I was invited to try a new trail. Still kinda in my coming back stage i was hesitant but i was told it was a short 8 mile ride. SOLD. SO i set up an invite to a few peeps on Facebook to see who could join me. Tim ended up joining me and a few other friends in this new trail for me. Before the ride, i have been having problems with my fork being too harsh on my rides...so i experimented with PSI and went WAY low...it did the trick! Relating my RC knowledge to MTB...it seems the high PSI was like a SUPER STIFF Spring. I fixed it and had a GREAT RIDE because of it. Parking was scarce as you can see. I actually had to park down the street. While waiting for a straggler, we opted to try the 1st "Short Loop" which was surprisingly pleasant. I have forgotten how easy it was to burn out in my granny gear...too low a gear, too fast. Was pretty winded after only a 10 minute climb. The first drop off was a little steep and loose at the beginning, but then evolved to a nice flowy single track. I was cautious at first...its been over a year since i actually had to ride anything technical..so it was a very welcomed and humbling experience. Here was the end of that little run back to the trail head. It kinda reminded me of a mix of Turnbull, Santiago Oaks, and El Morrow all in one trail. Finally, the straggler arrives...then decides to VAPe... Here we are getting ready for another climb...about 3 miles up. WE are almost at the top...but man...the winds were getting a little knarly. Like 20+ mph. The climb reminded me of Turnbull...just kept on going and going although i could see the top at a distance. My Rumblefish as i make it to the top. WOoohooo! Its funny...i grew up in that area..and NEVER KNEW there were trails like that back then. Now, because of MTBing, i have a reason to visit all sorts of places with awesome trails. That's my buddy's 15 year old Nephew on the left, My buddy Jeff in the middle and Eugene on the right. ANd the STraggler RON by himself. That is me and Tim at the end of the ride. I had a REALLY good time, although my ride was a total of 4 miles...hahha. The climbing didnt kill me like i thought it was...and at the top of some of the switchbacks, i actually monstered through them like a boss when the rest walked it. I felt pretty damn proud of myself. Going downhill, was loose but rideable. The mini rock gardens were ridden over with my 29er wheels...the great part was the nervousness i had at an unfamiliar trail...especially when there was exposure on one side, gusts of wind, and not completely trusting the grip of my tires. Even some body english i had to RE-LEARN going down the switchbacks was so cool to re-experience...i was smiles all day. Tim can attest to that. I have forgotten why i rode so much back then...and man...its like being reborn. SO KILLER! I could have gone another loop, but with the bad winds started affecting my allergies so i had to cut it short. I will be back for sure..,.with more people too! I can't wait to go back!
Nice ride report! To make the ride bigger, I recommend starting from the Glendale Sports Complex and utilizing the Catalina Verdugo Trail & Ridge Mtwy. You can easily cobble together over 12 miles with 2,200+ feet of elevation gain out there. There are many route options, but here's an example of a ride I did back in September: http://app.strava.com/activities/190822363