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Tenderfoot |
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Tenderfoot |
| Tenderfoot | |
Location: |
California - Bay Area |
Nearest Town: |
Mill Valley |
Directions to Trailhead: |
ask Start to finish bike shop down town. ask a local how to get downtown. i'm lazy.(if you suck, keep off) |
Trail Description: |
single track, gets gnarly at parts, winding, roots, rocks, cliffs |
Trail Length: |
3 miles |
Trail Type: |
Singletrack |
Skill Level: |
Intermediate |
Submitted By: |
kevlar |
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Trail Ridden: Once a year |
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Recommended Route: start in mill valley (or better yet, ride in from the city) and try to remember your way through those little narrow assed roads.
Other recommended trails in the same area: |
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green, green tenderfoot, with the trees and roots and rocks. tenderfoot early in the morning, tacky in places but slippery as a dickens in other places from the overnight rain. tenderfoot, the only reasonably narrow, technical-by-definition trail on tam legally open to mountain bikes--without a pass. tenderfoot trail was one of my nemisis trails when i started riding sometime around 1990-1991. i just could'nt ever clear those damned roots at the top going either direction back then and probably still can't now. the lower two-thirds were good for me, especially the exposed sandstone section--this is where i learned to ride through relatively rough stuff at higher speeds. i remember riding this trail many times on a fully rigid bike, complete with a loose headset. reading and writing about this trail makes me kind of want to go back and try it again. my crew has'nt ridden tenderfoot in more than a year, although we used to ride on tam at least once a month. there it is--as all of our skills have progressed and we've become more addicted to this sport, all of us have discovered new and arguably more challenging places to ride. sometimes i like to dis on tenderfoot and tam in general. the area is full of poseuers, on bikes and wearing hiking boots and most of the time, the area is crowded beyond comfort. that's why i'm giving this trail sort of a low rating, due to my dimming memories of the "scene" here. somehow, when i'm riding on or near mt tamalpais, i get the feeling that most people disapprove of my being there--and that i'm not "cool" enough. on the other hand, if you're lucky, you'll ride this area on a quiet day--there will be just a few other bikes and the hateful hikers will all be on the singletrack trails that are closed to mountain bikes, where they belong. when the mountain biking gods smile on you that day, let 'er rip, because the tenderfoot is still one of the bay area's classics--even though i have'nt ridden it in so long my memories of this trail are dim. i guess i should talk the boys into coming up here again. riding the tenderfoot on a new suspension bike sure will be a lot different than dealing with a loose headset on a rigid fork going through those rocks. |
Overall Rating:
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Trail Ridden: Every few months |
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Recommended Route: The paved road leading to bottom of TF is beautiful...
Other recommended trails in the same area: |
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Overall Rating:
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Trail Ridden: Please Select |
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Recommended Route: Keep to the PATHWAY, I didn't and got a little lost in the undergrowth (perhaps the best way to see Mill Valley etc. from a distance). The pathways get a little thin in places and even split up in more than one direction. Have some sort of local route map with you.
Other recommended trails in the same area: |
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Overall Rating:
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Trail Ridden: Once a week |
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Recommended Route: The directions other people posted are pretty good.
Other recommended trails in the same area: |
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Overall Rating:
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Trail Ridden: Once a month |
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Recommended Route: OK! Good post below, but your missing the best part. Follow the trail like the post below says, and when you get to the top, go to the right and follow the road up. It ends at a parking lot next to the Mt. Tam Mountain Lodge or whatever it is called (great food). From there, follow the major road about 200 feet and take the first right, its a fireroad with no signs or anything. Follow it for about 300 feet and there is an unmarked trailhead on your right that disapears into the woods. This is ZigZag. Sorry all you stuckup locals, but the amount of people who will read this and actually go, is little to none. Anyways, its a rockin technical trail. Starts out of some drop stairs, and the whole way down includes some cool drops, technical twisty root sections, deep ruts, VERY steep sections, and it is probably advanced. Nice on a DH bike but DO NOT SKID YOUR TIRES! It is illegal I think, although it is unmarked, etc etc. $270 fine. Take tenderfoot up, its a short walk on your DH bike. Read below for a revised directions to ZigZag. Ends up right above the start of Tenderfoot. A good DH training trail.
Other recommended trails in the same area: |
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Overall Rating:
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Trail Ridden: Every few months |
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Recommended Route: Okay, this guy Kevlar is a major punk. Dude, don't ever bother posting any assistance on these pages if your help is gonna be, 'uh, i'm too cool and lazy to tell you all about it, but i'll tell i had a great time, the trail is epic and i hope you never find it cuz i enjoy it and noone else should, but uh, I should at least tell you how awesome it is, uh, by the way don't ever come up here'. This kind of BS is just ridiculous. I'm gonna tell you exactly how to get there. Here goes: Take 101 North and get off at E. Blithedale. Follow it all the way down to downtown Mill Valley. Don't make any lefts or rights, Blithedale will lead you there. When you see the Start to Finish Bike Shop on the right, you'll know you're close. Okay, drive past the bike shop on the same road, again no lefts or rights, til you hit Throckmorton Rd. Throckmorton is what blithedale eventaully turns into. you'll know you're in the right direction if you see the Mill Valley Public library on the left and you pass a city circle 4 way intersection. Follow this road religiously and it will merge with Cascade Rd. Take Cascade for about 500 feet and you will see a house on the left. There's a big sign that says 'Tenderfoot Trail' right next to the house. It appears as though you can park you car right next to the trail, but from what I could see there was only enough space for around 5 cars. Take the trail past the house quietly. When you pass the house, follow the trail right and you will be on the right track. That's it! Now everyone will know how to get here Kevlar. Your comments have just become Meaningless!
Other recommended trails in the same area: |
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Overall Rating:
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Trail Ridden: Every few months |
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Recommended Route: Start at Old Railroad trailhead, up to east peak of Tam, down Eldridge Grade, across Hoo Koo E Koo, down Old Stage Road, past the Mountain Home Inn, then on to Tenderfoot Trail.
Other recommended trails in the same area: |
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Overall Rating:
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Trail Ridden: Once a year |
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Recommended Route: Park downtown in Mill Valley. Climb railroad up to Gravity Car, and head towards Mountain Home. Make a left onto the road (or take the singletrack to the right just before you get off the fireroad if you need to test your trials skills on zigzag- quite seriously, do not overestimate your technical skills, or you will maim yourself on this trail), and follow the road to the end. Tenderfoot starts off to the left. Alternatively, park on cascade somewhere, ride up Tenderfoot and down Zigzag. Shorter, but considerably more intense.
Other recommended trails in the same area: |
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Overall Rating:
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Trail Ridden: Once a week |
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Recommended Route: take every switchback possible,or youll go off in some sucky hiker trail.
Other recommended trails in the same area: |
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