|   MbtB5 - Sunday's Ride | Biking Viking
Apr 30, 2003 11:35 AM | | So we're having the wettest April since 1982 or something. Unfortunately this means that some of the singletrack that usually opens end of March is still closed. Looking at the weather forecast - the probability that those trails open by Sunday is approximately equal to the probability that a mouse can survive 14 days on the surface of the sun. Actually, that probability has statistically been determined to a very small non-zero value. I can't find a link, but it doesn't matter - the trails will be closed anyway. We will have to make a few short road detours (only one for the long ride), to bypass the closed trails, but there's still a lot of good stuff left - and we'll still get all the phenomenal views that this ride offers. If anybody shows up, that is.
We will start out from Saratoga Gap, I believe at 11:00, but if we can do it earlier, I'm in for that. Park in the big parking lot at the intersection of Hwy 9 or Hwy 35. This parking lot is usually pretty busy that late on a Sunday - if space is a problem, we'll figure something out.
Now, download this map and try to follow my description.
We start out by going Northeast on the Saratoga Gap Trail. This incredibly fun, rolling singletrack goes along Hwy 35 for two miles before it crosses the road and becomes Hickory Oaks trail. Hickory Oaks takes us to a nice lookout point with great views of Big Basin, Butano Ridge and the PO (not poison oak, but the lake between us an Japan)
From here, unfortunately we will have to skip Peters Creek or Long Ridge trail since they are still closed. They are both nice switchback infested singletracks, but we will have to take Ward Road to Hwy 35, go North along the road for two miles and join the trail again at Portola Heights Road. The trail here is not shown on the map, but it takes us into Skyline Ridge OSP. Click for new map
Here we ride the ridge trail through the Xmas tree farm down to Horse Shoe Lake.
From here, the medium ride group was supposed to go across Hwy 35, down Skid Road and Stevens Nature trail and hook up with the Canyon Trail. Now they will have to enter Hwy 35, ride to Page Mill Road and hook up with the trail on the opposite side of Alpine Road.
The long ride group continues by climbing a short stretch of fire road over to Alpine Pond.
Here we cross over to Russian Ridge OSP map here and ride the Rige Trail to Ancient Oaks trail, a contour-hugging singletrack trail that normally features the most spectacular wildflower display this time of year. The flower burst will be somewhat reduced this year, but I came up Alpine on my roadie bike this morning and it looks pretty good.
We will do a short out-n-back to Borel Hill, which has one of the best 360-degree views you can get in the Bay Area. Experiencing this view is totally worth the effort.
Just click here if you don't believe me.
As we go back on Ancient Oaks,
we will descend all the way to the bottom of the Hawk Ridge trail - another hillside hugging singletrack with multi-billion dollar views and climb it to where it meets the Ridge Trail. If we have time, we will go out-n-back to the left, to ride a fairly newly opened fun trail. If not, we'll go right and cross over Hwy 35 and do the fun descent down Meadow Trail into Coal Creek OSP. From here we climb Alpine Road up to Page Mill, cross over and...
...we're in Montebello OSP. Click the link for the next map.
Here we should have taken White Oaks (aka Frame Braker )and Stevens Nature Trail, but, again, thanks to the weather we will have take the trail to the parking lot and go down the Canyon Trail. As we cross Page Mill, the routes for the medium and the long rides meet up. After a long, fast descent, the medium group climbs Grizzly Flat and takes Hwy 35/Saratoga Gap back, whereas the long group climbs Table Mountain (the sweetest singletrack climb around here) and the dreaded Charcoal Road up to Saratoga Gap and eventually back to the car.
It'll be a ride to remember - I promise.
BV |
| I should be there BV | laffeaux
Apr 30, 2003 12:14 PM | | A buddy of mine from Idaho should be there as well. If any out of towners (hopefully there will be a lot) don't want to do the "long" ride I'll be there to help guide them home short ride, medium ride, whatever. When people get tired we can loop back. |
| Remember to *share the trail,* BV... | JimC.
Apr 30, 2003 12:16 PM | | lovely shots, you're p!ssing me off stuck in my cube here. But thanks, and some of those shots are just excellent! Enjoy your ride, and the swamp, we just had the wettest 6 weeks on record here too.
Jim |
| Sharing sucks. Those damn hikers are everywhere. | Biking Viking
Apr 30, 2003 12:23 PM | | Not only do they insist on using the same trails as us, forcing us to slow down - they're also started to ruin the pictures I take on our lunch rides.
BV |
| Lunch hour rides? | JimC.
Apr 30, 2003 12:35 PM | | *%&^$^@$%@%&&%%##!#@~. Lucky ^$!@%$
never mind the hikers, jeez.
Jim |
| Off with their heads! | pimpbot
Apr 30, 2003 2:31 PM | | |
| Is he on a unicycle? NM | CraigH
Apr 30, 2003 3:31 PM | | nm |
| Yes - we all ride unicycles here. That's the only way to... | Biking Viking
Apr 30, 2003 3:54 PM | | ...legally ride the trails that are closed to bikes.
BV |
| Nice. Now there's a stray dog... | Biking Viking
May 1, 2003 6:49 AM | | ...there in the shadow of that tree.
BV |
| Ride lenghts for logistical reasons?.. | Jrm
Apr 30, 2003 12:30 PM | | Thanks BV. |
| If I remember correctly, the orignal routes were... | Biking Viking
Apr 30, 2003 12:38 PM | | ...18 and 26 miles. You can shave a mile off that now. My guess is that the long one has some 4,000 feet of climbing whereas the medium ride accumulates around 2,500.
BV |
| Skid Rd & White Oaks are closed according to | Gakster
May 1, 2003 7:45 AM | | www.openspace.org.
Nonetheless, sounds like a great ride. |
| I know. We're not including them. (nm) | Biking Viking
May 1, 2003 11:09 AM | | |
| I'll be there. Earlier is a good idea | wg
May 1, 2003 8:24 AM | | If I remember that parking lot correctly its popular. So any ealier should be better. Anyone for 9:30?
JRM... ya still want to carpool? I can come get you this time. Email me with destructions on how to find you.
wg |
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