Awesome news! JamR also sent me an email about this. I'll update the front page once I get home. \:/ \:/
Aliso in GREAT shape Sorry for the lack of originality, but this post is nearly the same as the one on mybikesite.com... Aliso is in great shape, for the most part. I took some pics of the washed out part of Mathis that I will try to figure out how and where to post them on this website. My route was fairly clean. Ranger Office --> up Mathis (around the detour, of course) --> Top of the World --> down Mathis --> Dripping Springs --> Coyote Run --> Ranger Office. The only really "bad" section of trail I encountered was on Dripping Spring, a little wet and muddy so take caution, but otherwise firm. A big THANKS to the Park crews and Rangers that clearly have been working to re-open Aliso!!!! \:/ There were plenty of riders and hikers out there, so ride friendly! As a side note--and at risk of sounding extremly "preachy" but I had such a damn good ride that I'll risk it anyway: I am new to the area--originally from TX--and I will only be here for a few more months. I just have to say that THE OC has been truly the mountain biking fantasy I hoped it would be! Where I'm coming from (east-central TX), we have 2 "local" places to ride within ~1 hour drive for a total of about 20 miles of trails. Don't get me wrong, they are good rides, but you get really tired of the same 2 trails. In my hometown (south TX) NO places to ride (that I am aware of) because all the land is privately-owned and used mainly as hunting leases. 8-[ So please appreciate what you have here! Just off the top of my head I can think of over a dozen SWEET places to ride with thousands of acres of varied terrain within ~30 minutes of South OC! And if you consider all the SoCal area, it's mind-blowing! =P~ Love it, appreciate it, nurture it, don't litter, don't take it for granted, and enjoy it! \/ Alright, I'll get off my soap box now....
Damn, that is crazy!!! I heard the rode was "gone", but I never thought it would really be GONE! I look forward to getting out there on Monday 8-[
Rode here this morning. The trail's are in pretty good condition with a few muddy areas on Dripping Cave, but other than the odd rut it was fine. I've never seen so many people on these trails before. Personally, I think the rougher conditions make the riding more enjoyable and technical. Here's the route that we tooK: Ranger station - Dripping Cave - up Mathis - down Lynx - up Cholla - down Rockit - Coyote Run single track and then back home.
Another Picture of the Trail Damage @ Aliso Wood Canyon Hey Guys, I rode aliso today (Saturday Jan, 22nd) it was in pretty good shape. I attached 2 more pictures of the trail damage on the road to mathis. It's amazing that the whole trail leading to Mathis is pretty much gone. -Ralph
Apology I received a letter asking me not to "post anywhere that you ride trails during closures". I appreciate this individual’s tact and discretion in dealing with this matter and will respond in kind. Receiving this letter made me realize that I may have mislead (and angered) more than this one individual. I truly hope this is not the case. I was not riding around AW while it was closed. After discovering on this website that AW was opened, I did call ahead to the Ranger’s Office to confirm this and heard the message indicating all trails were opened. I haven’t received a reply to my request for clarification from this individual, but if s/he meant that I was riding around in certain trails--and encouraging others to do the same--despite closures, I must apologize. It is very clear from the pictures I took that this section of Mathis is closed. That was the point of posting the pictures. I was merely trying to contribute to the great SoCal MTB community that I admire by providing images that I myself have been desperately waiting weeks to see. I apologize for causing any damage to our already fragile reputation as MTBers. Obviously any damage is already done as my original letter and pictures are now floating around in cyber-space, but please accept my apology for any misunderstanding on this matter. If the admins and/or the website community feel it would be better to delete this thread and all the contained information, I encourage you to do so. Again, I apologize for serving as “the bad seed” that risks ruining it for everyone. That certainly was NOT my intention. I make it a point to adhere to posted signage and to treat the places we love to ride with respect and I expect others to do the same. Thank you
i see.. I think it was pretty clear that you were riding when the trail was open and only a portion of the trail was closed. If someone misinterpreted or overreacted, I don't think thats any fault of yours.