Ride while you can...rain is a comin'!

[mntbiker12]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...2rainyear.html

Looks like we're in for some wet weather this weekend. I know we need it, but

[slowSSer]

daymn!

http://www.weather.com/outlook/drivi...topnav_driving

[el_d00der1n0]

If we're not in a drought, it's cuz it's flooding...

[Von-Skipp]

Yepp I got in a big ride today and going to ride El Moro/Laguna tomorrow before the rain.

Anyone wana join, El Moro/Laguna fast pace tomorrow AM?

[Jman]

I got my ride in today so it looks like maybe it'll be running time this weekend. Running in the rain is actually quite fun and trail running in the mud is even funner!

[mechmann]

VV! you can ride when it rains, just best to stay off the single track. (don't want to damage the trails) fire roads on the other hand i am not worried about.

time to suffer in the wet and cold (w/snow maybe!)

[danlorek]

man, i got murdered for riding fireroads seven days after it rained on mtbr. if you do ride something keep it on the down-low... just a suggestion!

[mechmann]

okay, i am going to unload on this one. i am not attacking anyone personally, i am just sharing my heart felt opinion. (and venting)

any crappy bastard that has a problem with me riding National Forest fire roads in the wet needs to get a grip. we are not talking about fire roads at regional, county, or city parks. the fire roads i am talking about will most likely have motorcycles hauling a$$ on them in the rain too. there are no access issues with riding NF fire roads, except for all this fire damage crap (which is a load of BS, but a whole different argument all together). also remember, these fire roads are huge swaths cut into OUR land (yes it is ours collectively!). i personally would rather not have these eyesore roads there, but since they are there i am going to use them! chances are we will also see some trailer park resident out there with his 4x4 on MDTT shooting guns into Trabuco Canyon like we saw a couple of weeks ago (to imagine someone thinking I need to not be out there...)

[Red Hot Sloth]

^^^Yeah What he said!!

[Foesnasty]

I wish there was a 10,000 thanks button!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by mechmann

okay, i am going to unload on this one. i am not attacking anyone personally, i am just sharing my heart felt opinion. (and venting)

any crappy bastard that has a problem with me riding National Forest fire roads in the wet needs to get a grip. we are not talking about fire roads at regional, county, or city parks. the fire roads i am talking about will most likely have motorcycles hauling a$$ on them in the rain too. there are no access issues with riding NF fire roads, except for all this fire damage crap (which is a load of BS, but a whole different argument all together). also remember, these fire roads are huge swaths cut into OUR land (yes it is ours collectively!). i personally would rather not have these eyesore roads there, but since they are there i am going to use them! chances are we will also see some trailer park resident out there with his 4x4 on MDTT shooting guns into Trabuco Canyon like we saw a couple of weeks ago (to imagine someone thinking I need to not be out there...)

[danlorek]

that's good stuff man!

ahh... i feel so welcomed here! logic...reason, like whoa!

[ericfoltz]

It all depends on the trail and the type of soil.

Some trails drain just fine and are rocky enough there is no problem with rutting. The grade of the trail is important also. Most NF trails max out at 8% which helps prevent ruts. I've ridden STT and Trabuco in the rain and didn't make a mark on either.

Most of the parks are a clay/sandstone mix and the downhill sections are not real trails. Rockit, Cholla, Rattlesnake, etc... are old game trails that people started riding and hiking and because of the steepness they are prone to rutting and damage from people skidding down them.

Back east it rains everyday and people still ride. The trails are designed to drain much better than most of ours.

[PacMan]

Originally Posted by mechmann

okay, i am going to unload on this one. i am not attacking anyone personally, i am just sharing my heart felt opinion. (and venting)

any crappy bastard that has a problem with me riding National Forest fire roads in the wet needs to get a grip. we are not talking about fire roads at regional, county, or city parks. the fire roads i am talking about will most likely have motorcycles hauling a$$ on them in the rain too. there are no access issues with riding NF fire roads, except for all this fire damage crap (which is a load of BS, but a whole different argument all together). also remember, these fire roads are huge swaths cut into OUR land (yes it is ours collectively!). i personally would rather not have these eyesore roads there, but since they are there i am going to use them! chances are we will also see some trailer park resident out there with his 4x4 on MDTT shooting guns into Trabuco Canyon like we saw a couple of weeks ago (to imagine someone thinking I need to not be out there...)

Oh Justin, now you're making sense.

[el_d00der1n0]

I was thinking we should all get on our horses and tromp through the mud.

Cuz that don't hurt the trail none.

[PacMan]

Originally Posted by el_d00der1n0

I was thinking we should all get on our horses and tromp through the mud.

Cuz that don't hurt the trail none.

I'm in, as long as we remember to drop big steaming piles of trail beautification along the way.

[ericfoltz]

Originally Posted by el_d00der1n0

I was thinking we should all get on our horses and tromp through the mud.

Cuz that don't hurt the trail none.

You should have seen Blackstar after the last rain. A bunch of hikers went up and tracked it up worse than what the horses usually do to a trail.

I think Blackstar is probably the worst local trail after a rain. Especially up in the Hidden Ranch section.

[Pain Freak]

But don't forget there's a big difference between NF fireroad and regular singletrack.

Almost all NF fireroad is graded on a regular basis, and is typically built with a slight off camber build to it so the water naturally runs off to the side.

[ddmansprty]

Looks like some bad news from the National Weather Service...

SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...
... STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT...
A SERIES OF STORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS WILL SWEEP INTO THE AREA LATER THURSDAY AND WILL LAST THROUGH SUNDAY. THIS COULD BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL ACROSS THE SOUTHLAND SINCE JANUARY 2005.

THREE IMPULSES ARE EXPECTED DURING THE COURSE OF THIS STORMY PERIOD.

THE FIRST IS FORECAST TO BRING MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TO AREAS NORTH OF POINT CONCEPTION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SOMEWHAT AS IT MOVES SOUTH OF POINT CONCEPTION... WITH ONLY LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN EXPECTED ACROSS VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

A SECOND AND MUCH STRONGER STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RAINFALL TOTALS AND MUCH STRONGER WINDS TO MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. WHILE SOME LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL WILL LIKELY PRECEDE THE MAIN FRONT FRIDAY MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON... HEAVIER RAINFALL INTENSITIES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

DUE TO THE STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST LOW LEVEL FLOW WITH THIS SECOND SYSTEM... THERE WILL LIKELY BE SIGNIFICANT OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT OF RAINFALL ACROSS SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST FACING MOUNTAIN AND FOOTHILL LOCATIONS. THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH INTENSITY RAINFALL WILL CERTAINLY BRING THE STRONG POSSIBILITY OF DEBRIS FLOWS TO THE BURN AREAS LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY MORNING... LIKELY PROMPTING FLASH FLOOD WATCHES FOR ALL BURN AREAS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS SYSTEM COULD BRING SIGNIFICANT FLOODING CONCERNS TO OTHER AREAS OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA... IN ADDITION TO THE BURN AREAS. THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE CONSIDERABLE URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING... WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING. THE DEEP SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW IS FORECAST TO KEEP SNOW LEVELS ABOVE RESORT LEVELS THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY.

THIS WEATHER SYSTEM WILL ALSO BRING STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT.

A HIGH WIND WATCH HAS ALREADY BEEN POSTED FOR MUCH OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES. AS THE EVENT DRAWS CLOSER... THE WATCH WILL LIKELY BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES AS WELL AS THE ANTELOPE VALLEY. ALL MOUNTAIN AREAS AND THE ANTELOPE VALLEY WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR WIND GUSTS OVER 70 MPH... WHILE COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND SANTA BARBARA COUNTIES COULD HAVE GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH.

RESIDENTS IN THESE LOCATIONS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES.

A THIRD AND WEAKER WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY... WHICH COULD BRING AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF RAINFALL. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE MUCH COLDER AND SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER... BRINGING POTENTIAL SNOWFALL DOWN TO 4000 FEET BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

PRELIMINARY RAINFALL TOTALS FOR THE CENTRAL COAST FROM THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN 2 TO 4 INCHES ALONG THE COAST AND VALLEY LOCATIONS... WITH MOUNTAINS RECEIVING 4 TO 8 INCHES.

SANTA BARBARA AND VENTURA COUNTIES CAN GENERALLY EXPECT BETWEEN 3 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS THE COAST AND VALLEYS... WITH UP TO 10 INCHES ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SANTA YNEZ RANGE AND VENTURA COUNTY SOUTH FACING MOUNTAINS. LOS ANGELES COUNTY CAN GENERALLY EXPECT BETWEEN 2 TO 5 INCHES ACROSS THE COAST AND VALLEY LOCATIONS... WITH 8 TO 10 INCHES IN THE SAN GABRIEL RANGE... WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS ACROSS FAVORED SOUTH FACING SLOPES.

SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY BE CONFINED TO THE RESORT LEVELS OR HIGHER. STILL UP TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE BELOW THE RESORT LEVELS ALTHOUGH MOST OF IT WILL FALL SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

LASTLY... THESE STRONG PACIFIC STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BRING A LARGE WESTERLY SWELL INTO THE COASTAL WATERS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...
BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH SURF CONDITIONS ACROSS ALL WEST FACING BEACHES. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST MARINE WEATHER STATEMENT (LAXMWSLOX) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE STRONG WINDS AND LARGE SWELL CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS.

PLEASE STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS AS THIS WEATHER SITUATION DEVELOPS.