Ride Report Cold Springs SB

Okay, so Friday morning I get a text from Tom the Bomb saying "Cold Springs SB Sat, tomarrow".
I was thinking, "Oh crap.. I"ve really been wanting to do Cold Springs but I'm suppose to go to Kernville on Sunday with Krankin Kiwi. I don't know that I'm going to be able to swing both days." Then I thought, "Screw it, I'll play it by ear." I'm glad I did. Turns out K.K. ended up not being able to go on Sunday and came out and did C.S. with us.
The line up for the day was Tom the Bomb, Krankin Kiwi, Uplander, Rossage and myself.

I appologize for the picture quality. They were taken with my camera phone.

We did it as a loop. We started with a 6 mile climb up the Romero Canyon Rd. It starts out pretty steep and rocky but mellows out pretty quickly.The views while climbing were spectacular.


You can see Romero Cyn Rd. Below


Taking a break be for we start riding a short cut single track that takes out about 2 miles of pavement according to a local.


Tom the Bomb and Uplander


Self portrait, Krankin Kiwi, and Uplander. You can see the short cut behind us.


The short cut is a pretty tight single track that starts out going through a really cool tunnel of trees.


The trail soon opened up to more spectacular views of the Channel Islands. But don't take your eyes of the trail because the trail gets super skinny and technical with a high penalty for failure.


After maybe a mile or two it spits us out onto Camino Cielo Rd. for a few miles.
Rossage, Uplander, Tom the Bomb, Krankin Kiwi


The start of Cold Springs. The boys padding up.


The trail starts out pretty mellow then turns nice and chunky. Sorry, I only got a picture of the mellow stuff. I was having too much fun to stop and take pictures.


Taking a break and letting our hands rest.



That has to be the best ride I've had in a really long time. Good company, nice and chunky technical trail, good amount of miles and a nice steady climb. Too bad all good things must come to an end. I wish I could make it out there more often.

 

Cold Springs has to be the chunkiest, rock-strewn, rutted, balls-out trails I have ever ridden. At one point I was getting tossed around like a rodeo rider looking for my 8 seconds of fame. Tom was yelling, "Hold on Ross! Hold on!".
I was on my 575 and it made me feel like I brought a knife to a gun fight.
I'd go back and do it again in a heartbeat.

 

^^^^ Hey Ross, great riding. If you thought that was chunky, just wait untill Tunnel is open again. ^^^^

 

badass!

do you have any ride stats or a gps upload you could share?

Nice pics, looks like a killer day!

 

Sorry, when it comes to GPS and that kind of stuff, I'm still in the stone age. I usually don't ride with any type of computer. I think Tom the Bomb might be the only one that might have a GPS, but I doubt he used it.

I did find this on geoladders. It's pretty much the route we took.
http://www.gpsupload.com/show_route.php?route=25060

 

Yep, Tunnel is a little more difficult (fun) and a little longer. This would be the number one trail around here if it was here. A little short though.

 

cs

Total ride was 18.5
Like Rojomas said 7 up 3 across about 3.5 down and about 4 back.
We did leave a car at romero and 192 that we took up to Romero trl hd. to get my excursion.

The bomb squad left R.C about 6:15 to cold and cloudy skies, picked up Rossage and by the time we got to the Sheffield off ramp it was clear and beautiful. 71 degrees and perfect riding weather. We met Krankin Kiwi who was out there early to look into buying a hemi magnum . Too bad it wasn't what it was advertised. Just so happens he brought his bike . Anyone got one for sale he is ready to buy. Just as we are about to head up the hill I realized I forgot my bag of goodies. So off we go to vons for staples. Turns out Uplander needed goods too. Ok back to Romero and up we go. Nothing like jumping in the cold water without a wet suit this trail goes straight up with no warm up! After about 3 miles it mellows out a little and we begin to pick up speed , alot of speed. Turns out Rossage spotted a couple tailgaters trying to hitch a ride, guess Rossage was not obliging . I start hearing his knobby's scratching at the dirt and know he is puttin down the hammer. So off we go huffin and puffin ( at least I was anyway ) and after about 20 minutes and a stout little grunt we drop em . When we get to the top Ross and I are feeling pretty puffed out bragging how we dropped those guys and guess who pulls up about 15 minutes later? The guys we dropped, they pull off there helmets and turns out to be a couple of old geysers!! Well Ross and I sheepishly bow our heads and mount up before Roger and Oscar really give us the business :lol:.
Onward and upward to the s/t and fire road to cold spring. We get there and there must have been 10 cars and 15 people there ready to head down, so we jump in and get ahead so we don't have to pass.
This trail lures you right in . Starts out fast and flowing and then the rocks start creeping in, before you know it your into the chunk! We are now 3 hours into the ride half way through the best part of the ride grins and whoops ear to ear , knobby to knobby and I start to cramp up. Ya you guessed it my endurolites were in my bag of goodies I left at home! So now the begging starts . I mooch some from Ross along the way and nurse it though the rest of the ride . Not the best way to finish through the rocks but o well. I did get to see Rossage come bombing through the chunk and do a spectacular otb , go into a hand stand then roll right out of it and come to a stop right at my feet. Thought I was going to half to peel him off the rocks but he saved it gracefully. Nice move Ross. Oscar did a little bail out into the bushes but saved the camera that unfortunately didn't record. Wonder how that happened....
Wow, fun trail , not as chunky as Tunnel like the other posts say but just as fun. We dumped out on to the road and buzzed back to the car with no mechanicals no blood and high fives all around .
Another successful bomb squad ride. YAAAAAA.
Would be even better to do santa ynez and coldwater as a loop because cold water is only about 3.5 mi.
Nice pics Oxx.
Oh and thanks to Ross and Roger , these guys can talk about freaken anything and everything under the sun and make a 2 hr drive go by in 30 minutes. Was actually fun. I didn't think anyone could talk more than Roger. You guys can be my wingmen anytime.
Haaaah.

 

That's what happens when I'm full of adrenaline and coffee.
2 hours?? Try 4 hours we left Oxnard after eating around 3pm and got home around 7pm. That traffic comming home was a MFer. What was up with that??:?: My hats off to you for keeping your cool in that traffic. I would of lost it and put the truck into ramming speed.

 

Nice RR! 4 hour drive?? Sheezus...I live 45 minutes from there and still have not made it up CS way! wtf is my problem? (Don't answer that)
It's a crap shoot whether or not you get a clear view of the islands, nice luck there!

 

BADASSSS, looked like fun, thanks for the photos and writeup,sorry I missed out

 

Unfortunately, traffic on the way home from SB always blows!!!

 

Yeah, I agree but it was exceptionally bad this time though. If it wasn't a car getting a ticket, it was a stalled car, or road work, and there were plenty of accidents. The last accident was at Carnelian on the 210, we had to get off at Archibald the very next exit.#-o

 

Nice RR, absolutely beautiful! thanks!

 

Thanks for the RR!!! I love Cold Springs (but on a DH bike)!!!

 

I'm heading up there this weekend, and I've been there before, but only went up about 2 miles. I know a lot of ppl shuttle it, but if I want to just hike-abike it to the top, are there signs so I won't make a wrong turn? I know there is a shorter "loop" trail and other trails intersect--at least I think there are. So can anyone tell me the directions to the top from the lower trail head? Thanks!

 

Don't bother trying to ride or HAB up CS trail from the bottom.

Depending on how much time you have here are a few options.

For a long loop ride, climb romero canyon to the top (camino cielo) and come down CS.

For a shorter loop, climb hot springs trail to the edison fire road to the middle saddle of CS trail. Then come down CS always taking the left trail option.

The big loop is about 22 miles. The short loop is about 5-6 miles, both from the CS trailhead on mountain drive.

And as a PSA, these trails are steep and packed with hikers. Wear a bell if possible and watch out for others.

Good luck.
R

 

I decided to try Jesusita instead, since I've ridden most of the other sb trails.

 

Ive done CS and romero dozens of times, but not yet jesusita. Most seem to ride that as a loop and come down to the treatment plant from inspiration point. Good to know I am not missing much, and that the loop option is probably a better choice.
R

 

I made a little video shot there last Saturday. it's in the Pub.

 

ABout how far a hike is it to the top, if I start at the bottom trailhead? I'm going tomorrow and will be riding solo, so I can't shuttle, but even if I could, I'd still rather hike-a-bike it so at least I can survey what I'll be riding when I come back down. In order to get to the really chunky terrain, will I need to go any higher than Montecito peak? And is there only one way to the top, or is it easy to get lost? I've been there before a few times, but never gone all the way up, and usually only maybe a mile beyond the waterfall, then back.