5 Oaks Closed?

[jinks]

It's been awhile. Hope everyone's having a good holiday season.

A friend of mine just told me that 5 Oaks in Aliso is closed. Is this true? If so what's the scoop? With all the trail closures going on, it'd be really sad if this was true.

[foofighter]

my understanding is that 5 oaks was never a legal trail

[CPATCRASH]

Really? I thought 5 Oaks was legit?

[LBmtb]

Originally Posted by foofighter

my understanding is that 5 oaks was never a legal trail

It was never legal to go in through the neighborhood but the actual trail was legal. The only legal way to ride it was and is to hike it from the bottom and then ride down.

[foofighter]

ahhh ic so what they were doing; hiking up the water tank and then down was the illegal part because it would be considered "trespassing"?

[CPATCRASH]

Originally Posted by LBmtb

It was never legal to go in through the neighborhood but the actual trail was legal. The only legal way to ride it was and is to hike it from the bottom and then ride down.

How is it not legal to ride through t neighborhood? It's not private or gated.

[LBmtb]

Originally Posted by CPATCRASH

How is it not legal to ride through t neighborhood? It's not private or gated.

You got me there. Forget the source on that but maybe somebody else will confirm.

[CPATCRASH]

Originally Posted by LBmtb

You got me there. Forget the source on that but maybe somebody else will confirm.

I can see where the home owners would get pissed with people riding through the grass and then the trail along side the landscaped hill to the road though. Is there another way up?

[foofighter]

Originally Posted by CPATCRASH

I can see where the home owners would get pissed with people riding through the grass and then the trail along side the landscaped hill to the road though. Is there another way up?

i think the hike a bike up belongs to AVAC (aliso viejo community association) so that would be where it could technically be not legal.

[OMR]

Five Oaks Trail is open to all user groups and runs from the water tank hill at the east side of the Park down to Wood Canyon Trail. Due to private property, there is no legal access to this trail from the east side. It can only be accessed via Wood Canyon Trail and done as an out and back. As part of the RMP, they are contemplating making this a loop instead of an out and back.

Bottom line here, grasshoppers: Five Oaks is legal if accessed from the bottom and done as an out and back... whcih most do now anyway.

[Do Work]

Hmmm...is the paved road that leads to the water tank considered private as well???
It looks like if you continue up pepper tree instead of crossing the grass you can make a right on Vista Del Oro (dont think its a gated community) then Left on Vista Del Cero and that dead ends you to where the Paved road is to get up to the water tank.
Not trying to do anything illegal here (or contribute to anything illegal) just trying to find a way to avoid hiking up 5 oaks-people come flying down that trail and there are some blind turns so i would hate to run into a group of riders on there way down as im hiking up...that wouldnt be a pretty site

[Kevedge]

The neighborhood you speak of is gated. And if you do get in by following a car or something, make a left, and than a right and take that all the way to the end, you get access to that main road, that is gated and has large signs that says no trespassing, etc.

I talked to a ranger about it and he says the only way to legally ride 5 oaks is to hike up, and come down. I find this to be incredibly dangerous! 5 oaks has many blind turns and can pick up lots of speed on that trail. Id be upset if i ran into people hiking up that, but i guess thats the only way to do it unless you want to go an illegal route.

In all honesty, ill still go my "illegal" ways to keep the safety of myself and others.

[TURNERob]

I think what your friend was referring to was the new "do not enter" sign that is up behind the houses where most people ride/hike to get up to the water tank.

[biglimey]

Originally Posted by TURNERob

I think what your friend was referring to was the new "do not enter" sign that is up behind the houses where most people ride/hike to get up to the water tank.

Rode up to find the sign yesterday (from canyon vista's direction) there were plenty of fresh tracks past it....

[kentonn]

Hmmm... So you guys are poaching asphalt?

I always knew the only legal access was up and down. I just thought it was one of those "don't you do that while we're looking the other way" situations.

Probably should not say that publicly.

[jcbikeski]

Go here http://www.ocparks.com/awresources/d...?Show=DraftRMP and learn about all this first hand rather than relying on a friend of a friend. In the case of 5 Oaks it shows the current trail going almost up to the water tower so even a bit of the dirt is illegal on the very upper part. There are maps showing the proposed trails and as well as the current trails. I emailed them and there's been delays on getting final approval of the new plan but it sounds like it should be approved in the first quarter of 2008 -- no idea how long to then implement the new plan.

[OMR]

Originally Posted by jcbikeski

Go here http://www.ocparks.com/awresources/d...?Show=DraftRMP and learn about all this first hand rather than relying on a friend of a friend. I emailed them and there's been delays on getting final approval of the new plan but it sounds like it should be approved in the first quarter of 2008 -- no idea how long to then implement the new plan.

Although the RMP calls for opening 10-12 new trails, the illegal ones have to be closed and re-landscaped before any new trails are to be opened. So far there is no time-table on this yet.

[ipahead]

why not make the nice established "illegal trails" legal and call it good!

[granny ring]

Originally Posted by ipahead

why not make the nice established "illegal trails" legal and call it good!

You are dealing with the government.