Bulldog gets a bad rap. It seems we seldom do this ride because I think that all one focuses on is the unrelenting climb up Bulldog Fireroad. Yeah, it's a tough climb, but there is really so much more. And Saturday's healthy turnout of 13 RCYers experienced some of the hidden gems within the Bulldog Loop.

The weather was sunny but cool, and that helped during the ride. The first gem was the challenging rock garden on the way to the base of Bulldog. The dry creek bed offered all sorts of rocky, yet rideable, obstacles along with loose, sandy sections. Passing the site of the old TV M*A*S*H set we arrived at the bottom of the Bulldog Fireroad climb where we gathered for a group photo.

From the left: Giang, Matthew, Ali, AaronY, Shah, Rob and Jamshyd embracing, Daniel, an ecstatic Rod, George, Steve, Joe.

(Photograhic credit goes to Nelson, who took the photo...he threatened to sue if he did not get credit)

The climb of Bulldog was tough as usual. However, engrossed in conversation with Rod and others, I barely felt the agony and before I knew it we had reached the top. After some re-fueling, resting and yenta-ing, we headed on down the Castro Peak Motorway to the Corral Canyon Parking Lot. It was here that another of those gems of this ride appears. Although you can take the street over to the fireroad, most of us headed to the beautiful and challenging Moab-like slickrock area where a single track trail meanders.

Two Nelsons: that's Nelson riding down a steep section and then smiling at the bottom....how'd he do that?

From this point we headed on down the section I think is called "The Elevator". At one point Matthew, Jamshyd and I decided to explore an area that appeared to have an inviting singletrack between large rocks. Matthew was in the lead and at the top of a hill informed us that the trail seemed to peeter out in a dump. Well, at the mention of dump, Jamshyd had a pavlovian response and we had to wait while he used the "facilities." Jamshyd had found his own hidden gem on this ride!

Although there are a few big climbs on The Elevator, the payoff is one gem of a long section of open, balls-out, downhill fireroad--a few people crashed but no one was seriously hurt. The fireroad ends at a singletrack--I'll call it the Elevator ST--that took us down to Malibu Canyon Road. A few shots of riders on the singletrack.....

We had to ride a short, dangerous portion of pavement on Malibu Canyon Road before riding into Tapia Park where we caught the wonderful connector trail--old age has caused me to forget its name--that took us back into Malibu Creek State Park.

The group started to break up a bit at this point. Having to get back, I, along with a few others, simply rode the pavement back to the cars. I understand that some went out for a bite to eat, but I have no details and no one brought me any leftovers.