Overnighter from Idyllwild RR

[Brendanc]

Ok, here goes. I don't post a lot so it's high time for a ride report!

This last weekend Mary & I took a last-minute overnight ride from our house in Idyllwild down into Coyote Canyon, in Anza Borrego SP. We left a bit late in the day, as we had some getting ready to do & I had to catch up on some work.




Once we were loaded up we headed out through familiar trails & made our way down to Hurkey Creek & Garner Valley. We hit the good stuff, and it felt like any other fun ride, but the weight of our gear reminded us we had some ground to cover.

We got on the highway & settled in for the long haul.


We had hoped to enter the canyon up a bit higher than the usual access point, and Mary found a likely spot on the map to do it. The sun got lower and lower.



Turned out the "connection" didn't go through. We enjoyed a misadventure in washboard, sand, and dogs. By dark we were back on track with lights on. After a couple more wrong turns (it's even easier to go the wrong way in the dark!) we entered the Canyon. The moon rose over the horizon to greet us.


We turned our lights off for some Full Moon Ninja Training, a must-do anytime you're in a beautiful environment with adequate moonlight!

Once we were in a ways we started thinking about finding a spot to call home. A perfect site in a boulder field on a hillside made itself apparent to us- with a warm breeze a view of the valley below.



Dinner time!



Once we filled our bellies it was time for bed. We set up Mary's new tent- A Big Agnes Seedpod SL1, using just the fly & footprint. It has room for two (assuming you're "friendly" because it's really a 1 person) and weighs less than 2 pounds!

We woke up several times through the night- the moon was so bright it tricked us into thinking the sun was coming up!

The next morning, Mary was the first to rise:
"Coffee makes me smile." she said, stirring the grounds in her Jetboil.



I was slow to wake up, but once I saw the view... let's just say I was ready to be awake!




We had some nice houseplants:




Once we were up & moving it was time to find water. We headed south to a spring- not exactly as fresh as we'd hoped but it was sufficient.

We filled up on water (filtered some, iodized some) and started making our way home, via a slightly different route.

Dirt road riding brings a whole new dimension of fun on two wheels. Seated comfort on the bike is key.



When we arrived in Anza we took full advantage of the gas station's offerings in fine cuisine: microwave chicken chimichanga, Chex mix, Gatorade, and Payday bars!



At this point we were down somewhere around 3400 ft, with a mountain and bunch of vertical feet between us and Idyllwild. We opted for a route the mixed dirt roads, paved roads, and even a little singletrack. The highway was getting a lot of traffic so we avoided it as much as possible.

Unbeknown to me, I was rockin' a dirt 'stash.


Some time later, at Hurkey Creek, we entered back into our familiar trail system, and started the climb home.


We savored the last singletrack of the day.



At the top of May Valley Road, we decided to have a Coast-Off challenge- we each got once kick on the ground, then no pedaling... almost a mile later, on Saunders Meadow road I put my foot down, only 5 feet or so in front of Mary!

...and that was the end of the ride & a great weekend.

[Letyrides]

Awesome report. I'm not a fan of camping but that actually made me want to.

[freekengo]

Thanks for the report! I love both areas. How many miles did you two cover?
Sounds like time for a road trip!

[Brendanc]

Yes, it's time for a road trip AND camping! The flowers are still kickin' up higher.

It was about 90 miles, which wasn't too bad considering the whole deal was only about 24 hours. Soon we'll be doing some point-to-point stuff, which will allow us to cover a little more room rather than doing a loop. It could've been just as easy to go all the way to Borrego Springs, if we had a car there.

I'm having trouble with the pics- first I linked to our Picasa album but it didn't show up, so then I loaded each jpeg & I can't figure out how to put them in the right spot. Am I missing something?

[sdyeti]

Sweet! That looks like a pretty fun ride...any singletrack or is it all roads?

Originally Posted by Brendanc

Yes, it's time for a road trip AND camping! The flowers are still kickin' up higher.

It was about 90 miles, which wasn't too bad considering the whole deal was only about 24 hours. Soon we'll be doing some point-to-point stuff, which will allow us to cover a little more room rather than doing a loop. It could've been just as easy to go all the way to Borrego Springs, if we had a car there.

I'm having trouble with the pics- first I linked to our Picasa album but it didn't show up, so then I loaded each jpeg & I can't figure out how to put them in the right spot. Am I missing something?

[Brendanc]

There's singletrack in there, mostly closer to home though. The pic of me in the sun is on the California Riding & Hiking Trail.

[Reedster]

Sounds like you guys are getting in some GDR prep. I'm sure that you will get plenty of longer rides in as your training increases. I think I'll just sit here in front of my computer and watch from a very safe distance.

~R

[Brendanc]

Originally Posted by Reedster

Sounds like you guys are getting in some GDR prep. I'm sure that you will get plenty of longer rides in as your training increases. I think I'll just sit here in front of my computer and watch from a very safe distance.

~R

Hey Reedster- only one of us is getting ready for the Divide (and it ain't me!). Yeah, we'll be doing a lot of overnighters, but they'll just get longer & lighter.

You coming up this way anytime soon?

[Brendanc]

Originally Posted by Reedster

Sounds like you guys are getting in some GDR prep. I'm sure that you will get plenty of longer rides in as your training increases. I think I'll just sit here in front of my computer and watch from a very safe distance.

~R

Hey Reedster- only one of us is getting ready for the Divide (and it ain't me!). Yeah, we'll be doing a lot of overnighters, but they'll just get longer & lighter.

You coming up this way anytime soon?