RR: Blackstar to Smashface -Somebody Please Slap ME!

[maxwell]

What was I thinking?!

The plan was to head up Blackstar to Smashface and head down. No big deal, done this ride many times.
Good climb, fun, steep descent, good hike-a-bike (that's right, I said good). One of my favorite rides!

Dan got here at the house at 7am, and it was damp and foggy. Jake was supposed to go with us, but he wanted to sleep in, and ride later. Yeah, when it's cooler. Nutty boy! And as soon as Dan and I hit Jamboree and Chapman, all my illusions of cool, cloudy weather went right out the window!

Here comes the sun!

So, we get to the dirt lot across from the community center, and meet up with the other guys.
We started pedaling by 8:15am, and it really wasn't too bad. My Stinky was all dog collared down, and felt good on the climb. Gnutz had early bike issues though, and had to turn around.

He may have been the smartest one in our group today!

Blackstar climbing. FUN, FUN!


All I need to do is move that one little set of foothills, and then I get my marine layer!


Plenty of blue skies today!


So, we stopped a couple of times and regrouped. We'd talk a bit about how much more we all needed to ride, and how freak'n HOT it was getting. We could always head back down from Beek's. We'd talk about it more up there.

Once we hit Beek's, the decision was made. Keep pushing on. How bad could it get?

More climbing. Joel and Tim might hate me by the time we're done!


We finally made it to Smashface, and everybody seemed to be doing OK. Well, except Joel. He started cramping up pretty good.
This trail was new dirt for Tani, Dan, and Matt.
Joel and Tim had hit it once before. Blackstar To "Smashface" AAARRRRR!!!!
Needless to say, it took quite a bit of convincing to get them back out here!

I was still feeling pretty good. I was a bit surprised, since I don't do well in the heat.

Off we go for the FUN!!

Tani leads the guys off the top of Smashface!


Followed by Joel


Dan


and Tim.


This section of trail reminds me a lot of Los Pinos. The terrain is similar, and it has a couple of twisty sections. Right here, the guys hit a lose left hand-er, then right to this little rocky section that goes back to the right. It was fun to watch them come through here!

Tani


Joel, using some body english to keep the speed up.


I'm pretty sure Dman was enjoying this!


Tim was pretty worked by this point, but was hanging in there! Way to go neighbor!


Tim and Joel on a fun little dirt chute.




I let the guys know that once we hit the power lines, it was gonna get steep.

Dman got to hit new heights of steepness today!
You can see his helmet just below the corner of the tower.




Everybody made it down the steeps just fine. I had a good run down. The only time I stopped was to get the pictures of Dan. I almost cleaned the whole section, but had to put a foot out on one turn.

Freak'n FUN!!

So, we regroup again at the bottom, and get ready to start the hike-a-bike out.
I had gotten so amped up from the descent, that all of a sudden, I didn't feel as good as I had.
Funny, the trail started heading back up, and my body started heading straight downhill.
Stop whining, and start pushing you pansy!
It's funny how fast I started overheating. I hydrated for days before. Filled up the bladder with ice and water. Froze two bottles of Hammer Heed, with Perpetum.
And I STILL got heat exhaustion!
By the time we hit the last section of the hike-a-bike, I was puking! Like that has never happened before!
Dan was just ahead of me, and said he heard it all.

Welcome to a Maxwell suffer fest Dman!

I had Dan take this picture. That way next time I throw out a ride during hot weather, someone can slap me and tell me "remember how you felt here"?



When we got to the top of the last downhill, I was DONE! I needed to get down, and hit the General Store for some thing cold to drink.

The others had went on down, so it was just me and Dan for the last section. It was fun. I had a slow speed crash, and almost just laid there for a while. But, there are no cold drinks up here. Time to get on down!

We ended up meeting the others at the store. Dan bought me a couple of fizzy waters, and we sat in the shade for a minute before heading on to the cars.

Once I got home I weigh myself. It's just something weird that I do before and after my rides.
This morning I was at 216lbs. Today after the ride, 204lbs! That was with drinking over 130 ounces of water!

Man, that was a fun but brutal little ride! I can't wait for the cooler weather to start!

Here's the mileage and elevation from the same ride, different day.

Distance (mi )19.61

Elevation Gain (ft)+5,108 / -5,098

[WarPony]

I knew there was a reason I didn't get out of bed this morning...oh yeah THE HEAT! And here I was thinking that I might do Blackstar to the Motorway...At least in that final pic you aren't flat on yer back...

Nice to see both Joel and Neighbor Tim still get out for a ride now and then...

Looks like fun we'll have to do it sometime when it's cooler (and/or raining).

[genusmtbkr5]

Nice RR Big D. After I got heat exhaustion after doing trail work there, I said to myself I wouldn't ride it till it was much cooler. Thanks for the reminder.

[denmother]

Here ya go Maxwell!!!

[dstepper]

Where was my invite? NOT!

We rode the SART where it was nice and shady.

I have been told that once you suffer from heat exhaustion it comes back easier the next time.

Dean

[CalEpic]

The decision to ride Big Bear instead is confirmed to be the wiser choice. I'm glad everyone made it out ok.

[hoovermd]

I took MaryMary up B* for her first time. She kinda liked it.
We must have just missed your crew since we got late start and headed up at 8:45. It was hot for sure!!

[thephat]

It was not till the last hour when I was out of water that I really started to dig deep. Wet with sweat and out of water, turning a corner, and seeing yet another section of steep loose hike a bike. Heart seems to be beating faster than it should. How hot is this? (it was close to 100 in some of the canyons). I told myself that the general store has to be less than 2 miles away - "just keep moving". This was one of those rides where you feel lucky not to be one of the guys heaving dry and wet. It seems more than 1/2 heaved by the end of the day. Lots of bonking, and general sweaty exhaustion. Good stuff.

Oh the dh was fun.

[Patrick]

Finally an honest assessment of Smashface. About a month ago a friend and I tackled it based on Maxwell's first RR. If you read the first RR, it sounds like a nice mellow ride, talk of pine trees and and little HAB. Well, it too turned out to be 100 degrees plus and virtual carbon copy of this ride. I was hiding under a shrub to get shade, even though the cactus at the base was piercing into my skin. I'd rather bleed than bake. It may be the deepest I've dug in a long time. I went straight to the fire station at the end they have a huge ice maker there, oh so nice. Nice ride fella's!

I may of actually asked myself "could they land a chopper around here?"

[spicolli1976]

That hike out is BRUTAL!!! Nice work guys.

[AKmoney]

Great RR! I need to try that trail some day. Yesterday I did a Maple Springs/Holy Jim shuttle ride. Started up MS at 8:00a on the dot. By the time we reached the summit and started heading down the other side, it was freaking hot out there. Upper HJ felt like mid-90s. "At least we're headed downhill" I kept telling myself. By the time we got down below the switchbacks right about where the trail to the falls is, I ran out of water. That final push down Lower HJ and Trabuco Canyon Rd. was tough. When I finally got to the shuttle car, I chugged almost a liter of water I had waiting for me in an iced down cooler. That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?

[OMR]

Heat exhaustion is not to be triffled with... people die from that sh*t! Glad you guys made it back in one piece. That trail seems to be hot even on cooler days. I'm waiting until cooler temps to do that one again.

[sxc70]

Thanks 4 the pics now i know what im in 4 when i ride this area. Rich

[ipahead]

nice ride darrin.i dont know why i even listen to you anymore,your crazy!i think tim wanted to kill me for pushing him to go on from beeks, but he seemed to fair better than me at the end. he still had water, probably the onlyone who did!havent had cramps like that ever(hamstrings),luckily i wasnt cramping when i walked but the hab seemed as long as walking out the streambed on our last smashface ridewith keith.now with a good nights sleep under my belt,i can almost say it was fun.not.its allways fun putting your body to the test to know your alive!thanks for the heed along the way or i might still be outhere.gary was the smart one!not that were dumb but.....till next sunday.

[mouse jockey]

Awhile back I found out I can't ride in heat over 100. It was on Anderson as I was climbing up. My temp gauge said it was 104. I ended up puking 1/2 way up. Turned around and rode down.

DFT keeps calling me to hit up Smashmouth, it has a hike out?

Thanks for the recap Crash! Is Tani on on Ellsworth? Last time I rode with Joel was in SB. Good Times!

[slayer]

All you guys are nuts! Thanks for the pics and report Darin. Like Craig said, we decided against Bell and headed to Big Bear instead and I'm so glad we did, or we might still be out there on Bell. Let's save the Santa Ana's for cooler weather.

[maxwell]

Originally Posted by dstepper

I have been told that once you suffer from heat exhaustion it comes back easier the next time.

Dean

I've also heard that. And I usually start getting syptoms towards the end of rides like this. And I always say, "I won't do that again". But then I do, do it again.

Originally Posted by hoovermd

I took MaryMary up B* for her first time. She kinda liked it.
We must have just missed your crew since we got late start and headed up at 8:45. It was hot for sure!!

We must have been just infront of you guys untill Beeks.

Originally Posted by mouse jockey

Awhile back I found out I can't ride in heat over 100. It was on Anderson as I was climbing up. My temp gauge said it was 104. I ended up puking 1/2 way up. Turned around and rode down.

DFT keeps calling me to hit up Smashmouth, it has a hike out?

Thanks for the recap Crash! Is Tani on on Ellsworth? Last time I rode with Joel was in SB. Good Times!

I can't wait for winter to finally come in. I'm tired of all this hot weather!

We'll be doing it again soon enough. You should come along. The hike-a-bike isn't really that bad when it's 40 degrees cooler.

Tani was riding his Ventani.

[mouse jockey]

Originally Posted by maxwell

Tani was riding his Ventani.

Yea, that is what I would have guessed. The headtube looks like an Ells to me. Thanks!

(ps I pm'd you)

[Gnutz]

Nice pics Darin. Glad you guys made it out ok.

I'm glad I tapped out. That bike I brought has a 36 tooth front ring w/ no granny, 165 mm cranks AND a 32 tooth cassette. It felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and I had a "hunch" it was going to be warm First time I've ever turned out of a ride at the beginning.

Fun does not mean the same thing to everyone. Here is what I suggest you insert when Maxwell uses the word FUN:

F.**ked
U.p
N.asty

"It was a F.U.N. ride"

[dft]

good stuff max, glad i skipped though when i did it solo, i ended up in someone's backyard as i always do at the very bottom. i looked alittle for an earlier left drop down to silerado road but didn't see it. where do you drop down to the road to avoid ending down in a backyard off ladd canyon road?

that trail has classic loose/slidy steeps, just like the last mile of coldwater! (maybe even a tad steeper?)