RCY Pictorial Ride Report

OJAI and the Gridley Trail

Sunday, May 30, 2004

Uncle Louie's Ojai Ride Report

Unlike Uncle Louie, who was able to enthral us with yet another splendid report chronicling our Sunday Ojai ride on Sunday, I was just too darned pooped after arriving home at about 5:30 p.m. to upload and edit my photos and present you with pictures of the ride (plus I dared not get on the computer after spending ALL day with my wonderful RCY family rather than my wonderful wife Sheila).  Thus it is a day later that I offer a few visual additions to Uncle Louie's words.

Still being a bit fatigued after 2 days of hard riding (I hiked this morning with my wife rather than ride at Chesebro), this tired, aged man presents you with his first photo, that of a REST stop on the 9-mile Sisar Fireroad climb....

The joys of rest

Next, I thought I would show you a picture of our very own Uncle Louie, a family law attorney, pointing out the bullet holes produced by an angry client on a previous ride.  The shots just missed Uncle Louie because of the nimble quickness he displays on his Santa Cruz Superlight.

As Uncle Louie related in his report, the ride up Sisar was quite an ordeal with 9 miles of mostly LONG uphill interspersed with very SHORT downhill sections.   In fact, here is another view of the long and short of it....

The Long and Short of it, Dayve and Jamshyd

That superb down-hiller Nelson came prepared for the worst....

Nelson with full-face helmet (a full nelson)

As Uncle Louie reported, some of the worst on this ride consisted of bothersome gnats.  While I was riding alongside SteveA, he swallowed at least one gnat.  Using my macro-lens I was able to capture this shot looking down his throat.....

Always looking for new trails, Rod pointed out a trail sign along the Sisar climb which offered a promising future ride that needs further research.

Trail 22W08 with a view of Lake Casitas in the distance

Finally reaching the top of Sisar, we continued on what I believe is called Nordhoff Ridge.  It was here that we observed several hang gliders enjoying the uplift against the steep mountain.

Dreaming of single-track in the sky:

Note the gliders in the distance

A little closer

Closer yet

Leaving the hang gliders behind, we continued on our quest towards the Gridley Trail.  The ridge is abundant in short, sometimes loose, up and downhill sections.  Unfortunately, Yoni, riding an unforgiving hard-tail, took a spill in the loose rock.

Yoni displaying his war wounds

with concerned, yet proud Abba Rod looking on

Undaunted, Yoni and the rest of us continued on our way with the top of Gridley Trail soon to come into view....

The top of Gridley is to the right of the photo

with the trail heading across and down to the left

Inspite of our fatigue, the ride down Gridley is challenging and fun.   Loose shale, narrow ledges, tight switchbacks, smooth fast sections, rocky challenging sections:  this trail has it all.

IronLegs Aaronson on Gridley

Rest stop at "The Trough":  Discussing who should take the first drink

After about 5 hours (approximately 4 hours of actual saddle time) we arrive back at Boccali's where most of us tried replenishing our bodies and minds with Italian cuisine prior to the drive home.

The End

Arrivederci,

Robco Baggins

Topo Maps 2004, click on Ojai31May04