Mountain Lion at Whiting

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lion-607742-mountain-hughan.html

The OC Register reported that an aggressive mountain lion was shot and killed in Whiting Park.

TRABUCO CANYON – Officials shot and killed an aggressive mountain lion that had been stalking a family walking a trail near Foothill Ranch Elementary School on Sunday in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park, state wildlife officials said Monday.
A Mission Viejo resident, Madison Smith, and her two children were walking on Borrego Trail on Sunday evening when the mountain lion came within about 6 feet of her 5-year-old son – close enough to pounce.
The young mountain lion was close enough for the family to hear it making hissing sounds, California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Andrew Hughan said.
“A mountain lion came up behind them and was acting very aggressively,” Hughan said. “The lion made several moves toward the family.”
Another hiker on the trail shouted at the lion and threw rocks at it, Hughan said. The family got away from the mountain lion and called 911.
Orange County sheriff’s deputies and a California Department of Fish and Wildlife game warden found the mountain lion in a grove of bushes a few feet away from the Borrego Trail about 5 p.m. Sunday. They tried to scare the animal away; instead, it acted aggressively toward the officers, Hughan said.
“The lion showed no fear whatsoever, which is a very dangerous situation,” Hughan said. The game warden shot and killed the lion.
The body of the 1-year-old, 60-pound animal was taken for examination to a California Department of Fish and Wildlife lab in San Bernardino. Officials will examine whether the mountain lion had a disease that may have prompted its aggression, said UC Davis Wildlife Health Center Associate Veterinarian Winston Vickers, the lead veterinarian on the Southern California Puma Project, which tracks the behaviors and habitats of mountain lions.
“Normally, we would not have expected the animal to have yet left its mother, so it does make one wonder if there was an issue there that could have led the animal to behave abnormally,” Vickers said. “But we do not know that.”
A mountain lion was seen in the same area of the park in February, Hughan said.
Mountain lion attacks are rare but do occur yearly in North America, Vickers said. The most recent mountain lion-related human death statewide was in January 2004 in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park.
“It’s unfortunate when there are these kinds of incidents,” Hughan said. “The animals are always going to be the ones to lose. We don’t relocate problem animals. If the lion did this once, he’ll do it again.”
Contact the writer: 949-454-7373 or ejames@ocregister.com

For Whom The Bell Tolls

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Richard and I made a noble push along Bell Ridge, negotiating rocky climbs, steep descents, abyss-like ruts and man-grabbing foliage. At ride's end, it was only the lack of sunlight (days are short now) that stopped us from continuing on lap two. I jest. We weren't that strong. In truth, the five hours was well spent but a bit exhausting. I thought I would have enough fuel left over from Turkey day, but that wasn't the case. I found myself bogging down on the final climbs - bonking as it were - losing breath and energy over each small hilltop. Typically downhills are for recovery, but Bell takes it toll descending as well. I found myself at the mercy of gravity and terrain, out of breath and holding on. Next time I will eat more.

The views from Pinos Peak were stunning. This is the highpoint of the route, offering a panoramic view from the snowy San Bernadino Mountains to San Clemente Island. Richard pointed out where the 5 freeway winds over the ridge near Carmel Valley in Del Mar. Beyond that we could see the distant ridge lines of Mexico. Bell Ridge begins just a stone's throw from the peak. The trail requires several more climbs -steep, wearisome hike-a-bike ascents - and plenty of descending - steep descents, loose, rocky descents, and harrowing I-wish-I-wasn't-looking descents. We kept our tire pressure low, our skidding in control, walked some of the can't-see-bottom section (yes, it is that steep) and I even tripoded a bit. Our strategy was successful, we arrived back at the car with smiles of satisfaction.

New Travel Site

You might try these guys:

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 Etihad Airways Flight

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I'm in Chile currently,  hopefully I will have photos and exciting posts to follow.

Ciao.

All Mountain Wine

 This may be a first:  Mountain-biking terms used figuratively to describe and promote a bottle of  wine.   It is difficult to imagine what "fork travel" would taste like.   Perhaps it would be even more difficult to describe a mountain bike in terms of wine.  Tequila perhaps.

2010 Alec's Blend
Napa Valley

All-mountain is Alec's favorite kind of cycling and it best describes this deliciously complex blend of 70% Syrah, 25% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Heading up trail the air is heavy with wild blueberry, violets, and oak forest aromas. Dropping into descent, deep chutes of blue-black fruit consume a full 160mm of fork travel. Picking up speed the palate turns lively and technical with youthful acidity and some tight twists through the trees. Mocha and espresso bean flavors kick in just as you glide through the dust to a fine chocolaty finish. 450 cases produced.

http://lewiscellars.com/wines/alecs_blend.php 

The Pathology of Cancer

Check out my piece in the Connotation Press:

http://www.connotationpress.com/creative-nonfiction/1504-david-womack-creative-nonfiction.html

Always Chasing Rainbows

My story "Always Chasing Rainbows" will be featured on Fiction 365 on July 11. 

www.fiction365.com

Rider Airlifted From Laguna Wilderness

My regards to the friends and family of this man.  He suffered a cardiac arrest while riding up Bommer Rd. near the back of El Morro Canyon.  I was riding with  Josh, and we came upon the scene.  It was sad and tragic, even though thoughtful and determined individuals tried to administer CPR, the man, a fellow mountain biker, passed away (I found this out later, although I watched as his caregivers were unable to get a pulse for nearly an hour).  The photo above, credited to Josh Wolff, shows the man being hoisted into the helicopter before a quick flight to Hoag.  It is easy  to say he died doing what he loved, but it that a true sentiment?  Or is it just a convenient way for the survivors and the witnesses to understand a tragedy.  I can't imagine I would go out riding if it meant I would die, even if it would only be one day before my eventual termination.  I'm not trying to be morbid or disrespectful.  A friend, someone I truly admired, died while road riding last fall.  This type of news is always difficult to accept - nothing is more horrific, final, and shocking than having a friend or relative die, so, of course, the inclination is to search for easy answers. 

This man, I know, was 67 years-old.  I hope he had a brilliant and fulfilling life.  I love this image of him being lifted into the blue sky.  Whatever your personal beliefs, there is something majestic about being lifted into the sky after your final breaths.  I watched both my parents die while confined to white-sheeted beds.  I wish everyone could be granted one final ride into the sunset.  Condolences to everyone who knew the man.  We should all try to stay alive, make the choices that promote our own health and well-being, and live each moment, each day, each opportunity, and, forgive me, ride each mountain-bike ride, as if it were the only one we had.

d

LA Festival of Books

 I will be at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books tomorrow (Saturday 4-21) signing copies of my book from12-2.  Look for me in the Menasha Ridge/Clerisy Press booth.

Counting Coup

With Feather at the Finish

Saturday was the big race...well, one of them.  I rode the Counting Coup, my first year as an official participant.  Last year I rode the course, unassisted, on race day.  This year I had a number plate, and I rode through the finishing gate  at 6:11.  I was aiming for six hours, and came close, close enough to be satisfied.

The Beginning at Blackstar

Race time is 5:30 a.m. which means getting up really early.  4:00 a.m. is not a time I like to see on my alarm clock.  This is supposed to be fun.   A few hundred of us line up in the pre-dawn darkness for a chance at suffering.  Actually, suffering is probably guaranteed, the success part is a bit more elusive.  There was a countdown, some drum beating, and a big feathery thing a couldn't see too well.  Then the race began.  The first few miles were quite surreal, riding through the dark canyon guided by narrow bike-light beams.    When the climbing began in earnest, the lights stretched out along the curving fire road.  Within 45 minutes the sun was up and I could see the landscape.  In an hour I was on Main Divide, watching the morning sun climb over the I-15 corridor.  It was a perfect day, views of the San Gabriels, the San Bernadino Mountains, and the big blue Pacific were all crystal clear.

After ten miles of mostly climbing (7 miles on Blackstar and 3 miles on Main Divide), the route reaches Pleasant's Peak.  The next four miles offer less daunting climbs and a few easy fire road descents.   This is the point where I found my crew, the people I would be riding near for the remainder of the race.  We passed each other, talked, joked, commiserated, and formed strategies for completion.  I passed (and was passed by) one rider in a Cadillac jersey.  We joked about his jersey (which he got for free after a test drive) and spoke about making the finish line in six hours.  We both had the same goal.

After 14 miles of dirt road, the course reaches the Silverado Motorway, an oddly named trail that switchbacks down to Silverado Canyon (and the start of Maple Springs Road).   The Motorway descent drops 3,000 feet in a little over three miles, and takes about 15 minutes to ride.  It's not a difficult descent, but it is rocky, and one of the keys to this race is making sure not to puncture or pinch a tire. ( I passed three riders fixing flats on this section alone).  The key is to go as fast as possible, and to stay on the main line.  At one point I had to pass a rider in a narrow gap and ended up rolling off-trail through a bunch of pointy skull-sized rocks.

I reached the bottom of the Motorway in 2 hours 35 minutes.  This is the site of the first aid  station, and I was greeted by a few friendly faces, including my friend Richard who gave me a big boost by riding the remainder of the course with me.    The key at the aid stations is to eat but not rest.  I filled up on water, got a few snacks and started walking.  Walking because I have a temperamental hamstring that needs to be stretched.  After a couple of minutes I was back on the bike.  This segment of the ride is essentially a 12-mile climb to Santiago peak.  There is not much to say about except that I made it.  This is also the portion of the ride - a second big climb - where training pays off.  Did I train?  No, not really.  I had only been on my bike twice in the previous four weeks. Not exactly dedication.  After my failed attempt to finish the Ultraquest (see earlier post), I had difficulty walking for a few days.  I was hamstrung by a sore hamstring and hip.  I decided to lay off the bike for a bit.  Then two weeks after the UQ,  I went out to do the Los Pinos trail (20 miles and 5,800 feet of climbing). I suffered a bit.  Part of the problem on Los Pinos was that I took the ride too lightly and didn't eat enough.  But I was also hampered by my hip and hamstring.  I wasn't sure what to do.  Ten days before the Counting Coup I decided I was out.  I was going to stay off the bike for at least a month.  Then I spent some days stretching and icing my leg, and began to have second thoughts about dropping out.  Five days before race day I decided to do a test run, enlisting Josh and Richard to ride the first leg of the race - Blackstar to Motorway. (Josh also rode the race on Saturday, coming in 34 minutes ahead of me).  I was a bit sore after the test ride, but not that sore.  I decided I was in.

After a seven-mile climb, Maple Springs Road intersects Main Divide and the Harding Truck Trail at Four Corners.  This is the site of the second aid station.  I reached this spot at about 4:12.  So, I was relatively slow up Maple Springs, but my overall pace seemed close to my 6 hour target time.  Richard checked the rider board, and it looked like Josh was about twenty minutes ahead of me.  I only had roughly four more miles to go till the peak, and then I was looking at an hour of mostly downhill.  Yay.  I was close.  I also felt good.  Good enough.  After a couple leg cramps on Maple Springs, I ate some Tums and that seemed to help.  I kept reminding myself to drink water.  More water.  Besides dehydration, eating enough is always a challenge.  I ate a few gels, which go down easy.  On the Ultraquest I bonked completely.  I reached a point where I had exactly zero energy, and had to lie down and nap on the San Juan Trail.  The Counting Coup is certainly not as difficult as the Ultraquest, but it is not to be taken lightly.  My strategy was to eat heartily the night before, and  eat more in the morning.  Then I would eat as much as my stomach would allow during the race, hence the gels.  Usually I lose my appetite after three or four hours of riding.  However, it's never a good idea to stop eating when you are burning a shit load of calories.  I'm 6'8" and roughly 210 lbs.  so I have a bit of bulk and a fairly fast metabolism.  I need to eat.

After two miles of climbing around Modjeska Peak, Main Divide runs level and slightly downhill to the top of the Joplin Trail.  I was getting close.  Less than two miles to the peak.  Then I got a flat. Shit.  I have Slime tubes, and the leak was moderately slow, so I thought I could risk refilling the same tube.  Unfortunately, my first two air canisters were duds.  Richard watched me flounder for a bit and then came to my rescue (simple tasks are difficult when you are tired.)  He had an air can, and he knew how to use it.  We kept going.  I struggled to the top and found Richard waiting for me.  5:12.  I probably wasn't going to make six hours, but there was no stopping at that point.  The first couple miles drop sharply on Main Divide to the Upper Holy Jim turnoff.  I sped down to the turnoff, and Richard was right behind me.  But Richard had tweaked his chain on the fire road.  I looked at it for about a minute, and I told him I had to keep going.  There were a couple race volunteers willing to help him, and I didn't think I would be any more helpful than they would be.  Plus, I had an outside chance at six hours.

Upper Holy Jim is the most technical part of the race course.  It's not overly steep, but it has tight switchbacks, the surface is also loose, off-camber and  boulder strewn in sections.  I typically ride the entire trail save two or three of the left switchback turns (my absolute weakness as a rider).   On race day it was difficult to get a clean run, as other riders were also struggling with switchbacks and rock problems.  I had to dismount a few times, passing riders on foot, and then drag a leg in a few sections where it was difficult to remount.

A short section of Main Divide leads to the lower section of Holy Jim.  The next four miles are  all single track - pretty fast and flowy - except for the first 300 yards which has a steep drop followed by a climb.  Again, someone dismounted in front of me before the climb.  Me and another rider passed him, but we were both too tired to remount for the climb.  Lack of momentum is a bitch.  So we both walked the short, moderately steep section.  Then it was all descending.  We headed down together, passing a few other riders, then I let the guy go ahead of me.  He was faster and gapped me a bit before he flatted.  I felt bad for him, but was happy my Slime tube was still holding (It held till about an hour after the race when it suddenly flatted).  As I passed,  I wished him luck.  He was doing the longer race - The Vision Quest.  I only came upon a few riders before the bottom of Holy Jim, but I passed a slew of hikers.   Perhaps 50 or 60.  The hikers were fairly gracious, stepping off the trail, but still presented obstacles - the trail is narrow.  I also wondered how it must have been for them, having to give way for a couple hundred mountain-bike racers.  But they all had to drive past, and hike past signs and an aid station, so, presumably they had a notion of what they were walking into.

The last section of Holy Jim crosses the creek several times.  Only a few of the crossings are ridable.  I tried my best not to lose time on the portages.  I splashed past more hikers.  Pushing.  I was close.  I reached Trabuco Road and the final aid station at 5:55.  This is the point where Vision Quest riders turn left and climb West Horsethief back to Main Divide before descending the entire Trabuco Trail (including my buddy Dan J.  who completed his first VQ in 8:45).  I was happy to turn right.  Just past the turn, I caught the "Cadillac" rider.   We had been changing places since mile ten.  He shouted to me - "let's go for six hours," and charged off.  I knew the time was unattainable, but charged after him.  We followed Trabuco Road for 4.5 miles, dodging cars, crossing the stream bed, and grinding out the last section.  He made it in 6:10:33, I made it in 6:11:03.  At the finish I saw a few more friendly faces.   People I didn't know cheered.  Someone handed me the traditional feather.  Someone else took my photo.  It wasn't the Vision Quest, and I didn't make six hours, but I did alright.  I had fun.  I got out in the Santa Ana's which is always a treat.  And I finished.

Ultraquest 2012 Results

My second Ultraquest, and the second year I didn't finish.  I felt pretty good until the bottom of Los Pinos, and then I ran out of gas on San Juan Trail.  I made it to Blue Jay (barely) and got a ride back to the start.  Thanks to Brett P. for the ride.  Below are the results with comments from (I believe) Dave W.  These are some pretty impressive times on a really tough course.


1 Joe Lawwill  7:06 - Smoking Joe Wins His First UQ
2 Dave Wonderly  7:11 - Birthday Boy
3 Steve Timm  7:13 - 56 years old killing it
4 Mike Lee 7:14 -  Went to work after the race
5 Larissa Fitchett  7:15  - Fastest Women ever at UQ
6 Wayne Hermes  7:21 -  Battered and Bruised
7 Carl Bauer  7:42  - Mr. Santa Ana's
8 Joey Carboni  7:45 -  Question Marks Displayed
9 Dirk Maes  7:54 -  Off the couch
10 Richard Mainvillle  7:58 -  Shard
11 Sanjay Shanbhag  8:20 -  World's fastest Indian
12 Mark Draper  8:23 -  Where was your 29R?
13 Troy Liposec 8:31 -  Perennial finisher
14 Jesse Beck  8:35 -  Former Winner
15 Steve Morgan 9:01 -  Wheel Wrecker
16 Pat Freeman 9:09 -  Perennial finisher
17 Chris Wilson  9:14
18 Brian Ephraim 9:24 -  Smiling finisher
19 Juan Neptune  9:27  - Cleanest finisher
20 Alex Milewski 9:42
21 Brian Hall  9:49 -  Perennial finisher
22 Scott Johnson  9:49
23 Josh Bedard  9:50
24 Tony Belello  9:54 -  Chubby Checker no more
25 Kevin Johnson  9:54 -  With 10 Stiches in his knee
26 Tom Smith  9:58 -  Most improved from last year
27 Josh Wolf  10:00
28 Tony Zentil  10:18 -  Tortured his Brother in Law
29 Gem Pham  10:18 -  The tortured Brother in law
30 Tani Wahling  10:24 -  Mr. "The Path" Finally gets it done
31 Greg Groom 3:27 10:33 First Runner ever at UQ
32 Gerry Lucatero  10:45 -  Team Commited
33 Hondo Godinez 3:39 10:45 -  Team Commited
34 Matt Vaughan  10:53 -  Didn't give up
35 Travis Engel  10:56 -  Didn't give up
36 Dan Jarwutowski 3:50 10:56 Mystery Man does it

Ultraquest 2012

The Ultraquest looms.  This year it is a forty-mile death march beginning in Trabuco Canyon.  The original route.  The one I  said I would never do:  Up Bell Ridge (who does that?!), down the Yeager Mesa Trail, up the Trabuco trail, down Los Pinos, Up San Juan and Main Divide, and then out Bell Ridge.  Sure, it's only 40 miles, but those miles come with nearly 12,000 feet of climbing.  I haven't been training enough to do this ride, but Thursday I did my best UQ warmup with Josh and Dan.  We rode up Trabuco, down Los Pinos, up San Juan and down Trabuco.  Yes, the same mileage, but about 3,000 less feet of climbing.  And it took us nearly 9 hours! (With a couple of flats and cartridge problems.)  Without any issues (given my current level of fitness), I think the ride I did Thursday would take me at last 8 hours, throw in a trip up and down Bell Ridge (it's challenging, steep and requires hiking both directions) then I am into times that exceed the available daylight.  So Saturday I'm going to do my best.

Last year the course seemed more doable, but I had mechanical issues with the bike and body issues (cramps).  This year I think I have the cramps under control ( I eat Tums during the ride and it works better than all the other solutions I was previously sold on - pickle juice, endurolites, banana chips et al).

This year I am not worried about finishing.  I want to go out and do as much of the course as possible.  And hopefully have fun.  I'm hoping I can make it back to the top of Main Divide, and then descend Trabuco before dark.  If I am above my expectations, I will ride out to Pinos Peak and descend Bell Ridge to Yeager Mesa and ride out Trabuco from the bottom of Yeager.  If I'm far above my expectations, I will shoot for making it all the way, but I'm not betting on that.   I'm not riding Bell Ridge in the dark.  Ostensibly I'm in this for fun.  Not to kill myself.  I guess that last point remains to be seen.  Ultraquest here I come.

2012 Wishlist

It's a bit late for this, but I've just had my birthday so here it goes:

1.  Ride East Horsethief.  I've never ridden the trail, and I've never ridden my bike to Lake Elsinore.  The trail does not go to the Lake, but close enough.  Years ago we used to windsurf Lake Elsinore.  We called it Lake Smell Some More, because it was icky and green, but I diverge.  East Horsethief has been recently brushed.  It is still rugged and remote, but still a trail I haven't ridden.  It also seems not to have the easement issues that make riding Coldwater such an ordeal.   East Horsethief seems to be decomposed granite - similar to Upper Holy Jim because it runs straight down the ridgeline.  Big views, lots of climbing and a technical descent, sounds like a good day in the Santa Anas.

2.  Ultraquest.  The hardest race you've never heard about.  Last year I had mechanical difficulties and kicked out early.  This year I'm in no shape to do the race, and the course seems harder..  But, I'm going to go out and do as much of the course as I can manage - till I drop or die (which may be the same thing).  The course covers many of my favorite trails:  Bell Ridge, Los Pinos, Yeager Mesa and San Juan.  I just never thought about doing all those trails in the same day.

3.  Kernville.  Was supposed to do the Cannell Plunge two years ago and had to cancel due to a family emergency.  I think 2012 is the year I make up that debt.

4. Jalama, Arroyo Laguna and Waddell.  That's windsurfing, and still a month off, but I ready to go and promise to post photos of cold water and waves and guys in thick neoprene.

5.  Moab.  It's time to go back.  Been too long.  A fall trip is in the works.

I will also be returning to Tahoe this summer to work and, hopefully, this year I will have my own bike.  So much to discover up there.  I think at least one SART trip is in order to.  I think it will be a good year.

David

IMBA Laguna : Building Sustainable Trails

About six weeks ago I attended an IMBA workshop on building sustainable trails (and creating sustainable mountain bike communities).  The purpose of the workshop was twofold 1) to educate local Laguna Wilderness riders about building sustainable trails 2) to create a dialogue between bikers and the land managers.  The event was well attended.   Max Borella, the head of the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park (LCWP), was very receptive to our group.  Amongst the bikers there was Hans Rey, Brian Lopes and Richie Schley.  The SHARE folks were there, joined by some of the RADS, and other active members of our  mountain bike community.  The meeting went well , if not perfectly well.  There are lot of problems in the LCWP that can't be solved overnight, if ever.

Population and available resources are a major issue.  We only have so much park space, and a lot of potential users.  Like other users the mountain bikers have their own set of demands.  The trail system in Laguna generally consists of "fall line" construction, trails which run straight down ridges i.e. they are subject to erosion and are not necessarily sustainable.  The other issue with the LCWP is that many of the trails are unofficial or illegal.  Many of the illegal trails are very popular, and some of the illegal trails are better constructed than their legal counterparts.

IMBA's objective is to get the land managers and the trail users to work together to create a legal, sustainable and fun trail system.  There has long been an impasse between the local mountain bike community and those who manage the land.  Of course there are many obstacles.  Some of the problems are based on historical issues: much of the trail system was developed when the wilderness areas were still private (and officially off limits).  Some park lands, after being made public, were slow to be developed for public use (Some such as the Irvine Ranch Conservancy still have many use restrictions).  These historical problems need to be worked through. On the  mountain biker side, riders need to be convinced that legal and sustainable trails can also be fun and challenging trails.   Land managers need to recognize mountain bikers as a significant user group, and understand, by and large, that they are a responsible user group.  The surrounding cities should also recognize that developing mountain biking-friendly parks can be a boon to the local economies.

There has already been some success in the area of trail development.   2010 saw the Car Wreck trail  opened in Aliso Woods.   In 2011 Mentally Sensitive was  opened in Aliso Woods.  These are both mountain bike-centric trails, fun downhills that are adaptable for intermediate to advanced level riders.  Larry's Trail (the western section of Stagecoach) was  completed in the LCWP in 2011.  A rerouting of the Camarillo Trail is already in the works and should be open in 2012.  These are both cross-country oriented trails adaptable for beginner to advanced riders.  These trails also enable fun and effective connections between different regions of the LCWP.

What does the future hold in store?  As I said there are many obstacles.  If it is possible to develop or repair 2-3 trails per year, then this would be a major success.  Ideally we want to create a complete trail system that is both sustainable and mountain-bike friendly (of course it would also have to accommodate other user groups).  Realistically, the re-working of the trail system will only probably happen step by step, trail by trail.

What can we do as mountain bikers?  Keep riding -  easy but important.  Respect other user groups.  Help maintain the area we ride:  Attend trail building events.  Join IMBA and help start a local IMBA chapter.  Volunteer your time to trail advocacy groups:  SHARE is one; the Warrior's Society does great work in the Cleveland National Forest.  Talk to others on the trail and spread the word.  Let park rangers and park officials know you support sustainable trails.

The most positive thing here is that we have an active community, and many skilled individuals who are willing to give their time.  The worst thing riders can do is to forget the value of our public lands and trails.  Just because trails exist today, does not mean they will exist tomorrow.  We need to value our local resources and make city and county officials understand the value of having a vibrant and active mountain bike community.

It would be ideal if we could create a forum for mountain bikers to contribute their ideas.  There are many issues and many points of view.  Please feel free to add input.

Ride Report: Holy Jim to Yeager Mesa

Yeager Mesa

Adding the distance in and out on Trabuco Road, this ride clocks in at about 28 miles, with roughly 5,400 feet of climbing.  I rode with Josh and Dan on a cold, wet and foggy morning.  Certainly not beach weather, but I prefer climbing in the cold weather, so the grind up Holy Jim was not too bad.  Holy Jim is in fine shape and there isn't much to report there.  (If you haven't done the trail, there is plenty of info on this blog and on other sites. )

After a short break atop Holy Jim, we headed through the fog on Main Divide.  Brrr.  I kept my head down and pushed through the fire road climbs.  A long steady climb ensues just after the Indian Truck Trail turnoff, a section that some riders refer to as "The Wall." (But there are several "Walls.")  The worst part about this wall, and many of the long climbs on Main Divide, is that, typically, you see it coming, you rue over it, then while you are climbing, you keep looking up at the whole damn incline ahead of you, and rue it more.  One benefit of the fog was that none of this was possible.  I just kept climbing along, surrounded by my white room until, miraculously, I reached the top.  One other note, the section of Main Divide from Indian Truck to W. Horsethief is not as loose and rocky as it was  a few years ago, making for easier riding (particularly the climbing sections).

After passing W. Horsethief, we kept rolling across Main Divide to the Los Pinos/ Trabuco turnoff.  The climb to the Pinos Peak consists of one long hike-a-bike climb and two smaller climbs, sandwiched around a few short drops.   Los Pinos was oddly constructed atop the ridge line, so the whole trail is a series of drops and climbs - steep, fun drops followed steep, mostly hike-a-bike, climbs.  For most trails, this type of fall line construction leads to constant erosion problems, and there are some of slight erosion issues on Los Pinos, but the trail benefits from the rocky consistency of its terrain.  The ridgeline is littered with small - golf ball to tennis ball-sized - rocks.  Riding Los Pinos is akin to rolling over ball bearings.  And it's fun.  Really fun about now because the Warrior's Society group just brushed and repaired the entire trail.  Superb.

To get to Yeager, we turned off of Los Pinos at Pinos Peak and headed down Bell Ridge.  The first descent on Bell is one of my favorites, a steep plunge through a canopy of Manzanita, scrub and small trees.  After the rain, the ground was and tacky, a bit loose in spots, but heavy enough for traction.  After the initial drop there are a few rolling sections on Bell, the trail traverses through larger trees on the north side of the ridge and then makes a couple climbs.  The second climb, a pretty steep  hike-a-bike, leads to the Yeager Mesa turnoff.

Yeager is one of the most challenging descents in the Santa Ana mountains.  It is also one of the most scenic.  In tight and steep S-turns, the trail drops down the north facing slope to Trabuco Canyon.  The canopy is lush, with mature Pines and ferny undergrowth.  The experience is akin to tree skiing on your bike. And it's challenging.  I found myself tripodding in spots and walking in some others.  A couple spots are very difficult:  There is one steep arroyo which used to have a bridge, but now the bridge is gone, so the approach and the escape are ridiculously steep.  Past the missing bridge, the trail drops  less precipitously to the Mesa itself.

In the past, the trail crossed the mesa and then plunged straight down a rocky escarpment to the creek.  There is now (Yay!) a new reroute.  A much less sketchy and imminently ride-able reroute, so be sure and take it.   The new route still needs to be ridden more and packed in, but the construction seems fairly thoughtful, and I hope the line is sustainable.

At the base of the hill, the new route traverses along the bank of Trabuco Creek till it reaches the terminus of the former route.  It was difficult to ride all of the creekside portion of the trail, but I didn't mind dismounting a few times, eying what might be one of the most scenic spots in Orange County (and I'm sure one of the only year-round natural waterways in the region).


At the current water levels (this is certainly a dry year), it is easy to get across the creek.  There is plenty of poison oak, so use caution when crossing.  There seems to be one optimal spot to cross and climb up the opposing bank.  Look for the route that others have taken,  however, this is really the least developed portion of the trail.  The best place to cross (that I know of) is about 30 feet upstream from end of the old trail, the climb up the opposing bank isn't easy, but if you look around you should be able to find a path away from the poison oak.

(One note from Josh:  He and Dan, who descended after I did, kept walking down Trabuco Creek until they reached the Trabuco Trail.  Josh says they never crossed the creek or made the difficult climb up the opposing bank.  I have to go back and investigate.)

The rest of the ride consists of heading down the remainder of the Trabuco Trail,  rocky in its own right, but not nearly as steep or technical as Pinos.  The trail runs along the verdant waterway, whipsawing through the trees and, on occasion, coursing across the stream bed, until it reaches Trabuco Road.

The ride out on the dirt road is a fast six miles.  Even faster these days after a thorough reconstruction.  However, the improvements on Trabuco Road seem to have encouraged more traffic.  Watch out for cars and trucks!

This entire route took about 5 hours with breaks.

Trabuco Creek at bottom of the Yeager Mesa Trail.

Single track deluxe

A Ride With All the Trimmings

Visiting the Christmas Tree atop Trabuco

Everyone needs a holiday tradition, and for at least a few OC mountain bikers it is to climb Trabuco and add a few libation-oriented ornaments to the Trabuco Christmas Tree.  If you have never stopped at the tree, it is about a mile below Main Divide Rd. on the Trabuco Trail.  Josh and I rode the trail last Friday, a day with fierce Santa Ana winds.  You may notice the knee pads (please hold the jokes), we were planning on riding Yeager Mesa but opted to return down Trabuco due to the crazy winds.  It was such a great day to ride below the ridgeline, I didn't want to have to hunker down on Los Pinos.  It was gusting hard enough to blow rocks.  I'll save Yeager for another day.  On this day it was nice to do the up and back, and pay our timely respects to the tree.

One more note, because of the crazy winds we were able to go super fast riding out Trabuco Road.  According to Josh's GPS we averaged 37 mph on the last two miles of road.  Happy Holidays indeed.

Black Friday

When Black Friday comes...you should be on your bike.  Forget shopping.  Get outside.  Live.  There is no empowerment through consumerism.  However, that said, this Holiday season you may consider giving your friends, your family, your biking pals the gift that keeps on giving.  Yes, a copy of Mountain Bike! Orange County.  The book is more than just a trail guide, it is a passport to fun.  Inside you'll find a map to the "other" Orange County.  The Orange County that everyone should know.  Buy it now.  Buy it for your friends.  Go out and ride.  You won't be disappointed.

Saddleback in Winter

After glorious summer beach days, now is the winter of disc brakes...or something like that.  It's not winter yet, but the late fall weather seems perfect for riding Saddleback.  This is the time of year - after the summer heat, before the first winter deluge - that the trails and conditions in the Santa Ana mountains seem perfect.  Crisp weather, glorious views, the largest open space in Orange County:  What more could you want?

I intend to be up there every week, weather permitting, until spring.  Last week was the first entree.  I rode up Holy Jim with Josh, Richard and Dan, then descended W. Horsethief.  It was my first time down Horsethief in several years, and what a beautiful descent - fun switchbacks, great views of the Yeager Mesa, perfect conditions.  If you haven't ridden it recently, get out there. 

Speaking of Yeager Mesa, I believe there might be a trip there in the near future.  After a couple light rains, Yeager should be in optimal condition.  Of course that means, for a mere mortal like myself, I will be able to ride most of the trail.  And I'd like to ride Coldwater this year.  So many trails, a whole winter's worth I think.

Tahoe Rim Trail

High above the Truckee River

        

Near Painted Rock, a few stone's throws from Mt. Baxter

      This summer I took my annual trek to Squaw Valley,  not to play so much but to work.  However, I did take a couple afternoons to go riding.  Since I flew up there, I had to rely on a rental.  There are several shops in the North Tahoe area with rental outfits.  My goal was to find a bike that would fit me - I'm tall as far a people go, and very tall for a mountain biker.  After a couple of inquiries I found Olympic Bike in Tahoe City, which had 21" Rumblefish 29er.  Not bad.
       Olympic Bike, near the lake in Tahoe City, is also within riding distance of the Tahoe Rim trail.  I rode a loop route on this trail, pretty much the same ride on two separate days, and was not disappointed.
      TRT is a long single track - 100 miles long - that traverses above Lake Tahoe -  starting where I rode in Tahoe City, and wrapping around the big lake, past some smaller lakes, over a few peaks, all the way to Mt. Rose.  It is multi-use trail, most of which is open to mountain bikers.  On the section near Tahoe City, there seemed to be more MTBers than hikers, but I ran into a few campers and backpackers.
    The route I rode was not steep, but steep enough considering the 7-8k altitude, and not overly technical, but technical enough for a rental bike and a first-time go through.  From the Tahoe City trailhead, the singletrack rises up to the ridgeline, running parallel with the Truckee River  and back towards Squaw Valley.   The views are magnificent - bluer than blue Lake Tahoe, Squaw Peak, Heavenly Peak (if that's what is called) and the Truckee River.  The trail meanders between meadows, small fields of lava rocks, and slight hillsides topped by mounds of boulders and pines.  Most of the route I rode was well shaded by groves of mature trees.

   After about 4 miles, there is an opt out point from the TRT.  The Western States Trail descends directly down to the Truckee River.  I did not ride this route, but I've hiked it, and it would be a fast, fun descent.  On my two rides, I kept going, past Painted Rock and down to a paved road which provided the second opt out point.  After a slight cruise down the paved road, I descended back to Tahoe City on a series of trails.  I have no idea about the trail names - nothing was signed - I just kept riding downhill and toward the lake.   The lake is such a prominent landmark, and it's easy to find one's way home.  The first descent was on a fast and smooth trail with about dozen kicker ramps.  It was fun doing the small jumps on the 29er.  After a few traverses, I found my route home (somehow finding the same small trail on both rides), descending on a narrow trail that meandered between tight strands of trees, following a brook, and ending at the reservoir on Jackpine St. in Tahoe City.  This trail was certainly unmapped, and I was happy to find it - it wasn't overly technical, but had a couple short steep sections, some tight switchbacks and a couple logs to roll over - fun riding with the feeling of complete isolation.
    I'm sure there are plenty of other nice rides on the TRT, and I'm hoping to go back to do more exploration in this great expanse of wilderness.

There Otter be Surf at Arroyo Laguna

Here are some photos from my last trip to the Central Coast. The spot is Arroyo Laguna just north of San Simeon and directly below Heart Castle.
I arrived on a Friday afternoon knowing that a substantial southern-hemisphere swell was rocking the coast. I've always wanted to sail Arroyo Laguna on a good south, and I was not disappointed.
Friday had plenty of overhead sets. It was easy to pick up waves on every reach - but the sets were meaty. At times we had to wait out sets on the beach.
Arroyo has fairly consistent side-off winds which makes it ideal for wave sailing. It is a straight beach break, and not a long wave, but there are outside reefs which make allow for fun turns and ramps.
Over the three days I sailed there, the crowds were never an issue. It seemed the kiters and windsurfers would almost platoon their time on the water. Above, a kiter goes for a thick section of wave. He came out late on Friday as local Brian Caserio went out in the water to film.

Saturday and Sunday the waves were a bit smaller, but there were still plenty of head-high sets. The wind also got stronger as well, picking up both afternoons. I forgot how hard this place can blow. By 4:00 on Saturday it was a steady gale with gusts to 40. A few of us, including pro Kevin McGillvery, stayed out for a survival session. It was during that nukin' afternoon that I had a close call with a sea otter. Really! He was floating along on big chunk of kelp. When I swerved to miss him I stuck my fin and face planted in the same kelp...and when I popped my head out of the water, there he was, floating right by my head. Otters have pretty sharp teeth and I thought he might try to take a chunk out of my face. But he did not flinch, just stayed on his kelp lilly pad and floated away. I'm pretty sure he was laughing at me.

Three Days and Counting

The Ultraquest is on Saturday. Josh and I took our last training ride today. Now I'm thinking about preparations: How much food do I need to eat on the ride; what clothing should I bring, and pads and sun protection; How early do I need to go to sleep (usually I'm a night owl); how much water, electrolytes and gel packs; what I need to do to my bike (don't want mechanical issues). Besides the necessities, I am going to bring a camera - just a bar of soap-sized point and click - to document the event.

Come race day, we will have one more talk about pacing and riding efficiently. And then we are off. Our goal is to finish. I'm hoping for less than 10 hours and I think that is realistic. Till then.

David