aka: Report of the Gilded Fairies
As I sit inside my air-conditioned house and observe the 102º temperature outside on my shaded patio on only the second day in May, I realize how glad I am that today's ride is in the history books. A baker's dozen showed up this morning at Bell Canyon for a ride up Bell into Ahmanson and over to Chesebro. The skies were clear and the sun was getting ready to do its thing. And do its thing it did.
We pedaled up the beautiful singletrack that parallels Bell Canyon, eventually climbing the last part of Bell on the pavement. Then it was up the dirt switchbacks--you could feel the air heating up--to Bell Canyon Ridge where we hooked up with the new singletrack trail that goes down into Ahmanson.
The Group
(from the left) :Mitch, SteveA, Rod, DavidR, BrianD, Jamshyd, Joe, AaronA, DaveW,Jeremy, Warner
(barely visible, he was about to disappear), DavidN, and RobC (behind the lens)
As pointed out above, Warner left us at this point as the mother ship was calling back its native sons. But do not fret for another rider would join us later to boost our number back up to lucky 13.
We then traveled thru Ahmanson, exiting at Las Virgenes Road and, inspite of the rising temperatures, decided to retrace last weekends route up the fireroad climb that begins at the end of Las Virgenes. Up and up we climbed until we finally found a shady oasis amongst the rocks and mustard to rest our weary, thirsty bodies....
....and also to discuss important matters involving bikes, politics, finances, women.....
But ride on we must. And so it was that we continued towards Chesebro Canyon. But it was here that the group, in typical Gilded Fairy fashion, started to fracture. DavidN got a flat tire and while some of us stopped to help and wait (more waiting than helping), a lead pack of riders got out ahead, and this writer never saw them again. Their autos were gone when we got back to the start point and so I must assume and hope that they all finished the ride in a relatively hydrated and healthy fashion.
The group I was with eventually headed up Sulfer Springs Trail in Chesebro Canyon, enjoying the relative coolness of the oak shaded riparian habitat. When we got to the big technical climb on the trail, I stopped to take some shots....
DavidN and Joe zig-zagging up the climb
Rod makes it look easy....if he can stay on the trail
SteveA shows how its done: A Series
Concentrating up the relatively smooth start....
....and then Steve goes up and over the rock face....Bravo!
But then there was Jamshyd, who last week made it look easy, and this week....well....
We finished the Sulfer Springs Trail at Shepherd's Flat, turned right and headed down GasPipe/TacoHill/BrokenSpoke Trail. It was here that we picked up the aforementioned 13th man replacement for Warner. Dean, who drove to the wrong start point this morning, but put it in hyperdrive and eventually caught us as he rode up the trail as we were starting down. After a fun-filled descent--(observation: it is so much cooler going downhill than uphill in 90+ degree heat)--we arrived at the Las Virgenes Fireroad, turned left to do some additional climbing up to the singletrack trail that took us back to the top of Bell Canyon. Finally, with the climbing virtually over we headed back down paved Bell Canyon (Rod and I took a short singletrack detour back on the original trail we entered on) to our cars. Most of us were out of water, exhausted, hot, tired, beat, but so happy to have gotten the opportunity to ride dirt yet another day. Go figure.
Have a great week.
Yours,
Robco Baggins
P.S. Joe reports that he found a tick securely attached to his neck after the ride and so you might want to do a tick check if you rode today.