Ride Report Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

[Obsidian]

I got out for a mid-week Laguna ride this morning. Super low on other people, which is always nice.

Parked at Ridge Park, and flowed right into the very open for 10 years now Lizards . Decent run down. I had to bunny hop a gopher snake stretched across the trail ... which is now the third straight ride at Laguna where I had to bunny hop a snake. The other two were rattlers, so not as much adrenaline on this one.

Up and over to Ol' Emerald for the downhill ... and dropped the chain about halfway. Ugh. Second ride in a row where I have dropped the chain, so time to replace it. After fixing that, I had a fun blast down Emerald Canyon to the end.

Back up and decided to climb BVD, which is not terrible after the hike a bike parts anyway. After that effort, had to ride it back down. Good fun dodging cacti.

Climbed back up the Emerald Canyon fire road and then finished up with Missing Link/Fenceline.

Good ride and perfect weather.





I don't think I ever realized how chunky and steep some parts of BVD are until I go up it ... does not seem either chunky or steep going down.


Please don't ruin it! LOL.

 

[merc13000]

Interesting odds at having to keep bunny hopping snakes - I've seen few Gopher Snakes recently at Aliso Woods and at Whiting...gorgeous creatures. The rattlers I could do without seeing though. And my bunny hops are bad to non-existant so I wouldn't want to get caught last second on those.

 

[Obsidian]

Interesting odds at having to keep bunny hopping snakes - I've seen few Gopher Snakes recently at Aliso Woods and at Whiting...gorgeous creatures. The rattlers I could do without seeing though. And my bunny hops are bad to non-existant so I wouldn't want to get caught last second on those.

Yeah, it's odd. I think I am up to three straight rides on Emerald Canyon to the gate where I have seen snakes. Bunny hopped two and the last one I rode by it's head since I had a bit of space. I also had to bunny hop a rattlesnake on Lizards recently. They like to stretch all the way across the trail.

Some years I see hardly any snakes, but this year I have been seeing a ton of them. Mostly gopher snakes so far ... except for Laguna. I ride flats too, so at least I have one useful mountain bike skill.

 

[Obsidian]

Another Laguna/Crystal Cove ride on Wednesday. Nothing too exciting, but the trail work on Ol' Emerald is pretty good, so that was good to see. The bottom part after the switchback is actually flowy now.

Riding this place during the week is infinitely better than the weekends ... nice and empty. I could not be paid to ride it on a weekend.

Missing Link/Fence Line, Lizards, Ol' Emerald, and Emerald Canyon to the fence for the fun stuff. Set a PR on the first half of Lizards before the hike a bike, so that was nice. The fast way on that trail is clearly hitting the jump on the downhill part and rolling the rock in the middle.



Same picture I have taken 1,000,000 times. Probably not as much as the Luge or Oaks flag, but close.