How long to wait after a storm

[Ponch]

How long do you guys wait after rain before riding on any of the local trails? I was on the east coast (Boston) and you had to wait like 4 days for the trail to dry, otherwise you could damage it. Thanks, just don't want to be the clown out there ruining it for everyone else.

[Buzzsaw]

It all depends, but usually a day or two. Really depends on where you are riding, what kind of DIRT your on? The puddles usually disappear pretty fast around our neck of the woods.

[JamR]

Each area is unique.

In general the County parks close for 3 days after a good rain, but even this is subjective to the particular park.

From my experience, here is a short-list of some trails:

Aliso-Woods seems to hold water well except for part of dripping cave
Laguna Coast and El Moro seem to follow the three day rule for the most-part.
Whiting tends to stay fairly wet on the climb up to 4 corners.
San Juan Trail holds up well in the winter
Maple springs in nearly indestructible in the winter (except for the 2005 storms), however it closes from April 1st to September 1st so the Arroyo Toads can play.
Blackstar is ok, but can get pretty slimey at the bottom.
STT/Old Camp is typically rain sustainable, but the Luge should be avoided even after a mild rain.
Holy Jim also holds up well in the winter. (it's the bikers that suffer on this one with the muddy 4 mile ride in on the dirt road and the multiple stream crossings)

When in doubt, I always call the Ranger station before heading out to a County or State facility. If the ranger does not answer personally; they are typically good at making sure the "trail status" recording is updated.

My bet for this Sunday will be SJT or Maple Springs.

Have Fun