RR: Black Mtn/Santa Luz/LPQ Fun Ride

[Solo]

I've recently been increasing the mileage of my weekend rides to both find my limits and to begin preparing for much longer rides (thinking CC or VQ next year). I've ridden various combinations of these 3 places and am honestly growing more fond of each with every ride.

Anyway, on to the ride review. It was another perfect morning for riding - cool, overcast, with a light breeze. I started off the normal Black Mountain loop with the main fire road to the top. Being one who doesn't particularly care for fire roads, I can honestly say that I enjoy this one. It's not real steep, only gets a little loose towards the top, and is a great warm up for the rest of the ride.

Here we go...


Just before reaching the top, I took the East Side Cutover, which drops down into the adjacent draw before pointing back up towards the next peak. I would normally hammer out this next climb, but based on the length of the ride, I opted to hike a bike the top half. Some call it wimping out; I call it "course management".

Why do these never look as steep and loose in the pics?


The other side was a fairly uneventful loose, fire road type descent with a couple new berm like waterbars thrown in to play on.

From this point, it seemed like the trail had been hardly ridden and both sides are slowly creeping in. At one point during my favorite climb towards the next peak, some of the tree/bushes have crossed over forming a very low arch over the trail.

One of the sweetest trails on the mountain becoming overgrown, you can't even see it running back up to the top of the big peak in the background. The new "bushwacker"?


We really need to get some people out riding this trail.

Anyway, after another quick hike a bike to the top, I dropped the seat for a fun filled descent down derailleur to include bushwacking at the bottom.

Hike a bike up


The new lead in to derailleur


Across the meadow and onto Miner's Ridge loop. I was ahead of schedule at this point so I spent a little extra time and a couple of "redos" on the more technical sections. I finally cleaned the entire stair step/switchback section with no dabs on the third attempt.

On to Santa Luz




After a quick run down the S/T (the sweetest section of Santa Luz), I headed under the bridge towards Los Penasquitos. I've been checking out some new options of getting from here to there and will post later.

For now, this is the beginning of the main connector to top of the mesa


Once on top of the mesa, I did some exploring and found some new S/T and these interesting bushes.



After a quick loop around Tunnels, I was about 3 hours into the ride and decided it was a good time for a PB&J with Gatorade chaser.

Renergized, it was time to bomb down from the top of Cobbles to the bottom of the canyon. Uh yeah, ok, it was Saturday morning and there must have been at least 3 different groups of hikers with dogs along this trail. Thanks for the bear bell SDMBA!

A painful reminder at the top. Bring on the dirt sidewalks!


After a quick climb back up Powerlines (another enjoyable climb) it was back over to Tunnels for a second loop. The more I ride here, the more and more I reaaaallly like it. Can you say addiction?

My new favorite part of Tunnels


I did find the S/T off Tunnels that leads back up and behind the business park and to the adjacent residential area. Still not the "best" connector, but it did get me back to the main Santa Luz connector.

Ahhh, back to Santa Luz


I was about 31 miles and 4.5 hours into the ride when I ran into my old nemesis. My admitted weakness is long, steep, grinding fire roads. I guess I'll never be a true XC guy.

My nemesis...


After surviving the climb (yes, I stopped about 2/3 of the way up to smother the flames coming off my legs) it was down the other side and into some gentle "rolling" climbs.

I cleaned the really steep climb near the bridge (only because it was short) and across the canyon until I came to this.

Sick joke, who picked this route anyway?


I knew everything would be fine once I started to hear the parents cheering their kids on at the baseball fields towards the top.

Now only one short fire road section standing between me and this...













































Sorry, didn't mean to scare you.

Overall, it was a really good ride. This was the farthest that I had ridden and other than the fire road climbs, didn't feel like I really hit my limits. I still felt realitively strong afterwords and only had one muscle "twinge" about 500 yards before the end.

The next version of this ride will most likely be a 50 miler and include LPQ canyon from end to end.

Final ride stats:
Distance - 36 mi
Elev gain - +6,566
Time - 5.5 hrs
Avg speed - 6.5 mph
Max speed - 33 mph

[el_d00der1n0]

you gotta change your name so we can ride with you.

since the demise of intestines, i'm *extremely* interested in other ways of getting to tunnels from the north. you think you can show me the way through sometime soon?

[FatPossum]

Originally Posted by el_d00der1n0

you gotta change your name so we can ride with you.

since the demise of intestines, i'm *extremely* interested in other ways of getting to tunnels from the north. you think you can show me the way through sometime soon?

I can show you a way from the del sur exit on the 56 if you don't already know it. As soon as my fractured collar bone heals that is.....

I want to go on this ride with Solo as a guide soon. Please keep posting them when you go.

FP

[Solo]

Originally Posted by el_d00der1n0

you gotta change your name so we can ride with you.

since the demise of intestines, i'm *extremely* interested in other ways of getting to tunnels from the north. you think you can show me the way through sometime soon?

I know, it's a bit of an oxymoron. I joined STR to find new rides and people that like to ride the same kinda stuff that I do. I've found some new rides, but so far, no takers on the ones I've posted. WHHAAAAA!!!

There are actually a couple different options leading off Tunnels to the north. I'd be glad to show you any of them. Just join one of my rides!!

[sdyeti]

I would like to do this ride sometime...

[el_d00der1n0]

Originally Posted by Solo

I know, it's a bit of an oxymoron. I joined STR to find new rides and people that like to ride the same kinda stuff that I do. I've found some new rides, but so far, no takers on the ones I've posted. WHHAAAAA!!!

There are actually a couple different options leading off Tunnels to the north. I'd be glad to show you any of them. Just join one of my rides!!

Your ride post invites need to be more venus fly-trap like. Don't tell us beforehand you plan to punish us!

We also have a space-time continuum grandfather paradox other people's easy button sort of problem with the actual name too.

[Solo]

Originally Posted by el_d00der1n0

Your ride post invites need to be more venus fly-trap like. Don't tell us beforehand you plan to punish us!

You're right, I need to be more "intriguing" in the rides I post. Heck, I used the word "fun" in the title, maybe I'll try "luv" next time.

Originally Posted by el_d00der1no

We also have a space-time continuum grandfather paradox other people's easy button sort of problem with the actual name too.

True (I think?). I wonder if the site admin can just change my handle without having to create a new profile

[el_d00der1n0]

Originally Posted by Solo

True (I think?).

Cuz we have the same first name...

Originally Posted by Solo

I wonder if the site admin can just change my handle without having to create a new profile

Yeah, some folks changed their names, but I wouldn't touch it if I were you unless you go for something like snooges.

[EBasil]

For future reference, completing that ride elevates you way past "XC guy". Great posting, too.