Santa Ana's trail conditions(BS, Harding/MS/HJ/Trabuco/WHT, etc..,) >Updated 01-18-15

sounds ominous.... next free day, WHT...

 

Agree with Jay, should be accomplished once, then decide if you ever wanna do it again.

WHT would be less tiring ("easier") plan it with cool weather.

steve

 

The smart people only do once.

 

how much worse can it be then Holy Jim? I will find out. Suffer fests are good once in a while...

 

What is Harding Truck Trail like after a rain?

...I'm antsy to ride someplace that isn't goo.

 

Harding does OK in the wet....but it does get pretty spongy in a lot of places....and there will be places that are just muddy.

 

Thanks for the info. Is the VQ course change as previously reported (eg B* to the Peak via MD)? I wasn't aware that the MD was closed between Eagle and Bedford before you mentioned it. It's going to make training for the unpleasant stretch between MW and 4 corners kinda tough...although I guess i could just find any endless, steep, loose fireroad climb and practice pushing my bike up it...

 

As far as I know.

 

For those planning on riding Holy Jim or Trabuco trails. Just received word that HJ and Trabuco has many downed trees and impassible in many spots. I'll update this thread once we know more after the assessment done today.

 

A few of us went up Harding earlier today in the late morning and turned around, it was icy after about 4 miles. Another group did it later and successfully descended Holy Jim.

 

I only endured a few hundred yards on Trabuco this morning. Looks like a hurricane blew through, lotsa work.

However, it was a winter wonder land, AMAZING.?

 

Ned, our trail director for the Warrior's Society went up today and cut some small stuff below the Falls and will have another crew going up tomorrow to cut the heavy stuff blocking the trail on HJ..., not sure when or if they'll get to Trabuco.

 

Thank you. Also, thank you so much for those clearing trail. Be safe!

steve

 

A crew went up yesterday and cleared Trabuco past the West Horsethief split, and up to the shale section. Not sure what it's like past that.

 

Thanks for info, much appreciated. That's a quick response to the work needed. Thank you for all the strenuous trail work folks, there was quite a bit.

steve

 

There's another crew going up next Sat to do the section from the gate to the WHT Split.

 

First, want to thank the warrior society and others that worked on clearing Holy Jim. Could see allot of work done and some big stuff removed from the trail.

From ride today, and as an FYI for anyone planning to ride Holy Jim, there are still three substantial trees/canopies down on the trail between the trail head and the last creek crossing, and one more just after the creek crossing. The walk arounds are pretty easy but do require dismount. They are not something that's going to be an easy job to move since the tree canopies are on the trail. If anyone is planning on working on it some more let me know and I'll try to help out.

After the last tree down, Holy Jim is in excellent condition to main divide. Maybe a few branches encroaching that try to grab your bars. Upper Holy Jim, well, I hadn't ridden it in over a year and it's a different trail since then. Very chunky in spots, large random rocks rolled into the middle of the trail, big ruts (and signs of motos being on it recently). Main divide from HJ to UHJ is about as usual, loose gravely stuff in spots, overall not bad. A few spots of snow/ice left on shady spots but you can go around if you're not into that kind of thing.

 

how far is the HJ falls from the trail head? is that part accessible by bike? thanks

 

From the trailhead, next to the cabin (after the intersection w/ Trabuco), it is a fairly short ride to the fork. Left fork is continuation of Lower Holy Jim trail. Right fork is to the falls. You can ride it but it is mostly a hiking trail. Trail ends at the falls, come back same way. I would recommend you not ride the falls turnoff section. Just hide your bike behind a tree and walk to the falls.. Its all fairly short, total probably less than 1/2 mile... can back track and then continue up on Holy Jim trail to main divide..

 

I am new to the santa anas besides San Juan, old camp/luge rides and want to start riding others trails in a group. Anyone have any group rides I could tag along on?