Sam Merrill/Sunset/El Prieto

[Pain Freak]

Fun ride on the front range of the San Gabes. This is one of the easier rides and a lot of fun.
Meet at JPL at 8 am, then ride the couple miles over to Lake St to the Sam Merrill trailhead and get our climb on.We will continue up to Inspiration Point then head over and down Sunset Trail to the bottom. Then a very short climb to the El Prieto trailhead and have a blast finishing back at JPL!!! This is going to be an easy paced ride with as many regroups as we need. So if you're looking to get your feet wet in the San Gabes come on out.

 

[dstepper]

Mike would love to join ya but will be at the Keyesville Classic.

Dean

 

[Pain Freak]

Damn, I was hoping you'd be available.Oh well, Keyesville is a great ride.

 

[BrewMaster]

I really want to get to know the San Gabes, so I hope I will be available for this one. Thanks for posting it Mike.

 

[mottmcfly]

I did El Prieto Sunday and tonight. It's in really good shape.

 

[Dino Brown]

I did El Prieto Sunday and tonight. It's in really good shape.

Water crossings? Any erosion? Trail washouts?
Will do my best to make it Mr. Freak! [-o-]

 

[mottmcfly]

Water crossings? Any erosion? Trail washouts?
Will do my best to make it Mr. Freak! [-o-]

A few water crossings. Nothing more than 6 feet in distance. Some major erosion at one part but it looks more like mother nature taking care of business. Means one slight hike a bike and the walk around does no further damage. There might have been more but I was going way too fast to notice..or was that a dream?? Either way..rock on.
:bang:

 

[TooManyTacos]

I'm really slow. Is that okay? I've ridden El P four or five times, but walked probably 50% of it.

 

[mazer75]

I am going to try and make this for sure. I have done Sunset and El Prieto dozens of times now, but have never climbed up the Lower Merrill to get to Sunset first. I've done that paved access road climb up the other side, which isn't that fun.

 

[dstepper]

I'm really slow. Is that okay? I've ridden El P four or five times, but walked probably 50% of it.

Talk to Mike the ride leader, if you are walking 50% of El P you will be walking 80% of Middle Merrill...Middle Merrill is not to be fooled with. Plus it takes a very strong rider to climb Lower Merrill.

Couple of pics from the merrills.

Dean

 

[gooseaholic]

Sorry Saturdays I sleep late. Work makes sure of that.

 

[TooManyTacos]

Talk to Mike the ride leader, if you are walking 50% of El P you will be walking 80% of Middle Merrill...Middle Merrill is not to be fooled with. Plus it takes a very strong rider to climb Lower Merrill.

Couple of pics from the merrills.

Dean

Thanks Dean. I don't want to get into something that's more than I can handle.

 

[gooseaholic]

Thanks Dean. I don't want to get into something that's more than I can handle.

It is a hard ride and climb, fun however.

 

[Pain Freak]

Yeah, I'd pass if you're still working on El P, but keep at it and you'll be with us in no time. There are still quite a few coming that aren't signed up here also. I think the pace will be on the slower side as I have a no drop policy. We did a lot of trail work on this trail last weekend and it's in fair shape right now. We still have some lose areas that can only be fixed by rain, but the sight lines have been cleared and it's a lot of fun. We will have a lot of first timers this time, and I will advise them maybe to walk some of the gnar sections the first time around or to at least take a good look at them before they try them. Mid Merrill is not a place to make a mistake.

Looks like rain in supposed to happen in the PM, so we should have a good day with lower temps.

 

[gooseaholic]

Truer words have not been spoken!

 

[tkblazer]

do any of you guys going on the ride know the route? i wouldn't follow Mike if he was the only way into heaven

 

[kanga]

Just got back from El P tonight, and it is in good shape. The downed tree has been removed from the section where the low and high roads come together, meaning you can now climb out of the low road without problem. The high road, on the other hand, is still doable, but getting narrower at the eroded section, and the slide at the end of it is now really off camber... don't touch your brakes, just roll it with momentum.

The poison oak is growing in pretty well, and there are several places where it is growing out across the trail. I'm off to do a technu shower right now.... pics and full RR later.

 

[airgabe]

How about it backwards

I will keep Mike in sight to make sure there is no more extra credit......:?:

 

[ShinKen]

i may see u guys out there!!!:wave: I'm going to try starting earlier and climb to the top from Jpl

 

[stjunkie]

So you didn't get enough last weekend?
Try and keep both crank arms on the bike this time ( it's easier to pedal that way).