MTB Trail Review: Hahn Buena Vista/Clara Burgess

Getting ready to drop in.

This is one of my favorite trails anywhere, not just Southern California.

This 17.5 mile loop takes you high into the desert mountains just south of Palm Springs starting with a stiff 4-mile climb up Dunn Road.

All that climbing will be rewarded though when you get to the top of Hahn Trail. This is one of the best trails in SoCal with 2.7 miles of twisty, rocky singletrack dropping over 1100' through some of the best desert scenery you'll find anywhere.

After a quick connector back to Dunn Road, you join up with Wild Horse which connects with the Clara Burgess Trail and another stiff climb to the top of Murray Hill and about the best view of the Palm Springs area.

Hahn Trail is super sweet.

From the top of Murray Hill you're in for some real fun. If you creep up to the edge, you'll see an improbable looking trail that seems to drop straight off the side of a cliff. Yep, that's where you're going.

I should mention that if you are not comfortable with heights, exposure, tight switchbacks and the possibility of death if you should go over the edge, go back down the way you came because the next 1.3 miles drop 1100+ feet at an average grade of 17%. Yeah, it's steep, loose and technical and if you're up for it, it's a blast.

When you get to the bottom, there is a trail sign. From here just keep going right until you can see the neighborhood where you started the ride. Take any of the trails back to the road (beware: some may get real steep). 

Directions: In Cathedral City - Park right at the theaters then follow Cathedral Canyon road south, keep making right turns following the fence until you see the entrance to Dunn Road. Enter and get ready to work. The first mile is pretty tough.

Map & Stats: Dunn Road/ Hahn Buena Vista

Murray Hill. Remember to look at where you want to go, not where you don't want to go.

10 Days in the Desert

Morning in the desert.

I've spent quite a bit of time in Anza-Borrego over the years camping, bouldering and mountain biking. It's interesting that in all that time and with the proximity to where I live, I've never really come out here specifically to shoot. I've collected a few shots along the way but weekend trips were usually for some other purpose.

I spent a couple of days shooting the badlands then moved up towards Borrego Palm Canyon where I spent the rest of my time. I was able to get what I consider adequate shots but nothing spectacular. Unfortunately, I've been blessed with clear skies, which for a photographer means boring skies. So I've spent most of my time looking for interesting foreground elements to put in front of the mountains to the west.

I was hoping for a few wildflowers but the drought that is keeping California dry has definitely dried out the desert areas as much if not more than everywhere else in the state.

Over the last few years my visits have been restricted to the Rodriguez/Oriflamme Canyon area during the Julian Death March so it has been nice to do a little exploring while I'm out here.

Ten days of riding at Borrego Valley.

For mountain biking, I started out with a cruise around the Grapevine Canyon Loop followed by a cruise through the desert badlands of Ocotillo Wells and then an out and back ride up Coyote Canyon about half way. All three rides were your typical desert riding with lots of rocks and sand. Call me crazy but I really don't mind it that much and just love the isolation of the desert.

Ocotillo Riding

I also had some plans for the road bike. I've been wanting to ride Montezuma Grade (cat 1) for some time now so staying right at the base gave me a chance to give it a go more than once.

The rest of the riding around the valley is mostly flat or false flats on pavement that ranges from rough to really horrible and by horrible I mean that suspension might be required depending on which road you're on.

One thing I learned pretty quick is that you have two choices when it comes to road riding from Borrego Springs. You can ride around the valley in which case you're going to ride some rough roads that will wear you down, or you can ride up Montezuma Grade to better pavement.

Since riding up Montezuma every day would be pretty rough, I did a number of rides around the valley. The east side of Yaqui Pass (cat 4) is another good climb I found in my exploring and actually had good pavement. The rest of the time I did out and backs to the 78 and down S22 towards Salton Sea.

About half way up Montezuma Grade.

The best two rides I did were the loops up Montezuma Grade. These were both excellent rides that are as good as anything I've ridden in San Diego.

On the first, I rode S22 up to San Felipe Road and turned left and followed San Felipe all the way to the 78 where I made another left then came back into Borrego Valley via the west side of Yaqui Pass. This was right at 50 miles and was a good 3-hour ride if you keep your pace up.

The second loop turned right at San Felipe Road and went through Santa Isabelle and Julian for a 75-mile loop with 6000+ feet of climbing.

Overall, I would rate Borrego Springs as a pretty good destination for riding. Montezuma Grade is pretty much the highlight for the road. The scenery is great wherever you ride though and the weather can't be beat.

Camping is also easy. You can stay at the State Park CG or camp for free on the BLM land east of town or at Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area. There is gas and food available in Borrego Springs along with a couple of small motels.

There is also a new bike shop at the mall. He mainly deals in rentals for the tourists but has some emergency parts if you find yourself needing a tire or tubes.

Sunrise in the desert.

 

Road Ride Review: Montezuma Grade/Yaqui Pass Loop

You just know that any ride that starts with a 3400' climb is going to be tough and this one doesn't disappoint.

Montezuma Grade/Yaqui Pass Loop

Montezuma Grade starts in the desert town of Borrego Springs and climbs foe 10.7 miles up to the small town of Ranchita. The entire climb is in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park which is one of the largest state parks in the country showcasing the beautiful low desert of Southern California.

Store at Ranchita

The initial climb is tough. I watched the grade and it seemed to stay between 6-8% for the majority of the climb. I never saw it go above 9% or drop below 4% the whole way so it is pretty relentless. The climb is listed as the 60th hardest in California which has some pretty stiff climbs.

Once you get to the top, you are in for a lot of downhill riding with two small climbs at San Felipe Pass and Yaqui Pass (cat 4). The rest of the ride is pretty much downhill the whole way.

San Felipe road has a good shoulder for the whole way although the pavement is not the best I've seen. Once you turn on the 78, things get a little interesting as the road is pretty narrow as you drop through some tight turns for a few miles until you get to Yaqui Pass Road.

I would not recommend this section on a Friday or Saturday as you would have a lot of off-roader traffic heading to Ocotillo Wells. Motorhomes and trailers pulled by throttle jockeys are usually not a cyclists best friend on narrow roads.

After the short climb to Yaqui Pass, it's just a long downhill back to Borrego Springs where there are plenty of restaurants to hit up for some post-ride grub.

The route logs in at just over 50 miles with 4400' of climbing. I managed to get around in just over three hours.
 

Road Ride Review - Sunrise Highway Loop

What an awesome ride. Good climb, good downhills, spectacular views throughout. This ride takes you from desert to mountains on good roads with not too much traffic.

Sunrise Highway Loop

I started at the Paso Picacho Campground in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and did a counter-clockwise loop. I think the route would be just as fun in either direction.

The route ended up being 45.4 miles with just under 4000' of climbing so be prepared for some hills. The longest was the climb from Pine Valley up to Mount Laguna, a Category 1 climb that gains 2200' over 11 miles. The rest of the climbs are easy compared to that one.

The views along the way are fantastic and I would say this is as scenic as anything you'll find in Southern California. At one point as you descend the ridge coming down from Mount Laguna, you can look to your right and see far out into the Anza-Borrego Desert. You can also see the Pacific Crest Trail below you as it parallels the highway for a few miles.

Directions: Take the I-8 east out of San Diego to Pine Valley, start here or go west on Old Hwy 80 to the 79, take the 79 to Paso Picacho CG. 

High up on Sunrise Highway in the Laguna Mountains Recreation Area.

Finding your pure joy...

I was on a slight downhill today on a winding road that twisted its way through a corridor of tall eucalyptus trees when I eased up, let go of my handlebars, sat up and spread my arms like wings as I descended through the forest like a bird.

It happened without me thinking about it, just a moment in which I was transported back to my younger years when riding a bike granted me freedom and at the same time one of my first forms of recreation independent of parents, independent of others, something that could be pursued alone or with friends depending on your mood.

I remember learning to ride. I remember those first pedal strokes in the alley behind our apartment in Tustin, the first crash into the dumpster because I didn't bother learning how to use the brakes. I remember my first trip to the hospital. I remember the first bike I broke sliding into a wall at Fullerton Stadium.

I can remember riding 10-speeds fifty-miles round trip to the beach from Fullerton when I was in high school, riding BMX bikes on the dirt and in the local skate parks during the early '80s.

I took a break from riding in the mid-to-late '80s when I was in the Army and when I surfed a lot. But I got back on the bike around 1990 and really haven't stopped since.

Riding brings me joy. It challenges me and allows me to challenge myself. Unlike surfing or skiing, the riding is always good. I don't have to wait for good surf or snow. I can swing my leg over a bike and hit the road or trails and lose myself in the exertion for as long as I desire. I am not bound by the whims of nature. I am only constrained by the power of my legs, the capacity of my lungs, the pumping of my heart and the strength of my mind to overcome any pain I dish out to myself.

And on occasion, I have a moment like today where I am transported back to where I am lost in the pure joy of riding that I had when I first learned to pedal as a child.



 

Road Ride (San Diego): Elfin Forest Loop

Elfin Forest/Del Dios Loop

There are a lot of good routes in San Diego but I think this might be my favorite. The route starts and ends on Pacific Coast Highway and the world famous views that it is known for but the real highlights are Elfin Forest Road and Del Dios Highway out near Lake Hodges.

The loop shown on the map is right around 40 miles but it would be pretty easy to add or subtract miles.

The route can also be ridden clockwise or counter-clockwise. It seemed that more riders were going counter-clockwise on the Sunday that I rode the route. The climbs might be slightly tougher in that direction.

Elfin Forest Road

With the exception of a few miles on Elfin Forest and La Costa, there was either a shoulder or a dedicated bike lane. The ride felt as safe as any other rural route I've ridden in Southern California.

 I was reminded of the riding in the Santa Monica's with the same Coastal Scrub Oak Chaparral that dominates the coastal areas of Southern California. Or at least it used to dominate before most of it was turned into planned suburbia.

This loop has many miles that is bordered by either the Elfin Forest or Lake Hodges Reserves which give a look back at what the area used to look like.

Lake Hodges from Del Dios Highway.

Week one is in the books...

The first week of the 2014 Photo/Ride Adventure Tour is in the books and has carried me from South Orange County to North San Diego County. Not a lot of mileage but since I'm not on a strict timetable as in times past, this should give me the opportunity to get better coverage of the areas I do visit.

A good example would be the time I've spent at South Carlsbad State Park. In the past I would have stayed for a sunset and sunrise and taken whatever I happened to capture. In this case, the first two sunsets were rather bland and didn't really get me anything good. The third however got some interesting cloud formations that yielded this image.

Copyright Eric Foltz

With limited features other than a lot of wide open stretches of sand, finding some rocks to put in the foreground made all the difference. It's not the best beach image I have but I'm pretty happy with being able to get something good from this location.

I was able to put up pretty good mileage on the bikes (plural). I did some mountain biking while I was up in San Clemente and have been mixing it up with road biking when the trails weren't convenient.

I've managed to ride the Southern California coast from Seal Beach to La Jolla with a couple of inland loops to keep it interesting.

Riding in San Diego County really makes you appreciate how good the roads in South OC really are. PCH through SD is one cracked, potholed, lumpy mess in a lot of places. The views are spectacular but taking your eyes off the pavement in front of you is risking death.

The STRAVA Heatmap so far:

I'll probably have a hard time turning anything red this year, but I predict there will be blue lines all over the place by year's end.

I was hoping to hit around 5000 new segments by the end of the year, but I'm thinking that number might be a little conservative since I've already added around 300 in just the first week. It's is really amazing to see what happens when you ride something in the opposite direction from what you do normally. Yesterday and today, I rode north along the coast where I had only ridden south previously and added 200+ segments. All those STRAVA users have been busy.


The real challenge will be adding to this map which shows everywhere I've ridden in the U.S.:

 

Mountain bike rides are green, road are red and my tour route is in gold. I'm looking forward to adding a lot of new color to this map.