Hi all-
I wanted to thank folks here once more for their help planning our recent successful vacation. I've posted links to
.gpx files, maps, aerial photos and geocoded photos on my blog.
Briefly, here are the highlights:
Aliso Viejo - I didn't post this one, because we ran it so fast that we didn't any get photos, but if anyone wants the .gpx file, just email me at rich at make your own maps dot com. I will say this though…Rockit was a blast! Riding from our friends' house, it was 17.5 total miles and 1213 feet of elevation gain.
Anza Borrego - What a slog across the desert! I was doubting the wisdom of this one from the very beginning, when it turned out we couldn't take the car anywhere near as far as we had hoped. But we made it to Sheep Canyon primitive campground, ditched our bikes and played at non-technical canyoneering for a couple of hours. If you would have told me that I was going to enjoy the very slight descent on the way back (nine miles through sand), I would have said you were crazy, but it was a blast. This was my first fun experience on sand and I really enjoyed it. Stats: 18.9 miles, 2682 feet of gain.
Thomas Mountain - The Ramona trail is awesome single-track. Highly recommended. Lake Hemet Campground sure is cold in early November though, but at least they have hot showers! 13.3 miles, 1863 feet of gain.
Palm Canyon / Pinyon Flat - Flat is the right word. We got our first three flats of the trip on this cactus lined loop. After four days in a row, we were really too tired to do this one, so it felt pretty brutal. 10.4 miles, 1730 feet of gain.
Goat Trails - After a rest day, we were ready to build on our previous workouts with the coup de grace. We actually surmounted Murray Hill and made the loop, but the steep downhill from Murray turned out to be a rutted, BLM - mismanaged disappointment. We would have been better off doing it as an out-and-back on the beautiful single track we climbed west of Eagle Canyon. Nevertheless, it was a blast, with a little more route-finding than the other rides. It ended up being 12 miles and a whopping 2880 feet of elevation gain.
Finally, a couple of quotable quotes from my wife, the best mountain biking spouse a guy could dream of…
"Speed will get you through times with no technique, better than technique will get you through times with no speed." (Apologies to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers)
"Survival is secondary!"
Rich Owings
www.MakeYourOwnMaps.com
www.GPStracklog.com
"We were desert mystics, my friends and I, poring over our maps as others do their holy books." - Edward Abbey
