Happy New Year!!!

A Joyful End To A Sad Holidays

La Honda Creek OSP

Easing Back Into It

I Say, This Is Highly Unacceptable. You’ve Moistened My SHAKEDRY!

First time visiting to check out the new bike legal trail.

I was originally going to do this as part of a longer ride with Bob and Sonny but when I woke up this morning, my back wasn't feeling great after I tweaked it. They were going to ride road but I suggested they bring their gravel bikes so we could check this trail out. Rather than risk it, I told them to go back to riding road and if I was up to it, I'd meet them at Alice's for lunch.

At the Sears Ranch parking lot, a ranger greeted me as I was getting ready to start. This was perfect because she gave me some info about the trails that I wasn't able to get (since the trail is too new for Strava to route it).

The ranger told me about this new interactive trail explorer tool that they have (https://www.openspace.org/stories/new-interactive-trail-explorer-tool). Pretty cool.

Being able to route it would've been better though as the tool should average grades which are always misleading. There's a section on Lonely Forest Trail, as you get into the redwoods that the tool claims is orange which is supposed to be 10-14%. Well it was 22-24% sustained with a 27% max!!! Plenty of 14-17% climbing too.

Once again, why do they have to grade fire roads so steep?

I was also able to ask why the northern trails aren't bike legal. It's bummer because this is just an out-n-back instead of being able to connect with El Corte de Madera Creek. The ranger said the easement through the private property limits the amount of traffic (people, not cars) allowed through.

The views are very nice throughout. The first part on Harrington Creek Trail and the first part of Lonely Forest Trail before reaching the redwoods is grasslands where cows graze.

The trails are mix of really nicely compacted and smooth gravel, chunkier gravel in areas of the trail that probably get a lot of water runoff over it, and, at the moment, in the forested areas, lots of leaf litter, fallen branches and twigs.

Once you get to Western Meadowlark Trail, you're out of the woods and back in the exposed grasslands. Up there the winds were howling and the grades were steep, including a wall to get up to Coho Vista Trail.

The weather forecast said it was going to be warm, and it actually could've been without the strong wind chill. I guess the silver lining was the skies were very clear making for great views.

The trail climbs and then descends down into a valley before climbing all the way to the top which means it's not all downhill on the return.

Just before returning from the peak, I messaged the guys to let them know I was on my way back and I heard a gate slam behind me. I didn't think anyone else was around but it was a MTBer that for sure did the non-bikeable trails, probably coming from Skeggs.

Because it's an out-n-back and it's so steep in parts, I'm not sure if I'd do it again.

I ended up starting about 30 minutes late and met the guys about 30 minutes late. The upside was I ran into Natalie and Noah at Alice's while I was in line to order and they were stopping for restroom and water.

UPDATE: I was wrong, I should've gone through the gate that other person came through. I thought I was at the top for the vista point but I wasn't. In my head the turn I did looked just like what I pictured on the map. Maybe I need to go back?

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Andy Wong 🍑📷

La Honda Creek OSP

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Happy New Year!!!

A Joyful End To A Sad Holidays

La Honda Creek OSP

Easing Back Into It

I Say, This Is Highly Unacceptable. You’ve Moistened My SHAKEDRY!

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