RR: Coto Valley + Chiquita Loop

[KeepsWhatHappens]

Nice ride today with the company of seven wonderful women all to myself. It was advertised as a Trail Angel and STR ride and I was the only trail male to show up. Where were all the STR peeps?

Anyway, it was a fun ride with lots of nice scenery. I'll let Singletrack Angel file the text version of the ride report since it was her ride. I'll handle the photography department... here goes...

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We found deer remains along the Coto West Ridge Trail notmore than 100 yards from homes...accompanied by mountain lion tracks.

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Brenda playing with the bones.

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Kristine, Karen and Carrie grinding up a steep climb.

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Trying to avoid the ruts.

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Carrie, our docent, told us what this what but I can't remember.

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A really steep pitch. Singletrack Angel goes for it.

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Going up...willpower time.

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Making it !

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The girls along west ridge.

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Kristine on Sunshine Boys Trail.

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Karen on Sunshine Boys Trail.

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Marla on Sunshine Boys Trail.

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Taking a break in Riley Park.

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Group shot.

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Kristine and Brenda climbing around.

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Up a tree.

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Karen enjoying the flowers in Riley on Pheasant Run.

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Kristine, Allison and Brenda.

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Crossing under Oso Parkway.

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Lucy and Carrie.

[KeepsWhatHappens]

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The girls were having a blast in Chiquita!

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The girls down in the valley below.

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Coming up Chiquita Ridge.

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Parting shot -- Kristine, Brenda and Karen in Riley Park.

[Spartacus]

Great Pics!

[Danimal]

Thanks for the pics, looks like fun.
Nice to see my old "local" ride nice and green!
And a group ladies too!!

[foofighter]

how's the overgrowth down in the valley floor at chiquita?

looks like you were in good company today John!

[KeepsWhatHappens]

Originally Posted by foofighter

how's the overgrowth down in the valley floor at chiquita?

looks like you were in good company today John!

Knee to thigh-high in most places, but the mustard is approaching 8' tall in places.

[brendagilbert]

This was such a fun ride today- Thanks John and Kristine for leading, and all the other gals for joining us today.

[bighit8]

I was under the Impression trail males were banned. Thanks for the pics.

Oh and the flower pic looks like a young Artichoke Thistle, could be wrong!So much stuff I have not seen after our rains.

[KeepsWhatHappens]

Originally Posted by bighit8

I was under the Impression trail males were banned.

No..privileged

[Singletrack Angel]

Thank you KWH for hanging out with us ladies and showing us some great trails!

The morning started off really cold and cloudy. We met up with STR Dirty Girlz kpeony (Karen), Carbon Carrie and Brenda Gilbert, along with TAs Alison, Marla and Lucy. No boys?? Paging Eric and Rich... Oh yeah, Eric was busy climbing the big ladder today...

We met at the Dove Canyon waterfall and headed up the Bell View trail. It felt like the 4th round of my rides out to Caspers, and just when we were getting our groove on it was already time to head downhill to Coto-opolis and leave the wilderness behind (for a while). The quick drop down Sunshine Boys trails from the ridge was great, dropping into some gorgeous oaks.

Anyone who knows me knows that I HATE riding in or even near roads, so as we cruised along the Coto horse trails I was bitchin to anyone within earshot about the stink from the cars and the lack of real dirt. Marla had to leave early and headed off through Coto.

Soon we were at Riley Park and we were all impressed with the beautiful greenery and wildflowers. It's a short loop but has a nice (easy) climb and a fun, fast descent. I've never seen Riley looking so good as I did today, and no sign of plants dying off from lack of rain. The flowers were at their peak.

We headed over to Chiquita Ridge and rode through the meadows (still lush and flowery, and not too overgrown on the double track) and back up to the fireroad that connects to the Tijeras Creek Trail. I looked at the singletrack drops a bit wistfully as we rode past the bottom of the drops, but being among the less hardcore of our STR and TA sisters, we all agreed that after 15 miles of riding we would happily save the CR singletracks for another day. Our legs were feeling tired as we rode the rolling fireroad back to the waterfall, but we knew refreshments were just around the corner...

After the ride we headed over the Dailys for cold refreshments and a warm meal. The temperature was still in the upper 50s in RSM by the end of the ride, so it was good to warm up and refuel from our 18-mile journey. Gene blew off my ride but still managed to stop by for the after-ride festivities, so it was nice to have him join us, and we all had a great end to a fun day.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that my favorite section of singletrack that parallels the Bell View fireroad out to Coto has been MOWED by some knucklehead.

This picture of the "Yellow Brick Road" was taken on March 6h. That's Carbon Carrie... No pic from today showing how it was ruined, but it was mowed to fireroad width.

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[genusmtbkr5]

Originally Posted by Singletrack Angel

Gene blew off my ride but still managed to stop by for the after-ride festivities, so it was nice to have him join us, and we all had a great end to a fun day.

Sorry I missed the ride, but I didn't get off work till 8:30am and my legs were toast from 4 days of riding. Nice to see you all had a great time and even better to sit a have lunch with all of you. I'll try and make the next Tues ride.

[bighit8]

Kepony still has a date with me at the floral show!

[Singletrack Angel]

Originally Posted by genusmtbkr5

Sorry I missed the ride, but I didn't get off work till 8:30am and my legs were toast from 4 days of riding. Nice to see you all had a great time and even better to sit a have lunch with all of you. I'll try and make the next Tues ride.

Aw, Gene, I'm just teasing you!

[bighit8]

Pagin kpeony! Just kiddin Karen, but I am still down. Dont make me open the CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS THREAD! I will do it, I swear!

[Carbon Carrie]

John aks - Carrie, our docent, told us what this what but I can't remember.

Carrie says - That is a picture of a green worm................not a thistle.....some plant from Mars.

The stalk w/purple flowers and white dots stacked up on the top in Riley are "OWLS CLOVER" the white parts look like an owl face if you imagine good, or are needing oxygen and halucinating.

[jeffj]

I believe the plant is called "chia", the seeds of which have some incredibly positive health/nutritional attributes.

http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/sep/papr/chia.html

[bighit8]

I have heard the Native Americans used to grind up the seeds into a fine powder and use it like visine? Ok off to ride away my frustrations!