RR: Shortcut Saddle/Chilao/Gabrielino 2008-04-05

[kanga]

Saturday's ride was one of my most memorable of the year thus far. OTB was doing the Chilao loop. A few of us opted to do the Shortcut Saddle section of the Silver Mocassin up to Chartlon.

I rolled out my door a little after 6 in the morning for the ten miles of road to the carpool spot. El Pres picked me up, along with Jake, John and Igor, and we made one of the quickest carpool transitions I've ever seen. We were rolling again just a few minutes after I arrived.

Shortcut saddle was in good shape, but with at least a dozen downed trees. It's a steep 550' descent in 3/4 of a mile to a creek bed. Our extra credit ride turned into a trailwork session as we cleared as many of the downed trees as we could by hand. Some were just too big and will need a chain saw. The trees are down because of the weight of snow and ice this last winter...

But once off the bottom of the canyon, the climb up to Chilao was wide open and the trail in great shape. It's a stiff climb of about 850' vert in 1.5 miles. There's lots of wooden waterbar steps, but most of the trail was rideable, though a couple of sections required a do-over for us to clean. The whole section is about 2.2 miles. It was tougher than expected with the stops for the trees, and made for a good challenging climb.

I'd developed a slow leak in my rear tire, a duplicate of what had happened twice in the past week. Turned out my rim strip had stretched out and at the low pressures that I typically run (18 pounds or so) the rim strip was moving. I pulled the back tire off and made a duct-tape rim strip and put the old rim strip back on over that. It's still holding air, but (reminder to self) I need a new rim strip...

With the rest of the group we now had 8 riders, and three more were doing a slightly different version. We cruised up to Vetter and down the single track from there. It's all in really great shape. There was one last patch of snow on the trail, and I'd guess that will be gone in just a few more days.

At the bottom of the silver Mocassin the group split. Some climbed the fire road up to the Mt. Hillyer trail, and four of us, El Pres, Jake, Igor and myself, climbed the Silver Moc. A lot of trailwork has been done on it and it makes for a good challenging climb. One section of three back-to-back steps beat us all, but the rest wasn't a problem. It's deceptive... the steep part of the climb is about .6 miles, after which it levels off considerably.

On the way up the Silver Moc we saw KBL, Dino Brown and friends coming down.... nice to meet you guys on the trail. We rode up the Santa Clara Divide from Horse Flats to the Hillyer trailhead. We beat the fire road group up by about ten minutes.

There was a korean hiking group of 54 people coming down the Hillyer trail, so we waited for them all to get down before we started the climb up to the wall. At the top we played on some of the rocks, including a couple of OTB's...I had a good one (but nobody saw it!) and El Pres did a nice one as well... We padded up and cruised down Mt. Hillyer, one of the most big-cheesy-grinningest trails around..... Love that section. We stopped at the boulder garden and played on the rocks a bit, found a few new lines, and linked some granite sections in ways I hadn't done before. It was a good time. We probably spent a half hour there. I'd handed off my camera, but no pics.

We cruised on down the restof the Hillyer and the Silver Moc with perma-grins firmly in place!

After the climb back up to Vetter, most of the group was done. Hans, Igor and myself cruised on down the Silver Moc back to shortcut saddle. The descent was fun and a great payoff for our early climb. At the bottom, just after the first big downed tree, we met Hal Winton from the AC100 race, out surveying the trail for future trailwork. They plan on going back in and cutting out the trees that we missed, and will also be at State Trails day at Millard on April 19th. They do a lot of trailwork on the trails used on the AC100, and, like us, believe in flowing single track.

Igor, Hans and I were pretty worked for the climb back out to Shortcut saddle. Less than a mile with a 500' gain. It was steep but traction was decent. It will be too sandy to ride within a few months. We all felt pretty sapped from all the extra technical climbing. But I wasn't done yet....

Hans dropped me off at Redbox at about 3:45 p.m. on the way out. I rode the gab back down to JPL and on home. The Gab is another world right now... I took it pretty easy and rode somewhat conservatively since I was alone.

The Gabrielino between Switzers and Oakwilde is one of the most beautiful canyons around (though filled with PO). It's a remote-feeling mossy fern glen at this time of year. The cloud level had dropped somewhat and the canyon was all shrouded in mist as I descended into and eventually below the clouds.

I've developed a lot of respect for that trail over the last 20 years, and just don't ride it often enough. The trail is pretty narrow and exposed in places, and at times you're riding along a ledge on a wall. The feeling of solitude in that canyon is incredible. I didn't see another person on the trail from Redbox to Switzers, nor from Switzers to Oakwilde, but the usual fishing/hiking/picnicking contingent was out in force along the switzers river bed section, mostly heading back to their cars.

After Oakwilde, I got both feet wet on the first crossing, so the rest of the crossings were easy.... I just rode as much of the river as I could each time, and stepped off the bike if I didn't make it. I was able to make about half of them.

The only thing that sucked about the climb out of Oakwilde was my chain. Every few pedal strokes in the small ring the chain would suck and I didn't have the energy to push the middle ring, so I ended up walking about half of it... that's the price one pays for riding through knee-deep river crossings, I guess. The small chain lube I used to carry in my pack leaked all over my tools a month ago, and I keep forgetting to replace it.

There's a bridge out near the bottom of the Gab, after Gould Mesa. It's been fenced off and closed. There isn't an established detour yet, but lots of possible ways through the creek bed.

Once out the gab and past all the creek crossings, I was pretty worked, and very content. I found some mugwort and did my best to rub off as much of the PO from my legs as possible. The 38 miles or so of single track I'd covered is a lot more demanding than riding a similar distance on fire roads. I cruised back home on the streets and got home about 6:30, 12 hours after I'd left.

Great ride, good people, good fun sessioning stuff, no injuries, and another 52 miles under my belt.... about 7000' of climbing and just shy of 10,000' of descent. Perfect weather.... I can't wait to get up and do a repeat of the loop in a few weeks.

Starting out:



Downed trees on Shortcut Saddle:



Creek Bed at the Bottom:



More downed trees:





The climb up to Charlton:





Steps at the top...



The last of the snow:



John on Vetter:



New logover:



Silver Moc climb:



John floating his bullet over the rock:



El Pres:



Playing:



Top of Switzers:





One of the first creek crossings, before Oakwilde:




Riding the PO-lined ledge:



Bridge out on the lower Gab, near JPL. The detour was knee deep, and the last creek crossing for the day:

[KBL]

Kanga,

Good to finally meet you in person. I saw your RR on OTBMBC...thanks for posting it here, too. Saturday was one of the most perfect days for riding: clear skies (at the higher elevations) cool (not cold) weather, and plenty of traction.

Our ride was pretty short, but Dino and I had the chance to introduce Mt Dew and VinceM to the Chilao area. It's safe to say they'll be back.

[JoeTruth]

Wow, interesting loop you and Hans did. Where is Shortcut Saddle exactly? Now that's asking for punishment; climbing to Hillyer up the Moc...impressive!

Was there any snow left on Silver Moc coming down from Vetter? Considering it's n-w slope, it usually retains snow the longest. We bailed on that part last week so I didn't know.
Also, how was the condition of the Gab overall? I'm sure the Red Box to Swiz was fine but how about beyond that? After doing Burton and dropping into the Arroyo, I realized the water level was too high to really enjoy the gab just yet. Has it subsided at all or is there still shin/knee deep water crossings still?

Thanks for posting, Steve. As usual, you're an animal!

[1080P]

So Steve, should I place an order for us for some new Schwalbe rim strips? I don't even run that low a pressure and my tubes are getting eaten alive up against the rim strip. No spokes, no burrs, but lots of flats in 2 weeks (five now) every 25 miles or therabouts of riding. I even pinch flatted on the front with the stop at the parking lot after you fixed yours on Mt Lukens ride last Thursday.

I'm getting sick of filling presta tubes with a cheesy little emergency hand pump when I have a perfectly good compressor at home that works fine with shrader valves.


My legs just didn't have it in them after Fridays chase up Santa Clara Truck Trail after Otto on Friday, then getting whupped by Viper when it's dry, sandy, ball bearings on the steeps. Either it's real slippery, or a Fat Albert on the front is no match compared to a confidence building Big Betty, at my weight. I don't now which, but I really will take the extra weight of the BB for the peace of mind it provides when descending in the San Gabes.

[kanga]

Originally Posted by JoeTruth

Wow, interesting loop you and Hans did. Where is Shortcut Saddle exactly? Now that's asking for punishment; climbing to Hillyer up the Moc...impressive!

Was there any snow left on Silver Moc coming down from Vetter? Considering it's n-w slope, it usually retains snow the longest. We bailed on that part last week so I didn't know.
Also, how was the condition of the Gab overall? I'm sure the Red Box to Swiz was fine but how about beyond that? After doing Burton and dropping into the Arroyo, I realized the water level was too high to really enjoy the gab just yet. Has it subsided at all or is there still shin/knee deep water crossings still?

Thanks for posting, Steve. As usual, you're an animal!

Joe, Shortcut saddle is where the Silver Moc trail crosses the Angeles Crest highway, about 3 miles before Charlton. The only snow was that one 20' long patch we saw on Vetter. There was another patch on the side of the trail that was maybe 2' in diameter when we descended past it in the morning, and was 1' in diameter in the afternoon when we climbed back out. What's left won't be there for long.

I did mention the creek crossings.... knee deep at least on some crossings, but I'm not afraid of a little water and rode right through it (and paid the price with chain-suck on the last climb).

Between Switzers and Oakwilde the trail is in overall great shape, but lined with knee- to waist-high PO that cannot be avoided. This trail doesn't see the traffic that other sections do. There were a few slides but the traction was good enough that they were easily ridden, even though they were off-camber and exposed, along the wall just above Oakwilde.

I had done home, up prieto, down Ken Burton, out the gab then up to Mt. Lukens/grizzly last tuesday, so I was prepared to get wet feet, literally, for this ride.

I'd like to do the extra 12 miles between Shortcut Saddle and Redbox via silver moc/gab, but we got back to Shortcut a little too late and low on food to pull it off in a single day. Next time I'll bring lights...

Originally Posted by 1080P

So Steve, should I place an order for us for some new Schwalbe rim strips? I don't even run that low a pressure and my tubes are getting eaten alive up against the rim strip. No spokes, no burrs, but lots of flats in 2 weeks (five now) every 25 miles or therabouts of riding. I even pinch flatted on the front with the stop at the parking lot after you fixed yours on Mt Lukens ride last Thursday.

I'm running Cole wheels with super thin nylon rim strips.... In my case it's just a bad rim strip that had stretched out. Visibly, when I pulled off the tire, it was drooping enough that I could see the gap. I'd try doing what I did, a duct tape temporary strip, and get a new rim strip. Or go tubeless. The Betty up front is definitely more confidence-inspiring than a fat albert.

[airgabe]

Kanga....... Vic,ODB and myself did some trail work there a week ago 3/30 and it was vics idea for the log jump! I agree with you if it was not for the PO, the Gabs are the best for overall terrain variety and quality!P.S. Are we doing a tuesday afterwork ride up El Prieto/Brown this week?

[kanga]

Originally Posted by airgabe

Kanga....... Vic,ODB and myself did some trail work there a week ago 3/30 and it was vics idea for the log jump! I agree with you if it was not for the PO, the Gabs are the best for overall terrain variety and quality!P.S. Are we doing a tuesday afterwork ride up El Prieto/Brown this week?

We added a couple of logs to the logover, but it was good. I could meet you at El P tomorow... the OTB scheduled ride is a little far to ride to. PM me later.

[VTVic]

Originally Posted by kanga

New logover:

Originally Posted by airgabe

Kanga....... Vic,ODB and myself did some trail work there a week ago 3/30 and it was vics idea for the log jump! I agree with you if it was not for the PO, the Gabs are the best for overall terrain variety and quality!P.S. Are we doing a tuesday afterwork ride up El Prieto/Brown this week?

Originally Posted by kanga

We added a couple of logs to the logover, but it was good. I could meet you at El P tomorow... the OTB scheduled ride is a little far to ride to. PM me later.

Tried to build it but didn't get to ride it. Glad you guys put in a few finishing touches .

Nice RR guys, def a long ride. Hope to be able to join you guys on Tuesday again.

[Tedroy]

Kanga is not human! Goodonyamate! You put most of us to shame!

[VTVic]

Originally Posted by Tedroy

Kanga is not human! Goodonyamate! You put most of us to shame!

Agree, that guy gotz skillz