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Sunday 5/25 9am: ECdM/Skeggs Leaf Trail Ride

6K views 43 replies 23 participants last post by  audi0phile 
#1 · (Edited)
Reports of the new South Leaf Trail extension (replaces Disneyland) are that it's awesome. I wanna see for myself.

I've decided to hit up ECdM Sunday morning at 9am to do a slow climbing C level ride on the Leaf Trails. Looking for slow but technically skilled company. Also wouldn't mind joining a faster group and splintering off at the end of South Leaf. I need to be at work by noon.

My plan: Start at Gate 1, climb paved to Fir, drop Fir to Resolution, ECdM Trail to North Leaf, head south to try out the new South Leaf Extension, ride South Leaf to gate CM10, and return by way of the Leafs and ECdM trail.

I will be the Fat Bottomed Girl in the green Suby Outback, grey ano Enduro.

To see the rest of the map below click here.
and then click on the trail ratings map (pdf) on that page.

Patty
 

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#2 ·
The PTB Sunday crew is heading to Skeggs this week, and I was thinking of dragging them out that way. 9AM will pre-empt Perez for sure, but I think most others could swing it. We can always cruise back and hit the other side of the park on the way back.

Let the troop rallying commence!
 
#5 ·
zorg said:
From Resolution, how much climbing would it add to do "North leaf, Methuselah, south leaf" as an out and back? Still trying to figure out my week-end riding plan.
Without the southleaf connector its 7.4/1700ft (Down resolution, north leaf, up Methuselah). Looks like the one mile section of south leaf rolls between 1500feet and 1700feet.
 
#7 ·
timehoc said:
Without the southleaf connector its 7.4/1700ft (Down resolution, north leaf, up Methuselah). Looks like the one mile section of south leaf rolls between 1500feet and 1700feet.
Wow! That's a bit more than I thought. Resolution is about 500' if I remember correctly. I was thinking about starting a loop from Star Hill. Up North Leaf, ECDM, Tafoni, Sierra Morena, Bear Gulch, Blue Blossom, to Manzanita, to Fir, down Resolution, and then maybe south Leaf as an out and back (disclaimer, I might have screwed up some of the early trail direction). However, that now sounds like quite a bit. I might just go back and hit SDF.
 
#9 ·
zorg said:
Wow! That's a bit more than I thought. Resolution is about 500' if I remember correctly. I was thinking about starting a loop from Star Hill. Up North Leaf, ECDM, Tafoni, Sierra Morena, Bear Gulch, Blue Blossom, to Manzanita, to Fir, down Resolution, and then maybe south Leaf as an out and back (disclaimer, I might have screwed up some of the early trail direction). However, that now sounds like quite a bit. I might just go back and hit SDF.
The total out and back can't be more than 8.5/2100? Less if you start from Star Hill.

When I said 1500-1700 I didn't mean climb. I meant elevation range.
 
#10 ·
Here's a loop that I tried the last 2 weekends:

<table x:str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 200pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="266"> [TR] [TD]Start at CM02[/TD] [TD]
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sierra Morena -exit CM04[/TD] [TD]1.2 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Road[/TD] [TD]0.3 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Enter gate 4.5- Steam Donkey[/TD] [TD]1.3 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Gordon Mill[/TD] [TD]0.3 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Cross Over[/TD] [TD]0.2 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Cross Cut[/TD] [TD]0.5 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Timberview[/TD] [TD]0.3 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Manzanita[/TD] [TD]1.1 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Fir[/TD] [TD]0.5 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Resolution[/TD] [TD]1.1 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]ECDM Creek[/TD] [TD]0.7 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]North Leaf[/TD] [TD]0.7 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]South Leaf[/TD] [TD]1.3 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Virginia Mill[/TD] [TD]1.9 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Lawrence Creek[/TD] [TD]2.1 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Blue Blossom[/TD] [TD]1.2 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Spring Board[/TD] [TD]0.5 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Gordon Mill[/TD] [TD]1.4 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sierra Morena[/TD] [TD]1.2 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Back at CM02[/TD] [TD]
[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Total:[/TD] [TD]17.8 mi.[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
A fun but challenging ride, esp. the 3 consecutive ballbuster climbs on Steam Donkey, the climb on Manzanita and the up/down on South Leaf. Bring enough water and food on this one.

-Daniel
 
#12 ·
The ride I was planning looks like 5.0 miles to the south end of south leaf, with about 780 feet of climbing and 1400 feet of descending. Return (if on dirt) is about 4.8 miles with 1420 feet of climbing and 450 feet of descending. If I go back on the road, the return is about 4.5 miles with about 1000 feet of climbing. My back will let me know if I can climb out on dirt. I might skip doing South Leaf backwards anyway, just because I don't like pushing my bike up narrow trails against oncoming riders.

Hey, did you know that Google Maps knows where Skeggs Point, Woodside, CA is? And I put a public waypoint at "gate cm08, woodside, ca" incase anyone wants to look it up.

Patty
 
#16 ·
I may have a slight adjustment to my plans. I'm thinking I'll park at gate CM08 and start from there at 8am, climb up to Skeggs for the 9am meeting time, and then ride down the Leafs with the group. That way my car is closer to the bottom and I'm more likely to make it to work on time. So I'll be at Skeggs at 9am, but not with my car.

Patty
 
#20 ·
benzy said:
Zorg, -or any Fremont peeps, I may hit this up. PM me if you want to arrange a carpool. I can drive.
I'll go to Skeggs with GMM on Monday morning at 8am. You guys have fun tomorrow. It'll probably be super cold. I went to Mission Peak this morning and it was 46-47 near the peak around 9am. So much for the start of summer.
 
#25 ·
Whoo, fun times.

Two questions though:
1) Why did the person who insisted the ride be at Skeggs not make it?
2) Anyone know what happened to Skyline35?

Started with 8 - mostly full suspensions (one of which was getting the first big ride on a set of new Crank Brothers wheels - BLING!), but climb4fun and myself decided to represent the hardtail contingent. CM01-pavement-Fir-Resolution-up to North Leaf-NL-AWESOME new connector-South Leaf. Here Patty and Jeff peeled off, as did the German dude (sorry, forgot your name already). Five dropped all the way to the bottom, and spent the next 45 minutes climbing out. Crank Brothers wheels and a whole crew of Specialized guys (I think I saw Mike Sinyard) went up Gordon Mill, four of us kept going to the top of Blue Blossom. Dutch Biker's shock bolt snapped someplace, so he bailed to the road and out, three went down again. Benzy took off up Gordon Mill back to Sierra Morena and the cars, and climb4fun and I decided to climb up to Manzanita via Crosscut/Crossover.

Dunno what the totals are, elevation and distance-wise, but that was a good ride!

Any thoughts on next week?
 
#26 ·
Wow the CB wheels are out? Those look insane.

I slept in a bit, and did Skeggs down to the end of South Leaf by way of Resolution, then just turned around and came back up and out ECDM trail.

The new connector is nice, but South Leaf is challenging as usual. I still can't clean 2 or 3 of the short steep climbs coming back.
 
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