time to keep you company. It does get spooky
there by yourself.

Like I said, I was going to make it worth bringing the bike and flying
America West,

I'll be back late next March for a pre-con. I'll stay the weekend then too.
Maybe we can meet up for a ride or two.

Quoted message said:

Sheesh, and you rode down Mathias... dang, I've only had the unfortunate
displeasure of climbing it, and never cleanly.

Well, Cholla wasn't exactly a pleasure to go up either. If I had my body
armor with me, I would have been a little faster on Mathias. It was
exciting and I am still feeling the euthoria of the riding today.

Ride-A-Lot Mitchell@ said:

I'll be back late next March for a pre-con. I'll stay the weekend then too.
Maybe we can meet up for a ride or two.

Sounds like a plan... I'm in!
--
Slacker

Great report, it is good to get someone's impression of our trails from
outside of our area. I do ride San Juan alone but only after having done it
with friends a few times first...and only during the weekdays with the
shuttle monkeys aren't as prevalent...sorry Slacker.

Aliso is fun but I also stay away on weekends...way to many people. I can
now climb Cholla without dabbing or stopping...it took numerous attempts and
about 1 year of riding to get strong enough. Next time try coming off West
Ridge on Rocket or Lynx...both single tracks and more fun than the fireroad
decent.

On the West slope of West Ridge did you see any of the downhill single
tracks dropping into Laguna Canyon Road? IE: Dog Patch, Direct Dial,
Telonics, or Steps. If you though SJT was treacherous.

Dean Stepper
Laguna Beach, CA

"Ride-A-Lot schnauzers.ws>" <Mitchell@<NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This ride report is for two different areas. I was in town for some
business and took my ride with me. After going over some trail maps and
discussing with some native MTBers, I decided I would ride Aliso-Woods
(http://www.socalmtb.com/socal/trails/maps/aliso.htm) on Saturday for a

warm

Quoted message said:

up and then try the San Juan Trail
(http://www.socalmtb.com/socal/trails/maps/hotsprin.htm) on Sunday, which
was classified as "advanced". By the time I reached Aliso-Woods on

Saturday

Quoted message said:

morning, the skies opened up and the park was being closed. So back to

the

Quoted message said:

hotel to wait for Sunday. I'm always one who tries to get their money's
worth. So having lugged my bike from NJ, I wasn't about to do just one
trail.

Sunday morning I headed out to Aliso-Woods. When I got their the Ranger
said the park was closed and probably wouldn't be open until Tuesday. I
thought that was strange and as you'll see later, I'm glad I thought that.
So, I headed south to San Juan Capastrano and the San Juan Trail.

www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0879.jpg

There were a few cars in the parking lot, but no physical beings. I knew
this was a tough trail and I sure hoped there would be people along the

way,

Quoted message said:

just in case. I found the trail and then started to head up. I was
immediately presented with the mother of all switchbacks (at least 10 of
them in a row).

www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0838.jpg
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0889.jpg

Here is a look back at the switchbacks once I reached the top of them:

www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0881.jpg

I am a more confident rider when I am with a group. Alone, I get scared.
Especially when riding on the side of a cliff!

www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0882.jpg

Here is what I had accomplished thus far:

www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0885.jpg
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0886.jpg

My confidence level would go up and down with each motion of my feet.
Looking down would stop me dead in my tracks. I was scared [censored] for most

of

Quoted message said:

this ride. We don't have cliffside riding in PA/NJ.

Not only was this trail narrow, it was deeply rutted and washed out in
places. None-the-less, I trodded on upwards from the 800' starting point

to

Quoted message said:

3200' six miles later. As I got closer to the peak, the trail became even
more narrow and rockier. A fall here would have been fatal.

www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0887.jpg

It was at this point that I put the camera away because there was nolonger

a

Quoted message said:

place to stop. I continued up until I was about 1 mile from the top.

www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0884.jpg

It was here that I had a dose of reality. I had to go back down this

steep,

Quoted message said:

rutted, narrow, rock strewn trail. I didn't want my kids to grow up

without

Quoted message said:

a father. I turned my bike around leaning on the wall of the ridge as

rocks

Quoted message said:

and dirt came loose. I did not go very fast on the way down fearing the
switchbacks. Occassionally, I had to hunker on the side as DH'ers would
bomb down the trail. More power to them, I'll take my slow pace.

Back at the car, I was a little disappointed that I didn't go to the top.
At least I live for another day to try again with other people around me.

Having not had enough riding for the day, I decided to go back to
Aliso-Woods on whim that conditions have changed. At the park, the ranger
was just opening the gates. He said that it had dried out pretty fast and
he was opening the park. No cliffside riding here, but some great views

and

Quoted message said:

interesting trails.

My first goal was to reach top of the world. I head up the fire road

toward

Quoted message said:

Cholla trail.

www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0890.jpg
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0893.jpg
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0896.jpg

I reached the Cholla trail and decided to take it up instead of the fire
road. This trail rises 225 feet in 1/4 of a mile. I knew it would be a
nice climb and It certainly had some different flower and fawna.

www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0900.jpg
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0901.jpg

Looking down from a switchback:
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0902.jpg

Looking up from the switchback (that dirt road in the distance is where I
was heading):
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0905.jpg

More climbing:
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0906.jpg

At the top I took the fire road to top of the world. The last climb was a
doosy!

Looking up:
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0907.jpg

Looking down:
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0908.jpg

The view from the top of the world:
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0911.jpg
www.pchospital.net/cali/img_0914.jpg

I then bombed down the Mathis trail (no pics, it was too much fun to stop)
onto the main fire road and back out to the car. It was an incredible end
to an incredible day. So much so that I treated myself to a Mickey Bar (I
used to eat three of these in a row) at Disneyland that evening.

SJT was way too advanced for me, but Aliso-Woods proved to be a good

choice.

Quoted message said:

I'm sure there are other nice trails in the area, but I did not go away
unhappy. I shot some video of both trails which I will edit and post next
weeked.

Thanks for reading!

Ride-A-Lot
www.schnauzers.ws

"Dean A. Stepper" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:PM_gc.22885$Rz3.16820@fed1read05...

Quoted message said:

Great report, it is good to get someone's impression of our trails from
outside of our area. I do ride San Juan alone but only after having done

it

Quoted message said:

with friends a few times first...and only during the weekdays with the
shuttle monkeys aren't as prevalent...sorry Slacker.

Aliso is fun but I also stay away on weekends...way to many people. I can
now climb Cholla without dabbing or stopping...it took numerous attempts

and

Quoted message said:

about 1 year of riding to get strong enough. Next time try coming off

West

Quoted message said:

Ridge on Rocket or Lynx...both single tracks and more fun than the

fireroad

Quoted message said:

decent.

When I stopped there Saturday morning before the rain came down, the parking
lot and road were packed! I can see what you mean about the weekends being
crowded. Sunday, the park was closed in the morning and most people were
told it would be that way until Tuesday. That meant when the opened it on
Sunday afternoon, I basically had the whole thing to myself.

I made up Cholla, stopping once to take pics. This was a surprise because I
didn't think I was strong enough yet to do it and I was able to restart on
the up slope. I saw rocket and decided to pass without any protection.

Quoted message said:

On the West slope of West Ridge did you see any of the downhill single
tracks dropping into Laguna Canyon Road? IE: Dog Patch, Direct Dial,
Telonics, or Steps. If you though SJT was treacherous.

Dean Stepper
Laguna Beach, CA

I saw those very steep lines. What's the incline on those? I was on an
ultralight so hucking and DH was out of the question (not that I do that on
a normal day).

"Ride-A-Lot schnauzers.ws>" <Mitchell@<NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Slacker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ride-A-Lot Mitchell@ said:

This ride report is for two different areas. I was in town for some
business and took my ride with me. After going over some trail maps

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

discussing with some native MTBers, I decided I would ride Aliso-Woods
(http://www.socalmtb.com/socal/trails/maps/aliso.htm) on Saturday for

a

Quoted message said:

warm

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

up and then try the San Juan Trail
(http://www.socalmtb.com/socal/trails/maps/hotsprin.htm) on Sunday,

which

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

was classified as "advanced". By the time I reached Aliso-Woods on

Saturday

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

morning, the skies opened up and the park was being closed. So back

to

Quoted message said:

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

hotel to wait for Sunday. I'm always one who tries to get their

money's

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

worth. So having lugged my bike from NJ, I wasn't about to do just

one

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

trail.

<snip great RR>

Quoted message said:

Thanks for reading!

Ride-A-Lot
www.schnauzers.ws

Man, you're stoked, you got to hit both of them! SJT isn't too advanced
for you. If you made that 6 mile climb, you're doing very good... you
just need a ride buddy next time to keep you company. It does get spooky
there by yourself.

Like I said, I was going to make it worth bringing the bike and flying
America West,

I'll be back late next March for a pre-con. I'll stay the weekend then

too.

Quoted message said:

Maybe we can meet up for a ride or two.

Quoted message said:

Sheesh, and you rode down Mathias... dang, I've only had the unfortunate
displeasure of climbing it, and never cleanly.

Well, Cholla wasn't exactly a pleasure to go up either. If I had my body
armor with me, I would have been a little faster on Mathias. It was
exciting and I am still feeling the euthoria of the riding today.

cholla is kind of the quickest and most direct route up to maximize downhill
pleasure though. I've only ridden AW once but we ended up going up Cholla
twice and down Rock-It and probably Mathis (not entirely sure). Cholla
hurts, but it's over in a hurry. and it'd be a bummer to spend a lot of
time climbing another trail and then going down Cholla!

Michael

"Ride-A-Lot schnauzers.ws>" <Mitchell@<NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This ride report is for two different areas. I was in town for some
business and took my ride with me. After going over some trail maps and

<Major Snippage>

SJT actually gets more fun towards the top. But, it also helps to have a
little local knowledge since the fun trails (Chiquito and Viajas Tie) aren't
that obvious in where they go/end up if you don't know ahead of time.

the switchbacks, there are 31 in total I believe but like 22 in the opening
2 miles, can be challenging for sure. There's one in the opening sequence
that gives me trouble going uphill regularly, although any of them can cause
a problem from ride to ride. There's another one further up that I've never
made. It's just too rocky and I'm already kind of winded by the time I get
there to ever succeed at it. One day maybe!

I"m not sure why, but SJT never spooked me too badly becuase of the
exposure. I've been on other trails where I was more concerned but I always
felt pretty safe on SJT. I don't come down at breakneck speeds, but I do
okay. there are a few rough spots to watch out for though.

You do have to be very careful on weekdays though for the shuttle up and
ride crowd. They're usually out in force after about 10:00 after stumbling
out of bed around 9:00 or so!

if you want to relive the experience before you edit your video, check out
http://www.mountainbikebill.com for his videos or my site here:
http://www.s92441708.onlinehome.us/San%20Juan%20Trail/sjt.htm

Michael

miles todd said:

San Juan can be spooky, it's true. If you are at all afraid of heights
it may not be the best choice.
As far as fatality possibilities go, last year a guy fell off the trail
and died, and nobody found him for a few days... sometimes it sucks to
ride alone. That said, SJT is one of my favorite solo rides.

Here's photo:

Quoted message said:

gallery.consumerreview.comdscn0061(1).jpgOpen ↗

Here's another:

Quoted message said:

http://gallery.consumerreview.com/webcrossing/images/18108784.SwitchBacks.jpg

I don't know. I'm deathly afraid of heights but most of San Juan is so
wide I never even notice the drop. Put me on Upper Sam Merrill or
Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriels and I can barely move.

Greg

Ride-A-Lot

Quoted message said:

"S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

This ride report is for two different areas. I was in town for some
business and took my ride with me. {Major Snippage, at your service}

Nice pics and write-up -- sounds like you got a good taste of So Cal

riding

Quoted message said:

(rocks, ruts and cliffs, oh my! 🙂

Only been to Aliso once, I think, but ridden SJT many times. If you're at
all afraid of heights, San Juan Trail is an adventure, to say the least!
(The upper half doesn't have the vertical "exposure" of the lower portion,
but is much more technical in places.) Need to be careful on way down, as
fatigue can make one sloppy (IOW, dead!)...

Bill "thanks for the RR" S.

I don't think it was so much the height as being alone. I'm still at the
point in my riding where I need occassional words of encouragement from
others. It takes my mind off of the danger. I didn't have that on SJT.
My two biggest fears are falling off a cliff with no one there to recover my
body

I get that fear all the time.

Quoted message said:

and getting lost.

That's never a fear for me. At worst it's an annoyance since I'm always
prepared, at best it just adds to the adventure.

Greg

I don't know I don't ride them. I am comfortable on Laguna Ridge Trail and
that is a 35 percent loose and rocky downhill and not nearly as steep as the
ones I mentioned in Aliso. We have a few local professional downhillers
that use those trails on a regular basis. I run into members of Team Turner
once in awhile out there. They also seem to use Drunken Sailor and T & A
Drop (Laguna Ridge) in Laguna Wilderness Park.
"Ride-A-Lot schnauzers.ws>" <Mitchell@<NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Dean A. Stepper" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:PM_gc.22885$Rz3.16820@fed1read05...

Quoted message said:

Great report, it is good to get someone's impression of our trails from
outside of our area. I do ride San Juan alone but only after having

done

Quoted message said:

it

Quoted message said:

with friends a few times first...and only during the weekdays with the
shuttle monkeys aren't as prevalent...sorry Slacker.

Aliso is fun but I also stay away on weekends...way to many people. I

can

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

now climb Cholla without dabbing or stopping...it took numerous attempts

and

Quoted message said:

about 1 year of riding to get strong enough. Next time try coming off

West

Quoted message said:

Ridge on Rocket or Lynx...both single tracks and more fun than the

fireroad

Quoted message said:

decent.

When I stopped there Saturday morning before the rain came down, the

parking

Quoted message said:

lot and road were packed! I can see what you mean about the weekends

being

Quoted message said:

crowded. Sunday, the park was closed in the morning and most people were
told it would be that way until Tuesday. That meant when the opened it on
Sunday afternoon, I basically had the whole thing to myself.

I made up Cholla, stopping once to take pics. This was a surprise because

I

Quoted message said:

didn't think I was strong enough yet to do it and I was able to restart on
the up slope. I saw rocket and decided to pass without any protection.

Quoted message said:

On the West slope of West Ridge did you see any of the downhill single
tracks dropping into Laguna Canyon Road? IE: Dog Patch, Direct Dial,
Telonics, or Steps. If you though SJT was treacherous.

Dean Stepper
Laguna Beach, CA

I saw those very steep lines. What's the incline on those? I was on an
ultralight so hucking and DH was out of the question (not that I do that

on

Quoted message said:

a normal day).

G.T. said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I don't know. I'm deathly afraid of heights but most of San Juan is so
wide I never even notice the drop. Put me on Upper Sam Merrill or
Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriels and I can barely move.

Greg

Hmmm. You would love Scissors Crossing then. Oh wait- you've ridden it,
as I seem to recall. That has some good agoraphobia potential. Of
course, Carrizo Gorge is bad for those afraid of falling off of cliffs,
too... or so I have been told.

miles

Ride-A-Lot

Quoted message said:

I made up Cholla, stopping once to take pics. This was a surprise because I
didn't think I was strong enough yet to do it and I was able to restart on
the up slope. I saw rocket and decided to pass without any protection.

I was riding up Cholla one time (actually an AM-B Gathering, now that I
think of it) and I politely asked a guy to let me pass. He made no move
to do so, so I asked him again, explaining that it was extremely hard
for me to go so slow. I'm sure he thought I was an arrogant jerk, but
what he didn't know was that it was all I could do to keep enough
forward momentum at 10 RPM to not fall over. Finally the trail widened
ever so slightly and I got past him. When he saw I was on a single
speed, he asked "why didn't you say something? If I'd known I would
have let you by." That was by far my most difficult climb up that
damned trail.
I rode up Mathis that day, too... ouch.

miles

miles todd said:

G.T. said:

Quoted message said:

>

I don't know. I'm deathly afraid of heights but most of San Juan is
so wide I never even notice the drop. Put me on Upper Sam Merrill or
Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriels and I can barely move.

Greg

Hmmm. You would love Scissors Crossing then. Oh wait- you've ridden it,
as I seem to recall. That has some good agoraphobia potential.

Yeah, I was ok on Scissors, again the trail is wide enough to not scare me
too much.

Quoted message said:

Of
course, Carrizo Gorge is bad for those afraid of falling off of cliffs,
too... or so I have been told.

I was surprised that the trestles didn't bother me that much. But that
section where that guy fell off of the side freaks me. I'm glad I wasn't
there. I don't think I would have had the nerve to ride back to the car.

The stuff that scares me is unmaintained forest service trail, particularly
on the front side of the San Gabriels, when the trail gets eroded down to a
few inches. Behind me on this shot was a section that was scary to walk
while carrying a bike:

http://www.2fortheroad.net/pacifico/stopped.html

Unfortunately the shot back toward the steep stuff was too dark, it was
quite a bit steeper and the trail was only the width of a boot.

Greg

"G.T." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

miles todd said:

G.T. said:

>>

I don't know. I'm deathly afraid of heights but most of San Juan is
so wide I never even notice the drop. Put me on Upper Sam Merrill or
Strawberry Peak in the San Gabriels and I can barely move.

Greg

Hmmm. You would love Scissors Crossing then. Oh wait- you've ridden it,
as I seem to recall. That has some good agoraphobia potential.

Yeah, I was ok on Scissors, again the trail is wide enough to not scare me
too much.

Quoted message said:

Of
course, Carrizo Gorge is bad for those afraid of falling off of cliffs,
too... or so I have been told.

I was surprised that the trestles didn't bother me that much. But that
section where that guy fell off of the side freaks me. I'm glad I wasn't
there. I don't think I would have had the nerve to ride back to the car.

The stuff that scares me is unmaintained forest service trail,

particularly

Quoted message said:

on the front side of the San Gabriels, when the trail gets eroded down to

a

Quoted message said:

few inches. Behind me on this shot was a section that was scary to walk
while carrying a bike:

http://www.2fortheroad.net/pacifico/stopped.html

Unfortunately the shot back toward the steep stuff was too dark, it was
quite a bit steeper and the trail was only the width of a boot.

Greg

I would be afraid to ride that trail with that back tire.