|   Lots of good dirt down here in LA | Fast Eddy
Jul 17, 2003 10:44 PM | |
My previous 10 or so trips to LA have been in and around Anaheim for Disneyland and conferences at the convention center. You always hear about the traffic and the smog, and not usually about the riding.
I've been down here for three weeks now, coming home for only for the fourth of July weekend. I've gone on ten rides in thirteen days that I've been here, and I have to say, there is some major dirt around here. I'm staying near Thousand Oaks, about 20 miles north of "The Valley".
The best ride was a shuttle with Hollywood in Red Box Canyon. Photo credit (bottom) to Jeff. Also credit to him for hooking me up with the group with whom I've been riding.
We've ridden a bunch at Cheseboro, once at Malibu Creek State Park, where they did a bunch of filming for MASH, and a couple times at Pt Mugu/Big Sycamore Canyon. All these places have great trails, including some especially rocky, rockin' sections.
Tonight we rode Cheseboro, which is not all super technical, but has some great rocky sections. The best part tonight was the wildlife. Here I am in what I thought was "LA", and tonight on our 2.5 hour ride, we saw bunnies, tons of lizards of several varieties including two or three big California Horned Lizards 
Phrynosoma Coronatum Frontale (c. '95 John Game)a hummingbird not bigger than a dragonfly that settled on a branch very near me while I was stopped sucking air on a climb, some actual dragonflies, a zillion gnats 8^( a 4' snake that I got to hold (pic later), a big tarantula, and a little tarantula that ran up the inside of my arm when I picked it up.
When we were packing up, there was a coyote in the creek very near where we were parked at the trailhead. It was about 8:45, and deep dusk, and the neighborhood dogs were responding to its howls. I was the last one of our group to leave, and there were three of them on the road as I rolled out. It was a great ending to a great ride and a great day.
Tomorrow I'm going back home for a couple days of hangtime with my family, but I'll be back next week. I miss them when I'm here, but I'm going to miss this place when my time here is over.
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| Cool stuff! | pimpbot
Jul 17, 2003 11:22 PM | | My sister lives near Venice Beach. I oughta go pay her a 'visit' |
| if you're staying in T.O. | Yeti_Rider
Jul 18, 2003 8:15 AM | | you should check out Wildwood Park but follow these directions. Wildwood has several trails that all loop aroudn so you have to connect them in the best way to really enjoy the place. OTherwise, you'll think the place sucks. The way I've described the trail below though hooks up all the fun singletrack and as you said, you're in the middle of a very populated area but you really feel alone at times. Wildwood park is the only place I've ever ridden where I've seen a bobcat (i'm sure more of them and their bigger cousins have seen me than I've seen but we'll just keep it that way)
This certainly isn't a trail that I'd drive for an hour to ride but if it's right in your back yard, things could be a whole lot worse. It's got some good climbs and some good rocky terrain and on several of the trails (Santa Rosa and Lynnmere) you'll be the only person around even though the park will be very crowded with hikers.
Park at the main lot but immediately leave and get onto the pavement. Turn right. Take a left at the park about 1/2 mile down the street and parallel the flood control channel. At the pavement, turn left. after about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile, take the trail on the right that heads up and over the mesa. go over the hill (enjoy the views while you're there) and at the bottom turn left. You'll crest the hill and see a little descent on teh other side that turns sharp left after a couple hundred feet. This is the Santa Rosa Trail. Take this trail.
Take it all the way until you are on a bluff overlooking the main parking lot. Ride down all the way. When you get to the main fireroad, turn right and then right at the branch. Head out to Lizard Rock (the bluff in the distance the looks sort of like a lizard perched on a rock). at the third right, you can turn right and go down the steep hill, up the short climb and veer hard left. look for the ST and take it. This drops you back out on the main fireroad right at the stagecoah bluff intersection. Or, you can just stay on the main fire road for that stretch and turn left onto Stagecoach bluff trail. The ST connector is, well, short but still ST!
Take Stagecoach bluff until it ends and turn left onto the fireroad. Head back to the parking lot. AT the pavement, turn right and take it all the way to Lynn Road. Turn right again. After you pass Ave. De Los Flores, there will be a ST trail on your right in just a bit. Take it. This is the Lynnmere Trail. This trail is probably the least used yet most fun trail in the park. Eventually you'll come to a tiny bridge and a double track. Turn right to go down the hill. Take this trail until it ends at a stream. cross the stream and turn left to follow the stream. You'll come to the waterfall. continue riding on hte trail that parallels the stream.
after a little bit, you'll come to a big clearing (you cross the stream twice after the falls) and there will be a fire road climb on your right. take this up to the teepee. turn left at the teepee and take the road back to the cars.
all told, this is about a 17 mile loop and connects all the ST in the park. there are other options but I found this to be one of the better ways to ride everything. I used to ride this loop every week when I lived in the area.
I presume you've already ridden Backbone from Kanan. Another challenging but short loop is to ride up Chumash Trail to Hummingbird in Simi Valley. For an added bonus, you can ride up Santa Susana Pass road to Rocky Peak, continue climbing up Rocky Peak to Chumash, descend down Chumash, turn aroudn and climb back up Santa Susana Pass to Rocky Peak and this time descend down hummingbird. A bit of road miles but the two descents are worth it.
I'd also seriously consider heading up to Santa Barbara and riding some of those trails too. I've only ever ridden Romero Canyon but there is a ton of stuff up there. Any of the local bike shops will have very detailed maps and ride suggestions for you but while you're in the area you should take advantage of it. |
| Is that last pic the rocky section of Red Box to Switzer? | hedgehog
Jul 18, 2003 10:52 AM | | I was just there Wednesday (If it's not Gabriellino it looks very similar). I ride that trail 3 or 4 times a month and I still only make it down that section 75% of the time.
Chesebro's always a blast (tons of trails).
Sounds like you've discovered what doesn't suck about L.A.... the trails.
Where you riding next week? |
| that'd be the one. | Hollywood
Jul 18, 2003 11:08 AM | | I'm not sure if this picture was him saying "holy" or "sh*t!" |
| Don't know yet... | Fast Eddy
Jul 18, 2003 12:27 PM | |
...but if you want to hook up, we could probably talk Hollywood into coming out for the Supergo Wednesday night ride in Santa Monica. |
| LA?! | Spike
Jul 18, 2003 12:06 PM | | Ed, it's too bad you're having to do the long-distance work thang. But at least you're getting to ride some good trails. How did you hook up with a riding group, didn't your internet axe murderer reputation precede you?
Spike
;-) |
| It was my reputation that got me in! nm | Fast Eddy
Jul 18, 2003 12:25 PM | | |
| Lets hook it up! | MTBSKI
Jul 18, 2003 3:37 PM | | Ed we gotta ride. We ususally put our weekend ride plans together on Thursdays. I'll let you know what our plans are as soon as they're set. It could be anything from Mt. Wilson Trail to Sturtevant(4,200' climb in 9 miles with a totally bitchin singletrack descent or perhaps 47 mile Moorepark Rd. to Pt. Magu and back or something easier like Rocky Peak/Hummingbird/Chumash/Johnson, or maybe even Santa Barbara as that place totally kicks.
later
www.otbmbc.com |
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