Johnny Dirt, Fat Possum and Jamisedout arrive at my place Saturday morning. Pack up my truck with bikes, gear and beers and start heading to the hill. Upon arrival we hook up with Ghixon on north side of lake who with J-dirt acts as local guide.
Start rolling from parking lot to trail head where Greg takes an early lead up first hill (and most of ride), followed by Danny, me and team Sulecki. All climbing for first few miles followed by fun fast fireroad down. About 7 miles into the ride the real "fun" starts with a nasty loose and chunky steep, mostly double track climb towards del mar(?) peak. Most of climb was "doable" but most def stalled out in a few places and I think we all walked the last 100 feet of hill as well as all slid into a f’n huge rut like sun like gravitational pull.
Once at the top we soon discover the down is much steeper that what we came up. After rolling up to it and seeing how loose and rocky it is with huge ruts I reflect on my recent spine surgery, swallow my pride I elect to walk it telling the others to give me some time and I take pics of them coming down. Turns out everyone else walks it as well except Greg who is the only one to ride it and the only one riding a HT (nice job Greg) I think he dabbed a few places but rocked it all the same.
Turns out that steep was pretty short and after we all regroup we start rolling again and now tearing up some fun, loose rock garden stuff
followed by a fireroad down and merely hitting some cool sites and taking some pics along the way through the valley. Ride back to trucks was same initial fireroad climb in so was a fun way to end a ride with fast decent.
Overall I think ride was ~20 miles with ~3,100 accent
Back at trucks we say goodbye to Greg and head back to cabin to tear into beers and mass quantities of carne asade. Sar Boats arrives after dark to join in on the in- cabin carnage (and day 2 riding) and once everyone is appropriately liquefied I believe it was lights out.
I’ll let others (mostly) speak to day 2 ride. although it was way cold and windy and not without event as Chris left his camelback back at the cabin and before rolling J bashed his rear derailler IN PARKING LOT and had to apply some TLC to get drivetrain from skipping
Pic descriptions
Start rolling from parking lot to trail head where Greg takes an early lead up first hill (and most of ride), followed by Danny, me and team Sulecki. All climbing for first few miles followed by fun fast fireroad down. About 7 miles into the ride the real "fun" starts with a nasty loose and chunky steep, mostly double track climb towards del mar(?) peak. Most of climb was "doable" but most def stalled out in a few places and I think we all walked the last 100 feet of hill as well as all slid into a f’n huge rut like sun like gravitational pull.
Once at the top we soon discover the down is much steeper that what we came up. After rolling up to it and seeing how loose and rocky it is with huge ruts I reflect on my recent spine surgery, swallow my pride I elect to walk it telling the others to give me some time and I take pics of them coming down. Turns out everyone else walks it as well except Greg who is the only one to ride it and the only one riding a HT (nice job Greg) I think he dabbed a few places but rocked it all the same.
Turns out that steep was pretty short and after we all regroup we start rolling again and now tearing up some fun, loose rock garden stuff
followed by a fireroad down and merely hitting some cool sites and taking some pics along the way through the valley. Ride back to trucks was same initial fireroad climb in so was a fun way to end a ride with fast decent.Overall I think ride was ~20 miles with ~3,100 accent
Back at trucks we say goodbye to Greg and head back to cabin to tear into beers and mass quantities of carne asade. Sar Boats arrives after dark to join in on the in- cabin carnage (and day 2 riding) and once everyone is appropriately liquefied I believe it was lights out.
I’ll let others (mostly) speak to day 2 ride. although it was way cold and windy and not without event as Chris left his camelback back at the cabin and before rolling J bashed his rear derailler IN PARKING LOT and had to apply some TLC to get drivetrain from skipping
Pic descriptions
- Knuckleheads and gear ready- set-drive
- J and D bring up the rear (hehe, i said rear)
- which way do we go
- View of lake
- snack time
- young buck Dillin say climbing sux, where da jumps fellas
- johnny (billy goattee) puts on a lesson on how to push a rig
- Greg
- Dillin
- Danny
- johnny
- Some dude named Wilbur's grave. i guess he like pine cones
- just d!cking around before final decent
- Spider man OR nacho libre!!!
- what kind of beer do you drink in big bear
- Super Danny says Mario is a biatch
- mad dust storm during ride home.
- gps
- elevation
It didn't get us to the top of Delamar Mtn but pretty close. After that it was down to Holcomb Valley and over to Bellville for a bit of California Natural History for Fat Possum's science class. After a bit of rest we headed back to Holcomb Valley Rd to Polique Cyn and back to Cougar Crest Trailhead.
