SART Lately?

Has anyone ridden SART/Post Office loop lately? I read Trailin'Trev's RR in April and he found downed trees and HAB. Hopefully, the trail is in more rideable conditions now....

 

Per a Geoladders posting:




Erik MM
05/23/11 12:43 AM * @ JR Munoz: did this http://www.geoladders.com/show_route.php?route=28811 downed trees: about 7 trees to first dirt road section from the post office, about 8 more to first paved road crossing, and about 3 more to turn around point after crossing the road...lots of water to cross as streams are flowing. There were two really muddy sections, but overall a great day today.

 

Pretty much the same way as when we rode it a week and a half ago. Trail is generally in good condition, but definitely downed trees and the creeks are flowing. By and large there are ways to hike through them. I don't know that the trees will be gone any time soon!

 

How about the bugs?

 

I rode it two weeks ago and it is in great shape. A few more downed trees but no reason no to ride it. Bugs were noticeable but not bad and they dont bite.

 

Just don't stop.

 

if they still bother you without stopping you have two options...

1) ride faster
2) get a bug net

 

we call them "5 Miles an Hour" flies. The key is to ride faster than the bugs can keep up, or the speed of the wind rushing past your face keeps them from hanging on!

 

Lower SART

not sure what the Post Office Loop is, but we rode from the Post Office to Yucaipa last Friday and the trail was OK, it had 3 downed trees and the bugs were not bad at all, it wasn't breezy either, this was around 6 PM. Parts of the trail were massively overgrown, so be prepared for some collisions with bushes just to keep from falling off the side.:lol: I also think I fractured my pinky knuckle with a head on prick from one of the Yuccas that seem to hangout at the inside of turns, ouch! We had fun, and it was cool to end up at your house at the end of a ride like this, but I don't recommend this section, and don't think about taking a beginner up through there, sooo many medium sized loose rocks to throw you off into the abyss. I made a few videos of the better sections, apologize for the bounciness, but it does relay the nature of the trail. One of the videos is pure crap until 0:44 where my camelbak hose decides to behave.

[video=youtube;IoUNNhnwbu4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoUNNhnwbu4[/video]

[video=youtube;oZMEoa00rm0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZMEoa00rm0[/video]

 

Awesome videos! We did this section of SART yesterday, climbed up Old Hwy 38 from Loch Leven to Angelus Oaks and then the fireroad behind the Post Office and lower SART to Thomas Hunting Grounds to Morton Peak and down the fireroad to State Hwy 38. The singletrack is looking pretty primitive in some spots and the plants need some trimming...my arms have bruises from all the plants smacking into them! We only came across one downed tree and one that looked like someone had recently been up there with a chainsaw and cleared it. The bugs weren't bad and we were amazed at all the flowers still in bloom along the trail!

And, I agree, SART is no place to take a beginner rider....none of it!

 

^^

Thanks for a great choice of trails this weekend! Yesterday was a perfect day to be in the mountains: waterfalls, spring flowers, and big views.

It's definitely prime time for SART. As for trail conditions, they were challenging, but not terrible. They just need more people riding it...Also, the bonus singletrack before the fireroad drop to Morton Peak is especially overgrown with ceanothus bushes and has a few small downed trees.

 

So Genny or Doug, from the post office up to South Fork is pretty clear of trees except for 1? I may go up Thurs morning. Thanks for the updates.

 

We didn't do the traditional Post Office Loop up to Glass Road or South Fork. We did the lower SART trail to Thomas Hunting Grounds/Morton Peak...the start to that section of SART is just a little past the turn off for the Post Office Loop, its very faint but you can see the trail as it follows the contour of the hillside. If you did the Hellride last fall, you will know where the start of that section is.

 

Gene, hit Neil, Craig or 1FG up as they all rode it Sat. Loch Leven up, did the Post Office loop then all the way up to South Fork and back down to Loch Leven. I know they ran into several downed trees but I have no idea where as I was the sag wagon.

 

In just the part I rode there was probably at least 6 or 7 trees down and like 3 stream you had to get off bike to cross.

 

The only downed trees were between Glass Rd and South Fork Campground. I believe there were 7 that required a dismount. The trail is in otherwise great shape. Some of the stream crossings were running a little deep but I managed to keep my feet dry.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies. I was thinking off doing either the same route or just the PO loop/South Fork. Don't feel like crawling over and around trees, but I may just try.

 

Good to know! I think we may do something similar to yesterday's ride and skip the tree dismounts: we were thinking of the same route as Neil and Co, but maybe just doing the P.O. loop going out to Glass Road and back.

 

A quick report of conditions for P.O loop.

Four downed trees, one I cut and removed with folding saw. Three remaining, although a second could be cut in thirty minutes if two people alternated. Maxwell.....
All easy enough to get over, big trunks minimal branches. Awesome,spectacular time!

Middle Control to Glass Rd.
Just one big Bertha to crawl over, no biggie.

Glass to South Fork
A big one down but not hard to get over. Also, a low hanger caught in boughs that haflings will ride under unimpeded.
Beware of some areas containg ice! Towards the eastern end where the exposure and protruding roots are could be bad for the less cautious.
It was extremely quiet out this way in an ominous way, kinda ....felt.... I was being watched. A good bit of VERY fresh bear pooh at times.

All water crossings are good, although the log bridge was near water level.

What a delight to experience this trail in January! Ya-Ba-Daba-Doooooo


Steve

 

Thanks for the trail work. I benefitted from it Sunday. There was some ice, but overall not bad. I was being stupid on the dirt road climb to the beginning of the P.O. single track and crashed pretty hard on some ice, but it was a good trip.