Any Lucas Valley-Big Rock-Loma Alta riders out there?

I don't know that side of Loma Alta all that well but I'd be game to ride up there. I work in Larkspur and ride China Camp, West Marin and Tam after work all the time. I've heard there's some good stuff up there but don't know what's what.

Bike is in the shop pre downieville this week but one evening next week I'd be game if 6:30ish isn't too late.

Did bike and bean move from next to 7-11?

Bike n Bean is right next to Dandy Market, near A&W and Mickey D's now. If you haven't been up and then down Loma Alta, you're in for quite a treat.

Sent you a PM with my email.

I've been wanting to ride those trails for a while now just haven't known anything about them (I head George Lucas donated like 21 square miles to open space or something like that so he could build?). I've been hitting up Tamaracho/Loma Alta and China Camp weekly as of late.

Sounds like I'm about at your speed too so I'd be down to ride any time I can. PM me next time you want to hit the area up.

As for pushing

Haus Boss said:

It'd be nice to find some riders in the area around my skill level instead of dragging along friends who manage to spend more time walking up the hill than biking up them~

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Don't take them up Queenstone then... ....

Saturday we rode up Pebble Beach->Big Rock Ridge->Towers->Geo Lucas Trail->up Loma Alta->then down some trail to horse stables?? Name escapes me..:skep: ..->up Sleepy Hollow/TL ridge->dropped to LV rd->Marinwood->up Queenstone :eekster: ->BR ridge->zip'n down the s/t skirting the f/rd->then down, poping out near Loma Verde school. Awesome.

**Disclaimer Edit** It was kinda hot during this ride.......

JMac: I just ride from Big Rock up to the Towers and back....or sometimes along the nasty fireroad that runs along the ridge. I wanted to take the trail that runs back towards Lucas Ranch but the green cattle gate just next to the Towers is always locked. How do you know the names of the trails? Are they marked with signposts? Is there a map of the route you took?

Ride there often

Haus Boss said:

Any local riders in the area? Looking for group rides or other people to ride with around here. Unfortunately, my current schedule has kept me from the weekly Wednesday rides led by the folks at Bike-n-Bean. I ride at an average/moderate pace and like tackling some of the lesser known gems in the area. It'd be nice to find some riders in the area around my skill level instead of dragging along friends who manage to spend more time walking up the hill than biking up them~

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Hey Haus,
A friend of mine and I ride the Big Rock area often. We're old guys- 50+ - but we manage to keep moving at a respectable pace. Drop me a PM if you'd like to join up some time.
~Appendage

Maybe we should get a gang of MTBRers together for a mildly paced ride. Seems like a lot of you at least occasionally ride in the area. If we pair Loma Alta w/ Big Rock, we can get a couple of nice S/T descents in.


And good 'ol queenstone- last time I was goin' down her (hadn't ridden queenstone in over a year) I was screaming around a corner and only to realize there was a giant washout coming at me fast- I ended up going Ricky Henderson head first down the fire road.

JMac left out the fact that it was hot on Saturday. Some of us bailed on the final up Queenstone in order to avoid cramping up and get a head start on recovery drinks

Haus - I'm on the other side of the ridge in Loma Verde, gone for the next couple weeks but typically up there somewhere on a regular basis.

Not sure which gate that is

omanwurmi said:

JMac: I just ride from Big Rock up to the Towers and back....or sometimes along the nasty fireroad that runs along the ridge. I wanted to take the trail that runs back towards Lucas Ranch but the green cattle gate just next to the Towers is always locked. How do you know the names of the trails? Are they marked with signposts? Is there a map of the route you took?

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If its the one off to the right at that lower tower enclosure going back down, then yes i think thats blocked going into his property. The sign posts to follow are for the Bay Area Ridge trail system. Heading east (towards the bay) on the ridge you would end up just accross from burger king @ hwy 101.

JMAC, you seem to know the area pretty well. Have you ever ridden down the trail that's East of Luiz fire rode. It descends from the very top of the ridge before Big Rock Ridge Rd turns into Queenstone Fire Road- I believe it comes out at a horse stable/equestrian onto Rubicon Drive. I've hiked up the bottom portion to the little waterfall and I've looked at it on Google Maps- wondering if it's rideable....???

Goat Trail

Haus Boss said:

JMAC, you seem to know the area pretty well. Have you ever ridden down the trail that's East of Luiz fire rode. It descends from the very top of the ridge before Big Rock Ridge Rd turns into Queenstone Fire Road- I believe it comes out at a horse stable/equestrian onto Rubicon Drive. I've hiked up the bottom portion to the little waterfall and I've looked at it on Google Maps- wondering if it's rideable....???

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http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=118822

"Goat Trail" eh? I rode up Queenstone today and almost headed for Goat Trail, but took the singletrack that runs adjacent to Ponte Fire Road instead.

Is goat trail in decent condition? Looks like I'd be using a lotta brakes, is it at least fun on the technical factor?

do it!!

Haus Boss said:

"Goat Trail" eh? I rode up Queenstone today and almost headed for Goat Trail, but took the singletrack that runs adjacent to Ponte Fire Road instead.

Is goat trail in decent condition? Looks like I'd be using a lotta brakes, is it at least fun on the technical factor?

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I would like to hear an opinion on Goat Trail. Nobody I ride with wants to take the plunge Perhaps I would check it out if it was local to me.
Here's an excerpt from another thread:
"I wanted the group to vote on the route down, either Goat Trail, or the singletrack we came up, but before I could do that, one rider said, "what is the point of climbing all the way up here and not do Goat!", and took off in that direction. Actually, I don't find Goat to be especially fun. It is steep and loose, and you just have to brake hard the entire way, while the Big Rock singletrack is a super fast, ripping downhill whahooo, that many consider one of the most fun downhills in the area. "
Down Big Rock last visit . :thumbsup:

Not familiar with that one

Haus Boss said:

Have you ever ridden down the trail that's East of Luiz fire rode. It descends from the very top of the ridge before Big Rock Ridge Rd turns into Queenstone Fire Road- I believe it comes out at a horse stable/equestrian onto Rubicon Drive. wondering if it's rideable....???

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Sorry. Guess I'm not the trail steward I appear to be.

Agreed- Goat Trail is a rotor-warper

fogman said:

I would like to hear an opinion on Goat Trail. Nobody I ride with wants to take the plunge Perhaps I would check it out if it was local to me.
Here's an excerpt from another thread:
"I wanted the group to vote on the route down, either Goat Trail, or the singletrack we came up, but before I could do that, one rider said, "what is the point of climbing all the way up here and not do Goat!", and took off in that direction. Actually, I don't find Goat to be especially fun. It is steep and loose, and you just have to brake hard the entire way, while the Big Rock singletrack is a super fast, ripping downhill whahooo, that many consider one of the most fun downhills in the area. "
Down Big Rock last visit . :thumbsup:

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Agreed, "Goat Trail" is not all that fun to ride down. (We call it Rubicon Trail, because it ends at Rubicon Ct, if we're talking about the same thing). You really gotta ride the brakes hard the whole way. I've tried riding UP it a few times, but I've never made it without stopping to rest a few times. One time I saw a guy and girl riding down it. They told me the both can get up it without stopping, which of course was humbling as heck.