I got lost today!

[dukethenuke]

Before anyone says this, I already know that I shouldn't go out on unfamiliar rides by myself. That being said here is how my Idyllwild Spring Challenge pre-ride went today;

I started at 8:40, but didn't actually find the starting point of the race untill half an hour later. No one knew where the race started and the directions didn't say how to get to the actual start point. This race goes through countless different trails, which means turning on and off trails a lot. the first 4 miles went smoothly, I would stop at forks look at the map and figure out where to turn. Then I missed a turn and continued for 4 miles untill I figured something was wrong, and turned around. From that point on I kept on passing turns and having to double back.

Here is where stuff got bad. I got water on my map and the ink started to smear. But me being stubborn, I continued trying to figure out what the map said. I ended up really lost, to the point where when I tried to retrace my steps back I couldn't. The last waypoint that I know I got to was at mile 14. By this time it was 3 and I had no idea where I was. At 6 I ended up near a cabin where I asked for directions to the road. The guy gave my directions to hwy 243 where he told me to follow the hwy down for 6 miles and I would find the Ranger Station.

So I get to the Ranger Station at about 7:15 and they're closed. So I ride to the nearby gas station where I find a local willing to drive me back to the camp site and my car.

This 21 mile ride turned out to be 44 miles, and that's not including the bummed drive from Idllywild to Hurkey Creek.

That being said the scenary out of these trails is awesome. Riding through all the trees and singletracks makes you feel so peacefull.

[LBmtb]

O man - that must have been quite the adventure. The GPS didn't help much? Did you run low on supplies? Did you have your cell on you? Glad you got back safely though.

[dukethenuke]

Originally Posted by LBmtb

The GPS didn't help much?

I couldn't figure out how to upload the trail from geoladders to my GPS so I was only using it to track miles.

Did you run low on supplies?

It wasn't too hot and when I figured out I was lost I stopped drinking my water, and I had packed 5 powerbars and 5 hammer gels.

[qoute]Did you have your cell on you?[quote]
No service

[Pain Freak]

Yep, you can get quite lost out there. I even managed to do it on a night lap once, but we only ended up about a mile and a half off the course. It is possible to ride back to Idyllwild from the Hurkey Creek course. We did it one year from the "Devils Chair". There is some awesome riding back there that no one ever talks about and it's perfectly legal. We did a semi shuttle that year and then rode Thomas Mt to Ramona Trail (across the hwy from Hurkey Creek, over by Lake Hemet) the next day. That was a real fun camping/biking trip. We must of had 10 guys or so on that one.

[dirttorpeedo]

happy to hear (read) you made it back safe.thats a very nice area to get lost tho,but not enuff mylar on the powerbar rappers to make a space blanky.

[silentak1]

You could have been LA Times headlines, but thankfully you're here.