Local Dirt: The Other Castaic Trails

[jeffj]

Many people are familiar with the trail system at Castaic Lake since they have held numerous XC and DH events there over the years. We have another area just south of there that is actually more popular with the locals and I thought I'd share my favorite local route:

Last trailhead option. It's more popular to park at the Castaic Sports Complex, but you can park just short of here with no problems.


The ride starts out on a very slight incline on this dirt road.





There are a few houses on both sides of the road here. The local residents have always been very friendly towards mtb'rs.


These locals almost always come to their fence line to "greet us".


This gate is usually locked, but as you can see they have a way for cyclists and horses to make their way through. Sadly it seems that this gate gets plowed over by 4-wheelers on a regular basis.


After the gate shown previously, the road starts to get just a bit steeper, but still fairly easy.


This is where the singletrack we will return on (on the right) intersects the dirt road we are climbing. The road again starts to get just a bit steeper here.


About 3/4 of a mile further from the last picture, you come to the area we call the "meadow". It's really just an open grassy area where a few trails intersect.


As you start to climb out from the "meadow", the road now starts to get steeper yet. We're taking the trail to the left. From here to the top of our climb is about another 1.25 miles from here and includes about a dozen relatively short "beyotches"...


This is looking backwards from where the previous shot was taken overlooking the "meadow".


Cresting the first biznag


There are a few spots that give you a bit of a rolling start to the next short climb and this is one of them.


More climbing.... You can see my son in the red shirt leaving dad in his dust. Actually, his dust has settled by the time I get there


Looking back to where we came from.


Almost done with the climbing. The towers are about 100 yards from the top of our climb where we look down onto San Francisquito Canyon Road that will take you from Santa Clarita to Lake Hughes and eventually to Lancaster.


This is the top of the climbing portion of our ride. there are two singletracks that take off from the dirt road we are on. They both come back together about a mile from here. The one to the right is called "Burn Victim" and the one a bit further that takes off to the left is simply known the "Tapia Singletrack".


To be continued.....

[jeffj]

Doh!

[jeffj]

The shots in the previous post were taken in the summer. Some of the following shots were taken then and some are from this afternoon.

Once at the top of the climb, you have two choices for singletrack that will meet back up in about a mile. This one is called "Burn Victim". I have no idea how it got such a name, but it sounds interesting....


Some shots need no explanation.....


This is the beginning of the section I call "The Two Mile Smile".


You go onto a dirt road for about 100 yards and then back onto the singletrack to the left.


The singletrack descent starts out farly mundane, but fun....


Then things start to get more interesting...





A bit of a smirk beginning to form...


And into the mixer we go...


















Name your poison. They meet back up about 50 yards later.



A small whoop section...














And finally we exit the mixer and back onto the dirt road we came in on.



Well, that's my local jaunt. From the Sports Complex, it's about an 11.5 mile ride, but we have been known to take a second helping of "TTMS" and there are several other trails that are all interconnected.

If anyone is interested in taking the tour, just let me know when you'll be in the area

[Schecky]

Great RR! Thanks for sharing.

[stolidog]

Those are our old dirt bike trails.



Very Cool trails

[Burner]

thanks for the RR, good stuff!

So how do you get to the trail head from down south?

[jeffj]

I-5 north to Parker Road exit. Turn right onto Parker Road and another right at the first stop sign (about 100 yards after you turn onto Parker Road). This will have you doubled back along the east side of the freeway. You can park at the Sports Complex which you will see in about 1/2 mile on your left or continue along the road and it will make a left turn shortly after the park (Sports Complex). This road goes for a little over 1/4 mile and t-bones another road; turn right and a couple hundred yards later turn left. This will have you going through a sort of fairground/equestrian area. I usually park at the far end of this along side the fence line just before the pavement ends.

Shoot me a message if you'd like the tour.

My son might have a google maps overlay. I'll post it if I can find it.

[mco804]

I'm always willing to try out a new trail. If you can post that google map that would be great.

[BadBoyRipper]

Yeah I second the google map idea. I live in Bakersfield, so that ride isn't too far for me at all.

[jeffj]

I have a motion based file (.kmz) that opens in Google Earth that shows it really well. I suppose I would have to e-mail you the .kmz file and you could access it through Google Earth on your computer.

Shoot me a PM with your e-mail and I'll be happy to send it to you.

I may ride there Sunday afternoon if anyone is interested.

[BadBoyRipper]

I'll PM you later. On Sunday there is a race in Springville, that's where I'll be. I'm gonna pop my cherry; my first race! It's about 45 min NE of Bakersfield. Should be fun.

[mco804]

Originally Posted by jeffj

I have a motion based file (.kmz) that opens in Google Earth that shows it really well. I suppose I would have to e-mail you the .kmz file and you could access it through Google Earth on your computer.

Shoot me a PM with your e-mail and I'll be happy to send it to you.

I may ride there Sunday afternoon if anyone is interested.

i'll send you a message as well when I get a chance to ride. I'll be at rim nordic on sunday

[BrewMaster]

Great RR. That looks like a fun ride!

[jeffj]

Originally Posted by BadBoyRipper

I'll PM you later. On Sunday there is a race in Springville, that's where I'll be. I'm gonna pop my cherry; my first race! It's about 45 min NE of Bakersfield. Should be fun.

File sent. Good luck in your race.

[BadBoyRipper]

Very cool, that looks like a fun ride. I'll have to take you up on that chance to ride soon. I'll stay in touch.

[Happy_Gilmore]

There use to a MX track in the area called Caustic Motocross (Super Sports Club) it was one of my favorites Motocross tracks, It was also partly used for Mountain Bike races.

[Pain Freak]

Is this the trail that goes above Cataic Lake? When you are climbing the lake would be on your left?

Have you ever rode the trails out of Val Verde? We hiked them, but usually had to turn back because it was getting to hard for the wife or one of the kids. I'd like to go back and see where they end up. When I lived there in 94, there was no Stevenson Ranch so a lot of that looks foriegn to me.

We did a lot of illegal moto out that way.

[jeffj]

Originally Posted by Happy_Gilmore

There use to a MX track in the area called Caustic Motocross (Super Sports Club) it was one of my favorites Motocross tracks, It was also partly used for Mountain Bike races.

There have been a couple MX tracks at the lower lake area. The first one was in what they call Grasshopper Canyon which is at the bottom of the DH run. That one was more of an outdoor type track. Then Shane Trittler had more of a SX type track built on the other side of the road that goes up to the west launch ramp.

Mountain bike races have used parts of both tracks at times.

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Is this the trail that goes above Cataic Lake? When you are climbing the lake would be on your left?

The lake would be to your left when climbing, but there is another canyon between the lake and this trail.

Sometimes we ride up Lake Hughes road and just short of the entrance to the main launch ramp there is a water tank on the right side of the road. There is a trail that goes up over the hill from there and hooks up with a fun singletrack that goes down into Bitter canyon. Turn left on that fireroad and go for about two miles, turn right and climb about 1/2 mile up to the "meadow" junction shown in the pics.

Adds a bit more 'meat' to the ride.

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

Have you ever rode the trails out of Val Verde? We hiked them, but usually had to turn back because it was getting to hard for the wife or one of the kids. I'd like to go back and see where they end up. When I lived there in 94, there was no Stevenson Ranch so a lot of that looks foriegn to me.

We did a lot of illegal moto out that way.

We have rode up Hasley Cyn Rd. from I-5 to Sloan Cyn Rd. which is a dirt road that goes north for about four miles and comes out to what is the far west end of Lake Hughes Rd. (but called Sloan Cyn Rd.) The housing tract I live in is right where Sloan turns from dirt to pavement.

There are a few 'play-areas' along the dirt section of Sloan Canyon Road and someone recently put in a dirt cart track back there near the summer camp.

The area just north of Val Verde that is criss-crossed with trails is now fenced off, but I'm alway looking at those old trails and wondering what that might have been like.

I have ridden my XL600R all the way out Hasley Canyon Rd. to where it overlooks Lake Piru.

Let me know if you'd like the .kmz file that lays over Google Earth.