Sunday 2/10 Ride in CNF.... HJ or?

Gonna rain this week. My favorite trail to ride after a rain is Holy Jim, which holds up really well before / during / after a rain. I could do the Toad Festival route, or just an out and back on HJ (since I love the downhill) or whatever. Let me know... gotta get my riding legs on again

Early morning ride for me. Start at 6am(?) would be preferred but 6:30 latest probably best. I like to be first on the trail in the am

Pacing is moderately slow. Toad Festival circle in 4:30 hours (conservative) - car to car including breaks. If you want to make it easier, we can park at the upper lot, cut 10 miles off the ride (and the boring jeep road section) and the time will be more like 3:45 car to car.

29.5 mi
4,504 ft

 

Love 29 miles, You have a Geo or Strava for this route ?

I will be up there on Sunday, just dont know what route (fast pace).

Thanks.

 

you should have said: pro pace....LOL.
here's the Toad festival route. you can always add in Santiago Peak and/or Upper Holy Jim for more elevation and distance.
http://www.geoladders.com/show_route.php?route=47166

 

I ride "git er done' pace

Though I should add that the last 10 miles are downhill the entire way. The first couple miles down can be a little tricky with some loose rock, particularly when wet, but otherwise you will be coming out of the canyon faster than the 4-wheelers.

Here's a picture of Main Divide (the section we are talking about riding) looking down from Santiago Peak.

 

These are training rides..

 

I was thinking of doing the same ride....sounds fun

 

Let's see what the turnout looks like. It was cold day for running today, that's for sure - but it should warm up a little by Sunday.

 

Please let me know if it is a go.......if not I am going to ride San Juan at 7:30.

 

Any climb/route to the peak, will have its weather changes. However a doable ride for a great reward that of Snow =)

 

We'll come off the top of Holy Jim and hook up on Main Divide at 4000 feet. There's some up and down, but the top of the Wall (Trabuco Peak) is about 4450. That's the top. So I expect to see some snow, but the route is nothing like the approach to Santiago, particularly that last section above 5000 feet.

Wheeler, would you be ok doing the route from the top lot? Or do you want to do it from the bottom of the canyon?

 

the road in will be muddy, you will run into snow above the switch backs, be careful. the best place to ride after the rains is Syamore Canyon in Riverside by Jenson USA.

 

The snow looks pretty low 2,000 to 3,000 ft is my guess by the way it looked from RSM today

 

what is the ride like? I am getting better but hurting still for the first 6 miles at B*..... havent really gone too much further than this... would it be something that i would be able to work into?

 

I'll see today what conditions look like (it is expected to be clear and warming up today). Because of the rain, I am leaning towards leaving from the upper lot in Trabuco Canyon - save us some mud and cold water crossings. If we leave from the upper lot, it is really a manageable ride to the top of Holy Jim because you can turn around at any point and coast (more or less) back to your car if you get tired. Once you get to Main Divide, you have to commit to the full route because there are few options to ride out until you get all the way to the top of Trabuco Trail 8 miles away. I have gone this route numerous times and there is nothing really technical - you just have to do the distance. I have ridden Trabuco Trail down in the rain and the rocks are a little slick, but it is not bad at all - you will just get dirty

 

Thanks. I've done this trail in all conditions before. I was in the one of the first groups (perhaps THE first group) up Holy Jim after the 2009/2010 big rain.

Trabuco Canyon Road... nothing left.



Fording the road at one of the many washouts to get to the Holy Jim trail head.



It was cold, and there were frozen puddles even down on Trabuco Canyon Road, but the trail itself was in great shape because it is mostly tight sand/gravel versus mud.

 

You expecting to cross that river bed tomorrow?

 

That was after the road was washed out. The big rain scrubbed the canyon clean. 6 months after I took that photo, the county came through and plowed / filled / graded a new road. It is in great shape now - until the next big rain. From the bottom of Trabuco Canyon it is about 3 miles of county road until you get to the border of Cleveland National Forest. Then it becomes a forest road and MUCH rougher (strictly 10 - 15 mph driving unless you have a monster 4WD). Two miles of forest road and you will come out in the Holy Jim parking lot.

 

Yea from the looks of the Saddlebacks HJ may have snow on it. I wonder if San Juan maybe a better call for tomorrow:?:

 

Okay, So no Harding to the Peak ? I was hoping to do so !

San Juan may be better, i have not done this section.

 

Think I am going to ride San Juan... Start cranking at 7.30. Plan on riding a rigid SS to the rock and back. However if someone wants to ride the upper loop let me know and I will bring a sus bike with gears.